Online reviews help customers, freelance writers, and potential employees identify trustworthy writing services. Online reviews are especially important for freelance writers looking for their next writing gig. In recent years, most freelancers and customer support specialist seeking to work for a writing service turn to Glassdoor.

Glassdoor is one of the world's largest recruiting websites with a mission to help people find a job and company they love. Glassdoor offers company overviews, jobs, salary information, details about benefits, photos, and reviews. Current and former employees of a company, including online writing services, use Glassdoor to post anonymous reviews to discuss their experience, and pros and cons of working with the company, and give advice to management.

Unfortunately, not all reviews on Glassdoor are true and authentic. However, when you know what to look for, it's easy to identify a fake review. By the end of this post you know how to identify real and fake reviews, and how to avoid online writing scams. In this post, we will:

• Provide an overview of the key aspects of a review
• Define fake reviews
• Describe the different types of reviews
• Identify authentic negative reviews
• Uncover the secret to identifying fake reviews
• Analyze Ultius Glassdoor reviews

How to identify fake vs. real writing service reviews on Glassdoor

Platforms like Ultius rely on Glassdoor reviews for honest feedback. So it’s important to learn how to differentiate between real reviews and fake ones.

What is a real review?

Real reviews include honest feedback from an individual who has actually worked with the company they are reviewing. These reviews come from people who want to get the word out about the company, be it good or bad, and they want to share their point of view with other professionals. For example, Ultius Glassdoor reviews are written by freelance writer about their experiences working our company.

Mostly, real reviews are going to include an overview of the company and then the details of the job itself. See an example of a real review below.

But in the cyber-verse, real reviews for writing services can be tough to identify. The following are key aspects of a review that should be evaluated before taking the review to heart.

Key aspects of a review

• Location. Look at the location of the reviewer: did they mention a place where the writing service actually conducts business? If not, the review may be a fake. If so, keep reading. For example, when looking for a Glassdoor review of Ultius, even though our writers work remotely, all of our writers are American, so a review from outside the United States would not be real.
• Status. What’s the status of the reviewer: current or former? Whether listed as employed or contracted, a reviewer may in fact have zero experience with the writing service. Look closely at what they indicate in terms of time spent with the company. Then consider the implications of the review in the event that the reviewer was let go or fired. They may not have left on the best terms, and this might skew the review in a negative direction.
• Description of the company. Look at the description of the company provided in the review. Whether positive or negative, does the reviewer have a grasp of what the company actually does? Does it describe a writing service as a clothing store? Does it describe a website as a food truck? If details are lacking, or wholly inaccurate, the review may be a fake.
• Details. Does the review include any details? Or is the review a broad overview, lacking substantive facts? What does the reviewer share about the writing service? Does the review read more as a rant than a review, with an upset and supposed former employee spilling all the company secrets? Details and examples are important because they are evidence that support the review itself.
• Why is the reviewer reviewing? Another key point to consider is this: why has the review has been provided at all? Does the reviewer give meaningful feedback on experience of what it’s like to write with the writing service? Does the review serve as a public service announcement to prospective job seekers? Or does the review merely promote a competitor?
• If the review promotes a competitor... If the review emphasizes how much better another writing service is than the one being reviewed, it is likely a competitor who posted the review, and it is not so much a review as an advertisement. For example, Ultius reviews on Glassdoor, Google, Facebook, and Reviews.io should be focused on experiences with our team and not our competitors.

What is a fake review?

Fake reviews are those left by people who have never worked with writing services or by those who have never worked with the writing service being reviewed. These types of reviews are usually posted for the purpose of denigrating the writing service being reviewed.

There are different types of fake reviews, so they will not all look alike.

False reviews are not the honest feedback of a person’s actual time spent with the service--- they are fabricated opinions with an ulterior motive. And they are more than likely being shared only for the purpose of harming the company. Surprisingly, these reviews sometimes take a keen eye to spot.

Who posts fake reviews?

Fake reviews are often posted by competing writing services. A competitor may post a fake positive review on their own company page and then a fake negative review on the pages of their competition.

Although this may seem unfair, it is a common practice for untrustworthy essay writing services who want to improve their online image and do not have other means. But even though it is common, it is not exactly right.

What are the different types of fake reviews?

