For years, Amazon has suffered from bogus product reviews.
The online retail giant has stringent anti-fake-review policies that prohibit sellers and product manufacturers from paying people to write ratings on a certain product. However, many sellers are able to fly under the radar. Several tech brands have been removed from Amazon, possibly as part of a ban on fake reviews.
Amazon’s policy states that vendors are not permitted to provide refunds or reimbursements for product ratings, use third-party websites that offer free or discounted products in exchange for reviews, or create fake accounts to rate their own products. However, these rules are not often followed, which has led to the rise in popularity of software for detecting fake reviews, such as Fakespot and ReviewMeta.
Last week, SafetyDetectives released a report on a vast database it found containing communication between Amazon sellers and buyers. The leaked data highlighted examples of vendor messages soliciting product ratings, as well as strategies used to bypass Amazon’s automatic detection (adding a video, waiting a few days after purchase, etc.).
Amazon has already pulled products from many major tech brands, potentially in response to the report by SafetyDetectives.
Aukey and Mpow are among the companies that have had their products pulled from Amazon, though a few listings of their devices remain from third-party sellers. Aukey has been found to include a note in the package of each of its products, guaranteeing $100 for an “honest review,” whereas no details have surfaced as to why Mpow’s listings have been taken off.
I’m currently reviewing a standing desk from Aukey, and it came with this note offering $100 for an “honest review,” which is against Amazon’s seller rules. No wonder Amazon is laying down the hammer. https://t.co/qkfpvbDyln pic.twitter.com/rW3VRcVr3x
— Corbin Davenport (@corbindavenport) May 10, 2021
In a statement given to ReviewGeek, an Amazon spokesperson said, “We work hard to build a great experience for our customers and sellers and take action to protect them from those that threaten their experience in our store. We have systems and processes to detect suspicious behaviour, and we have teams that investigate and take action quickly.”
Image credit: SafetyDetectives
Source: Review Geek
