A genuine review can help a homeowner understand what it is like to work with you. A manufactured or misleading one can do the opposite. UK consumer-protection rules cover more than writing a fake five-star comment yourself: businesses that publish, commission, edit or selectively present reviews need to take care too.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published business guidance on consumer reviews in April 2025. Its examples include fake reviews, reviews where an incentive is concealed, and review information that misrepresents what customers said.
Keep the request neutral
Ask for an honest account of the customer's experience, not a particular rating. Do not ask only customers you believe will leave five stars, and do not make a discount, prize or future service depend on praise.
A neutral message can be simple:
“Thanks for choosing us. If you have a moment, you can leave an honest review here: [your review link]. Feedback is optional and won’t affect your service.”
Use the same process after different kinds of jobs. If a customer raises a problem, deal with it through your normal service process; do not pressure them to remove or change a genuine review in return for a fix.
Do not rewrite what a customer said
Do not create a quote and attribute it to a customer, buy reviews, ask staff or relatives to pose as customers, or edit a real review so its meaning changes. If you shorten a testimonial for your website, get approval for the final wording and keep a record of what the customer agreed to.
If a platform removes a review, do not repost it under a different account. Follow the platform's appeal route and keep the underlying records.
Check reviews before publishing them
If you collect reviews on your own website, decide who checks them and what evidence you use to confirm they relate to a real customer. Explain your approach clearly. Do not quietly remove every negative review while displaying only positive ones in a way that gives a misleading impression.
Keep the original review, the customer's permission where relevant, and any changes made for length or spelling. A short written process is easier to follow than relying on memory.
A practical review routine
- Send one optional, neutral request after the job.
- Link directly to the platform's review form.
- Never pay for a positive rating or make a benefit conditional on praise.
- Keep customer quotations accurate and approved.
- Check the current CMA guidance before displaying or filtering reviews on your own site.
This is general information, not legal advice. Read the CMA's business guide to publishing consumer reviews. For a practical request workflow, see our guide to asking for Google reviews after a job.