Gardening Express Reviews Policy

1. Commitment to Authentic Reviews

Gardening Express is committed to ensuring that all consumer reviews published on our site are genuine, fair, and not misleading. We strictly prohibit fake reviews, including those written or submitted by anyone other than actual customers, and we do not allow concealed incentivised reviews (i.e., reviews written in exchange for rewards without clear disclosure) (GOV.UK).

2. Sources of Reviews & Verification

  • Service Reviews: Collected via Trustpilot, an independent third‑party platform that verifies reviewers as genuine customers and monitors for fake or incentivised reviews.
  • Product Reviews: Collected via Stamped.io, another third‑party platform with similar verification and anti‑fraud monitoring.

3. Why We Use Reviews

We collect reviews to:

  • Improve the quality of our services and customer experience.
  • Recognise and highlight the best products for our customers.
  • Help prospective buyers make informed purchasing decisions.

4. Minimal Editing Policy

Occasionally, product reviews received via Stamped.io may be lightly edited purely to improve readability (e.g. correcting spelling or grammar) without altering the original message, content, or intent. Reviews are never edited to modify meaning, sentiment, or substance.

5. Reasonable and Proportionate Steps to Prevent Fake or Misleading Reviews

To comply with the CMA's DMCC obligations, Gardening Express takes the following measures:

a. Risk Assessment

We conduct risk assessments to evaluate the likelihood of fake reviews or misleading aggregated review information appearing on our site, informed by data and reports from Trustpilot and Stamped.io, as well as customer feedback and external sources (GOV.UK Assets).

b. Detection Systems

  • We rely on Trustpilot and Stamped.io's fraud‑detection systems to flag suspicious or inauthentic content.
  • Internally, we review any flagged content and investigate reports or concerns raised by customers.

c. Investigation & Response

  • When a review is suspected fraudulent or incentivised without disclosure, we work with the review provider to investigate promptly.
  • Where necessary, reviews are removed or the provider is asked to validate the reviewer or rationale for removal.

d. Sanctions & Transparency

  • If fake or undisclosed incentivised reviews are confirmed, we ensure they are removed.
  • We will take further action such as refusing publication of future reviews from that source, or requesting warning labels, consistent with best practice guidance ( GOV.UK Assets, LawNow ).

6. Review Presentation

We display reviews exactly as provided by Trustpilot and Stamped.io, unless slight editorial corrections are made for readability (as described above).

7. Accessibility & Transparency

  • This policy is publicly available, easy to find, and written in clear, user‑friendly language.
  • We clearly state on our site that we do not offer incentives for reviews (unless part of clearly disclosed schemes, which we prohibit if undisclosed), and we explain how we collect, moderate, and display reviews.

8. Ongoing Monitoring and Policy Review

  • We regularly review the effectiveness of our systems in preventing and removing fake or misleading reviews, and update our procedures as necessary.
  • If external legislation or CMA guidance is updated, we update our policy accordingly to remain compliant ( Wikipedia, GOV.UK, GOV.UK Assets, Eversheds Sutherland ).

9. Contact & Reporting

If you believe a review published on our site is fake, misleading, or has been edited inappropriately, you can contact us at reviews@gardeningexpress.co.uk. We will promptly investigate and take appropriate action.

For general enquiries, please contact us at: