Fake reviews are banned: how to spot and report them

Fake reviews are illegal in the UK. Writing one, paying for one, or publishing one you know is fake can now cost a business up to 10% of its global turnover. Before you trust a five-star average this Black Friday, here is what the ban covers and what to do if you bought on the strength of a review that turned out to be rubbish.

What the law says

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 banned fake reviews from 6 April 2025. The ban covers:

• writing or submitting a fake review, including one that pretends to come from a real customer
• commissioning someone else to write one
• publishing or hosting reviews when you know, or should know, they are fake
• hiding that a review was incentivised, for example a free product or discount in return for stars

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can now fine firms directly, up to 10% of global annual turnover, without going to court first. It gave businesses a short grace period, which ended in mid-2025.

What the CMA has done so far

In March 2026 the CMA opened five consumer-law investigations into Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat and Pasta Evangelists, covering car sales, funerals and food delivery. Reporting on them says the focus includes fake or misleading reviews and how review platforms handle them. Opening an investigation is not a finding, so none of those firms has been found to have done anything wrong on the strength of that alone.

The CMA has also shown it will use its fining power. In February 2026 it fined Euro Car Parks £473,000 for failing to respond to an information notice. That is a different breach, but it tells you the regulator is willing to use the new powers.

How to spot a review you should not trust

• A burst of five-star reviews in a few days, especially on a new listing.
• Vague praise with no detail. "Great product, fast delivery" repeated in slightly different words.
• Reviews that mention a different product. Listings get merged, and reviews for a better item ride along.
• Incentivised reviews with no label. If a reviewer says it was free and the platform does not flag it, treat the score with suspicion.
• No negative reviews at all on a product with thousands of sales.

Read the three-star reviews first. They tend to be the most honest.

If you bought because of a fake review

A review is not part of your contract, so the fix depends on what went wrong with the goods:

1. Product faulty or not as described? Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply whatever the reviews said. Our faulty goods guide and the 30-day right to reject explain the steps.
2. Within 14 days of delivery and bought online? You can cancel for any reason. The cooling-off checker tells you whether yours qualifies.
3. Misled into buying by a banned practice? UK law gives consumers a right to redress where a misleading practice caused the purchase. Say so in your complaint, and name the practice.
4. Paid by card? Section 75 or a chargeback can get money back if the seller will not. The Section 75 checker shows which route fits.

Reporting a fake review

Report it to the platform first, because it can remove the review. You can also report it to Citizens Advice, which passes patterns on to the CMA and Trading Standards. The CMA does not resolve individual disputes, so your refund still has to come from the seller.

Keep the evidence

Screenshot the review, the star rating, the date and the listing before you buy, and again if the reviews change. If you end up complaining, our complaint checker helps you judge whether you have enough, and Black Friday's fake timers are the other trick worth checking this month.

Bought something that did not match the reviews? Start a complaint and we will draft the letter with the right law named and a deadline for them to answer.