When you’re looking for a tradie, who do you trust? The bloke with the best-looking website, the business sitting at the top of Google, or the one with a solid track record and happy customers who are prepared to put their name to a review? For most Kiwi homeowners, trust matters. You’re letting someone into your home, often spending thousands of dollars, and hoping the job gets done properly.

That’s why recent action by New Zealand’s Commerce Commission should get the attention of every tradie and small business owner.

The Commission has taken court action over allegedly misleading online business rankings involving Top Reviews and Auckland Magazine. The case centres on claims that rankings were presented as independent while businesses could pay for favourable positions. The allegations are being tested through the courts, but the issue raises an important question: can customers really trust what they’re seeing online?

For good tradies, that’s a question worth paying attention to.

You shouldn’t have to pay to look good

The Commission alleges the websites approached businesses with offers of favourable rankings while giving readers the impression that their reviews were independent and impartial.

It also says some businesses were unaware they had been featured, some information was inaccurate, and some supposed writers had not actually used the services they were reviewing. The Commission has asked the High Court to stop the allegedly misleading conduct.

Think about what that means for a hard-working tradie. You’ve spent years building your business. You turn up when you say you will, do the job properly, treat customers fairly and build a reputation one job at a time. Then along comes a website suggesting that a competitor is one of the best in town — not necessarily because they’ve done better work, but potentially because they’ve paid for a better position.

That’s not a level playing field. And it’s certainly not what customers think they’re getting when they read an independent review.

What makes a review worth trusting?

A genuine review tells a story. Did the tradie turn up on time? Was the quote clear? Did they communicate when things changed? Was the workmanship up to scratch? And, just as importantly, did they leave the customer feeling they’d made the right choice?  These are the things homeowners want to know before handing over their hard-earned money.

A list declaring a business to be one of the best might look impressive. But a collection of genuine customer experiences can give people something far more useful: an insight into what it’s actually like to work with that business.

No review platform is perfect, and customers should never rely on a single rating alone. But transparency matters. People deserve to know whether a recommendation reflects real customer experience or a commercial arrangement.

Tradies, don’t take shortcuts

The temptation to look for a quick fix is understandable. Every tradie wants more enquiries, more work and a full calendar. But paying for a flattering ranking without proper disclosure, posting fake reviews or asking people to write about work they’ve never experienced can put that reputation at risk.

The better approach is straightforward.

• Do good work. It’s still the foundation of a strong reputation
• Ask for honest feedback. Make it easy for genuine customers to share their experience
• Respond professionally. If something goes wrong, deal with it. A fair response to a complaint can say a lot about your business
• Be consistent. Customers notice the small things: returning calls, keeping appointments and communicating clearly
• Choose transparency. Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed rankings or offering to manufacture a reputation for you.

You don’t need every customer to give you five stars. You need customers to feel they’ve been treated fairly and that their feedback is being represented honestly.

The Commerce Commission’s case is a timely reminder that online reputation matters — and that how a reputation is built matters just as much. For homeowners, the lesson is to look beyond a shiny ranking. Read reviews, compare sources and look for genuine experiences that help you make an informed decision.

For tradies, it’s simpler still: build a business people are happy to recommend.

At NoCowboys, we believe good businesses should earn their reputations through good service, honest dealings and satisfied customers.

You can buy advertising. You can pay to get noticed. But lasting trust has to be earned.

And in the trades, that’s still the best way to build a business that lasts.

Source: New Zealand Commerce Commission, Commission takes court action to stop misleading paid online rankings, 5 October 2026. The proceedings are ongoing; the allegations have not been presented here as proven findings.