Why real reviews matter more than fake ones

Reviews are only useful if people can trust them. That is why fake reviews harm everyone: visitors, honest businesses and in the end also the business that uses them.

What does the law say?

Under the Finnish Consumer Protection Act, marketing must not present fake reviews or endorsements, buy reviews or distort them. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) supervises the rules. A site that publishes reviews must say whether and how it checks that the reviews are genuine. Rejecting, editing or deleting a review requires a justified reason, for example inappropriate language or a reasonable suspicion that the review is not genuine.

How does SuomiGuide check reviews?

• Every review is linked to a Google account. Anonymous reviews are not possible.
• Our moderators read every review.
• We do not publish reviews of your own business, of competitors, or paid-for reviews.
• We do not check a receipt or booking for every review. So we cannot guarantee that every author actually used the service.

Positive and negative reviews are published by the same rules. Read the full policy: Review Moderation.

Why genuine reviews pay off

• They show what customers really value and help you improve your service.
• Readers easily notice praise that is too similar or appears all at once.
• Reviews are one of the factors in our editorial rankings, but only genuine reviews stand up to scrutiny.

Payment never changes reviews, ratings or rankings. See Does payment affect rankings and reviews? and How Rankings Work.

How to get genuine reviews

Ask satisfied customers to share their experience, for example with the receipt or in an email. Do not promise a reward for a positive review. Instructions for writers: How to write a review. If you suspect a fake review, see How to complain about an unfair or fake review.

Related

• How to write a review
• How to complain about an unfair or fake review
• Does payment affect rankings and reviews?
• Review Moderation
• How Rankings Work

Sources

• Finnish Consumer Protection Act 38/1978, chapter 2: marketing, unofficial translation (finlex.fi)
• Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV): Consumer reviews (kkv.fi)