Avoid scams, don’t believe fake reviews

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - You can’t trust everything you read online, and experts say that includes reviews for things as important as the roof on your house.

“There’s a lot of fake companies or bad companies who can maintain business because they’re buying fake reviews. There’s even people from other countries who are offering to sell you fake reviews, whether it be on Yelp or Google or Facebook, it doesn’t matter. They’re literally selling the ability to provide fake reviews and we need to make people aware of that,” Schulte Roofing owner Josh Schulte said.

Kandis Martinez says there are red flags she always watches out for when looking at online reviews.

“The main thing I notice right off the bat is any incorrect grammar, punctuation, or things that just don’t make sense. Look for reviews that are overexaggerated and ask yourself if that sounds like something that could actually be true,” she advised.

The two agree that it’s important for consumers to do their research before trusting a company with an investment as big as a roof.

“You’re spending your hard-earned money on a roof that’s covering your whole house. Talk to people who have used them before. Talk to people who you trust and make sure these people are legitimate before you trust them with your money,” Martinez said.

Schulte says it’s more likely than not that an account is fake if they are consistently writing positive or negative reviews with no balance.

“If you do your due diligence up front and you find out who’s good, who’s bad, who’s been around a long time, you’re more likely to have good results from that company,” he said.