Did you know that 89% of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase decision? Buy negative Trustpilot reviews has become a controversial tactic some businesses consider to harm competitors in the digital marketplace. In fact, research suggests that as much as 30% of all product reviews are likely to be fake, creating an environment where authentic consumer feedback becomes increasingly difficult to identify.
While the temptation to buy negative trustpilot reviews might seem like a quick way to gain competitive advantage, this practice comes with serious legal and ethical considerations. Fake online reviews are illegal in many jurisdictions due to deceptive advertising laws, and businesses using review gating can artificially inflate their ratings by 0.5 to 1.5 stars. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) specifically requires disclosure of compensation for reviews to prevent consumer deception.
In this article, we’ll explore when businesses might consider this risky strategy, the potential consequences they face, and most importantly, the better alternatives that can help build a genuine, positive online reputation instead of resorting to deceptive practices.
What are paid negative Trustpilot reviews?
Trustpilot, one of the most prominent review platforms globally, has become a battleground where some businesses engage in deceptive practices. Paid negative Trustpilot reviews represent a troubling trend in online reputation management where individuals or businesses purchase fake critical feedback to post on competitors’ profiles.
How they are created and sold
The creation and distribution of fake negative reviews involves a sophisticated underground market. According to recent investigations, brokers offer these services through social media platforms, particularly Facebook groups. Researchers identified 17 groups offering fake reviews for Trustpilot with approximately 20,000 members. These digital marketplaces operate with surprising openness, offering various “packages” for potential buyers.
The pricing structure for these services is remarkably standardized:
Single reviews cost as little as $2 each
Bulk packages offer 100 reviews for approximately $180
Sellers frequently emphasize that their reviews are “manually written” rather than bot-generated to avoid detection. Furthermore, some even offer to include photographs with reviews to increase authenticity. Many of these review brokers appear to operate internationally, with connections to vendors in China and service teams in countries like India and Pakistan.
Despite Trustpilot’s efforts to combat this problem, the market persists. The platform removed an astounding 4.5 million fake reviews in 2024 alone, yet new methods continue to emerge. Additionally, the rise of generative AI has complicated matters by making it easier to create convincingly human-sounding fake reviews that are increasingly difficult to identify.
Why some businesses use them
Companies resort to purchasing negative reviews against competitors for several troubling reasons. Primarily, they aim to damage a competitor’s reputation, potentially driving customers away. A single negative review can deter 22% of potential customers, making this tactic particularly harmful.
Beyond reputation damage, some businesses use negative reviews to manipulate market perception and gain unfair SEO advantages. Moreover, they might employ this strategy as retaliation against competitors who received better organic feedback.
Some misguided marketers argue that purchasing a few strategic negative reviews against competitors creates a more “balanced playing field.” Nevertheless, this perspective ignores both ethical considerations and legal ramifications. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explicitly prohibits businesses from creating, selling, or buying fake consumer reviews, whether positive or negative.
Difference between organic and paid reviews
Understanding the distinction between genuine and fake feedback is crucial. Organic reviews occur when consumers independently visit a platform and leave feedback about their experiences. However, there’s no verification that the reviewer actually purchased the product or service.
Verified reviews, conversely, come from customers who receive invitations to share feedback after confirmed transactions. These typically display a “verified” badge on the platform, providing greater credibility.
Paid negative reviews attempt to mimic organic ones but lack authentic customer experience. They often exhibit telltale signs of manipulation, including suspicious patterns in posting times, questionable language, or reviews that focus on vague complaints rather than specific product details.
Trustpilot actively combats this problem through automated detection technology that analyzes every review before publication. The platform has also taken direct legal action against companies caught buying and using fake reviews. Moreover, Trustpilot’s zero-tolerance policy means that writing or buying fraudulent reviews is strictly prohibited under their guidelines.
The growing sophistication of fake review creation makes distinguishing authentic feedback increasingly challenging for consumers, underscoring the importance of platforms implementing robust verification systems.
When do businesses consider buying negative Trustpilot reviews?
In the cutthroat world of online business, some companies resort to unethical tactics when faced with competitive pressure. Purchasing negative reviews for competitors represents one such questionable strategy. Understanding the motivations behind this practice helps illuminate why businesses might consider this risky approach despite potential consequences.
To damage competitors’ reputation
The primary motivation for businesses to buy negative Trustpilot reviews is straightforward—damaging a competitor’s reputation. Research shows that approximately 94% of consumers avoid businesses with bad reviews, while a single negative review can drive away 22% of potential customers. Consequently, posting fake negative feedback becomes a tempting strategy for those looking to redirect customers to their own offerings.
Rival businesses sometimes leave unfounded negative reviews specifically to harm a competitor’s standing in the marketplace. This practice has become increasingly common as the importance of online reputation grows. Psychology research reveals an interesting phenomenon that makes this strategy particularly effective—consumers exhibit a “truth bias,” meaning they’re naturally inclined to believe information unless there’s strong evidence suggesting otherwise.
