3 min 
Did buying Trustpilot reviews help? The honest answer is no.
Buying reviews hurts your business more than it helps. It triggers penalties, legal issues, and long-term damage that is almost impossible to undo.
I have seen businesses try it. I have seen those same businesses lose their visibility, their Trustpilot profiles, and their customers.
Here is what actually happens and what you should do instead.
Can you buy Trustpilot Reviews? The real answer
Yes, you can buy Trustpilot reviews, as there’s an entire underground marketplace for them.
People trade fake reviews inside Facebook groups, Telegram chats, and WhatsApp communities.
Sellers even run paid networks to flood platforms with 5-star reviews.
But that is the easy part. The fundamental risk is what you stand to lose when you touch this system.
Trustpilot tracks fake activity with advanced AI. Regulators track deceptive practices.
Competitors report you. Once the system catches you, the fallout is messy.
Yes, you can buy them – But it’s against Trustpilot policy
Trustpilot bans fake reviews outright. Their terms list the writing, creation, submission, or procurement of fake reviews as a direct violation.
Businesses cannot pressure customers into leaving positive reviews, offer incentives for specific star ratings, or use agencies to generate fake feedback.
Trustpilot treats this seriously.
- They monitor accounts.
- They remove fake reviews.
- They suspend profiles.
- They sue sellers.
- They sue businesses when necessary.
So yes, buying is possible. But Trustpilot sees it as review fraud.
All your reviews in one place
Collect reviews, manage every response, and display them where they matter most.
How people typically buy reviews (Not recommended)
People use four primary methods. I have seen all four inside client audits. None of them end well.
1. Facebook review groups
People join private groups where sellers recruit reviewers.
A reviewer buys the product, posts a 5-star review, then gets refunded plus a commission.
Average commissions run around $6 to $15.
2. PayPal and Telegram coordination
Sellers coordinate payments and instructions on encrypted channels.
Reviewers get refund links, keyword prompts, and detailed review scripts.
3. Empty box tactic
The seller ships a worthless item or an empty box.
Reviewer posts a 5-star review. Seller refunds them plus extra, no real product involved.
4. Paid review services
Some companies act like agencies. They run bots, fake accounts, and reviewer farms.
Trustpilot flags these patterns quickly.
Is buying Trustpilot Reviews legal?
No, buying fake reviews violates consumer protection law in multiple countries.
This is not a policy issue. This is a legal issue.
United States (FTC rules)
The FTC treats fake reviews as deceptive marketing.
Penalties reach up to 53,088 dollars per violation, or 51,744 dollars per fake review.
Under the wire fraud statute, individuals face up to 20 years in prison, and companies face fines of up to $500,000.
United Kingdom (DMCC Act 2024)
The UK will make fake reviews illegal beginning April 2025.
Fines reach 10 percent of global turnover or 300,000 pounds.
Real-world enforcement
New York fined 19 companies more than 350,000 dollars for fake review schemes.
Trustpilot itself won a court case against review sellers in 2024.
The pattern is clear. Regulators and platforms treat fake reviews as fraud.
All your reviews in one place
Collect reviews, manage every response, and display them where they matter most.The risks of buying Trustpilot Reviews
You risk damage in three places: the platform, your business, and your visibility.
Platform consequences
Trustpilot enforces aggressively. Buying fake reviews triggers:
- Automatic removal of fake reviews
- Account suspension
- Feature restrictions
- Public warning banners
- Contract termination
- Full profile removal
- Legal action
A public warning banner is the worst one. I have seen conversion rates collapse overnight.
Business consequences
Fake reviews create long-term reputation damage. Once customers suspect manipulation, trust drops permanently.
Buying reviews increases:
- Customer churn
- Lost sales
- Negative media coverage
- Higher acquisition costs
- Investor distrust
- B2B partnership loss
Consumers already believe the problem is real. 82 percent say they encounter fake reviews every year.
Fake reviews cost US businesses 152 billion dollars annually.
Once deception becomes public, recovery becomes expensive.
SEO and visibility risks
Reviews influence about 15.44 percent of Google’s local ranking algorithm.
- Fake review activity triggers:
- Search ranking drops
- Local pack removal
- Lower click-through rates
- Algorithmic trust penalties
Once Google flags you, the climb back takes months.
Why buying reviews doesn’t actually work long-term
It fails for two reasons: Trustpilot’s detection system and actual customer behavior.
Trustpilot’s detection systems
Trustpilot removes 4.5 million fake reviews a year.
Ninety percent of removals are automatic through AI.
Detection improved 53 percent year over year.
Their stack includes:
- Machine learning models
- Graph analysis (reviewer networks)
- Behavior pattern analysis
- Purchase validation software
- IP and device fingerprinting
- Content analysis for AI-generated text
If a seller promises they can bypass this, they are lying.
Fake reviews don’t improve retention
Fake reviews may attract first-time buyers. They do not keep those buyers.
Customers discover the product does not match the reviews. They leave low ratings. The average rating drops harder than before.
Real customers create the long-term signal. Fake reviews cannot compete with actual experience.
All your reviews in one place
Collect reviews, manage every response, and display them where they matter most.How to get more legit Trustpilot Reviews
Here is what actually works. These methods are legal, proven, and sustainable.
1. Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is when the experience is fresh.
Timing varies:
- Electronics: 7 to 10 days after delivery
- Apparel and cosmetics: 14 days
- Hard goods: 21 days
- Services: right after completion or one week later
Consumers are 96 percent willing to leave a review when asked at the right time.
You can use WiserReview to automate this process of getting reviews 3X faster.
2. Make it easy for customers
Reduce friction. People write reviews only when the process feels effortless.
Use:
- Direct links to your Trustpilot review form
- QR codes
- SMS reminders (98 percent open rate)
- In-app prompts
- Thank you page prompts
Minor accessibility tweaks doubled review volume.
3. Incentivize legally (without buying reviews)
You can reward leaving a review, but not the rating. This matters.
Allowed:
- Discount codes
- Loyalty points
- Giveaways
- Product samples
- Exclusive access
Not allowed:
- Rewards only for 5-star reviews
- Paying cash
- Asking customers to remove negative reviews
All incentives must include clear disclosure.
4. Improve customer experience first
Genuine reviews reflect real experience. You need happy customers.
Focus on:
- Faster delivery
- Clear communication
- Helpful support
- Consistent quality
Respond to all reviews. Resolve negative ones. Many customers update reviews after issues are fixed.
Once you fix the experience, review volume grows naturally.
Wrap up
Buying Trustpilot reviews looks like a shortcut. It is not a shortcut. It is a trap. You expose your business to legal penalties, platform bans, detection systems, and irreversible reputation damage.
Legit reviews take a little more time, but they compound. Businesses with 101 or more reviews see conversion lifts as high as 1,326 percent.
Real reviews build trust. Fake reviews destroy it. That is the honest answer.
Frequently asked questions
No. Trustpilot does not allow paid or fake reviews. Buying reviews breaks their rules and can lead to removed reviews or a flagged profile.
Yes. Buying reviews can lower trust, trigger penalties, and damage your credibility if customers or Trustpilot detect fake activity.
Trustpilot removes reviews that look fake or violate their rules. They may also block new reviews or warn your business.
Ask real customers at the right moment. Use email, SMS, or WhatsApp review requests to get honest feedback.
No. Fake reviews rarely last, and they do not improve customer trust. Real reviews from real buyers give long-term results.
Krunal
