CMA Launches Five Investigations Into Fake and Misleading Reviews
What happened
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched five consumer law investigations into businesses suspected of using fake or misleading reviews. The companies under investigation are Autotrader, Feefo, Dignity, Just Eat, and Pasta Evangelists.
Each investigation targets a different aspect of review manipulation:
- Autotrader and Feefo are being investigated over whether 1-star reviews moderated by Feefo were excluded from Autotrader's platform and star ratings
- Just Eat faces scrutiny over whether its ratings system has inflated certain restaurants' and grocers' star ratings
- Dignity is being investigated for whether the company asked staff to write positive reviews about its crematoria services
- Pasta Evangelists is under investigation for allegedly offering undisclosed discounts in exchange for 5-star reviews on delivery apps
These are the first formal investigations under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act), which came into force on 6 April 2026. The CMA gave businesses a three-month grace period to update their compliance — that window is now closing.
The CMA expects to provide an update on these investigations in September 2026.
What this means for tradespeople
This is the clearest signal yet that fake review enforcement in the UK is real and active. The DMCC Act doesn't just target large corporations — it applies to any business that commissions, incentivises, or hosts fake reviews.
For tradespeople, this means two things. First, if you've been competing against businesses with suspiciously perfect review profiles, the playing field is levelling. Second, if you've ever been tempted to offer a discount in exchange for a 5-star review — even informally — that's now explicitly illegal under UK law.
TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews by sending automated review requests via WhatsApp and SMS after every job — no incentives, no manipulation, just genuine reviews from real customers.
What to do about it
- Stop any incentivised review practices — even "leave a review and get 10% off your next job" is now a compliance risk
- Focus on volume from genuine customers — a steady flow of real reviews beats a handful of fake ones, especially now enforcement is active
- Respond to every review you receive — it signals to both Google and the CMA that your reviews are genuine and engaged with
Source: GOV.UK — CMA Press Release