Online reviews have a substantial effect on purchases, but not all reviews are genuine. Fake reviews may impact companies of all sizes and types. An immigrant going to Italy for business should be careful of writing or hiring people to write bogus reviews for his/her business because writing fake reviews is illegal, and there are consequences attached to it if caught by the official. As a student, tourist or immigrant, you can use a fake review checker to spot a fake review.
Is writing a fake review illegal?
Fake Internet reviews are a breach of all company review sites’ terms of service. This allows you to take action to exploit or damage the credibility of your rivals by falsifying reviews.
It has consequences on customers when you write a fake review about your business or product. Reviews are taken as illegal following the ‘Guides on the Use of Advertising Endorsements and Testimonials’ by the Federal Trade Council (FTC).
The FTC considers it illegal to encourage fake reviews, even if the review is not positively needed. According to the guides, Advertisers (companies) and endorsers (customers who provide support) may be responsible for false or unfounded statements made in an endorsement or for not disclosing material links between the endorser and the advertiser.
It is vital to note that if you are going to Italy for the first time for a business, you should write or hire people to write fake reviews for your company; it is considered illegal. This might make you lose your business accreditation and be deported from the country.
The implications of fake reviews
Some companies write fake reviews to boost their reputations and businesses. This is the method to prepare or disseminate a fabricated analysis, also called “astroturfing” review, which is believed to be a neutral third-party testimony by a fair customer.
Astroturfing would not only breach the consumer’s trust in ratings. The reputation which other companies have worked so hard to create also is destroyed. If you have received fake reviews, the following could also happen to you and your brand.
- It may result in the suspension of your business listing.
- Fake online reviews can also lead to the prohibition of your business listing or website. This, however, will cause your search rankings to go down.
- You do not fulfil customer needs.
- Fake reviews by companies also risk deceiving your customers.
- You can lose a larger amount of your customer when your review does not match the customer’s experience, and your sales will also drop.
- It is also likely that if customers see similar updates slashed around the business list, consumers will view the list with suspicion.
- You may get Sued or Fined consumer advocacy groups and organizations, who are known to replicate false reviews from businesses.
Why You Should Get Genuine Feedback And Review
It is essential to form a strategy for honest reviews and forward-looking customer feedback instead of using fake reviews to boost the search rankings and attract new clients if you want your business to grow in Italy and last long. Learning how to identify fake online reviews also supports a good reputation online.
These advantages are of long-term benefit to your business, excluding the risks and repercussions of fake evaluations. Requiring feedback proactively improves your client relations and links your company to the most critical voices.
Conclusion
It is good to know if the fake review is illegal in Italy before going there for your business. Fake reviews are 100 per cent unfair in Italy. It is noticeable that online reviews influence nine out of ten consumers. A genuine review section on your site will not only increases your site credibility but sends Google signals, which can boost your keyword search rankings.