Can You Trust Trustpilot? Business Extortion & Review Manipulation
- sylviakayrose
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
It's so pretty and reassuring, that box with the green stars appearing on websites all over the internet. You might be tempted to use Trustpilot to boost your business. But what's behind the glam? Here are the viewpoints of both consumers and business owners.
While Trustpilot asserts it does not manipulate reviews, businesses and users have noted ways in which the platform's system and policies result in a greater number of positive reviews shown, negative reviews downplayed, or for some businesses, vice versa -- unless they pay.
Manipulation can include:
Selective Invitation (Cherry-Picking)
Businesses with a paid subscription can access tools to simplify the process of requesting reviews from their customers. Critics argue that some businesses might "cherry-pick," selectively inviting only happy customers, or use language in invitations to promotes positive feedback, leading to a distorted portrayal of the overall customer experience.
User Experience: The Trustpilot Manipulation Game
Businesses often use psychological tactics to elicit good reviews. Consumers who buy a product or interact with customer service may immediately get a "How Did We Do?" message. The customer is on a "high", having completed a purchase successfully, or received a satisfactory response from a customer service rep, and will often give the company a strong positive rating at that point. If the client later regrets it, there's no option to change the rating.
Some companies send automated emails two weeks after the consumer purchases a product, to give the buyer time to receive the product/service.
Aside: Auto-Review Emails: Good or Bad?
Sending automated review emails approximately two weeks post-purchase can result in valuable, high-quality reviews if timing coincides with the customer's actual use of the product. This period is seen as an optimal "sweet spot", as it allows customers sufficient time to use the item while keeping the purchase recent in their memory.
Personally, I was very happy with an item I purchased when I got the 2-week review email, and gave it a rare (for me) 5 stars. A few days later I noticed some of the stitching was coming loose. Oops, too late now.
Flagging and Removal Process
Businesses can flag reviews they think breach guidelines. Some are accused of abusing this feature by consistently flagging negative reviews to have them removed, knowing that the original reviewer must supply proof of the experience within three days.
If the reviewer fails or is unable to provide the necessary documentation (like a receipt), the review is deleted. Critics argue this process disproportionately impacts negative reviews, as positive ones are not likely to be flagged and scrutinized for proof.
User Experiences: How are companies getting so many trustpilot reviews?
Financial Incentive and Support
The platform operates on a freemium model. Paying businesses receive more tools and support for managing their profile and reviews. Critics argue this creates an inherent bias, as paying customers receive more favorable treatment, such as better support for challenging negative reviews.
Algorithm Weighting
Trustpilot's algorithm for determining a business's "TrustScore" prioritizes recent reviews over older ones. As a result, focusing on gathering a significant number of recent positive reviews can swiftly boost a business's score, possibly concealing a past record of poor performance.
It can also work the other way, as in the experience of this business: Trustpilot isn’t a review site, it’s a protection racket for fake reviews
"Consumer Alert" Pressure
If a company on the free platform and tries to use reviews or link to Trustpilot without purchasing embeddable widgets, Trustpilot displays a noticeable consumer warning on their profile, urging them to opt for paid services to eliminate the notice.
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