To think "trusted worker" type site reviews are written by the traders themselves?

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

So I picked a well known site and chose the decorator with the highest number of reviews; a safe enough approach, no?

NO being the word ... he started whinging about his quote being too low the instant he started, he stole paint I'd bought (presumably for another job), he brought along a "top expert" mate who spent most of his time taking drugs, he spilled paint everywhere and he constantly found excuses to start late, leave early or not turn up at all

After four days of this I asked him to leave and thought of writing my own review (except I'm worried he knows where I live ). My point, though, is this: is there anything on these sites to stop folk simply writing their own glowing reviews?

And has anyone experienced worse ... ??

Of course they write their own reviews...

How about a new driveway where the hardcore used included used condoms, used needles, sharp shards of metal and other shit. We refused to pay a penny and chased them off our land.

I expect they write their own reviews.

I once worked for a famous chain of pub/restaurants and we were told if we wrote a good review on trip advisor they'd buy us a few drinks to take home (bottles!)

I look at how many reviews the reviewer has left and whether some of those seem more reasonable (bit of bad, bit of good) to try and work out if the majority are real that way.

But yes lots will be fake.

I thought of that, Kai, but to give him his due this guy was good ... all different dates, different apparent writing styles and different names (though they may have all been people he'd intimidated of course!!)

Pity his skills didn't extend to the actual job

he could have copied them from elsewhere, and altered small bits

Those sites are bullshit.

I write honest balanced reviews, good and bad included. Not one has ever made it into a review site.

The people I've employed from the sites have been as hit and miss as any random Google search.

YANBU. I chose someone with excellent reviews to strip some wallpaper in our front room. He texted the night before to say he was tied up on another job, but he'd send his nephew to strip the paper, who he trusted implicitly. "Nephew" turns up, obviously has no idea how to strip wallpaper, he was peeling it off like a child might! Made a complete mess, didn't sheet up, little bits of wallpaper all over the floor, and after 8 hours was less than half done, with teeny tiny bits of wallpaper still stuck all over the wall, making any subsequent wallpaper removal impossible. When I asked him if he was a decorator he admitted that he wasn't, he was actually a courier, and didn't even know the original decorator, he'd met him on the street!!! Ended up having to strip the horrendous walls ourselves. The original decorator apologised, and told us "not to worry" about leaving him a review

I now go off recommendations only!

of course they write their own reviews.
I am proud to say that all the reviews on my website are now genuine but when I started I just made some up...:)
Then I gradually replaced them with genuine ones.
I suppose some people are less honest, or don't get the genuine ones.

I now go off recommendations only!

Yes, I've always tried to do the same - except that I didn't have any for a decorator, so this seemed the next best thing

Oh well, that's one mistake I won't be making again