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Ebuyer "misleads" customers with favourable reviews

by Steven Williamson on 9 December 2011, 09:03

Tags: eBuyer

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Online electrical retailer Ebuyer has had its knuckles rapped by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) after being accused of vetting reviews on its website.

In an adjudication released by the industry watchdog, it reveals that Ebuyer was running an advert for a Foehn & Hirsch Portable Wi-Fi Internet Radio while showing a rating of four and a half stars from submitted user reviews of the product.

After further investigation it was uncovered that the 17 product reviews were carefully selected by the company to show the radio in a favourable light.


Ebuyer allegedly misleads customers by showing only positive reviews

"[A] complainant, who saw the ad on 17 September, challenged whether the claim '17 reviews' alongside the four and a half stars [was] misleading, because they believed the reviews displayed were selected to create a favourable impression."

Subsequently, it was revealed that all user reviews submitted to Ebuyer have to go through the approval process and are vetted by project managers. Ebuyer claims that it filters these reviews so they are more “useful” to customers. The UK-based retailer has now been told to remove the advert in its current form and has been warned not to mislead customers in the future.

Who can you trust, eh?


HEXUS Forums :: 34 Comments

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You'd like to be able to review products as well as people and companies, you say? Hmmm… noted.
“Told to remove the ad & not repeat it in its current form”

Oh noes, I bet ebuyer are quaking in their boots over that harsh punishment :rolleyes:
Is anyone really suprised by this?

An industry standard I'd have thought.
OCUK and Savastore (watford electronics or what ever) do this too. Just two i know of.
I'd agree this is pretty common. I'm not even sure I trust Amazon and play never to do it…