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Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

theguardian.com

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Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#191

Post by im3w1l »

tammer wrote: post #108
DanielleMolloy wrote: post #70

I check Fakespot, and click on some reviewer profiles. The idiots doing full-time positive product reviewing are so easy to spot by their hilarious review history that you start to assume that Amazon doesn’t do anything against them on purpose. They also mainly flock on the crap within a single month or so (but this is one of many Fakespot metrics). I tried buying a new bicycle light last week and literally every pro…

While this could be seen as off topic, I don’t think it is: I strongly recommend purchasing that bike light from your local bike shop. If you have a local bike shop, it is likely struggling. But it is also likely that the lights they have on offer there are specifically selected for their utility, particularly their utility in your locale. Perhaps it will be a few dollars more than Amazon, but you will reap the benef…

My local bike shop sells bike accessories for like 10x a fair price. Myabe they're struggling, maybe they have expensive rent to pay.

But at some point it's just much too much.

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#192

Post by cge »

walrus01 wrote: post #24
bingbingo wrote: post #4

Shit like this is what made me lose confidence in Amazon and I stopped my prime subscription. My wife bought me “luxury” branded jackets and clothing for fall. Half of them were counterfeit. I called Amazon and they said I can return them and they’ll send me new ones. Ok. How will I know those won’t be counterfeit? Worse, I found a jacket was counterfeit after the return period when it literally started to fall apart…

Amazon customer service is now quite terrible. Anecdote: I know somebody who has an office that is literally within a 2 block radius of Amazon HQ in Seattle (the new Doppler and Day One buildings). Getting Amazon's third party delivery contractors to successfully deliver to their office suite door, in a high-rise office tower, has been an amazing struggle. Deliveries get sent back as "rejected" all the time, when the…

We have a security camera at our front gate. One reason why I no longer order from Amazon is that our porters could actually show me videos of Amazon's delivery contractors going to our gate, pressing the call button, and leaving before the porter could even start speaking.

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#193

Post by whatever1 »

I was looking in Amazon for a protective case for the iPhone XR that my SO has preordered.

Apparently there are many cases and even more reviews of very happy customers (verified purchasers as per Amazon) who were making very positive comments on the perfect fit of the case (on a phone that is not yet on sale).

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#194

Post by alsetmusic »

sombremesa wrote: post #123
frotak wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> or search by brand name and even than the real ones are usually on page 2 with page one featuring the same crap from China So he does search for specific brands and is still stymied by Amazon ranking algorithms.

Arguably, it's actually Amazon's search algorithms that are to blame. Those have been known for a long time to be sub-par, now, at least since 2012 (when I worked there). If you search for a brand name, products without that brand name anywhere should just not show up, period. (I suppose an exception is if you just don't have it, kind of like when Netflix shows "shows related to" when they don't have what you're actu…

> Arguably, it's actually Amazon's search algorithms that are to blame. Those have been known for a long time to be sub-par, now, at least since 2012 (when I worked there).

You’re conflating direct experience with the masses. My parents didn’t work there. They wouldn’t know if I didn’t tell them. I think most people aren’t having this conversation.

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#195

Post by TeMPOraL »

sombremesa wrote: post #123
frotak wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> or search by brand name and even than the real ones are usually on page 2 with page one featuring the same crap from China So he does search for specific brands and is still stymied by Amazon ranking algorithms.

Arguably, it's actually Amazon's search algorithms that are to blame. Those have been known for a long time to be sub-par, now, at least since 2012 (when I worked there). If you search for a brand name, products without that brand name anywhere should just not show up, period. (I suppose an exception is if you just don't have it, kind of like when Netflix shows "shows related to" when they don't have what you're actu…

> kind of like when Netflix shows "shows related to" when they don't have what you're actually looking for.

I wish they would fix that and make it communicate clearly that they don't have this show, and the following are just the alternatives. Because with the UX looking identical for when there is a match and when there is none, this feels like a cheap attempt at duping people into watching something anyway.

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#196

Post by codespeedy »

This is unrelated comment I know. But i did not found any suuport or FAQ on this site. Can anyone tell me why it's saying that I am still a new user so that I can't post anything on this site? how much time it will take to aactive my account?

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#197

Post by TeMPOraL »

tammer wrote: post #108
DanielleMolloy wrote: post #70

I check Fakespot, and click on some reviewer profiles. The idiots doing full-time positive product reviewing are so easy to spot by their hilarious review history that you start to assume that Amazon doesn’t do anything against them on purpose. They also mainly flock on the crap within a single month or so (but this is one of many Fakespot metrics). I tried buying a new bicycle light last week and literally every pro…

While this could be seen as off topic, I don’t think it is: I strongly recommend purchasing that bike light from your local bike shop. If you have a local bike shop, it is likely struggling. But it is also likely that the lights they have on offer there are specifically selected for their utility, particularly their utility in your locale. Perhaps it will be a few dollars more than Amazon, but you will reap the benef…

Depends on the shop, I guess. My local bike shop carries quite a lot of cheap garbage too, but at high markup. I also have trust issues with many such shops. I know some where at least one person working there seems competent, but in most I've been, I get the distinct vibe of employees being domain-clueless salesmen paid to push things (similar to what's typical in electronics/home appliance stores).

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#198

Post by sverige »

TheRealDunkirk wrote: post #155
inanutshellus wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two things: First, he covered that by saying searching by brand still had his "real" search results on page 2. Second, maybe you're super young, but Amazon used to be "good stuff", not just "hey, let's compete with eBay, on their level." What if you actually don't know the difference between "good" arrows and "bad" arrows? It used to be that Amazon had already made that call for you. Amazon used to be the place you b…

> It used to be that Amazon had already made that call for you. This is why I've gone back to buying from brick-and-mortar stores. They've done the curation. They're not going to carry junk that always gets returned. Ten years ago, if I could buy it from Amazon, with Prime shipping, I wouldn't leave my seat. Now, if I can buy it from Target, Best Buy, or Kroger, I'll just make the trip. Good work, Amazon. I've cancel…

Yes, ditto on newegg. My heroes for fighting patent trolls and building the best shopping cart ever and having good products at good prices. Lately it's been in decline though. Haven't bought anything there for over a year.

Re: Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews

#199

Post by TeMPOraL »

anonymous5133 wrote: post #107
DanielleMolloy wrote: post #70

I check Fakespot, and click on some reviewer profiles. The idiots doing full-time positive product reviewing are so easy to spot by their hilarious review history that you start to assume that Amazon doesn’t do anything against them on purpose. They also mainly flock on the crap within a single month or so (but this is one of many Fakespot metrics). I tried buying a new bicycle light last week and literally every pro…

Completely agree. I think a better way to get reviews now is just to type "(product name) review" into youtube. Seems more honest review. Stay away from anything that is Chinese product. Most of it is so sloppily made.

Personally, I start with ensuring I know the correct "(product name)" I want. I start with going to Wirecutter if they do reviews of a given category of products, or otherwise trawl through domain-specific subreddits.
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