As a leader online retailer in the US, Amazon sells almost everything. (As the logo says, from A to Z.) Whether you’re shopping online for a cheap portable charger, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, or headphones for your kids, Amazon is probably your first stop. And when it’s time to choose between similar-looking products, most people trust user reviews.
The problem is that many Amazon reviews are fake. Unscrupulous or desperate sellers pay for glowing reviews, and some offer gift cards or free products in exchange for five-star ratings. Occasionally, sellers will even solicit fake negative reviews of competing products. It’s hard to identify what’s real for sure, but you can reduce your risk of being scammed by knowing the warning signs. We have collected some tips that may help you.
Fake Amazon reviews
If you’re shopping on Amazon, chances are you’ll see some fake reviews. Most are positive, extolling the virtues of a product in suspiciously glowing terms. Short five-star reviews are likely intended to game the system by increasing a product’s ranking and visibility. But there are also more subtle attempts to persuade you to buy, where paid reviewers will go into detail, perhaps share photos and even include a con alongside many pros. They might rate a product four out of five stars, for example, which can be very convincing.
Some sellers engage in paid negative reviews designed to criticize competitors’ products. These are usually one-star reviews that focus on the cons and often mention another product that compares favorably to try to steer you towards it.
How Amazon sellers get fake reviews
Marketers want to increase their sales and reviews can do that. Reviewers want to earn cash or free products. This is why the market for fake reviews is thriving. There are foreign companies that sell positive review blogs, social media groups that organize teams of reviewers, and companies that offer all kinds of incentives to persuade genuine buyers to leave a favorable review. Sellers also offer refunds or other rewards to convince buyers to remove or edit negative reviews. Reply to all The magic shop The episode covers some common scenarios and is a fun listen on the subject.
How to avoid fake reviews
We are not talking about high-volume, big-name items, where you can easily find legitimate reviews in the media (although fakes are another problem). If we’re so bold, you can find genuine product recommendations and honest reviews right here on WIRED.
However, most fake reviews are for affordable items from unknown brands that only have reviews on Amazon. While it may not be possible to prevent fake reviews, you can reduce their impact on your purchasing decisions.
Start by confirming the reviewed product. Some listings have multiple products or change the product listing to a newer version but still have previous reviews attached. The first step is to change the review list Better reviews a more recent to find out what the latest buyers are saying.