--- title: "How to reply to a review you think is fake" url: https://reviewnudge.app/replies/suspected-fake-review/ published: 2026-09-29 updated: 2026-09-29 author: "Jack Stovell" author_profile: https://i.hilyt.it/jack publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" summary: "Check your records, report the review to Google if you believe it isn't based on a real experience, and meanwhile post a short, calm reply saying you can't find a record of the visit." tone: negative language: en-GB --- # How to reply to a review you think is fake > Check your records, report the review to Google if you believe it isn't based on a real experience, and meanwhile post a short, calm reply saying you can't find a record of the visit. If you think a review is fake, check your records first, then report it through Google and post a short, calm public reply while it is still up. Say you cannot find a record of the visit and invite them to get in touch. Nothing more than that. ## What to say - **Say you can't find a record.** Keep it to that. "We can't find a record of this visit" is a fact you've checked, which is a lot safer than "this never happened". - **Stay polite.** Google's own tips say to keep it short, polite and professional. Future customers are reading the tone as much as the words. - **Invite contact.** Offer a phone number, an email or a chat in person. If the person is real, they can tell you who they are without doing it in public. - **Say what you can and can't do.** Something like "we don't offer that treatment" is fine if it's true and doesn't reveal anything about a patient or customer. - **Reply promptly.** You can only reply once your Business Profile is verified. After that, the reviewer is notified and can still change their review, so a fair reply might even help. ## What not to say - **Don't call them a liar.** Even if you're sure. It makes you look defensive, and you might be wrong. - **Don't guess who they are.** No "we think this is the person we let go last month". Not in public, not hinted at. - **Don't post their details.** No names, dates, booking info or anything private. - **Don't offer a deal or a discount.** Google says replies shouldn't be used for promotions, and offering anything to change a review breaks the rules anyway. - **Don't ask friends or customers to leave good reviews to bury it.** That's fake engagement, and asking only your happy customers is banned too. One thing worth saying plainly: "unfair" is not the same as "fake". A grumpy review from a real customer who had a bad day is still a real review. Google says not to report a review just because you disagree with it, so save reports for reviews you genuinely believe aren't based on a real experience. ## Example replies ### Dentist, treatment you don't offer *Fictional example.* The review, 1 star: "Worst root canal ever, they hurt me." The practice does not offer root canal treatment and has no patient with that name. > Hello, thank you for taking the time to write. We can't find a record of this visit, and we don't recognise the treatment described. If you'd like to talk it through, please phone or email the practice and we'll be glad to listen. > > Priya ### Café, hair in breakfast *Fictional example.* The review, 1 star: "Found a hair in my breakfast, disgusting." The café has no record of it, but can't check who ate there. > Hello, I'm sorry to hear this. We can't find a record of it on our side, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen, and we'd like to understand more. Please get in touch by phone or email so we can talk it through. > > Sam Notice the café doesn't say "fake" anywhere. It can't know, so it treats the review as possibly genuine. That's the honest reply, and it's the one that reads best to someone scanning your reviews. ## How to report it 1. Go to your Business Profile. 2. Choose Read reviews. 3. Find the review and select Report next to it. 4. Pick the reason that honestly fits (Google gives examples such as Spam and Profanity). Don't choose one just because it sounds strongest. 5. Send it. 6. Check the status in the Reviews Management Tool. Evaluation typically takes several days. 7. If it's rejected, you get a one-time appeal, so make it count. Only reviews that break Google's policies are removed. Google doesn't get involved in disputes between businesses and customers, so "I disagree with this" won't get anywhere. ## Questions people ask ### Will Google definitely remove a review I report? No. Google only removes reviews that break its policies, and it doesn't step into disputes between businesses and customers. Choose the reason that honestly fits, check the status in the Reviews Management Tool, and remember a rejected report gets one appeal. ### Should I reply before I hear back about my report? Yes, in most cases. A short, calm reply helps anyone reading your reviews in the meantime. Replies are public and Google checks them against its content policies before posting, which usually takes up to 10 minutes but can occasionally take much longer. ### What if the reviewer turns out to be a real customer? Then the calm reply has done its job. You didn't accuse anyone, so there's nothing to take back. The reviewer is notified when you reply and can still change their review, and you can carry on the conversation privately. ### Can I ask other customers to leave reviews to push it down? No. Asking people to bury a review is fake engagement, and asking only your happy customers is banned. If you want more genuine reviews, there's a guide on asking for an honest review. ## Sources - [Google Business Profile Help: Report inappropriate reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773) - [Google Maps: Prohibited and restricted content](https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114) - [Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews (includes reply tips)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122)