To manipulate market perception
Beyond direct reputation damage, businesses sometimes purchase negative reviews to alter broader market perceptions. Surprisingly, studies indicate that consumers are substantially more likely to trust negative reviews than positive ones, making manufactured negative feedback particularly powerful in shaping consumer opinions.
This manipulation becomes especially problematic given that negative reviews are actually more likely to be fake than positive ones in real-world data. Companies exploit this reality, knowing that strategic negative reviews can create an artificially negative perception of competitors while enhancing their own relative standing.
To gain unfair SEO advantage
Online visibility drives business success, prompting some companies to buy negative Trustpilot reviews for SEO benefits. Negative reviews potentially mislead not just consumers but competitors as well, who might make business decisions based on fraudulent feedback without realizing it’s manipulated.
Search engines consider review content when determining rankings, meaning businesses with predominantly negative reviews may experience reduced visibility online. Companies understanding this dynamic sometimes employ fake negative reviews as a tactical way to suppress competitors in search results, ultimately gaining an unfair advantage in digital visibility.
To retaliate against negative feedback
Occasionally, businesses purchase negative Trustpilot reviews as a form of retaliation. When a company receives authentic negative feedback, instead of addressing the underlying issues, they might strike back by orchestrating fake negative reviews against the reviewer’s business or against competitors they believe may have criticized them.
This retaliatory behavior creates vicious cycles of consumer dissatisfaction and defamation among competitors. Unfortunately, such practices erode trust in the entire review ecosystem, undermining the credibility of platforms like Trustpilot that rely on authentic consumer experiences.
The temptation to engage in these practices increases proportionally with the influence of online reviews. As Trustpilot reviews affect the purchasing decisions of 67.7% of consumers, the incentive for unethical manipulation grows stronger. Nonetheless, engaging in such practices carries significant risks—from platform penalties to legal consequences under FTC regulations and severe reputation damage if discovered.
Legal and ethical risks of buying negative reviews
The legal landscape surrounding online reviews has evolved dramatically in recent years. Attempting to buy negative Trustpilot reviews exposes businesses to substantial legal and ethical risks that can have devastating consequences for your company’s future.
FTC regulations in the USA
The Federal Trade Commission has implemented a final rule specifically targeting fake reviews that took effect on October 21, 2024. This landmark regulation explicitly prohibits businesses from creating, selling, purchasing, or disseminating fake reviews—whether positive or negative. The rule addresses both human-written and AI-generated fake reviews.
Under this regulation, the FTC explicitly bans:
Buying positive or negative reviews conditioned on expressing a particular sentiment
Review suppression through legal threats, intimidation, or false accusations
Company insiders writing reviews without disclosing their connection
Misrepresenting review displays by hiding negative feedback
Primarily, the FTC created this rule because “fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” as stated by FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
Trustpilot’s Acceptable Use Policy
Trustpilot maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding fake reviews. Their guidelines clearly state: “We do not tolerate them on our platform. Do not write or ask or encourage people to write fake reviews for your business”.
Businesses caught misusing the platform face serious consequences. Trustpilot may implement various penalties, including account suspension, feature blocking, agreement termination, and placement of Consumer Warnings on company profiles. Furthermore, Trustpilot has taken direct legal action against companies caught buying and using fake reviews.
Potential lawsuits and penalties
Violating the FTC rule exposes businesses to civil penalties of up to $51,744 per violation. Since the FTC counts each fake review as a separate violation, these fines can quickly accumulate to millions of dollars.
Beyond financial penalties, businesses may face:
Injunctive relief restricting business operations
Criminal charges in extreme cases through the FTC’s Criminal Liaison Unit
Private lawsuits from competitors harmed by fake review practices
Essentially, even if your identity seems protected when purchasing negative reviews for competitors, digital forensics and legal discovery processes can uncover these activities during investigations.
Violation of consumer protection laws
Buying negative Trustpilot reviews violates fundamental principles of consumer protection laws throughout the country. These laws universally prohibit unfair and deceptive practices in commerce.
Henceforth, businesses engaging in fake review schemes potentially face legal action from multiple angles. Even without the new FTC rule, fake reviews have long been considered deceptive advertising under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Additionally, the rule prohibits using “unfounded or groundless legal threats” to suppress negative reviews. This means businesses cannot intimidate customers who leave genuine negative feedback—a practice sometimes employed alongside purchasing fake negative reviews for competitors.
Overall, the ethical and legal risks associated with buying negative Trustpilot reviews far outweigh any potential short-term competitive advantage.
Consequences for your brand and business
Beyond the legal risks, businesses that buy negative Trustpilot reviews face devastating consequences that can permanently damage their operations. The repercussions extend far beyond temporary setbacks into lasting damage that can threaten your entire business model.
