For most local businesses, Google reviews are the first impression, before the website and before the phone call. Since 2 August 2026 they are no longer only a matter of Google’s rules: Serbia’s new Consumer Protection Act classifies fake reviews as a misleading commercial practice, with fines of up to RSD 2,000,000. Buying reviews, reviews by employees and “verified buyers” that nobody verified are now a risk in front of the inspectorate, not only in front of Google.
Below you will find what is allowed and what is not, how to ask for reviews without putting your profile at risk, reply templates, how to report a fake or abusive review and why your business may be missing from the map.
In short: Ask every customer for a review, in the same words and without a reward. Do not buy reviews and do not write them yourself. Reply to every review without revealing anything about the customer. You cannot delete a review, but you can report one that breaks the rules, and if the report is rejected you have one appeal. If you show reviews on your own website, you must say whether and how you check that real customers wrote them.
Why reviews matter
Google says local results depend on relevance, distance and prominence, and that “more reviews and positive ratings can improve your business’s local ranking”. The same Google also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Reviews are therefore one of the few factors a business owner influences directly, without an agency and without a budget.
Reviews are read by customers and by AI search. When someone asks an assistant for a good mechanic, hairdresser or restaurant in town, the answer is built from what is publicly available about the business. We wrote about this in our guide on how to get found in AI search.
What is allowed and what is not
Google’s rules apply to every profile. The Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026) applies to every trader, including service providers, because under the Act a “product” means both goods and services.
| Practice | Google’s rules | Serbian law | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asking every customer for an honest review, via a link or QR code | Allowed | Allowed | None |
| A discount, gift or prize draw in exchange for a review | Prohibited: incentives | Not explicit, but the review is no longer impartial | Reviews removed, profile may be restricted |
| Buying reviews, or an agency that writes them | Prohibited: fake engagement | Prohibited: Article 20, point 27 | Highest: Google penalties and up to RSD 2,000,000 |
| Reviews by employees, former employees or relatives | Prohibited: conflict of interest | A fake review if presented as a customer review | High |
| Asking only satisfied customers for reviews | Prohibited: selective solicitation | Not explicit | Reviews removed |
| Pressuring customers to review on the premises, or review quotas for staff | Prohibited | Not explicit | Medium |
| Fake negative reviews of competitors | Prohibited | Unfair competition, Trade Act Article 41 | Damages owed to the competitor |
| A “verified buyer” label on your site without real verification | Not applicable | Prohibited: Article 20, point 26 | Fine as for misleading practice |
| Hiding negative reviews on your own site | Not applicable | May be misrepresenting reviews, Article 20, point 27 | Medium |
Article 20, point 27 of the Act lists as misleading “in all circumstances” (in our unofficial translation) “submitting fake consumer reviews or endorsements, or commissioning another legal or natural person to submit them, or misrepresenting consumer reviews or endorsements in order to promote products”. This means the inspectorate does not have to prove that anyone was actually misled. It is enough that the practice existed.
How to get more reviews without risk
- Get the review link from your profile. Google Business Profile lets you share a link or QR code that takes the customer straight to writing a review. Google explicitly allows you to direct customers to reviews this way.
- Ask every customer, in the same words. Do not pick only those who seemed happy. The rule is simple: the same message to everyone, after every purchase or service.
- Ask at the right moment. Ideally the same day, while the experience is fresh: after the appointment, after the parcel is collected, after the job is done.
- No reward and no “please leave 5 stars”. Ask for an honest rating. Google prohibits incentives and influencing the rating or content of a review.
- A QR code on the receipt, the counter or a business card is fine, as long as you offer it to everyone and staff do not stand over the customer while they write.
- Automate it. A booking system or web shop can send a message with the link after the appointment or delivery, to everyone equally. We describe how this works for appointments in our article on an online booking system for your website.
Template for SMS or Viber:
Thank you for visiting [business name]. If you have a minute, tell us how it went; the good and the bad both help us improve: [review link]
Template for email:
Dear [name],
thank you for your trust. We would like to know how happy you are with [the product / the service]. If you would like to share your experience, you can leave a review here: [review link]
If something was not right, just reply to this email and we will sort it out.
[Name], [business]
The last sentence is not there to “divert” unhappy customers from reviewing. It goes to everyone, so it is also in line with Google’s rules.
How to reply to reviews: six templates
Reply to every review, positive and negative. In a reply never include details about the customer: what they bought, when they came, an order number, health or personal details. A review is public, and such a reply is processing of personal data without a legal basis.
1. Praise with text:
Thank you, [name], we are glad you were happy with [what was praised]. See you again.
2. Five stars without text:
Thank you for the rating! We are glad you were happy.
3. Justified criticism:
Thank you for writing this. You are right that [the specific failure] was not OK, and we apologise. We have already [what you changed]. If you like, contact us at [phone or email] so we can also sort this out with you personally.
4. Criticism you consider unfounded:
Thank you for the feedback. We are sorry the experience was like that. Our practice is [a short, factual rule or procedure, without blaming the customer]. We are happy to talk about it: [phone or email].
5. A review by someone who is not your customer:
We checked our records and cannot find that we worked together. If this is a mistake, please contact us at [contact] so we can check. We have reported the review to Google for review.
6. A suspected competitor or former employee:
This review does not describe a real purchase or service with us, and we have reported it to Google. Customers with questions are welcome to contact us directly at [contact].
Do not reply with insults or threats of legal action. Your reply is read by future customers, not only by the reviewer.
How to remove a fake or abusive review
You cannot delete a review yourself. You can report it, and Google removes only reviews that break its policies:
- Report it from your profile. In the reviews section, choose the report option next to the review and select a reason.
