True Local has a rating of 1.3 stars from 90 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about True Local most frequently mention customer service, small business, and star rating problems. True Local ranks 129th among Local Reviews sites.
This on line unethical advertiser have a bunch of arrogant people working for them who are self opinionated and make decisions on their customers behalf rather than communicating with customers first. Be warned.
This on line unethical advertiser have a bunch of arrogant people working for them who are self opinionated and make decisions on their customers behalf rather than communicating with customers first. Be warned.
They allow deformation reviews to stay on someone's profile despite them being over five years old and from un-reputable sources. They update your business details themselves, so no matter what you do you are always marked with their unprofessionalism. They are not about helping businesses. Read the fine print before signing up to them.
Tip for consumers:
Do not be fooled by their presence! They do not and will not help business owners!
Had an extremely unprofessional experience with an electrical contractor. When I wrote a honest review explaining what had happened (without being abusive), they did not publish it. No clear reasons given, just a copy paste of their standard response email.
I think one of the other reviews about True Local was correct.
They seem to take Money from business to take down negative reviews...
Hello Ash,
We can assure you that True Local does not accept payment from business owners to remove negative reviews.
True Local greatly values all genuine experiences, both positive and negative. However, reviews are declined or removed if they don’t meet True Local’s guidelines.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: https://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
However, if you would like to discuss this further, Ash, please don't hesitate to email our support team on support@truelocal.com.au.
True Local will basically let anyone comment about anything even when it has absolutely nothing to do with your business. Their customer service is terrible with absolutely no respect for the businesses that they pretend to represent on their site.
There is no way you can respond to these types of comments even after typing an honest reply. As soon as you click on respond the site says it's invalid. The original comment is apparently valid no matter how malicious it may be.
You can not remove your business listing either unless you somehow prove to True Local that your business is no longer operating unlike other sites like this one.
So beware before you list any business on True Local, my advice is to look elsewhere and check the fine print first.
Hi John,
True Local takes the authenticity of reviews and comments seriously and we have numerous methods to manage the legitimacy of the content on True Local, including automated screening tools.
This will ensure that all reviews that are posted on True Local are genuine with a customer that's had a real experience with the business.
However, if you feel a review does not meet our guidelines and a review is not genuine, you can report it directly via the website by clicking on the ‘Report’ tab under the review. The review in question will then be reassessed by our moderation team.
Additionally, business owners also have the right to reply to all reviews.
To do this, simply log into your True Local business account, click the ‘Comment’ tab under the review you wish to respond to and follow the prompts. Please be guided, that like reviews, comments are also subjected to moderation before it gets posted.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: https://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
However, if you're still receiving the error message when you try to leave a comment, please email our support team directly at support@truelocal.com.au with as much information on the issue that's occurring and they will be able to look into this further for you.
In regards to removing a business listing, True Local endeavours to be a comprehensive source of information for Australian consumers. Unfortunately, if your business has not ceased trading, the listing cannot be removed.
However, business owners can add or edit the business listing via True Local's business centre 24/7 via the website.
Thank you.
I have purchased an ad for my business to them. It was a 6 months contract. After 5 months, I even not received one call form any customer. I called them and they said your page had 2 visitors per day! I refuse to pay the last month fee but they debit my account like pirates.
Don't waste your money/time on similar directories like this.
Have read over the guidelines for writing a review- written multiple reviews on different business where I have had pleasant experiences only to have them approved & then removed within 48 hours with no explanation- I believe this is a scam.
Hello John,
We greatly value all genuine experiences, both positive and negative, However, reviews are declined or removed as they don’t meet True Local’s guidelines.
True Local takes the authenticity of reviews and comments seriously and we have numerous methods to manage the legitimacy of the content on True Local, including automated screening tools. So some reviews can be flagged and removed after they have been published.
For information on our review & comment guidelines, please click here: https://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
However, if you would like to discuss this further, John, please don't hesitate to email support@truelocal.com.au.
Do not ever add your business to this listing! They have the worst customer service ever and refuse to investigate false reviews posted even when sent hard evidence that the review is a defamatory claim.
If you write an honest review about a poor experience with a business they won't print it and will only give you a huge list of reasons and saying you've violated these conditions. I believe True Local publish only phoney reviews and are not genuine - avoid at all costs.
Hi Urszula,
We greatly value all genuine experiences, both positive and negative, However, reviews are declined as they don’t meet True Local’s guidelines.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: http://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines/
True Local are unable to edit and republish reviews. However, you are more than welcome to revise your review and post it again on the business listing.
