Get 2 yuan back for good reviews, get gifts for likes... Why is "cash back for good reviews" so prevalent?
2024-08-19
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Original title: "Cashback" is not advisable, let the good reviews return to reality (people's concern)
"Reward 2 yuan for good reviews" and "Gifts for likes"... Many consumers have received similar cards or reminders. In the Internet age, "high ratings" often represent "good reputation" and "high traffic". In order to improve the ratings of their own stores, many businesses use methods such as "cash back for good reviews" to induce consumers to give good reviews. This not only involves the suspicion of unfair competition, but also misleads other consumers and affects the credibility of the platform's rating system.
Unlike the past when merchants blatantly put "cash back for good reviews" on their homepages, merchants now often take a more covert approach, attaching the "cash back for good reviews" information to product packaging in the form of small notes or cards. "When I shop online, I often receive this type of card. Although I may not be satisfied with the product, sometimes I see that they speak politely and I can get some money back, so I give them a five-star review," said Mr. Zhao, a reader from Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
Sometimes, merchants will confuse consumers and regulatory authorities by "showing your order" and other names. Clicking on the product page of a mobile phone seller on an e-commerce platform, the slogan "Show your order to get a 10 yuan red envelope" in the title is eye-catching, but after consulting customer service, the other party requires a five-star review to get cash back. "When buying a product, I will give a true review based on my own experience. Merchants should not use this misleading method to deceive consumers into giving good reviews." Ms. Dai, a reader from Xi'an, Shaanxi, said helplessly.
Compared with online shopping, offline catering businesses offer free drinks and snacks in exchange for good reviews, which is more difficult to refuse. Ms. Pan, a reader from Huanggang City, Hubei Province, said: "I often don't participate in the online 'cash back for good reviews' because it's too troublesome, but offline, there are waiters who will do it for me, and I often accept it because I think I can get a gift without spending too much effort."
The prevalence of "cashback for good reviews" has caused some consumers to no longer trust the rating system. Some readers reported that they originally thought that eating at highly rated stores would make them feel more at ease, but they were repeatedly "defeated" and the taste of the dishes was far from what they expected. Some young people even developed a rebellious mentality, advocating "reverse check-in" and actively trying low-rated businesses. "Now when ordering takeout, sometimes I will deliberately choose a store with a score of around 4 points, which often makes people feel more at ease than a store with a score close to full marks." Mr. Tang, who lives in Shenzhen, Guangdong, said frankly.
In response to these behaviors, a customer service staff of a platform stated that the platform does not allow merchants to "rebate good reviews" to consumers or "rebate good reviews" in disguise in the name of activities. If problems are found, the platform will have corresponding measures to deal with them. Clicking on the merchant complaint interface on a certain platform, there is indeed a complaint option "Merchants exchange good reviews for gifts, discounts, upgraded services, etc.", but some merchants still change the form of rebates to brush good reviews. "Many consumers trust high-rated stores, and their peers will maliciously brush bad reviews from time to time. They have to do this to increase store sales." An e-commerce operator explained.
Xue Jun, professor at Peking University Law School and director of Peking University's E-commerce Law Research Center, said that merchants guide consumers to give positive reviews by offering different forms of benefits, which may seem "mutually beneficial", but in fact infringes on consumers' right to know and right to choose, and also constitutes unfair competition against other operators. "When shopping online, consumers often rely on the information conveyed by user reviews to make decisions. Merchants induce consumers through benefits, which will affect the normal evaluation of goods and services, eliminate the original function of reviews to show the experience of goods and services, and mislead potential consumers."
The "Interim Provisions on Anti-Unfair Competition on the Internet" to be implemented on September 1 this year clearly states that operators shall not induce users to make designated positive comments, likes, targeted votes and other interactive behaviors by means of cashback, red envelopes, coupons, etc. Xue Jun believes that the platform has the responsibility to manage the illegal behavior of merchants, and should accept reports from peers, educate and guide merchants to operate in compliance, and not interfere with user evaluations, so that consumer evaluations can truly reflect the quality of goods or services.
Faced with reviews that are difficult to distinguish between true and false, how should consumers choose goods or services? Li Fang, senior partner of Beijing Tianchi Juntai Law Firm, believes that when referring to online reviews, consumers can compare multiple platforms and focus on the "dry goods" content. At the same time, when consuming, they should also give responsible reviews. In addition, if a merchant states "post a picture to get a gift" but actually requires a good review before fulfilling the promise, it is suspected of false advertising and infringing on consumer rights, and must bear corresponding civil liability. "If a merchant repeatedly harasses and asks for good reviews, consumers can also complain to the platform and relevant departments to protect their own rights." Li Fang said.
Experts said that when consumers are shopping online or offline, they should be careful to identify the authenticity of the reviews and not be tempted by small profits to make false reviews. In addition, regulatory authorities should guide platforms to fulfill their management responsibilities, investigate and punish merchants' violations in a timely manner, and encourage merchants to form a sense of fair competition and honest business. All parties should work together to maintain a good consumer evaluation mechanism and make user reviews more authentic and credible.
