50% consumers deem online reviews to be either fake or planted: Study

34% said their negative reviews have often been rejected by e-commerce sites, as per LocalCircles' study

Do you read the reviews before shopping or ordering food online?

A recent study shows that a vast majority do not trust online reviews and consider them to be either fake or planted.
This, while online firms, including Amazon and Zomato, extensively encourage customers to give reviews on their experience of products or food.

Online sites like eBay and Flipkart allow individual businesses to list their products. After showcasing their product, the owners allegedly write reviews themselves or ask their family and friends to market it.

Social network LocalCircles conducted a survey of around 15,000 people that revealed the lack of trust 50 per cent customers have on online reviews, with many believing that firms push for negative products with good remarks, reported The Times of India newspaper.

Moreover, 34 per cent consumers said that if they happened to give a negative review, the site concerned has often rejected it. This is a result of lack of stringent laws amid rising cyber attacks, say experts.

To combat this menace, e-commerce sites have started to block fake accounts, which either give negative reviews or promote faulty products with good comments. Similarly, Amazon India has completely stopped paid reviews and only allows those who have purchased something from their site to give feedback, the English daily added.