Amazon Fake Reviews Facebook Groups
Amazon.com is suing more than 10,000 Facebook group managers for soliciting fake product reviews on its platform . Amazon doesn’t disclose the details of the administrators, but identifies one of the groups as “Amazon Product Reviews.” The group had more than 43,000 members, according to the company.
Manipulation exists wherever reviews exist: apps, restaurants, products. No wonder Amazon, the largest US internet retailer, has it.
It is against Amazon’s rules for third-party sellers to provide free products or pay compensation to encourage reviews. But in reality, a lot of them do it, using platforms like Facebook to make it invisible. A spokesperson for Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook, said, “Groups that encourage fake reviews are in violation of our policies and will be closed. We are working with Amazon on this issue and will continue to work together with Amazon as an industry. We will continue to deal with fake reviews.”
Amazon’s legal action is the first step toward reducing fake reviews on its platform. But it’s a never-ending battle for the company, and it doesn’t look like it will be resolved easily.
Amazon’s Spokesperson’s Statement
Amazon’s Spokesperson said that As Amazon receives more than 30 million reviews a week, we are trying to make sure that customers have a safe and trusted experience. He also said that Amazon has more than 10,000 employees who deletes a numerous of fake reviews even before the users see them.
However, when shopping online, you need to be careful and read reviews. You can never know with 100% certainty if a review is fake or not. Even a “Verified Purchaser (Verified Purchase on Amazon)” reviews can be fake/wrong. However, such offenders usually have some telltale signs.
How To Spot Fake Reviews On Amazon
If you visit Amazon’s site, you’ll see rating stars right below the product title. Clicking on this will take you to the review summary at the bottom of the product page.
Scroll down and click See all reviews. Here you can sort by “All Positive Reviews” or “All Negative Reviews” and filter by Verified Buyers.
Avoid products with only 5 star reviews. Any product with a lot of reviews will have a range of star ratings, which should indicate that it’s healthy.
・First, read the 1-star reviews . Be wary of characteristic flaws that are repeatedly pointed out in numerous reviews. I don’t care if the negative reviews are about shipping delays or something the seller has no control over.
・View in new order. It’s more likely to show mixed reviews, and it’s easier to spot recent issues with shipping and quality control.
・Read the actual reviews. Are reviewers saying they haven’t actually tried the product yet? I’ve come across dozens of positive reviews on new, unreleased devices. Better check the date too. If many of the reviews were posted around the same time, they might be fake.
・Be suspicious of reviews with positive photos and videos. Images help give an idea of the size and features of a product, but fake, paid reviews often include photos and videos. That’s why a simple bath mat review is sometimes accompanied by a few minutes of video.
・Search for caution words such as “gift” and “free”. Search Customer Reviews for reviews that mention gift cards or free redemptions. Such reviews may provide financial incentives for merchants to boost ratings.
・Check if the reviews have been consolidated. Click “All Formats” to see if there are other variations of that product. Some sellers combine two different listings to get more reviews.
