Trustpilot Under Fire: Why purchaser-verified reviews are the future

As the gold standard for customer reviews, we have a responsibility to tackle industry-shaping events. Chief Revenue Officer Elliot Clayton delivers our official perspective on the recent ‘Grizzly Research’ publication, addressing its implications for the reviews landscape.

Key Insights

• The threat: Investigations reveal "black market" reviews selling for as little as £4.  
• The anomaly: Open platforms often display unnatural "I-shaped" distributions (all 5-star or 1-star), whereas genuine feedback follows a "J-shaped" curve.  
• The evidence: Documented cases of regional businesses (e.g., Nevada credit unions) receiving spam reviews from unrelated geolocations.  
• The solution: Transitioning to purchase verified-only systems to eliminate review bombing and align with the FTC Rule on Fake Reviews. 
• Intended audience: CROs, CMOs, and Brand Directors concerned with Reputation Integrity and Revenue Protection. 

Tell me if this resonates. You've spent years building trust with your customers, delivering exceptional service, iterating (and hopefully improving!) based on feedback. Then you discover your online review score doesn't reflect any of it. 

A recent investigation published by Grizzly Research has exposed what many of us suspected about certain review platforms. The report uncovered systematic manipulation, black markets for fake reviews, and a business model that fundamentally conflicts with the integrity it promises.

But here's what matters more: it's sparked a much-needed conversation  about verified reviews vs open reviews. 

When 'open' doesn't mean 'honest' 

I'm all for transparency. We’ve built a platform on the virtues of authentic feedback. But recent investigations have shown that 'open' review platforms can become playgrounds for the exact opposite. 

Here's what "open reviews" actually means: anyone can leave a review about your business, whether they've purchased from you or not. Freedom of speech in theory, a perfect storm of manipulation in practice. 

Here are some examples of this from the investigation:

• Reviewers from countries where services aren't even available. The investigation found a regional credit union in Nevada receiving reviews from Egypt, Pakistan, Ukraine, and Ethiopia. 
• Obvious spam patterns apparently going completely unchecked. Multiple accounts leaving 15, 20, even 27 identical five-star reviews for the same business. These aren't being caught by AI or human moderators – they're seemingly there to boost scores. 
• Selective enforcement favoring paying subscribers. Pay for a subscription, and suddenly those negative reviews get removed while positive ones multiply. Don't pay? Watch your score mysteriously tank despite excellent service. 
• Black markets operating in plain sight. Investigators found over 200 active ads on dark web forums selling "non-drop" and "sticky" fake reviews with a starting price of £4 per review. One seller openly advertised having created 100+ reviews per month for their clients. 

Why verified reviews can stop review fraud 

There are slightly different approaches to ‘verified-only reviews’ (that we cover in detail here) but with Feefo - before someone can leave feedback, we authenticate that they've completed a genuine transaction with your business.

No purchase, no review. Simple. 

And this simple shift provides a watertight safeguard for everyone involved. 

Protection for businesses 

Your competitors can't review-bomb you. That unsolicited profile created without your permission doesn't exist in a verified system; nobody can weaponize reviews against you if they haven't actually bought from you.  Crucially your score reflects actual customer experience.

A 5-star rating can be a hard-earned vindication of an excellent product or service, especially when it’s based on purchase-verified reviews. There is a lot of evidence that there’s a vast amount of value in ‘the messy middle’ - recent investigations showed that manipulated platforms display "I-shaped" distributions (80%+ five-stars, almost nothing else).

Real customer feedback creates "J-shaped" distributions – mostly positive for good businesses, but with honest variation. and when every review comes from a verified purchase, the distribution follows natural patterns.

And there's no pay-to-play pressure. You shouldn't need to subscribe to "manage" fake negative reviews that never should have existed. Verified systems eliminate the extortion model entirely. 

Protection for consumers 

Every review is from someone who 100% purchased. No stock photos. No geographic impossibilities. No users reviewing a Nevada credit union from Saudi Arabia.  It means natural review distributions you can trust. When you see variation in scores, it reflects real customer experiences, not manipulation patterns.  And you gain protection from scam businesses gaming the system.

The investigation documented multiple proven fraud schemes – including companies with CEOs literally in jail for fraud – maintaining 4+ star ratings on open platforms. With a purchaser-verified review platform that just wouldn't be possible.

How to spot an unreliable review platform 

Whether you're choosing a review platform for your business or reading reviews before a purchase, here's your checklist for authenticity:

For businesses evaluating platforms 

• The unsolicited profile test: Did they create a profile for you without asking? Is paying the only way to "fix" suddenly appearing negative reviews? Red flag. 
• The distribution check: Compare paying vs non-paying companies in your industry. If subscribers consistently score 4.5+ while non-subscribers score under 2.0, that's not market reality – that's manipulation. 
• The enforcement question: How do they actually authenticate reviewers? What's their process for removing fake reviews? If the answer is vague or relies heavily on "sophisticated AI," dig deeper. The investigation found obvious fake reviews using stock photos that basic reverse image searches would catch. 
• The Google dependency: Are they one algorithm change away from irrelevance? Google recently agreed to stronger penalization of fake reviews. Platforms built on gaming search rankings are vulnerable. 

For consumers reading reviews 

• Look for verified purchase badges. New FTC Regulations mean reviews need to be clearly labelled with its source. If you can’t verify a review is from an actual customer, treat it with skepticism.
• How are the reviews verified? There's purchaser verified and human verified. The difference is what is being verified- the purchase experience or that the reviewer is human. 
• Check review age and distribution. More recent reviews are a better barometer. But check star distribution and identify 5* spikes. 
• Trust patterns over individual scores. Read the actual review content. Are they detailed and specific, or generic "great service" platitudes? Do they mention actual product features or just gush generically? 

Your move: building trust that lasts 

Here's what I'd do if I were evaluating this today: 

Audit your current review setup. Where are your reviews living? Do you actually control the narrative, or are you renting space on someone else's platform? What happens if that platform changes its algorithm or business model tomorrow?

Diversify your trust signals. Don't put all your reputation eggs in one basket. Combine verified purchase reviews with case studies, testimonials, industry certifications, and presence on multiple platforms.

Choose platforms that align with your values. Verified-only where possible. Transparent enforcement policies you can actually read and understand. Clear authentication processes that protect both businesses and consumers.

The industry shake-up is actually good news – it's forcing everyone to raise their standards. The platforms that survive will be those that prioritize authenticity over short-term revenue.

Trust isn't bought, it's earned