GOOGLE REVIEWS? – 08/14/23
So I learned this weekend that you probably can’t trust Google reviews.
I received an unsolicited email recently – Buy 5 Star Google Reviews! Buying good reviews can “increase your company’s trustworthiness and credibility”
Huh?
This may seem like a joke, but it isn’t. For a certain amount of money per review, companies will post a “real” and “permanent” review from a unique IP address.
But the best line from one such site is “Yes, we are aware that buying reviews is unethical, but it is not a crime”.
And Google doesn’t care. Just google “Buy 5 Star Google Reviews” and see for yourself. Google could easily make these companies work a little harder to be found. But they are out there, for all to see.
And it gets better/worse. You can buy 1 Star Reviews. Although they don’t explicitly say it, you can pay money to have these companies trash your competitors online.
And yes, these same services exist with regard to Facebook pages as well.
So basically, as you’ve probably already figured out in this world, make sure to take everything you read and see with a grain of salt. But please feel free to leave me a real, permanent 5 Star Google review if you have the time.
Douglas K. Allston, Jr.
301-220-1341
301-220-1625 (fax)
REPEATING HISTORY-08/11/23
Someone wise once said that “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
I’m not wise enough to say that. Instead, my first thought was “Do we really have to deal with this crap again?”
Last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 7.5 million bath/pool toys inspired by that horrible Baby Shark song. Why? Because some genius thought putting a sharp fin made of hard plastic on top of a kid’s toy was a good idea. Since the toy came out, 12 children have suffered “impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds.” Ouch.
What ticks me off is that this happened before….with one of my clients in 1999. My client was a young lady who suffered an impalement injury as a result of a pool toy made of hard plastic. That case got the ball rolling with the regulators and led to 19 million pool toys getting recalled. Since it was the 3rd largest recall in CPSC history, it was the front page story in USA Today this week in 1999.
So please, if you live with kids, check the toys they play with. Apparently not everyone who makes pool toys is blessed with an abundance of common sense. For more information about this and other recalls, you can always check www.cpsc.gov.
Stay safe.
Douglas K. Allston, Jr.