Can a business post fake customer reviews in Luxembourg?
No: making up, buying or filtering your reviews is prohibited. The trader's myth: thinking you can post a few flattering reviews "to launch the shop" or delete the awkward criticism. Since the transposition of the Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161, applicable from 28 May 2022, the Consumer Code lists several review-related behaviours among the misleading commercial practices. Prohibited in particular: claiming that reviews come from consumers who actually bought or used the product without taking reasonable steps to check; posting fake reviews or recommendations, or commissioning them from third parties; and manipulating reviews by showing only the positive ones or deleting the negative. The trader must also state whether it checks the authenticity of reviews and how. An EU sweep found that 55% of the sites checked potentially breached these rules — the offence is common, not marginal.
📋 The rules
- Claiming reviews come from real buyers without reasonable steps to verify is a prohibited misleading practice.
- Posting, selling or buying fake consumer reviews or recommendations is prohibited.
- Manipulating reviews — showing only the positive, deleting or altering the negative — is prohibited.
- A trader displaying reviews must state whether it checks their authenticity and by what means.
- These bans have been in the Consumer Code since the Omnibus Directive, applicable from 28 May 2022.
🔓 Exceptions
- Displaying genuine reviews, positive and negative alike, without misleading filtering, remains perfectly lawful.
- Moderating manifestly unlawful reviews (insults, defamation, spam) is not prohibited manipulation.
- A trader that makes no claim about the origin of reviews need not run a verification system, but must not imply a control that does not exist.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A fake review is not a mere "marketing boost": it is a misleading commercial practice, with real consequences. The trader faces an injunction (action en cessation) ordering the immediate stop of the practice, under a penalty payment if it persists, and the sanctions set by the Consumer Code. The Directorate for Consumer Protection may investigate and, through the European CPC network, coordinate cross-border checks. A contract concluded by a consumer misled by fake reviews can be challenged, and the company faces claims for damages. Then comes the costliest risk: reputation. A platform that detects the fraud can delist the seller, and the public exposure of fake reviews destroys trust far more durably than a fine. Directors who commission such reviews also engage their own liability.
📎 Official sources
- Legilux · Consumer Code (misleading commercial practices) →
- Directorate for Consumer Protection (gouvernement.lu) →
- European Commission · Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161 →
❓ Frequently asked
Can a trader delete the negative reviews from its page?
No, filtering reviews to keep only the positive ones is a prohibited misleading manipulation. It may, however, remove a manifestly unlawful review, such as an insult or defamation, without that being fraud.
Is it allowed to pay people to write glowing reviews?
No, commissioning or buying fake consumer reviews has been expressly prohibited since May 2022. Such a review reflects no real experience and misleads buyers about the true quality of the product or service.
How do I know whether a site's reviews are verified?
A trader displaying reviews must state whether it checks their authenticity and by what means. Without that clear information, nothing guarantees the reviews come from customers who actually bought the product.
I run a shop — must I verify every review?
You are only required to verify if you claim the reviews come from real buyers. If you do claim it, you must take reasonable and proportionate steps to make sure, failing which the claim becomes misleading.
Where do I report obvious fake reviews?
You can alert the Directorate for Consumer Protection, which may investigate and bring an injunction to stop the practice. The European Consumer Centre and the ULC can also guide you, especially for cross-border disputes.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “fake online reviews luxembourg”
- “fake customer reviews ban luxembourg”
- “delete negative reviews trader luxembourg”
- “buy fake reviews penalty luxembourg”
- “misleading practice reviews luxembourg”
- “omnibus directive consumer reviews”