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Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

techspot.com

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Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#71

Post by Steko »

neya wrote: post #68
rocky1138 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies who are leaders in their industry do not usually need to do this. I've heard of it happening at smaller organizations or sole proprietorships (small business), but it is strange to see from a company as large as Samsung. What's important is how high up the chain this was sanctioned by. If it's a lowly manager somewhere, he/she will just get fired and this will all blow over. If it's right at the top, it's m…

Dude, I don't see why you need to defend Apple so seriously and in all probability, they are no different and just because they haven't got caught yet, doesn't mean you can't rule out the possibility that they aren't into this. As an example, during the Apple vs Samsung patent wars (after Samsung lost), a handful of publications were writing in support of Apple even when most of them knew that Apple was abusing the p…

Brave new levels of false equivalence achieved here.

One guy was caught but let's not criticize him because everyone not caught could have done the same thing!

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#72

Post by hmottestad »

sinnerswing wrote: post #60
hkmurakami wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung's IP theft issues would lead me to believe that their credo is "whatever it takes to win" and this kind of behavior isn't out of line with their track record.

Why am I not surprised. Samsung has a history of imo unethical and questionable business practices. Samsung Inflates Galaxy Tab Sales, Gets Busted http://modmyi.com/content/360-samsung-inflates-galaxy-tab-sa... Quite smooth: Samsung actually sold 1/10 of the 2 million Galaxy Tabs it claimed in 2010 http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/151854/quite-smooth-samsung... Looks Like Samsung Pretty Much Lied About US Sales To Th…

That is an amazing list. They seem to be on top there together with Ryanair and european banks.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#73

Post by shapeofabox »

threeseed wrote: post #62
kostya-kow wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Samsung's IP theft issues You mean the time when Apple tried to patent "0-length-swipe" and a shape of a box?

No I don't. You know why ? Because it never happened.

I think he meant to say "rounded rectangle" not box.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#76

Post by Steko »

at-fates-hands wrote: post #27
lutusp wrote: post #7

The title is a bit misleading -- the story is not that Samsung used devious marketing methods, the story is that they were caught. Any number of companies hire shills to post phony endorsements, the trick is not to get caught. In fairness to companies like Samsung, if everyone is doing it, to stand on principle is to risk being trounced by those who don't.

To be fair, it didn't seem like they were admitting anything. They basically said the marketing company they hired did and they regret it happened. More common for big businesses who pay big bucks to get some exposure and then some marketing company pitches them unreal stats to get a sale, then commences to bending the rules and committing outright fraud to keep the paychecks coming in.

That's not being fair, that's regurgitating corporate pablum. Similarly to how every scandal in congress is blamed on a low ranking staffers whenever possible, corporate scandals are blamed on subcontracters whenever possible. Don't think for a second a company as profitable as Samsung doesn't know what it's marketers are doing.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#77

Post by hkmurakami »

hmottestad wrote: post #72
sinnerswing wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why am I not surprised. Samsung has a history of imo unethical and questionable business practices. Samsung Inflates Galaxy Tab Sales, Gets Busted http://modmyi.com/content/360-samsung-inflates-galaxy-tab-sa... Quite smooth: Samsung actually sold 1/10 of the 2 million Galaxy Tabs it claimed in 2010 http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/151854/quite-smooth-samsung... Looks Like Samsung Pretty Much Lied About US Sales To Th…

That is an amazing list. They seem to be on top there together with Ryanair and european banks.

Samsung's antics are hardly contained to smartphones & tablets either.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#78

Post by pbhjpbhj »

threeseed wrote: post #64
cgh wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I worked for an iOS game company that asked its employees to give its games positive reviews in the App Store and everywhere else they could think of. I don't think many of us bothered - I certainly didn't.

This is very common place and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. What is unacceptable though is deliberately trashing your opponents.

It's against European law. But companies flouting the law doesn't bother some.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#79

Post by Samuel_Michon »

neya wrote: post #68
rocky1138 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies who are leaders in their industry do not usually need to do this. I've heard of it happening at smaller organizations or sole proprietorships (small business), but it is strange to see from a company as large as Samsung. What's important is how high up the chain this was sanctioned by. If it's a lowly manager somewhere, he/she will just get fired and this will all blow over. If it's right at the top, it's m…

Dude, I don't see why you need to defend Apple so seriously and in all probability, they are no different and just because they haven't got caught yet, doesn't mean you can't rule out the possibility that they aren't into this. As an example, during the Apple vs Samsung patent wars (after Samsung lost), a handful of publications were writing in support of Apple even when most of them knew that Apple was abusing the p…

Gizmodo bought a stolen iPhone 4 prototype, blackmailed Apple over it, and published photos of the phone. Since then, they haven't been invited to Apple's press events.

Given the history, it's silly to suggest Gizmodo is being paid by Apple to write positive stories about them. I doubt Apple would even pick up the phone if Gizmodo called them.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#80

Post by pbhjpbhj »

lutusp wrote: post #31
mixedbit wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And is it illegal? I'm pretty sure paying for fake negative reviews of competition is illegal, because there is a clear victim. But how about positive reviews of companies' products?

> And is it illegal? No, in most places it isn't. If a consumer was misled by a planted, phony review and bought an inferior product, he could go to civil court and demand monetary compensation, but civil courts largely deal with the kinds of damage claims that don't involve the legality of an action, only its harm. Just remember that an illegal action would be prosecuted in a criminal court. A claim of harm would be…

Posting fake positive reviews is illegal in Europe under the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.
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