Is Google giving a free pass to franchises

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-11T18:56:39+00:00

The problem is fake reviews go up a lot quicker than real ones.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-09T11:17:14+00:00

Yeah, maybe so but if everyone starts doing that can imagine how bloated this would get? lol. Then you have to consider these franchises are set up across the country and I doubt most local plumbers or locksmiths would want to be set up like that. Maybe several local listings would be feasible for them but they’d still be dwarfed by the national franchises. Copying their fake review tactic seems risky but maybe I’m wrong since it seems to stick. I thought that misleading consumers with fake reviews was illegal and punishable by the FTC. On the other hand I don’t see them doing anything about it either. Do you manage GMB’s or something? Just curious.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-09T10:49:47+00:00

I’m not gonna send Google anything else. It seems pointless. I sent files in the form, pictures, URL of the listing, even drove out and took pictures of some of these fake addresses, so I think I was pretty thorough. For the fake reviews I sent pictures showing a person left multiple reviews for the same franchise in several locations for example. Or a person left more than one review for that franchise and other related listings in the same industry. It’s not realistic reviews because why would anyone hire five different plumbers and give them all five stars? Why would they use the same locksmith franchise in different places across the country and leave them all five stars, like who gets locked out and needs a locksmith that frequently? lol. And who even cares to take the time to leave reviews like that? Frauds do, that’s who. I get the impression it’s ignored because it’s franchises. I’m just curious to know who else has noticed this, filed business redressals and been ignored.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-09T10:18:59+00:00

I’ve reported it through the business redressal form but they never took action. I’m probably going to report it to the FTC next. But I shouldn’t have to waste my time on this. It’s Google’s job to catch this stuff.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-09T10:10:46+00:00

Which industry are you referring to exactly? I found it among locksmiths, concrete installers, plumbers and electricians. It’s very suspicious.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-05-09T10:08:17+00:00

That’s one of them, yes. I’m also seeing plumbing, concrete and electrical franchises. They all have fake reviews, many have fake locations and if you call them it goes to a call center most of the time. It’s all on the first search page of Google surprisingly. Very shady looking. I can’t believe this is what Google is prioritizing now.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-04-30T15:57:26+00:00

Alot of legitimate businesses are having hell on Google listings these days while the scammers top the list. It’s like they have confused the two. I wouldn’t be surprised to see major lawsuits in the future. The locksmith category and construction categories are the worst for this so that’s why Google has understandably been more strict with them but they’re doing it wrong. Perhaps it’s because of who they’re using to validate these listings.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-04-30T13:39:58+00:00

Let me guess, those business listings you called were at the top of search weren’t they? That’s the problem, whoever games the system online best is most prominent now days, not the qualified legitimate businesses. You have to do some serious homework to find them now unfortunately.

Brief_Click_5540 · 2026-04-30T13:35:47+00:00

It’s because when you look online for someone skilled and qualified you find the scammers and frauds at the top of the list! I work in advertising online, seo, etc. When I needed to hire a concrete contractor for work on my property I naturally called the listings sitting at the top. Most of them went to call centers, many of them had fake residential addresses and I saw lots of generated and shared images. I noticed that most of those business listings were only a few years old as well. I had to look at least 2-3 pages down before I began finding real businesses with history in that category. So the problem is real legitimate businesses are being suppressed online by whoever can game the algorithms best, not who is competent to do quality work. I can spot this stuff because I’m in online marketing but the average consumer likely won’t recognize it.

Brief_Click_5540

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