Malaysian used car platform MyTukar, has issued an open letter calling out rival company Carsome. In the letter, MyTukar expressed concern over Carsome’s Autofair campaign where 5-star reviews that receive the most likes can net users a chance to win prizes of up to RM60,000. The prize list includes iPhone 15 Pro smartphones, LG 55-inch 4K TVs, Dyson V12 vacuum cleaners and Touch ‘n Go reload pins.
MyTukar pens open letter to Carsome
“Rewarding and incentivising 5-star reviews will not only erode trust and reliability in the long run, but also create an environment of mistrust across the used car industry in Malaysia. We have long tolerated this and strongly urge Carsome to cease such activities,” the company stated in the letter.
They also said that they find the whole campaign baffling, referring to a recent LinkedIn post from Carsome’s Chief Marketing Officer Ravi Shankar about brand trust. They added, “People should be able to trust customer reviews without second guessing if they were paid reviews.”
MyTukar stated in the letter that while competition is good as it helps better the industry, it is also important to do it right.“However, as role models and leaders in Malaysia’s used car industry, we strongly urge you to set the playing field right again, and to support our commitment in creating a transparent, honest environment for all used car buyers and sellers,” the letter states.
According to Vulcan Post, this is not the first time Carsome has done something like this. The used car platform launched a “review and reward” campaign in 2023, offering RM500 vouchers to those who left 5-star reviews on their Facebook page or Google Business Page. MyTukar also alleged that this practice is not new, with similar campaigns occurring since 2020.
What do we think of this?
Mytukar and I agree that conducting healthy competition ethically and with integrity is crucial for any industry. Personally, I do think that Carsome is within its right to execute such a campaign, however, it does open doors to potential abuse. Some of the comments left on MyTukar’s Facebook post do highlight a good point and that it is on the shoulders of Carsome to vet some of these reviews to make sure that they are legitimate and spam reviews hoping to cash in.
I also believe that they shouldn’t limit this campaign to just 5-star reviews. They should open the campaign to consider both positive and negative reviews.
I hope Carsome will execute whatever the outcome and whatever its next move is, maturely and responsibly. For more news like this, stay tuned to us at Adam Lobo TV.
Source: MyTukar Facebook page
