The President of the Polish competition authority (UOKiK) has launched an investigation into Best-Review, a company based in Leszno, for allegedly trading in fake online reviews. The accusations involve the sale of misleading opinions about various services and products, which could deceive consumers.

As online shopping continues to grow in Poland, with nearly 80% of internet users making purchases, the importance of reviews in consumer decision-making has increased. Research commissioned by UOKiK indicates that 93% of online shoppers consider reviews before making a purchase. However, this reliance on reviews has led some businesses to engage in dishonest practices, such as selling positive reviews written on demand.

According to UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny, the transparency of online communications is becoming a significant challenge for average users. The posting of false or distorted reviews is legally prohibited and harms both consumers and honest businesses. Best-Review misled consumers by selling pre-written reviews without testing the products or verifying the reliability of the clients. Clients could influence the content of the published reviews, and in some cases, even wrote them themselves.

Consumers accessed Best-Review through several websites that operated under a similar mechanism, offering services to publish reviews on popular platforms like Google Maps, znanylekarz.pl, opineo.pl, and TripAdvisor. The frequency and length of the reviews were determined by the clients, affecting the final costs of the service.

The UOKiK President believes that these practices could significantly impact consumers' purchasing decisions, leading them to make choices based on false information. If the allegations are confirmed, Best-Review could face a fine of up to 10% of its turnover.

This is not the first case of its kind. UOKiK has been monitoring the market for several months, focusing on businesses selling fake reviews. Earlier this year, a fine of 40,000 PLN was imposed on City Agency for similar practices, and other companies have also faced penalties for offering unreliable reviews.

Since the beginning of 2023, new EU regulations have come into effect, aiming to enhance transparency in online shopping. These regulations require businesses providing access to reviews to disclose whether they verify them and how they ensure their authenticity. Companies cannot claim that reviews are from consumers who have used or purchased a product unless they have taken steps to verify this. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to 10% of turnover.