Fake Reviews...Now a Headache for Amazon

A recent Forbes' article highlights the latest headache that Amazon sellers have encountered: fake reviews that game Amazon's system by providing favorable visibility to those improperly-promoted products.

The article is based on ReviewMeta's findings, which show that the average review weight--a measure developed by the firm to calculate how trustworthy reviews are overall--has nearly halved during June, July and August of 2017, compared with those in October 2016.

That month is particularly important because it was when Amazon banned the practice of incentivized reviews--people receive free products in exchange for writing reviews. Most such reviewers disclosed such "free for review" relationships in their reviews, but plenty didn't, which prompted Amazon to ultimately ban this practice. It is easy to reason that shrewd marketers now find another way to game Amazon's review system.

How do they recruit reviewers? Simple, through Facebook groups. One post, according to the Forbes' article, reads: "Hi Everyone. Only US! Only top reviewers. I need 10 reviews. We would like to offer you a 100% (FREE) discount."Knife sharpener 2 stage". If you got interested in this product, please send pm Facebook and send me link for your profile!"

 Amazon's response sounds corporate: "We are investing heavily in manual and automated systems to identify those who create the demand for fraudulent reviews. These reviews make up a tiny percentage of all reviews on Amazon, but even one is unacceptable, and we will not stop until all are identified and removed."

 This cat-and-mouse chase on Amazon will continue for sometime, just like China's Alibaba has been in fighting against fake products. What should a seller do while waiting for Amazon's system to catch up?
  • First, you should mind your business well. From product listing to customer support, optimizing the entire purchase experience for your customers can earn you the highest respect from them--they will come back no matter whether or not your competitors use fake reviews.
  • Second, monitor customers reviews on both your products and competitors'. Don't be afraid to alert Amazon if you identify fake reviews on your products or your competitors'. Third-party review checking services such as ReviewMeta or Fakespot may worth the money.
  • Lastly, be smart and preventive. Fake negative reviews on your products tend to happen when your sales begin to beat competition, and fake positive reviews on your competitors' products tend to emerge at their initial launch stage. Be vigilant during those critical junctures, and act quickly to prevent problems from spreading out too fast and furious.

As sellers, your success is dependent on a clean, just, and level-playing ecosystem. If you employ fake review providers, or pay for fake reviews, please stop.

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