It is tempting when you are behind a competitor. It is also one of the fastest ways to get your listing penalised. Here is what actually happens when you buy reviews, and what to do instead.
Short answer: No. Buying Google reviews violates Google's policy, can breach the FTC's Consumer Review Rule and consumer-protection law in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, and is increasingly caught by Google's AI moderation. Bought reviews get removed, your profile can be suspended, and the damage outlasts any short-term gain. Genuine reviews collected the compliant way are cheaper, safer, and more convincing.
You see a competitor with 300 reviews and you have 30. Buying a batch feels like a shortcut to catching up overnight. The problem is that the shortcut is exactly what platforms and regulators are built to detect and punish.
In the United States, yes, it can be: the FTC's Consumer Review Rule (with enforcement warning letters sent in December 2025) treats buying, selling, and writing fake reviews as deceptive, carrying civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation. New Zealand's Fair Trading Act, the Australian Consumer Law, and the UK's CMA rules all prohibit misleading representations, which fake reviews plainly are. It is a legal risk, not just a Google one. Review gating carries the same exposure.
Reviewtail grows genuine, compliant Google reviews automatically, so you catch up safely. Live in about 10 minutes, 30-day money-back guarantee.
See plans and pricing →It can be. In the US the FTC's Consumer Review Rule treats buying fake reviews as a deceptive practice with penalties up to $53,088 per violation, and consumer-protection law in NZ, AU, and the UK prohibits the same conduct. It also violates Google's policy.
Increasingly, yes. Google removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews in 2025 using AI that detects unnatural patterns. Bought reviews are commonly removed and can get your profile restricted.
Ask every customer right after their visit with a one-tap link or QR, keep it steady, respond to reviews, and resolve complaints privately first. That builds genuine volume without risking your listing.