An open letter to Carsome

Click to view our full statement in Bahasa Melayu.  

February 2024

Eric Cheng, CEO
Carsome Sdn. Bhd.

Dear Mr Cheng:

Our customers’ voices matter. Which is why we believe they should have a final say in their experiences with us – whether good or bad or lukewarm. 5-star reviews spurs us to keep up the good work, and any negative reviews help us pinpoint any blind spots in our processes in services, allowing us to further improve.

We have noticed Carsome’s long practice of rewarding and incentivising reviews as part of marketing campaigns, with prizes for 5-star reviews and most-liked 5-star reviews.

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.

Carsome’s Chief Marketing Officer Ravi Shankar wrote in a LinkedIn update on 29 February: Most brands & businesses aim to be perceived as “trusted”. Yet most don’t provide consumers with a distinctive reason to trust them in a way that’s any different to the competition. Stand out by telling a unique story that goes beyond just shouting, ‘Trust us.”

While we highly agree with this, we’re also baffled by his statement since incentivising 5-star reviews goes directly against what he’s saying. People should be able to trust customer reviews without second guessing if they were paid reviews.

Competition within the industry is essential – that’s what spurs us on to improve our products, services and innovation. 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.

Sincerely,
myTukar