8:30 am, September 3, 2025
Used car supermarket Big Motoring World has had its Trustpilot suspension lifted after customers were temporarily blocked from leaving reviews.
Car Dealer broke the news last month that the Kent-based outfit had its reviews suspended on the site for ‘breaching guidelines’ by ‘inviting people to review them in a way that encourages positive reviews’.
The decision was labelled a ‘misunderstanding’ by Big Motoring World boss Laurence Vaughan, who insisted that the issue would be ‘resolved very soon’.
That is now what has happened, with Trustpilot officially confirming the car dealer’s return earlier this week.
Following talks with the firm’s management, the website now allows customers to leave their reviews of Big Motoring World once more.
A ‘You should know’ notice has also been added to the page to ensure that customers are kept updated on the situation.
The message reads: ‘We have identified that this business, which is now under new management, has previously invited people to review them in a way that didn’t align with our Guidelines for Businesses.
‘The business is bringing their review collection methods in line with our Guidelines.’
Strict new rules regarding reviews came into force earlier this year and car dealers can face fines of up to 10% of global turnover or £300,000 for falling foul of them.
Big Motoring World’s warning came after numerous complaints about the firm on social media, including Facebook group has also been set up called ‘BIG MOTORING WORLD Fake 5* TRUSTPILOT REVIEWS! Please Read 1* AND AVOID!!!!’.
Separately, a Facebook page titled ‘Big Motoring World Complaints’ now has more than 6,700 members.
The page is designed to allow consumers to share their stories of dealing with the used car supermarket with consumers regularly sharing stories of dealing with the used car business.
‘Committed to delivering outstanding customer service’
Big Motoring World has now welcomed the decision to lift the suspension of its reviews and said it is committed to ‘conducting business that prioritises ethics and integrity’.
Bosses say the firm always ‘strongly refuted’ any suggestion of wrongdoing and is now looking forward to putting customers first.
In a statement, issued by a PR firm, a spokesman said: ‘The new leadership of Big Motoring World has always been committed to delivering outstanding customer service and conducting business that prioritises ethics and integrity.
‘From the outset, we strongly refuted any suggestion that the business invites people to review Big Motoring World in a way that encourages positive reviews.
‘This is not the case. Yesterday, Trustpilot amended its previous notice in acknowledgement of that and has now reinstated our account in full.’
Explaining the company’s stance, the spokesman confirmed that Big Motoring World does offer an incentive to participate in its own customer survey, but not to leave positive Trustpilot reviews.
‘As is common with many retail businesses, we do offer an incentive to participate in our own customer survey, but we do not and would not offer an incentive to customers to submit a Trustpilot review, which would be in contravention of Trustpilot’s guidelines,’ they added.
‘Big Motoring World’s policies adhere fully to the terms and conditions of Trustpilot and all its partners, and we have implemented system controls to ensure ongoing compliance at all levels in our business.
‘Under our new management, we have put the customer at the heart of everything we do and, since 2024, we have invested over £5 million in developing Big Motoring World’s customer support capabilities.
‘Becoming more customer-centric has allowed us to establish and maintain a Trustpilot score of 4.2, with 80% of reviews being 5 star.
We have subscribed to The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice to align fully with current best practice on fair and transparent treatment of customers and have also introduced a series of customer-focused products and initiatives.
‘As a result, Big Motoring World has seen a marked and sustained improvement in customer satisfaction scores, and we remain committed to delivering positive customer experiences as we grow.’
