A PYMNTS Company

UK: Competition watchdog clamps down on agency that wrote 800 fake reviews

By  |  March 6, 2016

The company, Total SEO & Marketing, has promised the Competition and Markets Authority to stop writing fake reviews and said it will take steps to remove those already posted.

It published the fake positive reviews for 86 small businesses across 26 different websites. The small businesses concerned include car dealers, mechanics and landscape gardeners.

In addition, the CMA has written to Total SEO’s clients to warn them that third parties writing false reviews on their behalf might lead to them breaking the law.

The CMA has also issued advice to businesses on how to comply with consumer protection law in relation to online reviews. It advises that PR, marketing and SEO companies should not write or arrange fake reviews on behalf of their clients and businesses should not commission third parties to write them.

The CMA said in a press statement that Total SEO had “co-operated with the CMA’s consumer law investigation”.

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