Product Ratings In Peril How Bots And Ai Are Disrupting E-commerce Trust

Innovation is needed, according to Donald Valoyi, founder and CEO of homegrown e-commerce platform Zulzi, who made the remarks in a recent interview with the TechCentral Show TCS.

"Ratings have a problem because everything has scaled there are a lot of people online, but there are a lot of bots, too," he said.

Valoyi suggested that one of the ways the ratings system could be made more effective is to link shoppers who know each other and show prospective buyers ratings only from people they know personally, thereby using a community-driven approach to building trust.

According to Bob Group MD Andy Higgins, the sanctity of product review systems is critical to the success of online shopping platforms.

Product reviews significantly influence buyers' decisions, often serving as a key differentiator in whether a customer proceeds with a purchase or abandons their cart. Authentic reviews build trust and credibility, fostering long-term loyalty. When this system is compromised, the platform's reputation suffers, leading to a loss of consumer confidence, said Higgins.