The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a consumer law investigation into reviews on Auto Trader.
The investigation one of five being carried out by the CMA to determine whether they have infringed consumer law.
While the CMA is investigating these five businesses, it has not reached any conclusions about whether consumer law has been broken.
With Autotrader and Feefo, it is looking at the treatment of negative reviews and whether a number of 1‑star reviews – which were moderated by Feefo – were not published on Autotrader’s platform.
The CMA is looking at whether they were not counted towards star ratings, therefore “denying consumers” a fully rounded picture of other customers’ experiences.
In a holding statement Auto Trader said: “We note that the CMA, exercising its new direct consumer enforcement powers, has today announced an investigation into a number of companies, including Autotrader and our third-party moderator, in relation to online consumer reviews. We endeavour always to operate as a responsible and compliant business and will co‑operate fully with the CMA’s investigation.”
The CMA is also looking at Dignity, Just Eat, Pasta Evangelists for potentially misleading reviews.
The CMA is looking at the key stages in the online reviews’ ecosystem – from how reviews are obtained, to the way they are moderated and displayed, to the star ratings people so often rely on.
By taking cases across each of these stages, the CMA is investigating multiple practices that can shape what people see when they search, shop or book online.
In April 2025, several practices relating to online reviews became ‘banned practices’ under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act), meaning they are automatically deemed unfair and illegal.
This includes obtaining and posting fake reviews and paid-for reviews that are not clearly marked as incentivised.
It also covers how reviews are handled – for example, if negative reviews are hidden, or if star ratings present an inaccurate picture.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: “Fake reviews strike at the heart of consumer trust – with many of us worrying about misleading content when looking at reviews online.
“With household budgets under pressure, people need to know they’re getting genuine information – not reviews or star-ratings that have been manipulated to push them towards the wrong choice.
“We’ve given businesses the time to get things right. Now we’re deploying our new powers to tackle some of the most harmful practices head on.”
