Who Wrote That Review?

And can it be trusted? This is the key question facing many buyers as they read reviews of goods and services on retail and travel sites. TripAdvisor.com, the travel review site, is being investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority after some hotels complained that some reviews were fraudulent or misleading. The site removed its strapline, "reviews you can trust," from the hotel pages as the investigation continues (although the strapline remains on its restaurant pages and elsewhere on the site).

So many buyers read reviews before they open their wallets that trust and transparency have become major issues for retailers and others who sell online. Recently, some academic researchers devised a method for detecting faked online reviews, indicating the level of attention that this question has raised. Other concerns are whether brands and sites remove negative reviews and whether some reviewers are paid to post complimentary reviews.

Now a group of retailers and brands--including PC World, Dixons, Sony and others--wants to reassure buyers about reviews through the use of the Reevoo Mark (above), a system that aims to have only real purchasers' reviews posted. Reevoo will also ensure that all reviews (bad or good) will appear. With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, trust promises to be a vital element in decisions about online buying.