Subjective, excessive or even fictitious, the puzzle of online opinions for vacationers and traders

• The boom of false online reviews does not prevent customers from trusting more and more.
• Faced with this paradox, some traders choose to respond to negative comments.
• The 13h of TF1 went to meet the various actors concerned by this trend.

– Subjective, excessive even fictitious, puzzle

Between Monaco and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, there is a still confidential beach. Therefore, But at a time when everything is noted on the Internet. Similarly, more and more tourists go there, encouraged by its subjective, excessive even fictitious, puzzle Google note (new window) of 4.5, and its 600 positive comments. For example, This is particularly the case of Patricia Takla, who regularly consults online opinions. Furthermore, “It is good. However, the children bathe, there are restaurants, it is not very busy”she sums up in the report of 13h above. Consequently, In turn, Patricia seizes her smartphone and puts the maximum note of 5, much higher than the 4.5 of Google or the 3.8 of Tripadvisor that this beach is harvested on average less and less secret.

For lunch, she is once again studying offers on her phone. “It is important to use your judgment”she says. But “If it is a food poisoning in 4 or 5 comments, there, we ask ourselves questions”she continues.

A business of false comments

However, these online opinions are not necessarily subjective, excessive even fictitious, puzzle reliable. Cyril Brosset, journalist for the magazine UFC-Que Choisirconducted the investigation (new window) By pretending to be a restaurateur. Quickly, it was approached by an agency based in Madagascar. Their formula: 15 euros per advice, or 105 euros for seven. “There are several [agences] Who told me it was possible. If you want a few dozen positive opinions to enhance your note. for a few tens or a few hundred euros, it’s really worth it because it allows to attract public “says the specialized journalist at the microphone of TF1.

Today, the platforms ensure the comments control (new window) thanks to artificial intelligence. In 2022, Tripadvisor indicated that he had blocked 1.3 million false reviews on the 30.2 million posted that year. But in such a profusion, it remains unlikely that everyone has been deleted.

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Restaurants: Should we trust online opinions?

Faced with negative opinions, some traders react. Jérémy Casalati, baker, responds to his customers in online videos. For example. last March, a consumer complained of having to buy a 10 cents’ plastic bag, after buying for more than 50 euros in products, qualifying the bakery “Box to money”. “It’s unacceptable, we can’t let it go”reacts the baker with TF1. That day, his online video is to explain why bags are an additional cost for merchants.