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LegalFebruary 10, 20246 min read

Don't Write Reviews Yourself, It's Not Worth It

You launch a new product, orders slowly increase… but no reviews. So you decide to write a few yourself. After all, everyone does it. Up to 30% of reviews are now considered fake – and it can cost you a lot.

What Risks Are You Actually Taking?

Customers aren't naive. Fake reviews often look suspicious at first glance – same vocabulary, overly positive, without emotion and specific experiences.

Once a reader realizes that reviews are not authentic, they stop trusting the entire brand. Trust is lost in seconds, but built over months.

Violation of Law

Since 2023, an amendment to the Consumer Protection Act explicitly prohibiting the publication of fake reviews has been in force in the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, merchants must state whether and how they verify that reviews come from real customers. For violations, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (CTIA) can impose a fine of up to 5 million CZK.

Infografika · dopad recenzí

Fake Reviews in Numbers

30 %

Of online reviews are considered fake

WiserNotify

5 mil. Kč

Maximum fine in Czech Republic

Novinky.cz / ČOI

−68 %

Decrease in trust after a fake review is exposed

BrightLocal

82 %

Google algorithms detect fake review

Google Transparency

The risk of fake reviews is growing – search engine algorithms are getting better and CTIA controls are stricter. What seemed like a shortcut in the short term now results in fines and loss of rankings.

Better investment: get authentic reviews from real users. It's better financially, legally, and marketing-wise.

Negative Impact on SEO and Brand

Search engines monitor not only text but also user behavior. If many similar ratings without detail appear in a short time, the system becomes alert.

Consequences: decline in search rankings, reduced visibility on Google Shopping, loss of algorithm trust, and in extreme cases, manual intervention and penalties.

Fair Alternative: Authentic Reviews

Reviews can be obtained quickly and in compliance with the law. Here are three pillars of a fair approach.

Real Testers

Platforms like Brand Testing Club connect brands with real users

They actually try the product and voluntarily share their experience.

This is authentic feedback that you can publish without apprehension – and which meets all legal requirements.

Compliance with Law

Reviews from verified testers comply with the amendment to the Consumer Protection Act, as well as with Google and Heureka rules.
No risk of fines, no fear of audits, no unpleasant surprises.

Positive Impact on SEO

Authentic reviews support SEO – original texts increase website trustworthiness and help with search rankings.
No risk of penalties, on the contrary – measurable growth in organic visibility.

Conclusion

Fake reviews may seem like a quick fix, but the result is more harm than good. Customers and search engines know very well what is real.

Once trust is lost, it is very difficult to regain. If you are looking for a way to get feedback that can be trusted, let us know.

Skutečné recenze. Skutečné výsledky.

Přidejte se k firmám, které maximalizovaly své prodeje díky autentickým recenzím.

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