What does Trustpilot’s fake reviews court case mean for aesthetic businesses?

Positive reviews are an important tool for aesthetic businesses, especially for marketing to new and existing clients and rewarding great work from staff. They can help you stand out from the competition too, but what’s most important is that they are true and accurate, both for integrity and legal reasons.

The issue of fake reviews - where a business pays for reviews, posts them themselves, or even negatively reviews other clinics, on sites such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews - has been brought into sharper focus by Trustpilot’s recent court case win.

For the first time, Trustpilot has successfully sued two companies for posting fake reviews on its platform – including one which is especially relevant to aesthetic clinics. The Dental Experts, a dental practice, was found to have posted 2,000 fake reviews since May 2020, 58% of the company’s total. The reviews contained flattering and misleading information from pretend customers. 

As a result of the court ruling, The Dental Experts has been barred from submitting reviews on Trustpilot; their page contains a warning banner about fake commentary; and their average ‘trust score’ has been hidden from view.

Moreover, the company has been ordered to pay yet-specified damages and legal costs and has consequently started insolvency proceedings. This showcases the significant consequences that fake reviews could have on the future of your business. Plus, those in the aesthetic business could also face investigation from their regulator and lose their right to practice ongoing.

Following the news, a healthcare litigation expert had this to say: “A company called “The Dental Experts” was recently ordered to pay compensation and legal costs to Trustpilot after a court agreed that The Dental Experts had posted 2,000 fake reviews on that site,” explains the healthcare litigation partner at Keystone Law, Tracy Sell-Peters.

“Paying compensation and legal costs is not the only risk for health professionals if they post fake reviews,” Sell-Peters continues. “Regulated health professionals such as dentists, doctors and nurses are all subject to professional conduct rules relating to advertising and also to personal integrity. Any regulated healthcare professional who allows fake reviews to be posted on review services (Trustpilot, Google reviews, RealSelf for aesthetic procedures) is at risk of being investigated by their regulator for dishonesty and having their right to practise limited or removed. Any regulated healthcare professional who has allowed fake reviews to be posted needs urgent specialist legal advice to mitigate the effect on their professional position.”