Even in an era of dishonesty as prevalent as today these folk are a special case. Unless you have a glowing 4-5 star experience to helpfully contribute as free content generation for their site don't expect to see your feedback published. Even Google seems to be heading down this path putting the businesses before consumers - so much for the ideal of free speech.
Hi Max,
True Local accepts both positive & negative reviews on our website.
However, if a review does not meet True Local's guidelines, unfortunately, it can't be published on our website.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: https://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
If you have any further questions, Max, please don't hesitate to contact True Local's support team directly at support@truelocal.com.au.
Thank you.
Dodgy company since bought out do not sign up to true local they are not what they used to be.
I was a customer for 10 years paid true local over $25,000 they didn't Evan ask why I was leaving just wanted to charge me for another month I'm so disappointed and they also don't remove fake reviews anymore so what's the point? I had 35 5 star review and 1 fake negative review, I reported it 4 times they just put it back up without Evan assessing it or discussing with me never again
Hi Dean,
Thank you for letting us know about your experience and we're sorry you have been subjected to such a frustrating series of events.
In regards to the reviews, True Local takes the authenticity of reviews & comments seriously and we have numerous methods to manage the legitimacy of the content on True Local, including automated screening tools etc.
This will ensure that all reviews that are posted on True Local are genuine with a customer that's had a real experience with the business.
If you would like to discuss this further, Dean, please don't hesitate to email support@truelocal.com.au.
True local - Terrible system of moderating reviews, very inconsistent. Not helpful for small businesses, for which this site is geared. Communication very slow if you do need assistance and if they do make contact the support people are lethargic and unhelpful. The paid advertising is useless. My advice - just stick with Google and Facebook.
I have a number of negative reviews from fraudulent customers who have never purchased from our online store (our only trading area). I have requested these be removed to which they will not. Absolutely no way of them knowing who has and hasn't actually interacted with your business or in fact purchased anything!
Lately been working hard to try to encourage customers to leave positive reviews through the site and a number have taken the time to do so. Received all the emails 'there is a review waiting for you'. All really positive but now are unavailable and been removed.
I have learnt that even if businesses have bad reviews, this is not at all a deciding factor on whether I purchase or not because more than likely they are like me, a small family business with extremely jealous competitors. Please give businesses the benefit of the doubt.
Businesses like these can completely destroy a small business :(
Hi Amanda,
At True Local, our greatest desire is to ensure our customers are satisfied at all levels.
If you wish to send us an email with your business name to support@truelocal.com.au, our team will be more than happy to look into this further for you.
Additionally, if you feel a review does not meet our guidelines and the review is not genuine, you can report it directly via the website by clicking on the ‘Report’ tab under the review. The review in question will then be reassessed by our moderation team.
Thank you.
Do not by any means sign up to true local. Just read the reviews for yourself. It's a trap.!
If you wish your listing to be removed you have to submit a form which takes 2 working days to be processed and some have even complained of not being able to remove it at all!
Hello Jo,
We're sorry to hear that your experience with True Local was not what you expected.
True Local endeavours to be a comprehensive source of information for Australian consumers. Consequently, True Local removes listings only if the business has ceased trading.
For more information, please view our help centre: https://support.truelocal.com.au/hc/en-us/sections/115003102148-Removing-Deleting-my-listing
If you have any further questions or concerns, Jo, please contact our support team on support@truelocal.com.au.
I listed my company for advertising at their website and the account manager Duggan, Wesley disappeared after setting the direct debit and WITHOUT making my page on their site. After i send multiple emails and phone calls they set it up but the page was no where to be found on their website in my chosen suburbs and they kept giving me stupid excuses everytime. Than i got a new account manager who made all the promises in the world but yielded no results.
Even after cancellation they keep coming up with charges from the past that were never known to me. They quoted me $165 a month and set up a direct debit for the same amount but after cancellation they said you owe us $77 a month extra for each month!
Useless people! Stay away.
True Local take it upon themselves to edit business information, discredit businesses, display incorrect information and then ignore business owner requests. As business listings are a free aspect, anyone wanting to dispute them has a hard time disputing this under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, as there is no service being purchased. They can do and say what they like. The business owner has no voice.
Tip for consumers:
Good luck with disputing something they changed about your business listing.
Hi Joanna,
We appreciate your feedback.
