LöscheuleThe report form takes two minutes to fill in, and that is exactly the problem: if you report without a fitting reason, you get a rejection, and a rejected review is harder to get rid of than one that has never been reported.
Google reads rules, not outrage
A review is not removed because it is unfair. It is removed if it violates one of the contribution policies that Google itself has published. They range from Fake Engagement and Rating Manipulation to Personal information, and Google reorganises them from time to time.
The difference sounds formal, but it decides everything. “We were never that bad” is not a category. “The author was never a customer” is.
The categories that work in practice
Six lead to success most often, given here with Google’s own names: Fake Engagement, if the person was never a customer. Rating Manipulation, if the contribution is based on a conflict of interest, meaning it comes from a competitor, a former employee or family. Misrepresentation, if events are made up. Harassment, if it gets personal. Personal information, if names, addresses or phone numbers of third parties appear. And Off-topic, for example criticism of the healthcare system instead of the practice.
The other categories exist, but they rarely apply. Choosing one anyway because nothing else fits wastes the attempt.
Why a failed attempt is costly
Google reviews a reported review and makes a decision. If the decision goes against the report, the review stays, and the next report with the same reason achieves nothing. A second report needs a different category and a new explanation, otherwise it is pointless.
That is why it pays to check first instead of reporting on the off chance.
What stays, and rightly so
Legitimate criticism stays. A guest who was served badly and writes about it does not violate any policy, even with only one star. A profile without a single critical voice looks implausible to customers anyway.
Trying to get something like that removed costs time and risks the reviews that actually violate the policies getting lost in the crowd.
Key points
Every report starts with the same question: which of Google’s policies does this review violate? If you cannot answer it, you should not report.
Does this apply to one of your reviews?
We look at your profile free of charge and tell you which reviews Google is likely to remove under its policies.
These texts explain Google’s policies, not the legal situation. Löscheule is not a legal services provider within the meaning of § 2 RDG (German Legal Services Act). If your case is a legal dispute, you need a lawyer.