Today I got a seven 1-star reviews (which I didn’t in 3 years) from fake stores (no domain, logged from the same Pakistan IP, use Gmail as email address, no valid contact phone, no Instagram, no Facebook). AppStore rang comes from 4.5 to 3.6 in 1 day!
What is very odd is that I recognize those stores and I run ‘JOBS’ that auto uninstall from my app using API. But after a few installs/uninstalls they can leave 1-star reviews. SO STORES ONLY use the app for 1-4 minutes until I remove it/uninstall it via API. Also in that few minutes no API usage…
I also tried to remove the free plan because the staff who wrote reviews were not authorized to subscribe to any plan (email notifications come to the store owners) but he is still able to write reviews.
So I put a price of 0.99$ they just installed, did not activate the paid plan, and still was able to leave a review.
Shopify team, please explain.
I already reported who did it, and who paid for it, but no answer from Shopify.
Yes, i already contacted. Just very odd that in year of AI, Shopify allows reviews from stores without domain, probably no sales, using app for a few minutes…
Shopify teams, thanks to all but this is something they should fix quickly. Someone in 1 day can destroy years of hard work
this is HAPO Apps Team. We’ve been in a situation similar to yours, feeling frustrated when Shopify fails to filter out such fake stores. I believe the best course of action for you right now is to continue developing your app and find alternative ways to reach your customers through other channels, such as social media, email marketing, etc.
Additionally, you might consider reaching out to merchants using your app to gather feedback from their customers and then assist them in garnering positive reviews on Shopify.
If any other issues arise, contacting the Shopify Support Team is still crucial. Wishing you success in developing your apps.
Hey @resboss it seems like some of these 1-star reviews has been removed from your app listing. Just wondering if Shopify Partner support is helped here?
This is a textbook coordinated attack — same IP, Gmail-only accounts, reviews within minutes of install. The 4.5 to 3.6 drop in a single day is devastating.
A few things that might help for anyone dealing with this:
Screenshot everything immediately — timestamps, store names, review content, IP overlap if you can see it. The more evidence you include in your Shopify support ticket upfront, the faster they tend to respond.
Respond to every fake review publicly. Even if Shopify doesn’t remove them, potential users can see your professional response and judge for themselves.
The install-to-review window is one of the strongest signals. Legitimate reviews come after days or weeks of usage, not 1-4 minutes. Shopify could easily flag this automatically — the fact that they don’t is frustrating.
The hardest part is that by the time you notice, the damage is done. Shopify’s per-review email notification doesn’t flag patterns — getting 7 individual emails doesn’t trigger the same alarm as seeing “7 one-stars in 4 hours” on a dashboard.
I’m honestly shocked to see these unexpected negative reviews (attacks)！
Thank you all for sharing your real experiences—this information is very helpful to me.
Wishing you all the best.
@mike331 , @SEOAnt-Zoey
Join and stay in a more relevant thread over ones’ that’s been dead for two years.
Your not helping things by encouraging diaspora over unified voices .
Your complaints go unheard if you can’t even get Location Location Location right.
, from the fake store.