Amazon Sues over Alleged Sale of Fake Product Reviews

by: comet

I thought you had to have actually PURCHASED the item to leave a review?  

I know I get badgered to leave a review--and you have to have a minimum number of words/letters TO leave one--and then you leave yourself open forever to getting QUESTIONS from people who are LOOKING at the item YOU bought--I get questions allll the time on car parts--In some cases I do answer (If I know the answer!)  as it is then a "Real person"  who has actually USED the part vs a seller who might tell you the part is wonderful for your car when it really is not.

But---How is AMAZON allowing NON-PURCHASERS to EVER leave reviews?  THAT seems to be a glitch in their oh so perfect system---

by: MADandCracked

Comet ... Sometimes people buy the item outside of Amazon and will leave a review, but I have to agree with you.

by: SalesBoy

@comet

That's not a problem because, as you'll see when perusing reviews on Amazon, there are a good percentage which are not identified with "Verified Purchase" in orange text.

I have often been one of those non-verified myself after having bought the same item from another retailer like Home Depot, etc.  The only visible difference is that the words "Verified Purchase" are absent if the review is written by a non-Amazon buyer.

by: a_c_green

@comet:

> But---How is AMAZON allowing NON-PURCHASERS to EVER leave
> reviews? THAT seems to be a glitch in their oh so perfect system---

One of my favorite comments for ingenious plans like that: ''What could POSSIBLY go wrong?'' :-)

by: Moonwishes

>>---How is AMAZON allowing NON-PURCHASERS to EVER leave reviews?  THAT seems to be a glitch in their oh so perfect system--- <<

Folks, there is a big difference between Product reviews and Seller Feedback. To get feedback, yes the seller has to sell something and the buyer leaves feedback on how the seller handled the order. To write a review anyone can no matter where they bought or got the item. One of the reasons, I think, that I got tapped for the Amazon Vine Product review program is that I left reviews on many items that I had purchased or books given as a gift.

I see the mix up quite often when looking at products. I see reviews where someone leaves the seller a 1 star and complains that they were slow shipping or whatever and then a feedback for the seller saying that the product was terrific. I’ve had actual feedback left for me that was a book report on the book I sold them rather than a nice comment on how fast I shipped and if the book’s condition was as stated. Feedback is for the seller and a review is anyone's comment on the item itself. And they are left in two different places!  In this case it is the reviews that people are faking which is easy to do. Even on the Vine program a few people cheat and you can tell who there are. In one incident a lot of us got a product that we weren't told ahead of time was a prototype and we all condemned it since most of us couldn't unpack it without the box falling apart. Yet there were a few that commented about how wonderful the item was and what high quality! To make matters worse the manufacturer’s PR person left those of us that panned the product comments telling us about the item being a prototype and that we were supposed to leave a review as if it were the actual product which of course couldn't be done. How can you guess how good something would be?

Anyhow I hope it is clear as to where the problem is here and why Amazon would be unhappy.

by: gizmo

One reason I do not shop on amazon anymore. The constant driving me crazy with questions, of items I purchased. Became a hassle.

by: Gina

first customers are blackmailing sellers for partial refunds or they will leave negative feedback, now this.  It was bound to happen.  Any way, any how, if someone dreams up a scam, they'll try to sell it!  Scammers ran me out of business!

by: LAbay

This is dishonest behavior but a crime?  A review is an opinion not a product claim.

by: RCL

Well it's a breach of good faith on the part of the Amazon seller who uses the service.

by: Santini

Easy for them to sue someone in the US, but what about a review seller based in say, China or Russia?