Amazon ‘fake’ reviews have been revomed across the most demanded product categories by the marketplace in an attempt to tackle fraud, new analysis suggests.
The marketplace have deleted more than 30,000 fabricated reviews on their websites’ technology and home product ranges over the last two years, suggests an investigation by an audit of products and services Which?.
Fabricated reviews and ratings
Which? suggests that Amazon have got rid of product reviews that an average had a good rating of 4.8 stars, and those that 4.1 have been left untouched by the marketplace. It says that most of the removed product reviews that shared the same level of rating showed a pattern of similarity in the use of words to describe an item.
The portion of the highers fake reviews have experienced Amazon’s electronic devices that have grown in popularity over the years. The marketplaces dash cameras saw 11% of its reviews taken down over the two years, with 10% of action cameras, and 9% of headphones and surveillance cameras saw the same action undertaken to tackled reviews fraudulence.
“Our analysis highlights the vast number of reviews that are being removed by Amazon each year and shows how vital it is for you to stop and think before putting your trust in online customer ratings. “Online retailers must remain vigilant of unscrupulous sellers and manufacturers who are trying to artificially boost their product’s rating.”
-Alex Neil, managing director of Which?
“We do not permit reviews in exchange for compensation of any kind, including payment. “We take the integrity of our reviews seriously and take decisive action to protect customers from dishonest parties who abuse the reviews system.”
-a spokesperson of Amazon
The analysis suggests that the removal of reviews can potentially indicate that Amazon’s and its merchants’ products were being targeted to with fake feedback and reviews, as reported originally by inews. Amazon’s reviews play a vital role in persuading customers to commit to purchasing. Their Amazon Choice programme is a telling criterion for items, which separates the best and worst reviewed items, for the high rate products it adds an ‘Amazon’s choice’ badge, indicating the quality and reliability of the product. Yet, the investigation didn’t indicate who could be behind this. After all, does fraudsters or Amazon and their merchants benefits from good reviews?
5 Responses
“We do not permit reviews in exchange for compensation of any kind, including payment.”
So how does Amazon Vine work? – Pretty sure it is free product for reviews
The day I can’t find a single Facebook group dealing with review exchanges will be the day I say: Thank You Amazon.
Until then, it’s all Wilde West out there.
Quite a lot in facebook are fake reviews, particularly those that sell real fur and those people who hate real fur namely me and few thousand.