A company is in hot water after allegedly engaging in misleading customer reviews.
The ACCC has started proceedings in the Federal Court against an online tasking platform, Service Seeking, for engaging in misleading conduct relating to customer reviews.
Service Seeking is an online tasking platform where tradespeople can quote and book jobs requested by consumers, such as gardening and cleaning services.
From July 2016, Service Seeking’s ‘Fast Feedback’ feature allowed businesses to use a template form to write their own reviews and choose a star rating after completing a job. The proposed review was then emailed to the customer.
If the customer did not respond to a business’ self-written review within three days, the review was automatically published under the business’s profile on ServiceSeeking.com.au.
“We allege that Service Seeking’s conduct gave businesses a chance to effectively rate and review themselves without any input from the customer,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
The consumer watchdog also alleges Service Seeking’s ‘Fast Feedback’ feature breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by misleading consumers, as at least 80% of ‘Fast Feedback’ reviews were not written or approved by customers.
“We know that online reviews and testimonials are important for consumers when they choose which business to buy goods or services from,” Rickard said.
“Businesses are warned that online reviews need to accurately reflect the independent views and feedback of genuine customers or the business risks breaching the Australian Consumer Law”.
