It seems like business owners worldwide have been watching their hard-earned Google reviews disappear in the past few days. What started as isolated complaints has turned into a widespread problem affecting many businesses since around October 23, with legitimate customer reviews getting wiped out at an alarming rate.
One car rental business owner reported losing 12 reviews overnight, while others have watched their review counts drop every few hours.
A marketing agency managing multiple client profiles noted that reviews have been vanishing continuously, with no clear pattern or warning. One particularly affected business owner documented over 70 reviews removed in just a few days, while another saw their count plummet from 280 to 168 reviews.
A manager overseeing well-known national brands in France and Spain reported massive losses across multiple locations.
Google Product Experts on the official support forums have acknowledged the problem, with several threads popping up about missing reviews and continuous removal issues. The consensus among experts is that this appears to be a technical glitch rather than a policy change. Still, Google hasn’t issued an official statement or timeline for resolution yet.
Some businesses have reported numerous client reviews removed despite following all of Google’s review policies. Even businesses that lost 20+ reviews accumulated over years have received only generic automated responses when reaching out to support.
What should affected businesses do? Experts recommend posting on the Google Business Profile Community forum and requesting escalation. Document everything with screenshots, including reviewer names and dates.
Don’t ask customers to repost reviews immediately, as duplicates might trigger additional flags. For now, patience seems to be the main option as Google works on identifying and fixing whatever went wrong with their automated review system.
Dwayne Cubbins
1858 Posts
My fascination with Android phones began the moment I got my hands on one. Since then, I've been on a journey to decode the ever-evolving tech landscape, fueled by a passion for both the "how" and the "why." Since 2018, I've been crafting content that empowers users and demystifies the tech world. From in-depth how-to guides that unlock your phone's potential to breaking news based on original research, I strive to make tech accessible and engaging.
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