It takes intelligent appraisals to sort between fake and honest travel reviews and ratings, but with the help of my tips, it can be done.
I need honest travel reviews. Like most travelers, I listen to others about their travel experiences to help me make my travel decisions. I seek opinions and recommendations from my family, long-time travel agents, and friends, plus websites like Travelers United and many travel websites that specialize in reviews and recommendations. I use that information to decide on hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, locations, tours, etc.
More than 82 percent of U.S. adults at least occasionally read online reviews to guide their decisions.
In 2018, the Pew Research Center published the results of a survey about consumer reliance on online reviews of products and services. The survey found that a “substantial majority of the public now incorporates these customer ratings and reviews into their decision-making processes when buying something new.” In fact, the survey revealed that 82 percent of adults in the U.S. at least sometimes read online customer ratings or reviews before making their first time purchases. A full 40 percent say they always or almost always read the ratings or reviews before purchasing. I believe the number of people using online reviews has risen since then.
Clearly, I’m not alone in using online reviews and ratings. I stress, however, that while I definitely use them, I put a substantial priority on advice by family, travel agent and friends. I know each well and therefore can judge their advice and how it would apply to me with ease and trust.
According to Fakespot, at least 30 percent of reviews at some websites are “unreliable.”
Unfortunately, if you must depend on online reviews, that can result in poor purchase decisions, as many of the reviews are fake or incorrect and often can skew product and service ratings. Fakespot CEO, Saoud Khalifah has discussed fake reviews in his blog. In it, he estimated that 30 percent or more of Amazon reviews were “unreliable” in an analysis of data from 2018 through 2020.
Anecdotally, from my personal observation, I believe that most travel review sites are likely even more unreliable than Amazon. I’ve seen reviews of locations, hotels and restaurants that are so far away from my experience, both good and bad, so as to defy my imagination. I’ve seen reviews that, from their description, made it clear to me that the reviewers weren’t ever at the place reviewed.
In fact, no website that posts customer reviews is immune from fake ones and therefore too often have skewed ratings, including travel websites like TripAdvisor*, Booking.com and Expedia. (*I personally write reviews from time to time on TripAdvisor.)
Even with inaccurate reviews, it’s possible to discriminate between dishonest and honest reviews. Follow my tips to help.
Despite a substantial number of fake or inaccurate reviews, there is a great deal of insight that we can gather from online reviews. There are ways that we can try and succeed in discriminating between dishonest and honest reviews. I’ve got 10 tips to help you read between the lines to find candid, genuine reviews and ratings.
If almost all of the reviews are five star or one star reviews:
Even the best of hotels, restaurants and other travel companies fail to meet expectations at times and make periodic mistakes or have off-nights. Reviews of goods and services that are near perfect or horrible raises a red flag in my mind. When you factor in all that goes on each day in hotels and restaurants, for example, it’s impossible to believe that every experience was either fantastic or awful. At times, every establishment will disappoint some and yet provide a good experience for others.
If all the positive or negative reviews come from first time reviewers:
Compared to when all the reviews are five- or one-star, a much larger red flag goes up for me if all or most of the reviews are from first timers. It’s really not possible that in a short time frame most or all of the reviews for a particular spot are from travelers who are writing their first or second reviews, but were stirred to do so at the same moment. When that happens my review trust level sinks to zero in a hurry.
Scads of reviews in a short time — or few if any reviews — makes it hard to decide what reviews are honest or dishonest.
If the establishment doesn’t have many reviews:
While many reviews may be honest for a particular travel business, if there are very few of them it’s generally impossible to judge whether or not you can depend on them.
If an establishment suddenly gets scads of reviews:
When I look at reviews, the first thing I do is determine when they were posted. If I see a pile of positive reviews posted within a short time frame I’m concerned that they’ve been written by employees or if they’re all negative, then I’m concerned that they were written by a competitor trying to gain an edge.
Reviews without details should be avoided.
If the reviews have little detail:
Fake reviews don’t often mention details. They typically offer little or no description of the establishment they’re reviewing. They generally give little explanation about why they are saying the business is good or has a problem. I see this often, when reviews use lots of superlatives or highly negative language with few if any specifics.
If the reviews contain over-the-top, repetitive language:
Fake reviews often use extravagant statements, positive or negative, that are repeated several times with similar phrasing.
If new reviews share similar thoughts, grammar, and language with just a few variations:
When multiple reviews share the same basic language and grammar, expressing similar thoughts — either negative or positive — about an establishment, they are likely written by the same person and are fake.
Reviews using stock photos are typically fakes.
If the review seems to have stock or professional photos to illustrate the review:
Photos typically enhance the credibility of a review, particularly when illustrating a problem such as peeling paint, worn or damaged furniture and poorly cleaned hotel room conditions. If the photo seems too good to be true, I check it out through a service such as Google Images. Stock photos or one that’s been used for other reviews normally means it may be a fake review.
If the establishment is reviewed on multiple websites:
Read reviews on multiple websites to try to obtain the best information possible. If the great reviews read on one site are identical to reviews on other sites, someone is likely being paid to post them or is an employee. Most people won’t put out the effort to post on multiple sites unless they really hate the place.
If the review is too good to be true, assume it is.
If the review sounds too good to be true:
It may be an age-old adage, but if something’s too good to be true, it likely is. If your judgment tells you the review is too good to be true, then assume it’s a fake.
At times I can spot a fake review with no trouble. Sometimes it’s hard to separate honest reviews from fakes. My tips above can help you discern which reviews and ratings are which, but the tips aren’t foolproof.
Use the reviews, but not by themselves. Professionally written online recommendations and reviews at reliable travel websites are useful. Don’t forget opinions and recommendations from family, quality travel agents, and friends you trust.
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
