How to distinguish between online shopping mall reviews and manipulations
Sep 25, 2025
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Now that online shopping has become a part of life, many consumers use pre-purchase reviews as the most important criterion. But not all reviews are reliable. Some sellers deceive consumers by artificially writing or manipulating positive reviews. For this reason, if you only trust the reviews and choose the product, you can be frustrated. For safe and smart shopping, it is essential to develop an eye for reviews. Let's look at the specific ways to distinguish late-stage manipulations below.
the later pattern is too constant
If the reviews written in a short period of time are repeated with similar lengths and styles, it is likely to be manipulation. For example, "Okay", "I'm very satisfied." If the same simple affirmative phrase is continued consistently, the reliability decreases. Natural reviews often have various lengths and expressions.
photographs are unnatural or overlapping
Actual reviews of use are taken in various living environments such as inside the house and in the office. However, manipulated reviews are often neatly produced like advertising images, and repeated photos are sometimes posted from the same angle or background. You should be careful about photos that don't have a sense of life.
be full of excessively positive expressions
If all the reviews are full of expressions such as "the best", "Life item", "Perfect", then you need to doubt it. If you are a real consumer, you often write down your discomfort or regrets together. A review in which the pros and cons are mentioned in a balanced way is more reliable.
Cross-check with external reviews It is recommended to check external channels such as blogs, communities, and SNS, rather than relying solely on official shopping mall reviews. If similar experiences are repeated on multiple channels, the product's reliability is high. Conversely, if the official mall reviews and the external reviews are too different, the possibility of manipulation should be suspected.
View neutral or specific reviews first
Among the reviews, the reviews written specifically such as 'It was both good and disappointing' are more reliable. A review that simply gives high ratings or repeats abstract praise may be less reliable.
Check Late Date and Interval
If reviews are concentrated in a short period of time or are concentrated on a specific date, there is a possibility that it is a manipulation. If it is a natural review, it is common to accumulate steadily after purchasing.
Online shopping mall reviews interfere with consumers' rational choices. However, it is easy to distinguish by looking at some features such as constant patterns, unnatural photographs, excessive praise, and date concentration. On top of that, if you check whether the actual buyer is authenticated and the external reviews together, the risk of false reviews can be greatly reduced. It is important to remember that smart consumers do not simply rely on horoscopes or numbers, but rather carefully examine the quality and context of the reviews.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
