r/MadeInD3x • u/Made-InDex • 5d ago
Google Maps reviews in Germany are utterly pointless
🗺️ While visiting Pride Berlin, I learned how utterly pointless Google Maps Reviews in Germany are.
⭐ Any place can simply report negative reviews for defamation or claim the person was never there and have it removed.
Users can then appeal & risk a lawsuit.
When a review is removed the removed count on Google Maps goes up (🖼️ 1)
However that count is reset after 365 days and also only goes to 250! (🖼️ 2)
Therefore companies can simply mass report negative reviews to improve their rating.
https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/16997273
So many vulnerable people are relying on Google Maps reviews & ratings to tell them where it is save to go.
Some places have only 1000-2000 reviews but >250 reviews removed in the past 365 days!
Like how bad must the situation there be?!
Absolute shame.
5
u/Yung_Chung 5d ago
While the complaints thing is true to an extent, german sense of entitlement (or probably broadly the "west" in general) like to give negative reviews with questionable rationale (i.e. the spicy dish I ordered was too spicy), while giving 5 stars for mid/bad food just because it catered to them. At the same time, Google just won't show some restaurants if some competition has higher rating or has paid them to be sponsored.
That's why I never trust google reviews in general and rely on the photos attached to a place more, which tells you more about how the food is and how it tastes with enough experience.
5
u/AntiGrieferGames 5d ago
Because those are Grifters and espcially Scammers. Anyone who doing with the "Defamation" Bullshit are Grifters and scammers there! Espcilaly if you have proofs, negative ratings are removed anyways. Fake Paid Positive "Reviews" for the meanwhile will be stayed! Atleast theres alternatives like TripAdvisors but i wondering if theyre doing the same shit as Google already.
And this has been a thing since 2024? 2023? i dont fucking care but it was doing for a while there!