TRUSTPILOT REVIEW GUIDE
Trustpilot reviews from competitors or employees
A review praises a rival and criticizes your business. Perhaps it is an honest comparison. Perhaps the author works for that rival. The wording alone cannot tell you. To assess a conflict of interest on Trustpilot, follow the evidence from the account to the person, then from the person to the relevant relationship.
A relationship matters only when you can connect it to the reviewer and the relevant time.
Three checks before alleging a conflict
Who can the review be linked to?
Record the basis for identifying the account. A same-name match may not be reliable.
What is the documented connection?
Distinguish a role at the business or a competitor from a customer who simply mentions another supplier.
Was that relationship relevant when the review was written?
Check the dates. Do not automatically transfer Google’s treatment of former employees to Trustpilot.
A competitor connection needs evidence
A publicly documented role at a competing business can be relevant. Similar wording, a harsh opinion, or a recommendation of another supplier is not equivalent evidence. Keep the account-identification question separate from the relationship itself: both links need to make sense.
FICTIONAL EXAMPLE · NOT A CLIENT RESULT
A comparison is not proof of a competing interest
Their after-sales support is slow. Another supplier sorted the same problem in one call.
Mentioning another supplier could be a normal comparison. A reliable connection between the reviewer and that supplier may add an eligibility concern, but the comparison alone does not prove the relationship.
Employee reviews require a careful timeline
Trustpilot restricts reviews involving special relationships, including people working with or for a business. Record the relationship at the relevant time. Do not assume that Google’s explicit treatment of former employment can simply be imported into a Trustpilot case; former relationships need assessment against Trustpilot’s own rules and the facts.
Protect the people involved while checking the facts
A same-name match may be wrong. Limit the records used for assessment to what supports the connection and the relevant dates. Avoid publishing employment details in a reply or making an accusation while identity is uncertain. The purpose is to assess review eligibility, not to expose a person.
Follow the connection from account to relationship
- The review and reviewer profile links, with dated screenshots.
- Public or appropriate private records supporting the account’s identity.
- The role, relationship, and dates relevant to the concern.
- Any previous report and Trustpilot’s response, including what evidence it considered.
Keep original records. Share only what is relevant, and avoid putting private customer or staff information into a public reply.
Use Trustpilot’s rules for a Trustpilot case
These steps explain the platform’s published process. Reporting is available without paying for our service.
- Check Trustpilot’s current reviewer eligibility guidance rather than applying another platform’s rules.
- Prepare a concise explanation of the identity and relationship evidence, then raise the supported issue through Trustpilot’s reporting or support process.
- Retain the decision and use the applicable dispute route if you believe relevant evidence was missed.
Bring the case to a specialist
We assess the reliability of the identity match, the relevance of the relationship, and the timing. Where the evidence is incomplete, our recommendation explains the gap rather than claiming that every suspected employee or competitor review can be removed.
Already tried the standard reporting process? We can assess whether further options are available for your case.
Explore our Trustpilot review removal serviceOfficial guidance
Platform processes can change. These are the sources used for the policy and reporting explanations in this guide.