How to Remove a False Trustpilot Review

False Trustpilot reviews can have a serious impact on your business’s reputation. Trustpilot is one of the most visible and trusted review platforms online, so a single review that contains inaccurate, misleading, or fabricated claims can influence potential customers long before they interact with you directly. These reviews may also harm sales, damage brand credibility, and create long-term reputational challenges if not addressed properly.

Fortunately, businesses have several options. Trustpilot has rules requiring reviewers to share honest feedback based on a genuine experience, and you may also have legal remedies if the review contains false statements of fact that harm your business. At Minc Law, we have helped hundreds of businesses address false and defamatory online reviews, including those posted on Trustpilot.

This guide explains how to identify false Trustpilot reviews, how to report them to Trustpilot, and what steps to take when the review crosses into legally actionable defamation.

What Counts as a False Trustpilot Review?

A Trustpilot review may be considered false when it contains information that is inaccurate, misleading, or fabricated. This can include:

• Claims about services you never provided
• Descriptions of interactions that never occurred
• Incorrect statements about pricing, policies, or conduct
• Exaggerated or invented complaints
• Statements that misrepresent what happened

False reviews often fall into two categories:

1. Reviews that are not based on a genuine experience

Trustpilot requires reviewers to have had a genuine experience with your business, which can include a purchase, use of a service, customer support interaction, email exchange, phone call, online chat, or similar contact. If no such interaction occurred, the review may violate Trustpilot’s guidelines.

2. Reviews that contain false statements of fact

Even if a reviewer had an initial interaction with your business, their review may still be false or defamatory if it includes factual claims that are untrue and harmful.

Opinions, even negative ones, are allowed. Statements of fact that are incorrect or fabricated are not.

Comparing the review with your internal records is a helpful first step. If the timeline, service details, or alleged events do not match any real customer interaction, that is a strong indication that the review is false.

First Step: Document All Evidence Before It Disappears

Before responding to the review or reporting it to Trustpilot, it is important to preserve all evidence. Reviews can be edited, removed, or altered by the reviewer without warning, and Trustpilot may not retain older versions once changes are made. Proper documentation strengthens your reporting efforts and is essential if you later pursue legal action.

When documenting the review, capture the following:

• A full screenshot of the review, including the text, star rating, username, and date
• The exact URL of your Trustpilot profile and the review location
• Any replies, comments, or interactions connected to the review
• The reviewer’s profile details that are publicly visible
• The date and time you captured the evidence

It can also be helpful to note to yourself why the review is false or misleading. For example, you may document that the alleged event never occurred, that the reviewer was never a customer, or that the timeline does not match any internal records.

Thorough documentation ensures you have a complete record of the false statements, protects you if the reviewer deletes the post, and gives your attorney the information needed to evaluate potential defamation claims.

How to Remove False Trustpilot Reviews

Removing a false Trustpilot review typically involves a combination of professional communication, platform reporting, and, when necessary, legal action.

Responding to the Review

A professional, concise reply can help mitigate the impact of a false review while you report it. Keep your response factual and calm. If the review does not match any internal record, you may say so and invite the reviewer to contact you privately for clarification.

Avoid offering compensation or incentives in exchange for an updated review. Trustpilot prohibits incentivized feedback, and doing so can create additional issues.

If the review is clearly abusive or fabricated, you may decide not to publicly respond at all. In those situations, reporting and legal assessment may be more effective.

Reporting the Review to Trustpilot

Trustpilot allows businesses to flag reviews that violate its guidelines. To flag a review, you must use your Trustpilot Business account.

To report a false review:

1. Log in to your Trustpilot Business dashboard.
2. Navigate to your service review inbox.
3. Locate the review you want to report.
4. Select the flag option and choose the appropriate reason.