There are a few different types of fake reviews, ranging from those totally shaming a writing service for a poor employee experience to those massively supporting a writing service for helping the writer earn millions. Let’s look more closely at those different types:

• A review that shames. This is a review with an overall theme of shaming the writing service in question. There is a lack of level-headedness and definitely not much to get from the review, except that the reviewer hates the company, they think it’s the worst, and that’s all you need to know. However, you don’t really learn why because the review is so subjective and generally unhelpful.
• A review that boasts. This type of review comes from the proudest, most puffed up reviewer you’ll see. They are so sure that the writing service they are reviewing is the best, that they will stop at nothing to make sure you know it. The only problem with that is, they are not willing to get real with the reader. Everything is so perfect, they are so proud, the company is so superior, how can the review be real? Reviews that lack fair and reasonable insight when it comes to the merits of the writing service are probably fake.
• A review with a life-altering negative experience. Though less common, you will come across reviews that claim the experience of the former writer was so bad that they can no longer write anywhere at all. They had to go out on their own and fend for themselves! The reason this type of review is likely fake is because if something like this happened, and the reviewer is a genuinely good writer, there are other writing services that the reviewer could try.
• A review that says very little. When it comes to reading reviews, you want as many details as possible. How else can you evaluate whether or not the company is a good fit? If a review says almost nothing about what it was like to write with the writing service, whether positive or negative, it could not only be fake, it is not very useful.
• A review that provides misleading or false information. You will come across some reviews that include a review of the monetary compensation of writers, a list of other benefits, and so on. When this comes up, check other sources or even other reviews, to compare the numbers. Some fake reviewers with say that writers earn next to nothing, even when it is not true. Before you believe them, do your homework to check the facts.

There are probably more types of fake reviews out there. But if you look closely, you will notice that the list above covers the majority of fake reviews for writing services that you will see today.

Why are fake reviews posted?

Competitors will post reviews defaming other writing services in order to both harm their competition and uplift their own image. Reviews that promote a competitor are fake because they do not really share real information about a real person’s experience as a writer using the service. Instead, fake reviews are essentially free advertisements.

How to tell if the review is fake

Aside from the Key Aspects list included above, there are other tells that will help you spot a fake review. For example, reviews that are fake might be written in a dramatic tone in order to excite the reader and get their attention. The reviewer may use exclamations or ALL CAPS TO REALLY GET THEIR POINT ACROSS! But the actual review lacks substance and honesty. Perfect reviews are one of the red flags to look for in writing service reviews.

The more emotional the language used in the review, the more likely it is a fake and not to be trusted.

Fake reviews can also include misleading or even totally inaccurate information. If the reviewer includes details about compensation that are nowhere near what the writing service offers, and this is indicated through other reviews, you know it is a fake. Just check the company page to see what they say about compensation.

Writing quality

A good way to identify fake reviews is to carefully scrutinize the grammar, syntax, and tone of the review. If the person really wrote with a company and used the service, there should be an indication that they know how to… write.

Whether the reviewer leaves a 1-star rating or a 5-star rating doesn’t matter. If they appear to be a non-native English speaker, misspelling words or using them in super uncommon ways, it is likely a fake review.

Does star rating matter?

Star rating only matters if the review backs it up. Someone could leave a five star rating for their own company and totally forget to include examples to indicate what it was like to write with them. A one star rating can also be a fake review, lacking truth and substance. It comes down to the details.

An example of a fake review with a low star rating is below. Can you tell why this review is fake?

How to tell if a review is authentic

Writing quality

Writing quality is a big tell when it comes to reviews on writing services. If the quality of the writing in the review itself is poor, it’s not very likely the person worked with an online writing platform or any writing service at all.

If there are typos or uncommon word uses, these are also signs of a fake review. Conversely, if the writing is solid and to-the-point, the review is more likely to be authentic.

Check for details

Most review platforms ensure the reviewers remain anonymous, so you cannot always confirm the source. But if the review indicates details that support what they say, this points to the review being real.

For example, how long did the writer work there, did they commute or telecommute, who did they say they interacted with the most, etc?

Description of the company

Does the reviewer describe the company accurately? Does it sound like they understand what the company does and who they employ? Do they know what a writing service even is?

