Fake Reviews

When hiring a contractor, the first stop for millions of Americans is to check online reviews. Nearly 90% of consumers consult those reviews before hiring a contractor, according to a recent study commissioned by TrustPilot.

Fake Google Reviews

Shady Contractors

Yelp are Bullies

Contractors who use deceptive tactics to obtain home repair business, then they perform “shoddy or incomplete” work and still have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Google is one of the most popular sources of fake reviews. Fake five-star Google reviews are often created by businesses or individuals with the intention of increasing the overall rating of their product or service on Google. Or by killing off the competion by buying one star reviews.

Why you shouldn't trust the BBB. The Better Business Bureau was perceived as a great source for consumers to learn about reliable companies. Unfortunately, that's no longer true.

Yelp the billion dollar bully. The documentary takes an investigative look into the online marketing giant Yelp! Who is running a mob-like extortion racket.

Don't Trust BBB

Houzz is another site rife with fake reviews. An active black market exists on Facebook for fake Houzz reviews, and plenty of contractors on Houzz appear to be benefiting from fake 5-star reviews. Fake reviews from New Delhi review sellers, reviews from people who were already deceased, and reviews that were part of trading schemes--you'll find them all on Houzz. What's Houzz doing about it? Nothing, it appears.

HomeAdvisor, Inc. – a company affiliated with Angi, formerly known as “Angie’s List” – to pay up to $7.2 million for using a wide range of deceptive and misleading tactics in selling home improvement services to consumers.

HomeAdvisor Scam

Houzz Scam