If my previous post about the mishaps and red flags with PLN Smile during my dental tourism experience didn’t underscore it enough – transparency and ethical practices are crucial in picking a provider for any healthcare.
My recent battle to simply have an honest review visible on Trustpilot drives that point home even further.
As I mentioned before, the combination of pricing issues, lack of preparation, miscommunication, and attempts to have me sign non-disclosure agreements ultimately led me to abandon getting the remainder of my dental work done with PLN Smile in Istanbul. It was an extremely frustrating and costly experience overall.
In the interests of warning others and holding the company accountable, I left an entirely factual review of my experience on Trustpilot. I outlined the specific issues I faced, but in a fair and honest way.
Imagine my surprise when, I received news that PLN Smile had submitted a claim to Trustpilot trying to get my review removed for “harmful or illegal content.”
Given the obvious retaliatory nature and how plainly the facts showed no harmful or illegal content whatsoever, I immediately reported the claim to Trustpilot and made my case for reinstatement. I provided the same documentation, messages and pricing evidence to back up every claim in my original review.
To Trustpilot’s credit, after reviewing both sides, they rightfully denied PLN Smile’s claim and kept my first-hand account visible on their platform. I appreciate that they have a robust process to protect freedom of speech and legitimate reviews.
Still, removing honest feedback is extremely concerning, and it raises the question – How many critical reviews are contested and taken down.
Some providers appear to routinely file claims with review platforms like Trustpilot alleging that negative reviews contain harmful, illegal or defamatory content in an effort to have them removed – even when supporting evidence backs up the review’s claims.
By overwhelming moderators with high volumes of disputes, some negative reviews can get taken down simply based on manpower constraints.
For medical tourism companies heavily reliant on maintaining reputations for quality to attract customers, removing critical feedback has become a core strategy for some. Rather than improving service standards, some providers opt to suppress patient voices airing grievances.
A pattern identified across some providers’ Trustpilot feeds shows an abundance of 5-star reviews specifically praising individual employee names or agency representatives, rather than the company itself. For example, certain staff members’ names repeatedly appear dozens of times in new reviews over short timeframes.
While not inherently improper, this could potentially indicate a practice of directly incentivizing or compensating staff based on soliciting positive reviews that reference them by name. This monetizes the review process into a sales pipeline for agencies.
Now how the staff obtain these reviews is unknown to us, but it does prompt the question of their legitimacy.
Another observed tactic is aggressively prompting patients to leave glowingly positive reviews on sites like Trustpilot before they’ve completed all dental procedures and follow-up visits. Often, patients are encouraged to review after positive initial consultations or extractions, but before subsequent implant surgeries, final crown fittings and other outstanding treatment. (You can find evidence of this in the reviews, customers stating they have not finished BUT would like to praise certain aspects)
As a result, review platforms can become inundated with 4-5 star ratings from patients whose experiences are still incomplete and who may later encounter issues once full treatment concludes. Removing or updating those premature endorsements then becomes difficult.
This approach essentially locks in upbeat reviews from patients before they can evaluate whether all services were satisfactorily delivered as paid for, which can misrepresent the end-to-end patient experience.
Here are some tips on how to spot if something seems off with a company’s Trustpilot reviews:
Look for Review Patterns and Anomalies
• An overwhelming cluster of reviews posted around the same time period could indicate solicitation or incentivization practices
• A disproportionately high ratio of 5-star to critical reviews compared to industry averages
• Multiple reviews referencing the same staff member’s name repeatedly raises questions
Analyze Review Content
• Generic, vague, or overly glowing praise that lacks specific details about the experience
• Seemingly scripted or templated language repeated across different reviews
• Reviews focused primarily on an individual employee rather than the company/service itself
• Reviewers stating they haven’t completed full treatment but leaving glowing feedback regardless
Check Reviewer Profiles
• Brand new accounts created solely to leave a review, with no other activity
• Profiles with suspicious usernames, often just initials or strings of numbers/letters
• The same reviewer repeatedly leaving positive reviews for the same company over time
• High volumes of reviews from the same geographic location as the company
Context of Critical Reviews
• Well-substantiated negative reviews backed by evidence like documentation, photos, pricing details
• Reasonable grievances around service lapses, miscommunication, or unethical business practices
• Reviews raising specific red flags that others have also independently reported
While none of these are surefire proof of fake reviews, seeing clusters of these patterns should raise healthy skepticism. Always cross-reference feedback across multiple platforms and patient forums when researching companies. If something seems suspicious or too good to be true, trust your instincts.
When PLN Smile contested my honest Trustpilot review, I took quick action to appeal its removal. First, I reached out directly to Trustpilot through multiple channels – messaging them on Twitter and also using their online reinstatement form.
In my communications, I clearly stated my case for reinstatement. I explained that my review contained a factual account of my experience as a patient, with no defamatory or illegal content. To validate this, I provided evidence like screenshot documentation of pricing and communications, as well as a link to a video thoroughly detailing the issues I encountered.
When contesting a review removal, it’s important to have proof backing up your claims. Reviews need to be honest accounts of your experience, not excessive bashing or unsubstantiated allegations. Check the platform’s guidelines – factual recounts are typically allowed, while fake, inappropriate or defamatory reviews violate policies.
After considering my evidence over a couple of days, Trustpilot reinstated my review. They confirmed it aligned with their policies as a legitimate first-hand experience shared without violating guidelines.
If facing a similar situation, using multiple channels to make your case can be effective. Lay out a clear, factual argument substantiated by documentation. As long as the review is a genuine account of your experience and avoids libelous claims, it likely deserves to be visible based on free speech principles.
Proper evidence, a measured tone focused on facts, and persistence with the platform’s appeals process are key. With PLN Smile’s unfair removal attempt resolved, my voice as a customer was rightfully represented on Trustpilot.
