Bachcare website accused of removing negative reviews

Holiday rental website Bachcare is being taken to court by the Commerce Commission for allegedly manipulating online reviews.

The commission claims Bachcare removed negative comments from some consumer reviews on its website and didn’t publish any reviews with a star rating of less than 3.5 out of 5.

Bachcare’s conduct risked misleading consumers “by creating artificially positive impressions about certain properties”, the commission said.

Bachcare manages about 2000 properties throughout the country and has 150,000 customers every year.

The company faces two charges under the Fair Trading Act. The court action follows a commission investigation and relates to conduct between 1 June 2017 and 28 September 2018.

How to spot a fake review

Online reviews are a minefield for consumers, with fake reviews a dime a dozen. Telltale signs you’re not getting the full picture include:

• reviews using formulaic and repeated language
• a series of glowing reviews appearing simultaneously
• sites that don’t clearly state how their ratings work.

To protect yourself from being stung, never rely on reviews alone. Do your own research about the product or service before you buy, especially if it’s a pricey purchase. If you think the reviews on a website aren’t legit and it’s a company operating in our market, you can report it to the Commerce Commission.