Trustpilot allows businesses to flag reviews when:

• The reviewer cannot verify a genuine experience
• The review contains inaccurate or misleading information
• The review references the wrong business
• The review includes abusive content or personal data
• The review appears to be part of a coordinated pattern

Trustpilot may temporarily hide reviews flagged for harmful or illegal content. All other review types remain visible during assessment. For reviews flagged as “Not based on a genuine experience,” Trustpilot requires the business to first request more information from the reviewer, who has 3 days to respond. If the reviewer cannot verify their experience or does not reply, the business may escalate the flag to Trustpilot’s Content Integrity Team for review. If the reviewer still cannot demonstrate a genuine interaction, the review may be removed.

Trustpilot does not decide who is telling the truth in a dispute. The platform only evaluates whether the review meets its authenticity and content requirements. This is why some false reviews remain online even after being flagged.

When a False Trustpilot Review Becomes Defamatory

Not every negative or inaccurate review counts as defamation. A review becomes defamatory when it includes false statements of fact that harm your reputation. This is different from a reviewer expressing dissatisfaction or giving a subjective opinion.

For a Trustpilot review to be defamatory, it generally must:

Contain a false statement of fact
The reviewer must assert something presented as true, such as “This company scams customers” or “They forged documents.” Opinions like “I did not like the service” or “I think this business is dishonest” are usually protected.

Be communicated to others
Posting the review publicly on Trustpilot easily meets this requirement.

Cause reputational harm
The false statement must damage your business’s standing, create doubt among customers, or result in financial loss.

Be made with a level of fault
For most businesses, this means the reviewer failed to take reasonable care in determining whether the statement was true. In more serious cases, reviewers may publish knowingly false statements or act with reckless disregard for the truth.

A review can be false without being defamatory, and a review can be based on a genuine experience yet still be defamatory if the reviewer includes fabricated claims or serious inaccuracies. This is why some harmful reviews remain online even after being flagged with Trustpilot.

When a review contains these types of claims, and platform reporting does not resolve the issue, legal intervention may be necessary.

Can I Sue Trustpilot for Defamation?

Under U.S. law, you generally cannot sue Trustpilot for publishing a false or defamatory review. This is because Trustpilot is protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law that shields online platforms from being held legally responsible for content created by their users.

Section 230 treats review platforms like Trustpilot as hosts, not publishers. As long as Trustpilot did not create or contribute to the content itself, it cannot be sued for defamation or forced to remove a review through a lawsuit.

This means that legal action must be directed at the individual reviewer, not Trustpilot. If the reviewer is anonymous, your attorney may pursue legal steps to identify them before taking further action.

Legal Options for Defamatory Trustpilot Reviews

Cease and Desist Letters

An attorney can send a cease and desist letter demanding removal of the false statements. Many reviewers comply once they understand the legal consequences of leaving defamatory content online.

Retraction Requests

Some jurisdictions require a retraction request before pursuing certain damages. Even when not mandatory, a retraction request can help resolve the issue quickly.

Identifying Anonymous Reviewers

If the reviewer is anonymous, an attorney may file a John Doe lawsuit to subpoena identifying information. This can allow you to hold the reviewer accountable and seek removal.

Defamation Lawsuits

If the false review caused measurable harm, you may pursue a defamation lawsuit. Possible outcomes include removal orders, injunctions, and financial compensation for the harm caused.

An experienced internet defamation attorney can assess your situation and determine the best approach.

How Minc Law Helps With False Trustpilot Reviews

If you are dealing with false, misleading, or defamatory Trustpilot reviews, Minc Law can help. We work exclusively in internet defamation and online reputation matters, and we regularly assist businesses in removing harmful reviews and taking action against unlawful content.

Our team can:

• Evaluate whether a Trustpilot review is false or defamatory
• Help you document evidence and respond strategically
• Guide you in reporting the review
• Draft attorney letters demanding removal
• Identify anonymous reviewers through subpoenas
• Pursue defamation claims when necessary

Minc Law has helped thousands of clients remove damaging online content and protect their reputations. To discuss your situation, contact us at (216) 373-7706 or reach out through the contact form below.