Fake Marketplace Reviews

Good move, but it will be very hard to stop them.

Anyway that this process can be automated before escalating to mod or human check? I think there should be a better way to do this. Example, a program can be used to determine multiple accounts server origin. If it is server IP, this account should be behind a proxy or VPN and if multi accounts are showing similar Server Company as origin then a trigger alert would be in place to check automatically for second level.

In the second level, the program would then look into the login timing of these accounts for unusual behaviour or pattern of giving out reviews. If all these accounts are pointing towards a particular sales thread then it would be a case of concern. The program would then escalate to level 3.

In level 3, there could be check on date on registration of account and IP address origin to determine if source is a VPN/ Server Company. If all accounts belong to same Company, it would then be escalated to mod for manual review.

Not sure if this will work though but automation on the primary level should make the job of mod much easier.

Much needed move! Newbies often only read the first page reviews for a service, and forget to at the very least read the latest from the thread. Many times buyers are having difficulties yet the seller is still making sales.

This is GREAT news, fake reviews need to be taken care of.

Its costing people money everyday. Hopefully this will help.

This sounds like a big step in the right direction! One question: if a seller has a number of buyers who don't post much and/or stop visiting the forum after a while, it's possible they could end up with multiple cases where the buyer doesn't respond to your inquiry. Since a second offense leads to a ban, this could be tricky. If the second offense is only if the seller doesn't respond, that'd make a lot more sense, but then by the same token it's not nearly a big enough deterrent. As usual, I don't envy your job...

A Big Clap -- Right decision on Right time. Thanks a ton Mr.Apricot.

Great to hear! Way to go Apricot

Bang on to those people who purposely want to be limelight so that they can have more buyers.

Nice Decision Getting Kick Off the Fake Guys!!

I am the only one that thinks this will not clean out the fake reviews?

Its hard to prove they are fake, its hard to prove the connection with the BST owner, etc.
I can only imagine people paying few $ for some members to make a fake review and its hard to prove this.

Majority of fake reviews seems to come from new accounts having from 1 to 20 posts, as new accounts are unable to PM before 15 posts they should be also restricted to post on Marketplace threads before the same count.

I got a suggestion, but that definitely need some coding for posting to BST. Why not have a check box when posting for a review and the other check box for queries of thread.
For review check box, the post will/can only be visible yo public members once the seller check and confirm the post was really posted by a real buyer.
Of cause be it good or bad reviews, seller must approve it once they confirm it from a real buyer.
As for enquiries of service post, they can be live instantly.

Without the Fake Reviews, BHW will be the best-est place to shop. I know a seller who has 100s of 'somehow' fake reviews.... Almost all his buyers has 1 to 5 posts. Is that NOT suspicious enough? And when I open a thread about that, DD gave me a huge infraction.

Good to know the issue is now been deal with officially.

VinceC said:

I got a suggestion, but that definitely need some coding for posting to BST. Why not have a check box when posting for a review and the other check box for queries of thread.
For review check box, the post will/can only be visible yo public members once the seller check and confirm the post was really posted by a real buyer.
Of cause be it good or bad reviews, seller must approve it once they confirm it from a real buyer.
As for enquiries of service post, they can be live instantly.

Click to expand...

the only problem that a seller could control which reviews go live and which shouldn't, you can guess which ones wouldn't go public

guess im immune then as i dont sell to

1 - new members
2 - aged accounts with no activity on a buying spree
3 - low post users.

yay me

HoNeYBiRD said:

the only problem that a seller could control which reviews go live and which shouldn't, you can guess which ones wouldn't go public

Click to expand...

I already stated that no matter good or bad reviews the seller must approve it to go live once it confirmed is posted from a real buyer, if for certain timeframe the seller never acknowledge the post, it will auto notify the mod in charge to take necessary actions.

About time. This is probably the best news I have seen on this forum in a minute.

Very good move!

VinceC said:

I already stated that no matter good or bad reviews the seller must approve it to go live once it confirmed is posted from a real buyer, if for certain timeframe the seller never acknowledge the post, it will auto notify the mod in charge to take necessary actions.

Click to expand...

it makes more sense now, however it would be another additional task for the mods

Much needed. This will make it a fair field for all sellers!