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Amazon's Fake Review Problem

brianbien.com

31–40 of 336 posts

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#31
I encountered this problem while trying to do Christmas shopping on Amazon. An example is this (parachute hammocks): https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias...

I don't know anything about them, I'm not familiar with manufacturers, but this search result brings up very similar items from "different" companies. What's even more suspicious is that there are MULTIPLE results that have 1-2 thousand reviews and are at a perfect 5*.

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#32
I really like Aliexpress even tho it's more like eBay and not Amazon (but on the other hand Amazon is starting to feel like eBay nowdays)

1. You can sort the product search page by order number (who many people bought the same product). That alone is a big help to dodge fake products.

2. People are encouraged to make reviews with photos. The seller usually gives you a coupon if you make a review with photo which feels like a grey area (am I being bribed?) but as a potential buyer it helpes me a lot to make my decision.

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#34
post #15

>> Amazon – who has some of the world’s most advanced ML – really needs to step up its review fraud detection game. It's not in the interests of Amazon to be on a crusade against fake reviews. Mass fake reviews are the driving force of revenues. AMZN will always maintain the balance between public outcry and absolute minimal effort to show that they're doing something against spammers. From my side I maintain the rig…

I don't understand your argument. How do reviews drive revenues? If all fake reviews were taken down, wouldn't buy less stuff from Amazon.

Many people look at # of reviews and average review as "social proof" about the quality of a product. The reason we do this is because it can be a useful short-cut to performing an intellectually rigorous evaluation. If Amazon removes a bunch of reviews they're removing incentives that users use to buy products.

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#35
post #31

I encountered this problem while trying to do Christmas shopping on Amazon. An example is this (parachute hammocks): https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias... I don't know anything about them, I'm not familiar with manufacturers, but this search result brings up very similar items from "different" companies. What's even more suspicious is that there are MULTIPLE results that have 1-2 thousand re…

Try this: https://www.fakespot.com/

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#36
It seems Amazon is in a bind. While we will like to believe the extensions which can sniff out fake reviews, they don't have the burden of false positives - reviews which are genuine but marked as fake.

Imagine, what happens if Amazon does incorporate a stricter review guideline and lot of the reviews get tossed. It will be Youtube demonistation debate all over again.

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#37
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't trust them because I don't think anybody at eBay is checking whether the product being sold right now is the same the review was for.

That's a given because vendors list whatever they want. However, if they list wrong, that's a SNAD case waiting to happen.

Often the item will look the same but on the inside it's different so it will be hard to file a case.

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#38
If Amazon starts penalizing products for fake reviews then it's probably just a matter of time until that's weaponized by competitors to tank competing products. Then I imagine Amazon will have to come out with a "disavow review" tool similar to Google's disavow backlinks (to counteract targeted negative SEO).

Re: Amazon's Fake Review Problem

#39
The fake review problem on Amazon is much bigger than people think. Here are my two anecdotes:

1. I got bluetooth headphones on amazon (~$65). They had great reviews, but were very disappointing. I returned them and gave 2 star review. Representative from the manufacturer contacted me and offered me a pair for free. After I got them, they asked for positive review. I refused. That manipulation technique wasn't enough for them though. They might have merged the listing with some other item. Even though the item was released this year, it has reviews from 2014.

2. When I need a cable or something similar, I go to a page like vipon.com . They offer huge discounts on some items on amazon (sometimes even -80%). They of course "suggest" leaving a review.

The more I look at reviews, the less I trust them. I see similar patterns for most products on amazon.

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