• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, 4 hours ago

Omnisend, an email-SMS platform, has released a new batch of data from its recent online shopping survey. The study sheds new light on consumer faith in product reviews.  

Of those surveyed, 84% say they trust online reviews, 33% more than they did two years ago. This is despite a report by Capital One that 30% of online reviews are fake or misleading, and that 82% encounter fake reviews at least once a year, Omnisend notes.  

Product reviews don’t always play well in promotional emails by brands—they tend to look sponsored. It's different if a respected media organization writes a review that can be quoted. 

Meanwhile, 86% of consumers have lingering concerns over artificial intelligence, although 63% use it for shopping and 47% for product research. They fear that AI-generated recommendations are biased (28%) or paid for (21%). 

And 93% double-check AI-generated recommendations before making a purchase, while 27% say they always do so.

They are right to be careful. 

“When everything from product descriptions to images can be generated instantly, reviews can feel more genuine than anything a brand says,” says Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend. “But just because it feels genuine doesn’t mean it’s real.  

“In the age of AI, people are naturally turning to other people for reassurance.  It’s important to be extra cautious and use common sense – even when the content looks human.”

Bauer adds, “Consumers are trying to navigate a digital world they don’t fully trust, where the tool they rely on most -- user reviews --  may be failing them,” says Bauer. “It’s a kind of loop where people are overwhelmingly skeptical of AI, yet still depend on content that AI can easily manipulate.”

On behalf of Omnisend, Cint surveyed 1,072 consumers in late January 2026.