IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
TechnologyNov 23, 2015
Retailer combats reviewers-for-hire
When Long’s Jewelers racked up 100 fake one-star reviews on Facebook in just a few days, they found some people are willing to post and profit from untrue reviews. Here’s what they did about it.
Boston--When it comes to online reviews, retailers may have more to worry about than customers who actually come into or do business online with their stores.
In a blog post published last week, Lynelle Schmidt, Long’s Jewelers digital marketing coordinator, detailed a recent experience the Boston-based retailer had with a batch of fake Facebook reviews that it believes were purchased online by a competitor.
In the post, she wrote that she came in one Monday to check the store’s social media channels and saw that the store’s rating on its Facebook page had dropped from 4.8 stars to 2.3 stars over the weekend.
The cause: more than 100 one-star reviews that were left on the Long’s Jewelers Facebook page with no comments, and each coming within minutes of each other from seemingly fake, and very similar, Facebook profiles.
After much back-and-forth with Facebook, Schmidt wrote that she finally was able to have the comment-less, one-star reviews moved from the page. The entire debacle, however, brought to light a larger problem: online marketplaces where people offer to post fake reviews of a product or business, good or bad, for a fee.
One place where this has happened is Fiverr.com. It’s an online marketplace where visitors can offer to do small tasks and services for $5 or more. The jobs range from writing and design to animation and advertising, but it also has become a place where users can find people willing to be paid to post false reviews and ratings, be they negative or positive. (There also are other sites that offer similar services, among them the blatantly named BuyAmazonReviews.com.)
Schmidt told National Jeweler that based on how the events unfolded, they believe the false, negative Facebook reviews posted to the Long’s page were purchased on Fiverr. “Fiverr is probably one of the most well-known platforms that allow this to happen,” she said. “It’s popular because it’s cheap and effective.”
When asked about the Long’s incident--and, more specifically, if it was aware that users were posting fake review services on its website and if it was removing them--Fiverr told National Jeweler that “Gigs may be removed by Fiverr for violations of the Terms of Service … Fraudulent reviews are a violation of Fiverr’s Terms of Service, and we promptly remove these services as they are reported.”
However, Fiverr’s simply removing the reviews doesn’t go to the
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
root of the issue--people feeling like they can offer to do fake reviews and get away with it. Amazon has acknowledged that, and is attempting to deter people from selling false reviews not by going after Fiverr itself but by filing a lawsuit naming the individual users engaging in the practice.
In Long’s case, Schmidt said she believes the negative reviews that appeared on the retailer’s Facebook page were paid for by a competitor. “There have been a few recent events that lead us to believe it was a competitor, another local jeweler, that we prefer not to share (the name of) publicly,” she said. “We are really looking to keep things positive with this story and take the high road by not outing or naming them in any way.”
Aside from contacting Facebook administrators to get the review situation sorted out, Schmidt and the Long’s Jewelers team also released a statement on their Facebook page that, despite “terrible organic reach,” garnered a lot of attention.
“Normally, I boost almost all of our posts because organic reach on Facebook is dismal,” she said. “But I felt like the message behind this post would really be compromised by us boosting it. Our hope was that it would go viral on its own without us having to pay.”
And it did. Thanks to Long’s “community of loyal followers and customers sharing the post,” she said it accumulated more than 14,000 views.
When asked what she would advise retailers to do if they find themselves in a similar situation, Schmidt recommended they turn to their own community for support and work with the online platform where the issue is taking place.
She said Yelp recently has dealt with legal action from businesses suing over defamation, “so they are much stricter about blocking negative or false reviews.” Facebook, however, is newer to the review game, and is beginning to garner negative attention around blatant acts of spam that are not subject to any kind of filtering system.
“The best course of action would really be to drum up as much attention as possible, take the high road, and focus on strategies to rebuild despite the damage done,” Schmidt said. “In the future, we predict that sites like Facebook will be much more regulated after stories like ours continue to surface, but in the meantime, there’s not much a business can do.”
More on Technology
The Latest
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
TrendsApr 17, 2026
New (Groundbreaking) Floral Jewelry for Spring 2026Flower motifs are the jewelry trend blooming amongst the new collections that debuted this spring.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
IndependentsApr 16, 2026
Edge Retail Academy Updates Leadership TeamAs demand for jewelry retail coaching grows, the company has established a dedicated business coaching leadership team.
MajorsApr 16, 2026
Stuller’s Latest Mountings Catalog Is Out NowThe “Mountings 2026-2027” catalog showcases Stuller’s largest and most diverse assortment to date with more than 400 new mounting styles.
PodcastsApr 15, 2026
Episode 4: The Natural Diamond DilemmaSally Morrison and Mark Klein discuss De Beers’ first beacon in 16 years and the mistake the industry made with lab-grown diamonds.
