According to a recent study, 95 percent of German retailers have experienced unfair customer reviews. These include false claims and personal attacks. Customers often use these reviews to put pressure on a business.
These data come from a new survey by Händlerbund, a German retailers’ association. Between August and September this year, a total of 166 online retailers in Germany were surveyed about their experiences with online customer reviews.
74% of retailers encounter untrue statements in reviews
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For 74 percent of online sellers, unfair reviews entail untrue statements. And in 67 percent, reviews contain circumstances that were beyond a retailer’s control. For example, customers often mention inconveniences caused by parcel services, or negative experiences with the rules of an online marketplace.
In other cases, unread product descriptions (61 percent) lead to unfair criticism. Some customers mention missing product features (28 percent) in unfair reviews.
Themes of complaints
The subjects of criticism vary, but the survey shows that there are common themes in unfair reviews. In almost three out of four cases (73 percent), the focus was on the product itself. And in 62 percent, shipping issues were mentioned. Delivery times were also often a cause for complaint (43 percent), as well as shipping costs (19 percent).
In 62%, shipping issues were mentioned in reviews
In other cases, unfair reviews focused on customer service (41 percent). Some customers complained about legal factors of the online shop, like the right of withdrawal or warranty.
Using reviews as a tool of blackmail
Getting unfair reviews is common, but a concerning part of the survey is the fact that almost half of the online retailers (45 percent) have experienced unfair reviews as a tool of blackmail. In these cases, customers deliberately use reviews as leverage to reduce costs or to get other advantages.
The amount of personal insults in reviews has increased, as 27% of online businesses encountered this
However, the amount of retailers who experience unfair reviews as blackmail seems to have decreased in the last 12 months. In 2024, the share was still 55 percent. Instead, there has been an increase in the share of personal insults, that 27 percent of retailers have experienced this year. In 2024, the share was slightly lower (25 percent).
As a result, more than half of online sellers in Germany (56 percent) think that the situation concerning unfair reviews is worsening. However, 38 percent think that the situation has not gotten worse. And 7 percent believe that there have been less unfair reviews in the last year.
81% fear a loss of reputation due to lower ratings
Though 55 percent of online businesses said that unfair reviews only make up 5 percent of all reviews they have perceived, the damages caused by them can be severe. Up to 81 percent fear a decrease in reputation due to a lower average rating.
For 64 percent, unfair reviews result in a significant time investment to deal with customers. And 56 percent said that they lost visibility, due to lower rankings. For 45 percent of the online sellers, unfair reviews resulted in revenue losses. These losses were associated with goodwill gestures or product replacements, to appease the customer.
Responses to unfair reviews
Most retailers actively respond to unfair reviews. Up to 67 percent choose to comment publicly, which allows them to clarify misunderstandings and show that criticism is taken seriously. And 58 percent said that they directly contact the customer to resolve conflicts. Another 31 percent have unfair reviews professionally removed. All these measures can help minimize damage, says Händlerbund.
