How to report a fake Google review, and what Google will actually remove

Every contractor gets one eventually. A one-star review from a name you don't recognize, describing a job you never did. Maybe it's a competitor. Maybe it's a former employee. Maybe it's someone who meant to review a different company.

Google does remove reviews like that, but only the ones that break its rules. Its policy says contributions to Google Maps should reflect a genuine experience, and it prohibits content that is not based on a real experience. It also bans reviews based on a conflict of interest, which includes current or former employment and relationships like industry competitors.

Here is the part that frustrates people: an honest bad review from a real customer stays up. Google's own help page tells business owners not to report a review just because they disagree with it or dislike it. Reporting only works on reviews that actually violate the policy.

To report one, open your Business Profile, find the review, and select Report next to it. Choose the reason that fits best and send it. Google says evaluation typically takes several days. You can track every report in Google's Reviews Management Tool, which shows whether a decision is still pending or the review was found not to violate policy.

If Google decides the review doesn't break the rules and you disagree, you get one appeal through the same tool. A review that violates policy is removed, and one that complies stays live. Make the first report count by picking the most accurate reason.

While you wait, reply to the review publicly. Keep it calm and short: say you have no record of this customer or job, and invite them to contact you directly. Future customers read that reply, and a steady, professional answer tells them more about you than the review does.

Whatever you do, don't fight fake reviews with fake reviews of your own. The FTC's Consumer Review Rule prohibits fake reviews and allows civil penalties for violations. The best defense against one bad review you didn't earn is a steady flow of real ones you did. PorchPrompt sends a review text after every job marked done, so one outlier never gets the last word.