Local furniture retailer Loft Home Furnishing and its owners received warnings from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) for publishing fake five-star reviews on its website.

The business was caught posting the fake reviews between November 2022 and August 2023, CCCS said in a Jun. 21 media release.

Customers said 5-star reviews not from them

CCCS started investigations against Loft Home Furnishing in October 2023 after receiving complaints from customers.

The complainants alleged that there were fake reviews containing their initials posted on the business's website.

These reviews, supposedly made by seven customers, gave "glowing recommendations" on the quality of the purchased furniture and contained "actual photos" of the furniture in their homes.

However, the customers themselves said they had no knowledge of them.

Reviews posted by business

CCS found that the actual culprits were Loft Home Furnishing and two of its related businesses, Loft Home Furniture and Loft Industries (collectively known as Loft Home Entities).

Investigations had narrowed down that only they were able to access the customers’ information and possessed the photos used in the reviews.

Warnings were issued to Loft Home Entities and their owners.

Loft Home Furnishing has since admitted to posting the fake reviews, and took down the ones identified in the investigation, CCCS said.

Punishment

Loft Home Entities has since given CCCS an undertaking to stop posting fake reviews, set up a customer feedback channel to report fake reviews on their websites and take down any reviews verified to be fake.

They also promised to invite past customers between November 2022 and August 2023, as well as future customers, to report fake reviews relating to their purchases.

Sui Luyang and Wang Lei, Loft Home Entities' owners, have also pledged not to engage in any unfair trade practices in the future.

CCCS has closed the case but will take action if future malpractice is found.

How to avoid getting fooled by fake reviews

CCCS also provided steps that customers can take to avoid getting fooled by fake reviews.

Firstly, they should read reviews of different scores and analyse the common opinions expressed in them instead of just looking at average review scores and the number of good reviews.

Next, customers should check multiple websites and platforms to gauge the consistency and reliability of the reviews, looking out for verified purchases and taking sponsored reviews with a grain of salt.

Lastly, they should be wary of generic reviews which lack details and use generic buzzwords like "amazing" or "perfect", products with overly positive reviews, and reviews with spelling and grammatical errors.

Those who encounter unfair practices towards consumers can approach CASE for assistance.

Consumers can visit www.case.org.sg or call 6227 5100 for more information.

More about the business

Loft Home Furnishing was established in 2017 and sells a variety of furniture and home fittings on its website.

As of Jun. 21, the website boasts an overall rating of 4.9 across more than 13,300 reviews.

Of these, 13,000 of them are indicated as five-star reviews.

According to the website, its mission is "to deliver high-quality furnishings in impeccable condition, always accompanied by transparent pricing and unwavering reliability."

Top image from Loft Home Furnishing website & Canva