Look for specific examples that support the authenticity of the review. If they do not include specifics, they may have never worked with the company.

Purpose of the review

When a real person wants to give their feedback for public use, they will give it.

Can an authentic review be a negative review?

Yes. Just because a review is negative does not mean it is a fake. Obviously, we can all have bad experiences and write reviews about them for the public to view. The key aspect to notice in a negative review, like any other, is to look for examples of the reviewer’s experience.

Examples will support the authenticity of their feedback, whether it’s negative or positive. If you check Ultius Glassdoor reviews, you will find a favorable rating along with both positive and negative feedback.

Can a fake review be a positive review?

Yes. As easy as it is for someone to leave a fake and negative review about a writing service that they dislike, they can also leave a fake positive review about a company that they support. In either case, details will be the best way to decipher which reviews are real and which are not.

Are all positive reviews authentic?

No. Just like we described above, even if the review is super positive, that doesn’t mean it’s from a real person and based upon their actual experiences. Look for key aspects in a review before you decide to believe its contents.

Why does it matter?

Reviews that include honest feedback have real value to everyone. If you are the writing service being reviewed, you can learn from what the reviewer says about you. You’ll see what makes writers happy to use your service. You will see what is working well at your company, or with certain positions, and what needs to improve.

For example, you might learn that the opportunity to write freelance rocks, but the overall culture of your writing service actually sucks. You may learn that remote employees actually need more help than the office staff. Or you may learn that more writers would use your service if you offered a certain benefit, like higher pay. You could also learn that whatever you’re doing, it’s perfect. Getting honest feedback is one of the only ways to learn this stuff!

If you are someone looking for a writing job and reading reviews, honest feedback is going to give you a heads up. You might have a fantasy about writing with one writing service in particular. After reading a handful of reviews, most of which are hopefully honest, you will learn what to expect if you apply.

Through reading online reviews about writing services, you will also learn which companies you want to avoid altogether.

Not only do reviews keep people informed, they keep companies informed, too. Without honest reviews, a company may not know very much about the personal experiences of their writers and employees.

Likewise, for individuals looking to find meaningful employment and reliable income, whether short or long-term, honest reviews will help to pair up those people with their future employers. And when employees are happy where they work, both the company and the individual thrive.

Now that you know what to look out for, use a discerning eye when reading online writing services reviews.

Analyzing Ultius Glassdoor reviews

Ultius, like many other platforms, relies on Glassdoor for fair and honest reviews in the hiring process. We consistently hire new freelance writers, so it’s essential for us to have an accurate depiction of our company, industry, and culture. Similar to customer reviews on Reviews.io or Facebook, Glassdoor reviews provide important feedback on the side of freelance writers.

Current Glassdoor reviews of Ultius

As of September 2019, the Ultius Glassdoor reviews seem to be generally favorable among our freelance writers. Our cumulative Glassdoor rating is 4.0/5.0 stars based on 56 reviews. Not only do the rating trends show above-average results, but 86% of reviewers would recommend Ultius to a friend.

Responding to all Glassdoor reviews about Ultius

Glassdoor wants all visitors to know “your trust” is their top concern, so companies can’t alter or remove reviews. The relationship between Glassdoor reviews and Ultius is simple; Glassdoor provides a third-party platform for writers to voice their experiences about us and we listen and respond accordingly.

We are always thankful to writers for providing their honest reviews. We appreciate the authentic feedback they shared on Glassdoor, both the positive and the negative. We understand feedback is appreciated, so we make it a priority to respond to every piece of feedback.

We love responding to positive feedback because we appreciate writers going out of their way to write a positive review. We know it’s easier to write about a negative experience than it is to write about positive ones. We appreciate every kind word from compliments about our “user-friendly platform” to reports of our “competitive compensation.”

While companies don’t generally want to see negative reviews, we believe negative reviews are powerful learning lessons. Negative reviews are usually honest pieces of constructive criticism and help improve workflow and company. We are sorry to hear any negative impression of the company, but we appreciate the opportunity to clarify important details and refine our service.

We also encourage all of our writers to contact our Writer Success team for help in real time if they need any additional assistance or have any concerns.

Learn more about our essay writing service if you want to work with an authentic service you can trust, whether you're a future customer or writer.