The new review says your team damaged a customer’s floor and refused to pay. You don’t recognise the name. When you tap the reviewer’s profile, you find a glowing five-star review for the business two suburbs over, posted the same day.

It’s a hard thing to read after the work you’ve done to get 5 Star Google Reviews. Don’t name the rival and don’t hit back. Google’s policy treats reviews from industry competitors as a conflict of interest, so this one can be removed. What you need is a calm week of the right steps.

At BuyReviews we help Australian businesses through this. Here’s the seven-day plan we use.

Can a competitor’s fake review be removed?

Yes. Google’s content policy says fake engagement isn’t allowed and will be removed. It lists industry competitors by name as an example of a conflict of interest.

There’s a catch. You rarely get proof that a competitor wrote it. So build your case on what you can show: this person was never your customer.

What does a competitor attack usually look like?

Sometimes it’s one review. Sometimes it’s several in a few days.

The ACCC lists signs that match what we see: a spike of very negative reviews in a short time, reviewers with similar names, generic wording, and language that echoes other reviews. A reviewer whose only other activity is praise for a rival is another hint. Treat these as clues for your report, not as something to announce.

What should you do in the first 7 days?

Work through this in order.

1. Day 1, morning: save the evidence. Screenshot the review with its date, and the reviewer’s profile with their other reviews.
2. Day 1, morning: check your records. Search bookings, invoices and messages for the name. Note anything that can’t be true, such as a service you don’t offer.
3. Day 1, afternoon: report it. Search your business name on Google, select Read reviews, select the three dots next to the review, then Report review. Choose conflict of interest or spam.
4. Day 1, afternoon: reply in public. Use the wording in the next section.
5. Day 2: brief your team. Tell staff what’s happened and what not to do.
6. Day 4: check the status in Google’s Reviews Management Tool.
7. Day 5: appeal if Google declined. In the same tool, select Appeal eligible reviews, choose the review, and give your facts in two or three sentences.
8. Day 7: escalate if it’s a pattern. Report the issue to the ACCC, and report the user profile to Google if the same account keeps posting.

Start asking real customers for reviews on day 1 as well. More on that below.

What should your public reply say?

Keep it short and factual. Something like this works.

Thank you for your review. We’ve searched our records and have no job or booking under this name, and the work described isn’t something we carried out. We take complaints seriously, so please contact us on [phone number] with the details.

Read it as a stranger would. It tells them the review doesn’t match your business, and it shows you take complaints seriously. It doesn’t accuse anyone, which matters, because a public accusation you can’t prove can backfire legally.

This is the same calm tone we’d use any time you respond to negative Google reviews.

Should you report the competitor’s own fake reviews?

You can. Google says any Maps user can report a review they believe breaks its policies, and the ACCC accepts reports about fake reviews and review manipulation.

Keep it in proportion. Report what you can reasonably support, once, and move on. We’ve seen owners lose weeks watching a rival’s profile when that time would have been better spent with their own customers.

What should you tell your team?

Three things. Don’t reply to the review from personal accounts. Don’t post reviews on your own profile to bury it. And don’t post anything on the competitor’s profile.

All three break Google’s rules. The ACCC also says a review written by an employee can mislead consumers when that connection isn’t stated. A well-meaning staff member can turn you from the victim into the offender.

What if the reviews keep coming?

Keep reporting each one, and keep your evidence folder up to date. A dated record of repeated fake reviews is useful for Google appeals and for the ACCC.

If the reviews are false, ongoing, and costing you real work, talk to a lawyer about your options. We’d treat that as a last resort. And if anyone ever asks for payment to make reviews stop, don’t pay. Google has a separate process for reporting extortion.

How do you protect your rating while this plays out?

By adding honest reviews. Three fake one-star reviews hurt badly when you have ten reviews. They hurt far less when you have a hundred.

1. On a computer, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, then Copy. Google provides the link, so you don’t need a Google review link generator.
2. Ask every customer in person on the day you finish their job.
3. Text the link within the hour, or send a short review request email template.
4. Send one reminder a week later.

Don’t buy reviews to speed this up. Google can remove them and restrict your profile, which would do more damage than the attack.

BuyReviews can run the asking for you. You share your customer list, we send the requests and reminders, and your customers write their own words. We can also help you report and appeal, which is the proper way to remove fake Google reviews. It’s how we help clients get Google reviews quickly after an attack and improve Google reviews for good. Handling both sides at once is what online reputation management in Australia looks like when someone plays dirty.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal for a competitor to leave a fake review in Australia?

Yes, it can be. The ACCC says fake online reviews breach the Australian Consumer Law, and it has warned businesses not to write or commission misleading reviews about a competitor. It also breaks Google’s policy, which treats reviews from industry competitors as a conflict of interest. You can report it to both.

Can I find out who left a fake review?

Usually not for certain. A Google review shows only the name on the reviewer’s account, and Google doesn’t hand over account details because a business asks. You don’t need the identity to get it removed. Show that the reviewer was never a customer, because that’s what a report or an appeal rests on.

How long does it take to remove a competitor’s fake review?

Google doesn’t give a fixed time. In our experience, a first decision takes several days, and an appeal adds more. That’s why the public reply matters: it protects you while you wait. Check the status in the Reviews Management Tool, and keep asking real customers for reviews in the meantime.

Should I respond to a fake review or ignore it?

Respond. Silence can look like agreement to someone reading the review. Post a short, calm reply saying you can’t find a record of the customer and inviting them to contact you. Don’t mention a competitor. Then report the review to Google, because a reply alone won’t get it removed.

Can I report a competitor’s fake positive reviews?

Yes. Google says any Maps user can report a review they believe breaks its policies, and the ACCC accepts reports about fake reviews and review manipulation. Report only what you can reasonably support, and do it once. Don’t post anything on their profile yourself, because that would break the same rules.

What should you do next?

Take your screenshots now, then report the review and post your reply before the end of the day.

After that, put your energy into your own customers. Send BuyReviews your customer list and we’ll help you get Google reviews that make a rival’s fakes hard to notice.