Receiving a 1-Star Review on an E-Commerce Platform — Consequences Are More Severe Than You Think

23/06/2026

0/5 (0 votes)

Table of Contents

The platform algorithm will "punish" your shop
High return rate — losing money on both ends

A 1-star review may seem insignificant — just the opinion of one customer among hundreds of orders. But on e-commerce platforms like Shopee, TikTok Shop, or Lazada, a negative review doesn't just affect the seller's feelings — it directly impacts revenue, search rankings, and even the store's continued existence on the platform.

The platform algorithm will "punish" your shop

Shopee, TikTok Shop, and Lazada all use ranking algorithms to determine which products appear at the top of search results. The rating is one of the most important factors in this algorithm. When you receive a 1-star review, your shop's average rating is pulled down — meaning your products will be pushed lower in search results, making room for competitors with higher ratings.

This creates a negative spiral: low rating → less visibility → fewer orders → reduced revenue → difficulty running ads effectively due to lower conversion rates.

New customers won't dare to buy

Before buying online, most users read reviews — especially negative ones. Online shopping behavior research shows that buyers often read 1-2 star reviews first to find the weaknesses of the product/shop.

A 1-star review with the content "the goods arrived dented, the box was crushed, and the product inside was damaged" will make new customers seriously hesitate, even if your shop has hundreds of other 5-star reviews. Customers tend to trust negative experiences more than positive ones — this psychology is called "negativity bias" and is very common in online shopping behavior.

High return rate — losing money on both ends

When goods arrive damaged to the customer due to poor packaging, most customers will request a return or exchange. For online shops, return costs usually include return shipping fees, return processing fees, and the value of the goods that must be compensated or returned — sometimes the total return cost of one order is higher than the profit from 5-10 normal orders.

A high return rate is also a bad signal for the platform algorithm — shops with high return rates are often deprioritized in visibility or warned by the e-commerce platform.

Risk of being restricted or having the account locked by the platform

E-commerce platforms all have a minimum rating threshold for shops to continue operating. When the rating falls below the specified threshold (usually below 4.0-4.2 stars depending on the platform), the shop may be:

Product visibility restricted in search results
Not allowed to participate in platform promotional programs, flash sales
Required to improve metrics within a limited time
In serious cases: temporarily locked or deleted shop account

For shops that have invested many years in building reviews and followers, this is damage that cannot be measured in money.

The most common cause of 1-star reviews is related to packaging

Through serving hundreds of online shops, Hoang Phuc Pack has found that most complaints about damaged goods stem from preventable packaging errors:

Choosing the wrong type of box: Using a 3-layer box for heavy goods or long-distance inter-provincial shipping — the box is not rigid enough and gets dented during transportation.

Choosing the wrong box size: The box is too wide for the goods, causing the product to rattle inside and collide with the box walls even with cushioning material.

Insufficient cushioning: Skipping the step of filling foam peanuts, bubble wrap, or crumpled paper around the product — a simple step that significantly reduces impact force during transportation.

Using reused old boxes: Used boxes, damp boxes, or boxes that have previously borne weight will lose most of their original load-bearing capacity.

How to prevent 1-star reviews from the packaging stage

Investing in the right type of cardboard box according to the goods and shipping route is the most important step. Light goods delivered within the city can use 3-layer boxes, but goods weighing 3kg or more or delivered inter-provincially should use 5-layer boxes to ensure safety. Electronics, fragile items, or heavy goods need 7-layer boxes to withstand multiple handling at transit points.

Choose a box size that fits the goods snugly — leaving a 3-5cm gap on each side for cushioning material is enough, do not let the box be too wide. Always fill enough cushioning material around, especially for fragile goods. And only use new cardboard boxes, do not reuse old boxes for goods requiring high protection.

Conclusion

A 1-star review on Shopee or TikTok Shop is not just a bad feeling for the day — it brings a series of consequences for the algorithm, revenue, and brand reputation in the long term. And when the cause stems from poor packaging, this is entirely a problem that can be prevented from the start with a negligible cost compared to the damage it causes.

Hoang Phuc Pack is ready to provide free consultation on the type of box suitable for each type of goods and shipping route for your shop. A short call can help you avoid many unnecessary 1-star reviews.

Contact for consultation and quotation:

Hotline: 0941 777 035 - 02862 770 135

Email: info@hoangphucpack.com

Website: hoangphucpack.com