The Review Paradox: Why Big Platforms Are Losing Trust—and What Happens Next

There’s a strange kind of irony playing out in today’s biggest marketplaces. The same platforms that built their reputation on reviews and trust are now the ones with the lowest ratings—and they don’t seem to care.

Let’s talk about something a little uncomfortable—but really important.

Some of the biggest names in tech—like eBay, Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, and many others—are quietly racking up terrible public reviews, often scoring between 1.3 and 1.6. I’m using Trustpilot as an example here, but this trend is hard to ignore—and yet, no one seems to be holding these platforms accountable.

If you’re a seller or service provider on one of these platforms, you already know how this works: just a couple of bad reviews can tank your visibility, delay your payments, cost you sales—or even get you kicked off entirely.

But the platforms themselves?
They keep running, business as usual—like a one-star average is just background noise.

And yet, they remain market leaders.
This isn’t just corporate irony. It’s a signal.
And it’s one we’ve seen before.

The Double Standard Everyone Feels

If you’ve ever tried to get started on eBay, Amazon, Upwork, or Fiverr, you know how brutally hard it is to land that first customer. No matter how skilled you are, nobody wants to take a chance on someone with zero stars. It's a classic catch-22: no sales without reviews, no reviews without sales.

Meanwhile, the companies running these platforms are sitting on thousands of one-star reviews—and nothing changes.

That’s the paradox: the same marketplaces that demand trust and proof from every seller or freelancer don’t seem to hold themselves to the same standard.

History Repeats: From Dot-Com to Uber to AI

Let’s take a quick look back.

When the internet was new, it felt magical. Then came the dot-com crash, and people questioned the hype. But the internet wasn’t the problem—the wrong assumptions were. Over time, the real businesses emerged.

Same story with taxis. Everyone knew taxi services were broken—unreliable, overpriced, no accountability. But we put up with it, because there was no alternative. Then Uber came along, and everything changed.

Now we’re in the middle of a new wave: AI.

It’s powerful, yes. Game-changing in many ways. But let’s be clear: AI is still far from real-world reasoning. It’s a tool—not a truth engine. Don’t just take its answers at face value, especially when it comes to understanding the nuances.

If you're curious how wrong AI can get it, I’ve written a few articles on this in my personal blog—worth a read.

Will AI Really Take Over? Are Worms Beating Our Billion-Dollar AI?

How Truth Gets Bent: From People to AI

What This Means for Builders and Thinkers

This looks like the beginning of another shift.

When users lose trust in the giants, it creates space for the next generation. For people who care. For companies that listen. For tools that actually serve. Whether you're building a business or investing in one, this is your signal.

A Small Note About This Article

This piece might feel a little different from what we usually share. It’s not directly about Hexact’s products or services—and that’s intentional.

We’ve decided to broaden the scope of our newsletter to offer more valuable, thought-provoking content for our readers. We want to be more helpful, and insightful rather than just pushing features. I hope to keep evolving in this direction—offering stories, trends, and reflections that inspire, inform, and maybe even help spark your next big idea.

So What’s the Takeaway?

1. Read the data. Don’t ignore it just because the brand is big.

2. Take action. The market shifts when people build better alternatives.

3. Use AI wisely. It helps—tremendously—but it’s not a substitute for real-world thinking.

And for the big players? If you demand high standards from your users, live up to them yourself. Otherwise, the same story will repeat: someone new will come along, do it better, and take your place.

That’s how progress works.

Thanks for reading, and as always—keep building.