FI showroom red and grey logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Dealership’s Phony Five-Star Reviews Under Fire

A BMW dealership in San Antonio, Texas, was caught with fake online reviews after an investigation by a local television station revealed they came from a paid service.

by Staff
October 19, 2010
2 min to read


A BMW dealership in San Antonio, Texas, was caught with fake online reviews after an investigation by a local television station revealed they came from a paid service.

The investigation by KSAT 12 was first prompted by a former customer of the dealership, who contacted the television station after he discovered several suspicious five-star reviews of BMW of San Antonio posted online.

Ad Loading...

The customer, Greg Kinney, told KSAT 12 he was surprised by the glowing reviews because his own experience at the dealership was less than stellar. Kinney said he knows that no dealership is perfect, but he suspected the authenticity of the reviews and did some research.

Kinney clicked on the profile of the person who’d given BMW of San Antonio a great review on City Search and found several other reviews posted by the same person on the same day referring to different businesses in different cities.

"(There are) 20 reviews by him. Here's one for Backpackers Vacation Inn and Plantation Village. Nob Hill Hotel was posted on the sixth, so I guess he was there too. The Bridal Superstar by Posie Patch got five stars on the same date," Kinney told KSAT 12.

Kinney suspected the profile was actually a paid service and contacted the KSAT Defenders, the television station’s investigative arm.

KSAT reporters contacted BMW of San Antonio’s General Manager John Bruns, who confirmed that the dealership hired a company called Review Boost to contact customers and generate actual reviews. He said the dealership also questioned the authenticity of the reviews after viewing them online.

Ad Loading...

BMW of San Antonio has since canceled the service from Review Boost and is working to remove questionable reviews taken from various Websites.

The dealership also said it conducts interviews with actual customers and that those reviews are authentic. The dealership attributed any suspicious reviews to other companies.

Topics:BMWF&I

More F&I

Laptop computer on a desk with a notepad and pen next to it and a whiteboard in the background
Digital•by Rick McCormick•October 15, 2026

AI: Facilitator, Not Fixer, in F&I

The dealerships that thrive in the years ahead will be those that embrace technology while continuing to invest in the people who make customer interactions count.

Read More →
Headshot mockup thumbnail.
F&I•October 1, 2026

Modern Technology Objection Handling

In this video, Trent White shares how to confidently handle technology-based objections by helping customers understand the value of protection, even with modern vehicle technology.

Read More →
man standing in front of podium
F&I•by Lauren Lawrence•October 1, 2026

Consistency at Scale: Driving F&I Performance

With 75 rooftops across the Sunshine State, Morgan Auto Group has proven to Floridians that it knows a thing or two about driving performance in a competitive market. But it didn’t start at the top.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Insurance contract signature page with black inkpen on top
F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•September 22, 2026

Gitty Up on GAP

The foundational finance-and-insurance product hasn’t kept up with the latest conditions for auto dealers. Is the time ripe?

Read More →
Easycare White paper cover See how AI-powered coaching can turn F&I customer conversations into actionable insights that support compliance, performance and profitability
Sponsored•September 8, 2026

How AI-Powered Coaching Is Transforming F&I Performance

See how AI-powered coaching can turn F&I customer conversations into actionable insights that support compliance, performance and profitability

Read More →
Assurant, Sell Value Build Trust, F&I Series, Expert Trainer Trent White
F&I•September 2, 2026

Sell Value, Build Trust

In this video, Trent White explains why selling on value, not fear, builds lasting customer trust, reduces cancellations, and drives long-term success.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
2026 StoneEagle summary
F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•August 31, 2026

F&I Sales Give Dealers First-Half Lift

Product business shored up total profits to avoid an overall revenue tanking as product penetrations held steady, StoneEagle reported.

Read More →
man with white hair and glasses delivering a speech standing next to a podium
F&I•by Lauren Lawrence•August 31, 2026

Targeted Training Drives Results

Today’s technology, instead of threatening F&I managers, can actually make them better, according to an industry veteran who’s watched market setbacks roil the unprepared.

Read More →
Man's hand holding pen over a paper document
F&I•by Justin B. Gasman•August 20, 2026

Double the Change, Double the Chance

When an F&I manager gets a customer refusal, it’s a wise move to tweak more than one thing in the product offering.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Laptop computer, tablet, calculator and notebook on a desk
F&I•by John Tabar•August 20, 2026

Just Do It

F&I managers need training, but instead of resisting application or expecting perfection, they should improve by simply acting on what they learn.

Read More →