Amazon: Fake Reviews Prompt Amazon to Explain Real Reviews

May 27, 2021

Fake reviews are a problem. Need some? Give Fiverr.com a try. In the meantime, Amazon is responding to what is a disinformation challenge. How? The “real” review method is described in “The Secrets of Amazon Reviews: Feedback, Fakes, and the Unwritten Rules of Online Commerce.”

The article quotes a former Amazon reseller as saying:

One of my complaints about Amazon is their inconsistency in enforcing their own terms of service.

Obviously the former reseller does not agree with Malcolm Gladwell (the 10,000 hour expert) who allegedly said:

Consistency is the most overrated of all human virtues… I’m someone who changes his mind all the time.

Amazon’s response presented in the write up is that Amazon is:

“relentless” in its efforts to police customer reviews, with “long-standing policies to protect the integrity of our store, including product authenticity, genuine reviews, and products meeting the expectations of our customers.” “To do this, we use powerful machine learning tools and skilled investigators to analyze over 10 million review submissions weekly, aiming to stop abusive reviews before they are ever published,” an Amazon spokesperson said via email. Amazon said it takes “swift action” against violators, including suspending or removing selling privileges: “We take this responsibility seriously, monitor our decision accuracy and maintain a high bar.”

Amazon’s policy is clear:

Customer Reviews should give customers genuine product feedback from fellow shoppers. We have a zero tolerance policy for any review designed to mislead or manipulate customers.

The write up includes a list of no nos for reviewers; for example, friends should not review rechargeable products which can catch on fire and omit this minor point.

Check out the policies for resellers operating via Amazon in the US. You can find that missive here.

Like Google and Microsoft, Amazon wants to do better.

Stephen E Arnold, May 27, 2021

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Amazon, Business strategy, News

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.