The European Union (EU) Omnibus Directive 2019/2161, which came into force in January 2020, sets out requirements for key changes in consumer protection law throughout the EU. The directive aims to provide better protection for consumers against false and misleading reviews in online commerce. To learn more about the Omnibus Directive, refer to the official EU Directive page. 

As a business, you must ensure that verified product reviews submitted by users are genuine and that the user submitting a review has purchased or used the product. You must also provide an explanation of the verification process in place.  

Holland & Barrett’s customer review platform collects reviews from consumers via post-purchase review requests; after a purchase, we send review request emails inviting customers to share feedback on their purchased products. 

To ensure authenticity and transparency of the reviews, we have implemented the following measures: 

• Clearly mark verified reviews to indicate whether a contributor has actually purchased or used a product. 
• Clearly mark incentivised reviews to indicate whether a contributor has been gifted the product.  

Use the sections below to understand how Holland and Barrett: 

• Collects reviews from consumers 
• Verifies content authenticity and transparency 
• Ensures compliance with the Omnibus Directive 

Collecting Reviews from Consumers 

After an online or in-store purchase, we invite consumers to leave reviews via review request emails. Typically, a review request is sent once an e-commerce transaction is complete. Customers can submit reviews by clicking the link in the review request, which directs them to the review submission form. This form includes parameters that verify the consumer as a verified purchaser. 

For more details, refer to the Review Submission Guidelines. 

Verifying Content Authenticity and Transparency 

We are committed to ensuring that all user-generated content (UGC) is authentic. Our user authentication process verifies the identity of review contributors to maintain transparency and trust. This includes: 

• Assigning badges to verified purchasers who have bought products from our site. 
• Labelling incentivised reviews where contributors have received free products or rewards in exchange for a review. 

Types of Badges Used 

1. Verified Purchaser Badge 
2. Automatically assigned to a reviewer who submits feedback through a review request email. 
3. Confirms that the reviewer has purchased the product from Holland & Barrett and that the review is authentic. 
4. Incentivised Review Badge 
5. Indicates that the reviewer received a free product or incentive in exchange for providing a review. 

Ensuring Omnibus Compliance with Holland and Barrett 

To comply with the Omnibus Directive, we implement several verification methods, including: 

• Sending review requests to consumers after a completed purchase. 
• Enabling Verified Purchaser and Incentivised Review badges. 
• Requiring consumers to accept Terms & Conditions before submitting a review. 

Implementing Review Requests 

Review request emails ensure that submitted reviews come from actual buyers, increasing the authenticity and reliability of feedback.  

Enabling Review Badges 

Badges help distinguish verified and incentivised reviews. They include: 

• Verified Purchaser: Assigned to reviews submitted through post-purchase review requests. 
• Incentivised Review: Marked when a consumer receives a free product or incentive for their review. 

Enabling Terms & Conditions 

Contributors must agree to our Terms & Conditions before submitting a review. This ensures compliance with the Omnibus Directive and helps maintain the integrity of our reviews.