Trusted trader and care home review sites: improvement of practices

Five online review sites have committed to improvements that will give people a more complete picture when making buying decisions.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 18 January 2016
• Last updated: 11 February 2016 — See all updates

• Case type: Consumer enforcement
• Case state: Closed
• Market sector: Communications
• Opened: 18 January 2016
• Closed: 11 February 2016

Timetable

Date	Action
11 February 2016	Outcome of work with trusted trader and care home review sites published
18 January 2016	Case opened into the practices of a number of online review sites
19 June 2015	Report on call for information into online reviews and endorsements published

Case closed

11 February 2016: Two websites for finding tradespeople and three care home review sites have all agreed to improve their practices to address concerns that were raised following a call for information by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on online reviews and endorsements.

• CMA advisory letter to trusted trader schemes (11.2.16)
• CMA advisory letter to care home review sites (11.2.16)
• Giving a balanced picture: do’s and don’ts for online review sites (11.2.16)
• Summaries of the five agreements (11.2.16)
• Online reviews - why customers may not get a balanced picture (11.2.16)
• Press release: Online review sites commit to improve practices (11.2.16)

Contacts

Team leader

David Hart (david.hart@cma.gsi.gov.uk, 020 3738 6849)

Project director

Jon Riley (jon.riley@cma.gsi.gov.uk, 020 3738 6143)

Senior responsible officer

Nisha Arora (nisha.arora@cma.gsi.gov.uk, 020 3738 6853)

Published 18 January 2016
Last updated 11 February 2016 + show all updates

1. 11 February 2016

   Case closed: Advisory letters and summary of agreements published.

2. 18 January 2016

   First published.