Fake reviews can steer you toward a lousy product, or they can pile onto a shop that did nothing except annoy someone with a keyboard. You can still report them today.
You don't get to yank a rating off the page yourself.
Can a U.S. shopper actually dispute a review that looks manufactured? You file a report under that site's own rules, and staff or filters decide if the post stays. It might stay up.
Thing is, a lot of dispute guides chase a higher star average for sellers. This one is for people trying to flag junk feedback, dodge a paid-review ask, or see which federal rules even apply.
What actually controls a fake review report
Amazon, eBay, and Google write the review policies that apply to their sites. Those company rules control takedowns. A harsh review is not automatically fake.
U.S. law sits on a different track. The FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule restricts businesses from using fake or false reviews. FTC staff say that rule took effect October 21, 2024. It doesn't give you a private right of action.
| Channel | What it controls | What it will not do |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon, eBay, or Google policy | Whether a post breaks that site's rules | Delete a review just because you disagree |
| FTC fake-review rule | Deceptive conduct by businesses and review brokers | Let you sue under that rule as a private plaintiff |
Start with the platform if you want a review looked at. Save the FTC path for a business that appears to be buying or inventing testimonials.
How to report a fake-looking Amazon review
Open the product page and find the review. Use the report control on that review, then point to a Community Guidelines problem, not "I hate this rating."
Amazon's own examples of banned review content include prize pitches such as "To claim your prize, leave a 5-star review." They also bar posts that dump private information. Product reviews that talk only about the seller, the order, or shipping can violate the same page.
Do this, in order:
- Screenshot the review, the reviewer name, the date, and the product URL.
- Note copy-paste wording, a burst of similar posts, or an account that only leaves five stars the same afternoon.
- Submit the report from the review itself.
- Keep your own notes. Amazon won't always tell you what happened.
Don't brigade the review with friends. A pile of extra reports can look like manipulation, not proof.
Turns out the strongest Amazon reports are boring. They cite a guideline and show a pattern. They don't write a speech about lost sales.
eBay will not erase a buyer's opinion for you
eBay's feedback policy is blunt: buyers don't expect 100% positive feedback, and eBay is not in a position to contradict a buyer's opinion or judgment of an item. That is the wall most people hit.
A negative note about a stain, a late box, or a missed detail usually stays if the buyer is talking about the transaction. That kind of comment often stays put.
eBay does remove some feedback when the comment is harmful, inappropriate, or irrelevant, or when the buyer is pointing at a problem that fits eBay's removal list. Some of those comments do come down. If you think a comment breaks that policy, eBay says you can contact it within 90 days of the transaction. Don't miss that 90-day window.
Bring order details, tracking, and the exact wording. Skip the essay about your reputation. eBay is reading for a policy match, not a vibe.
Google reviews are a flag, then a wait
Google lets people mark a Business Profile review as inappropriate. Flag copy-paste spam or off-topic posts, then wait, since a mean but specific visit story usually stays.
What the FTC rule covers
The Commission voted 5-0 to issue a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials. The announcement says the rule targets reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are from a real customer, or that they reflect an honest opinion. Brokers can get swept in too.
FTC staff have said brokers of fake reviews would generally fall under the prohibition against selling a consumer review. That net can include the middleman.
A company cannot stock a listing with invented five-star stories, and paying a mill to drop fake praise is the conduct this rule is built to hit. You don't get a private lawsuit under this rule.
That last point surprises people, to be honest. The Q&A is clear about that, and there's no private right of action. Platform reporting is still your first lever. An FTC report is for a business pattern, not about a single rating you dislike.
Reviews that usually stay put
Honest anger is allowed. So is a one-star from someone who bought the thing and hated it.
People sometimes treat every one-star as a conspiracy and then they report a real customer who waited three weeks for a package and wrote about it, which is not fake, it's just ugly, and platforms usually leave that standing because they aren't going to referee your feelings about the wording.
Identical wording across brand-new accounts is a better signal. So is a review that demands a five-star post before a gift card shows up. Those clash with Amazon's incentive ban and with the FTC's fake-or-false standard.
If a seller asked you to trade a perk for stars
Don't write the review they scripted. Amazon's guidelines call out that prize-for-stars pitch. Other sites treat paid praise as a trust problem too.
If the offer showed up in a package insert or a follow-up email, keep the message. Report the review request through the marketplace if you can. You're not required to play along to "help a small business."
A disclosed incentive for an honest review is a different legal question than a fake review, and this page isn't going to pretend the FTC Q&A settled every gray case. Platform rules can still be stricter than the federal floor.
If you already posted a review after a discount, don't try to launder it with a second fake account. Use the site's report tools if the seller is still shopping for stars.
Report the review on Amazon, eBay, or Google first, with a screenshot and a plain policy reason. If the same business is clearly farming testimonials, use the FTC pages linked above and send a report about that pattern.