- Use the Reviews Management Tool. In Google’s review management tool you can see the status of your report. Evaluation typically takes several days.
- One appeal. If Google decides the review does not break its policies, you can submit a one-time appeal.
What Google removes: fake engagement (reviews by people who were not customers, bought reviews), conflicts of interest (employees, competitors), offensive and illegal content, content not about your business. What it does not remove: a negative review describing a real experience, even a harsh one. Google explicitly says not to report a review just because you disagree with it.
When a competitor is behind the reviews, it is not only a breach of Google’s rules. The Trade Act (Article 41) classifies false and offensive claims about another trader, and information aimed at damaging its reputation, as unfair competition, with a right to damages. For an abusive review a criminal route is also possible, because insult is still a criminal offence (Article 170 of the Criminal Code), while defamation was decriminalised in 2012. These are proceedings for serious cases, and you need a lawyer for them.
What you risk
With Google. For fake engagement, the profile cannot receive new reviews for a period, existing reviews are removed, and customers see a warning on the profile that fake reviews were removed. That warning is the most expensive consequence, because every potential customer sees it.
Under the law. For misleading consumers under Articles 18 to 20, including fake reviews, the fine is (Article 209):
- legal entity: RSD 300,000 to 2,000,000;
- sole trader: RSD 50,000 to 500,000;
- responsible person in a legal entity: RSD 50,000 to 150,000.
The inspector bans the unfair commercial practice by decision (Article 206), and a consumer who suffered damage because of it is entitled to compensation (Article 23). The burden of proving the accuracy of claims about its commercial practice lies with the trader (Article 16).
Reviews on your website or web shop
If you show reviews on your site, from WooCommerce, from your Google profile or as selected client testimonials, the law requires two more things:
- You must state whether and how you check that the reviews were written by customers who bought or used the product (Article 19(3), point 2). This is material information, so leaving it out can be misleading by omission.
- You may not claim reviews come from real customers unless you have reasonably checked (Article 20, point 26). A “verified buyer” label must mean something real, for example that only someone with a completed order can leave a review.
Review notice template (under the reviews or in your terms of use):
How we check reviews. Reviews on this site can only be left by customers with a completed order and are labelled “verified purchase”. [or: We do not check reviews, so we cannot guarantee they were written by a buyer of the product.] We do not delete negative reviews unless they contain insults, personal data or content unrelated to the product. We do not offer discounts or other benefits for reviews.
Choose the version that is true for your site. An inaccurate statement is worse than none.
Why your business is not on Google Maps
| Cause | What to do |
|---|---|
| The profile is not verified | Complete verification: Google chooses the method itself (phone, SMS, email, video or post) |
| The name contains keywords or a location (“Best Hairdresser Belgrade”) | The name must be the business’s real name, without slogans or keywords |
| There is a duplicate profile | One business, one profile per location. Report the duplicate to Google |
| The address is a PO box or a virtual office | Such addresses are not accepted |
| You work at the customer’s location (tradespeople, transport, cleaning) | Hide the address and set a service area |
| You operate online only | Businesses without in-person contact with customers are not eligible for a profile |
| The wrong primary category | Choose the category that most accurately describes your core business |
How to add your business: at business.google.com/add choose the option to add a business, enter the name, category, address or service area and contact details, then complete verification. Verification methods are phone or SMS, email, live video call, recorded video or post, and Google chooses them itself. Review can take up to 5 business days, and a code sent by post usually arrives within 14 days and is valid for 30 days. The rules for the name, address and category are in the guidelines for representing your business on Google.
Your website and your profile should say the same thing
The name, address, phone number and opening hours should be the same on your profile, your website and everywhere your business is mentioned. Inconsistent details confuse both customers and search engines. On a website these details also go into structured data (schema), in the same words as on the profile, as we did on our own site, and generative engine optimisation extends this to AI search. Nobody can guarantee first position, as we explain in our article on guaranteed first position on Google, but a consistent profile, website and honest reviews are the foundation a position is built on.
Note: This article is a practical guide, not legal advice. Legal provisions come from the Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026), the Trade Act and the Criminal Code, in our unofficial translation, and Google’s rules from the official Google Business Profile help. Checked on 15 October 2026.
FAQ: Google reviews in Serbia
Is buying Google reviews legal in Serbia?
No. Since 2 August 2026 the Consumer Protection Act classifies fake reviews and commissioning reviews from others as a misleading commercial practice (Article 20, point 27), with fines of up to RSD 2,000,000 for a legal entity. Google removes such reviews and can restrict the profile.
How do I delete a negative review on Google?
An owner cannot delete a review. You can report it from your profile or through the review management tool, but Google removes only reviews that break its policies. If the report is rejected, you have one appeal.
How do I get a Google review link?
Google Business Profile has an option for asking for reviews that gives you a link and a QR code. Send it to all customers in the same words, without a reward.
Can I give a discount or gift for a review?
No. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, such as money, discounts, free goods or services, and removes such reviews. The same applies to rewards for changing or removing a negative review.
How should I reply to a negative review?
Calmly, briefly and factually, without any details about the customer. If the criticism is justified, admit the failure and say what you changed. If it is not, explain your procedure and offer a contact for a conversation.
What can I do if a competitor writes fake reviews about me?
Report them to Google as a conflict of interest or fake engagement. False claims by a competitor are also unfair competition under Article 41 of the Trade Act, with a right to damages.
How do I add my business to Google Maps?
At business.google.com/add, add the business with its real name, category and address or service area, then complete verification. Businesses that operate only online are not eligible for a profile.
Sources: Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026), Trade Act, Google: prohibited and restricted content, Google: removing reviews, Google: get more reviews, Google: fake engagement restrictions, Google: local ranking.