Loss of customer trust
When consumers discover fake review manipulation, their trust evaporates immediately. Studies reveal that 85% of consumers believe reviews they read were “sometimes or often fake”, creating a widespread skepticism. Upon discovering deceptive practices, 28% of consumers reported they would distrust other reviews, plus another 26% indicated they would lose trust in the brand entirely. This trust erosion is particularly damaging as 61% of consumers actively seek out one-star reviews to determine worst-case scenarios.
Damage to long-term reputation
Rebuilding a tarnished reputation requires years of effort and significant investment. Indeed, fake reviews create “vicious cycles of consumer dissatisfaction and defamation among competitors” that can permanently damage your brand image. The issue becomes compounded as customers share their negative experiences across social media platforms. Ultimately, this reputation damage often costs significantly more than any short-term advantage gained through manipulation.
Search engine penalties
Search engines actively combat review manipulation through severe penalties. Google may implement manual actions that remove your site partially or entirely from search results. Businesses caught engaging in deceptive practices face algorithmic penalties that dramatically reduce visibility. Furthermore, these penalties affect your organic rankings, putting “hard-earned organic rankings in jeopardy”. Simultaneously, platforms like Trustpilot may suspend your account or place Consumer Warnings on your profile.
Revenue and sales decline
The financial impact of buying negative Trustpilot reviews is staggering:
Businesses affected by fake negative reviews experience revenue declines up to 15%
Fake reviews cost U.S. businesses nearly $152 billion annually through reputation damage
A plastic surgeon in Australia reported business dropping 23% in just one week following a fake review
Another business documented a 25% decrease, forcing employee hour reductions
Notable cases show companies suffering massive financial consequences—one plumbing business reported its operations dropped by 25% following a competitor’s fake review. Similarly, litigation costs from enforcement actions, lawyer fees, and court proceedings can stretch into millions of dollars, creating a financial burden that few businesses can withstand.
Better alternatives to buying negative reviews
Instead of risking your business with fake reviews, ethical alternatives exist that build authentic online reputations. First and foremost, businesses should focus on legitimate strategies that foster genuine customer relationships.
Encouraging genuine customer feedback
Research shows that 71% of customers will leave a review when simply asked. The key lies in sending unbiased invitations to all customers — not just satisfied ones. This creates a more accurate representation of your performance while remaining compliant with platform guidelines. Timing matters too; sending requests shortly after purchase when the experience is fresh yields better response rates.
Using ethical review management tools
Legitimate review management platforms help businesses collect feedback ethically. These tools consolidate reviews across channels, making monitoring more efficient. Some services offer AI-assisted response drafting that maintains your brand voice while saving time. Clearly, these approaches build trust without violating Trustpilot’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Improving service quality
Negative reviews often reveal valuable opportunities for growth. In fact, 92% of consumers read reviews as part of their purchase decision process, making quality improvements directly impactful on sales. Subsequently, analyzing feedback for recurring themes helps identify systematic issues requiring attention. When businesses implement changes based on customer insights, they demonstrate commitment to excellence.
Responding to negative reviews constructively
Notably, 95% of unhappy customers will return if an issue is resolved quickly and efficiently. When crafting responses:
Acknowledge the specific concern raised
Offer a genuine apology without overdoing it
Provide actionable solutions to the problem
Invite further discussion via private channels
Above all, remember that how you handle negative feedback tells future customers more about your business than the review itself. This approach builds trust while showcasing your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
The practice of buying negative Trustpilot reviews ultimately creates far more problems than it solves. Therefore, businesses tempted by this shortcut should carefully weigh the substantial risks against any perceived benefits. The FTC’s strict regulations, combined with Trustpilot’s zero-tolerance policy, make this strategy legally hazardous with penalties exceeding $50,000 per violation.
Beyond legal consequences, companies engaging in review manipulation face devastating reputational damage. Once customers discover deceptive practices, trust evaporates almost immediately. Subsequently, rebuilding a tarnished brand image requires years of dedicated effort and significant financial investment—resources better spent on legitimate business improvements.
Search engines also actively punish manipulative behavior through algorithmic penalties that can effectively erase your online presence. Additionally, the financial impact proves catastrophic for many businesses, with revenue declines up to 15% following fake review scandals.
Ethical alternatives undoubtedly yield better long-term results. Companies should focus on requesting honest feedback from all customers rather than cherry-picking positive experiences. Likewise, legitimate review management tools help gather and respond to feedback efficiently without violating platform guidelines.
Most importantly, businesses must view negative feedback as valuable information rather than threats. Real complaints identify actual problems customers experience—issues you can address to improve satisfaction. The way your company handles criticism speaks volumes to potential customers about your values and commitment to service excellence.
Certainly, building a positive online reputation takes time and consistent effort. Still, ethical business practices create sustainable success that withstands scrutiny. Your company deserves recognition based on genuine customer experiences rather than deceptive tactics that undermine the entire review ecosystem. The path to authentic business growth requires patience, but the rewards—customer loyalty, brand integrity, and sustainable success—prove worthwhile.