As mentioned, True Local only removes listings once we can verify the business has ceased trading.
However, you are more than welcome to access True Local's business centre via the website 24/7 to make changes to the listing.
I have been bullied by true local, I had been given a fake review on my business which I had to wear as guilty for years and now the business is changing from manufacturing to baking but we cannot change the details and contact or business name or simply cancel the listing. True local has taken the right to decide what should be on my old listing. I never realized that true local could take such decision for my business and its future. I understand today world is about corporation and big company controlling your daily life with fake news, fake reviews and fake jobs.
In simple terms they have a mechanism where if a owner of a company adds content to your business name in true local, True locals mechanism of revenue generation jumps on this as an active company and adds bogus, bad reviews so you contact them, then they charge you to get them cleaned. They resist organic good reviews of non paying listings. I have had to sort this out many times to help clients that got caught
They have a report option, with no capability to back your reporting and then do nothing. People can create accounts and make false claims and true local do not look at the facts, they just state that False and defamatory claims are within guidelines. Then after placing your business on their without your permission refuse to remove it because there is no law that states they have too.
One of my "reviews" was ultra positive about a business I have never used and the comment made before I even "signed up". My date of joining was changed by five years. One of my reviews was taken down (it was negative) as soon as I reported another review of the same business that was obviously fake. In short, there is nothing you can trust on this website.
I had a very bad experience with a computer company. They were unprofessional and disgraceful so after a long fight we ended up in consumer protection court. I wrote a genuine review without any swear words. True local rejected it without giving me any usable and reasonable information about their decision. True Local is only local not true.
Hello Puncs,
We greatly value all genuine experiences, both positive and negative. However, reviews are declined as they don’t meet True Local’s guidelines.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: https://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
However, if you would like to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to email our support team on support@truelocal.com.au.
Thank you.
My clients informed me of negative comments on True Local, this is how I find out they listing my business. It has been 2 years since I contact True Local and requested to be remove without success. The worst bit is True Local become a trash board where people that do not like my business can come and post non-genuine review. Some of them not even my clients. Very terrible and irresponsible on True Local behalf. I contact them about the bad review, they told me to communicate with the reviewer, how can I when I do not even know them. Now I notice Google doing the same.
We posted an evidence based factual review of a very dodgy landscaping contractor (Cropper Brothers landscaping in Queensland) who over charged, harassed, bullied (and is still harassing and bullying) plus did a really poor job. We did this to let other people know not to deal with them and about the issues we had faced with this company.
True local approved our review then within an hour the contractor put up blatantly obvious bogus positive reviews (one was so badly written and said it was from a neighbour who hadn't had any work done but thought they were great guys) and then our review was removed.
How is the a fair representation of the quality and service of an business!
Hi Joanna,
We greatly value all genuine experiences, both positive and negative, However, reviews are declined as they don’t meet True Local’s guidelines.
To view our review & comment guidelines, please click here: http://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines/
If you wish to send us an email to support@truelocal.com.au, our team will be more than happy to look into this further for you.
Thank you.
Rejected two of my negative reviews. I provided facts and evidence of my very 1st hand experience. I went over the guidelines and was in breach of none of them. This to me suggests that this site doesn't have the customer in mind at all, and is protecting
Business's at the customers expense. Can't trust positive reviews if that's all it allows
A very disgraceful organisation. I spend $450 per month with them. I get no reports but promises of getting them. The account manger never calls back as per arrangements. Calling their number achieves nothing as you are placed on hold for 15 mins and then you are dropped out for some reason. A very disgraceful organistion. If any one in True local reads this and believes in following up, then call me on my number *******816
Success.
Finally got the review removed after many requests.
Be careful where you list your Business.
Hi John,
True Local works hard to ensure it's processes are fair to both reviewers and businesses and are in line with ACCC review guidelines. All reviews and comments are moderated before they are published on the site and True Local has processes and procedures in place to detect untrue reviews and any True Local user can report a review at any time. Please see our Review Guidelines here - http://www.truelocal.com.au/cms/review-guidelines
However, if you have any further questions or concerns, John, please don't hesitate to email support@truelocal.com.au.
Thank you.
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Hello Matt,
We are sorry you have been subjected to such a frustrating series of events.
At True Local, our greatest desire is to ensure our customers are satisfied at all levels and find the most suitable way to fix their problems without delay.
If you wish to send us an email to support@truelocal.com.au, our team will be more than happy to look into this further for you.