Update to Assisted Reviews (aka Add a Review)
Updated on
Recent news about GarCon Building Group has highlighted the importance of trustworthy online reviews. At HomeStars, we’re dedicated to earning and keeping your trust by improving how we manage reviews. In this article, we’ll share the steps we’re taking to ensure transparency and reliability, helping you make confident choices when selecting trusted tradespeople.
Last week, HomeStars was referenced in Toronto media after a home renovation company (GarCon Building Group) went bankrupt. Concerns were raised about the validity of some of this company’s reviews on HomeStars, in particular those published using our assisted review tool.
Assisted reviews are designed to help contractors get homeowner reviews for the work they’ve completed. Assisted reviews account for eight per cent of the reviews on our site.
We have listened to your feedback and made changes, such as flagging all assisted reviews across the site. The flag is a green icon that reads “Assisted Review” and when it is clicked, this explanation appears:
We’re working hard to ensure the integrity of reviews on HomeStars by continuing to invest in automated fraud-detection systems. Our review team carefully reads every review to verify its authenticity before it is published. We also listen to members of our community to help us remove suspicious reviews.
To learn more about how we check reviews please visit the following:
Reading reviews is part of the research process, but we urge homeowners to check references diligently before they hire. Hiring well will save you time and money and deliver the best results.
Homeowner inquires can be sent to contact@homestars.com and media inquires can be sent to press@homestars.com.