The best way to determine business credibility prior to purchase is through actual word-of-mouth customer referrals. But the proliferation of social media paired with the anonymity of the Internet has made it extremely easy for individuals and competitors to spread damaging accusations virally in mere seconds.
Over the years, Internet-based transactions have earned a solid reputation for safety and assurance primarily due to online rating and review systems like those offered on Amazon.com and eBay.com. With tightened pocketbooks, consumers are now demanding the same assurance and accountability from local businesses as they have grown to expect from web-based ecommerce shops. But unlike ecommerce transactions where a credit card authenticates individual customer reviews, local reviews are open to anyone with an email address and are, thus, prone to abuse. Businesses need to manage the authenticity and content of their online reputations, with reviews provided only by actual customers. Using Trust FX's patent-pending process, businesses pass a unique key to each customer at the time of sale or service delivery. The key is required to give feedback on Trust FX.