Black Friday Consumer Guide

Starter for Ten: The reality is that, left to their own devices, most people don’t actually leave reviews. When they do, it’s usually because something went wrong. In fact, research shows we’re twice as likely to post a negative review as a positive one.

Our data shows that when review systems are left to run naturally, most products and services settle somewhere between 1.9 and 3.9 stars, with surprisingly few reviews overall. That’s the honest, messy truth of having humans in the loop - we’re a tough, complicated crowd.

So, this Black Friday, if you come across a product with thousands of ★★★★★ reviews, pause for a moment. How likely is it that so many people really went to the trouble of writing one - and if they did, why?

The truth is, reviews have become part of the marketing machine. Some are genuine, some are incentivised, and many are completely fabricated.

1) The First Question

Why Are There So Many Reviews - and Why Are They All So Good?

Genuine products tend to produce a broad mix of often-contrary reactions. Some people will love it, others won’t - often for the same reason. Real feedback contains irrational annoyances, strange complaints, and left-field observations that don’t fit neatly into a brand’s story.

A steady trickle of varied, mildly-negative reviews is normal. A flood of flawless praise almost never is.

2) Quick Red Flags

• Endless five-stars with no real detail - short, generic praise like “Great product!” or “Fast delivery!” usually means someone (or something) is boosting the score.
• Near-identical wording - when most reviews use almost identical phrases, you’re looking at coordination, not a coincidence.
• Brand-new accounts - profiles with no history, no photos, and a sudden enthusiasm for one item are almost never genuine.
• Over-polished wording - if it reads like advertising copy, it probably is.
• Oddly professional photos - real buyers don’t normally leave photos. Watch for staged, studio-style shots.
• Only on one platform - if a product shines on one site but is invisible elsewhere, be cautious.
• Too much emotion - “Absolutely amazing!!! Best thing EVER!!!” is unlikely to be genuine feedback.
• Generic praise with no specifics - “Works perfectly” or “Good quality” tells you nothing about real use.
• Unrealistic comparisons - claims like “Better than my £1,000 Dyson!” are written to persuade, not to inform.
• Missing negatives - entirely positive reviews are highly suspicious; real products divide opinion and not much in life is perfect.
• Inconsistent language - UK listings with American spellings or odd phrasing may not be from who they claim.
• Suspiciously speedy replies - instant responses to each new review often mean the same person wrote both.
• Robotic tone - perfect grammar, no personality, and lots of long hyphens “—” usually means AI.
• Global reviewers - profiles hopping between countries and categories are often part of paid networks.
• All or nothing - profiles posting only five-stars or only one-stars are review-farm accounts, not real customers.
• Carousel praise - reviews that highlight the same features in the same order are following a script.

3) Green Flags - Signs a Review Is Probably Genuine

Here’s what real feedback usually looks and feels like:

• A mix of views - genuine products attract both praise and criticism, often for the same traits.
• Real-world negatives - authentic reviewers are surprisingly tough on things like delivery, colour, weight and battery life.
• Different tones of voice - no two people write alike; real reviews vary between short, long, chatty and blunt.
• Real-life context - genuine reviews often mention who it was for or where it will be used.
• Balanced tone - grounded phrases like “pretty good”, “better than expected”, or “does the job” sound human.
• Time gaps - reviews trickling in steadily over weeks or months reflect natural buying patterns.
• Imperfections - typos, awkward sentences, and odd emojis are human fingerprints.
• Photos that look real - a messy counter, a pet in the background, bad lighting - all good signs of life.
• Follow-up updates - reviewers who return later to say “still going strong” or “broke after three months” are almost always genuine.
• Quirky observations - things no marketer would invent: “smells like crayons”, “dog loves the box”, “the plug’s upside down”.
• Emotion in balance - a mix of enthusiasm and frustration in the same paragraph is perfectly human.

Real reviews are as varied as real people. If it’s all wonderfully random, it’s probably real.

4) How to Check

• Read the 2s, 3s and 4s. Fakers and rivals usually post 1s and 5s to “move the dial”. The middle ground is safer ground.
• Click reviewer names. Genuine profiles show gaps, variety and history.
• Look for quirks. Real people mention odd details - packaging, colour, weight, or delivery hiccups. Marketing copy doesn’t.
• Compare sites. Check the same product across multiple platforms. Large score gaps often mean manipulation.
• Watch the photos and videos. Ask yourself why the reviewer bothered. Genuine enthusiasm is rare; paid reviewers often follow a script or photo brief.
• Check the timing. A slow, steady flow of moderate reviews is normal; sudden spikes or floods mean a campaign.

5) How Paid-Review Schemes Actually Work

Paid-review schemes are surprisingly common, especially around big sales events like Black Friday. Good reviews mean higher sales, so some sellers simply buy reviews in bulk and consider it marketing spend.

Behind the scenes, private Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Discord groups run “review clubs”. Posts appear like:

“Looking for UK buyers for Product X. Full refund + £5 after 5-star review.”

Once recruited, participants get a brief - what to say, what to photograph, even which words to use. They buy the item (to get the “Verified Purchase” badge), upload a few photos, post the review, and then get reimbursed.

Typical scripts include lines such as “fits perfectly”, “battery lasts all day”, or “quiet motor”. Photos often look oddly similar because they were staged to match the brief. To stay under the radar, organisers rotate accounts and wording, and use VPNs to fake their location.

6) Deal-Day Traps

Black Friday brings genuine bargains - and plenty of bait.

Watch for fake discounts (“was £199, now £99”), lookalike brands with familiar names but no real company behind them, and marketplace listings that appear official but aren’t. “Fulfilled by Amazon” doesn’t always mean “sold by Amazon”.

Before you buy, take a minute to scrutinise the seller.

Make sure there’s a real UK address, working contact details, and a clear returns policy. The brand name should match across their site, packaging and socials.

If they reply politely - even to bad reviews - that’s usually a good sign.

Trustworthy businesses sound human. The fakers don’t.

7) What UK Law Says

Fake reviews are now illegal under the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Act 2024.

Businesses must take reasonable and proportionate steps to detect and remove them. They can’t suppress negatives, buy positives, or pass the blame to a platform.

Responsibility is non-delegable - it sits with both the business being reviewed and the site hosting the reviews.

If something looks off, report it to the platform first, or to the CMA or Citizens Advice if it keeps happening.

8) If You’ve Been Misled

Save evidence - screenshots, pages, messages, order numbers.

Contact the seller and cite your UK consumer rights.

Escalate through the platform’s complaints process.

Paid by card? Use chargeback or Section 75 protection.

If you spot repeat manipulation, report it to the CMA - enforcement depends on consumers speaking up.

9) The 30-Second Sanity Check

Does it sound like a real person wrote it,errors and all?

Are there any mentions of negatives, quirks or delivery problems?

Are there any photos, if so, are they clearly buyer-taken, not staged?

Can you tell who the seller actually is?

Do ratings line up across sites?

If it’s too perfect, too smooth, or too glowing - it’s likely it’s not real.

Written by Daniel Mohacek on November 11, 2025