CMA Expected to Announce First Fake Review Decisions This Month
What happened
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to announce its first decisions on fake and misleading online reviews this month, following five investigations launched in March 2026.
The five businesses under investigation are Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat, and Pasta Evangelists — spanning car sales, review platforms, funeral services, and food delivery. The CMA is examining whether reviews were suppressed, star ratings inflated, staff asked to write positive reviews, or customers offered undisclosed discounts in exchange for 5-star ratings.
These are the first formal cases brought under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act), which made fake and misleading reviews automatically illegal from April 2025. The CMA now has the power to investigate, decide, and fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover — without going to court.
What this means for tradespeople
The CMA isn't just going after big platforms. The DMCC Act applies to every business in the UK, including sole traders. If you're a plumber offering a discount for a 5-star review, or an electrician asking a mate to leave a glowing write-up they never earned — that's now illegal under the same law being used against Just Eat and Autotrader.
The three-month grace period the CMA gave businesses after the law took effect ended in July 2026. Enforcement is now live. While the CMA is currently focused on high-profile cases, the precedent being set this month will define what's acceptable for every business collecting reviews.
What to do about it
- Stop incentivising reviews. No discounts, free add-ons, or prize draws in exchange for reviews. Ask for honest feedback — full stop.
- Don't suppress negative reviews. Responding professionally to a bad review builds more trust than hiding it ever will.
- Keep your review collection genuine. Tools like TapReview send automated review requests after every job — no incentives, no pressure, just a simple ask at the right time. That's exactly what the CMA considers compliant.
For more on how the DMCC Act affects tradespeople, read our guide to the DMCC Act and Google reviews for tradespeople.
Source: CMA — Fake and misleading reviews: 5 businesses under investigation