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A consumer advocacy group in the United Kingdom is warning of a booming industry peddling bogus Amazon reviews.
An investigation conducted by Which? shows firms are gaming the system with armies of people writing fake reviews on products they never bought in exchange for free products or cash.
“Fake reviews are a blight that stop consumers getting a fair deal,” a Which? spokesperson said in a statement.
Investigators signed up with 10 sites offering these fake reviews and found 702,000 people working to crank out these fraudulent reviews.
One of those sites promised to get a product ranked as an “Amazon’s Choice” within two weeks. Another claimed it had more than $8.9 million in refunds processed because of its reviews.
One particular firm, AMZTigers, employed 62,000 across the world to post content in so-called “review campaigns.” The company offers bulk packages of 50 reviews for £620.
A company wanting to artificially bolster its rating or garner some positive feedback can get them for as little as £5 each, according to the Which? investigation.
Which? says these companies incentivise bogus reviews by offering free products in exchange. Some sites have sections for these fake reviewers to browse full of merchandise they can buy at a discount if they leave a review.
Some of the specified sites also advise fake reviewers on how to evade detection, according to the Which? investigation.
Tips on making the review at least a couple of sentences long and to include a photo were all detailed as ways to make the review look authentic.
Amazon told Which? the company has policies in place prohibiting abuse of its review and ranking system. Amazon further said it audits 10 million reviews weekly, suspending and prosecuting violators.
The online retailer also told Which? they’ve won dozens of injunctions in Europe against fake reviewers and “won’t shy away” from prosecuting them.
Which? wants the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority to step in and take action against these bogus reviews.
“The regulator must crack down on bad actors and hold sites to account if they fail to keep their users safe. If it is unable to do so, the government must urgently strengthen online consumer protections,” Which? Head of Home Products and Services Natalie Hitchins told Sky News.
Amazon advises shoppers skeptical of an Amazon review to click the “report abuse” feature linked below each review.
Amazon’s Marketplace is a massive one, with sales topping £215 billion in 2020, according to Sky News.
What do you think of this investigation into fake Amazon reviews? Do you take into account online customer feedback when making a purchase? Let us know in the comments below.
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One thought on ‘Thriving’ Fake Amazon Review Firms Uncovered by Consumer Watchdog
My sister received a message from a company on Facebook that said if she buys their item on Amazon and leave positive feedback then they will refund her for the product.