Amazon Fake Reviews

Eric

Mama's lil stinker
Posts
11,294
Reaction score
21,744
Location
California
Instagram
Main Camera
Sony
I keep getting bitten by good reviews for terrible products on Amazon, several times I've purchased items with 4.5 stars and a ton of really awesome reviews just to find out it's total shit. I also tried a review verify plugin for Chrome and even it was duped (or in on it) so now I'm just going out of my way to find reviews for the product I want elsewhere.
 

SuperMatt

Site Master
Posts
7,862
Reaction score
15,004
I keep getting bitten by good reviews for terrible products on Amazon, several times I've purchased items with 4.5 stars and a ton of really awesome reviews just to find out it's total shit. I also tried a review verify plugin for Chrome and even it was duped (or in on it) so now I'm just going out of my way to find reviews for the product I want elsewhere.
Is it convenience that keeps customers coming back to Amazon? I certainly wouldn’t go to a store that sells cheap junk (and counterfeit goods) and posts fake reviews to get me to buy it.
 

Pumbaa

Verified Warthog
Posts
2,564
Reaction score
4,220
Location
Kingdom of Sweden
I keep getting bitten by good reviews for terrible products on Amazon, several times I've purchased items with 4.5 stars and a ton of really awesome reviews just to find out it's total shit. I also tried a review verify plugin for Chrome and even it was duped (or in on it) so now I'm just going out of my way to find reviews for the product I want elsewhere.
I typically go for just the reviews with media attached plus the ones with 1 or 2 stars to see what people complain about. 4.5 stars just means there is a slight possibility that the product is not crap.

Has worked out pretty well for me for products that can’t easily be found reviewed elsewhere.
 

Herdfan

Resident Redneck
Posts
4,690
Reaction score
3,571
Is it convenience that keeps customers coming back to Amazon?
Sadly yes.

But I usually know what I want (brand, model) for most things. So I really don't need reviews for that. But I have been burned a couple of times, but luckily they weren't expensive.

But it is the convenience factor for sure. This can be overcome somewhat if the retailer accepts Paypal.
 

SuperMatt

Site Master
Posts
7,862
Reaction score
15,004
Sadly yes.

But I usually know what I want (brand, model) for most things. So I really don't need reviews for that. But I have been burned a couple of times, but luckily they weren't expensive.

But it is the convenience factor for sure. This can be overcome somewhat if the retailer accepts Paypal.
Convenience is far less valuable to me than getting the right, high quality product. That might explain why I haven’t bought anything from Amazon in many years.
 

Eric

Mama's lil stinker
Posts
11,294
Reaction score
21,744
Location
California
Instagram
Main Camera
Sony
I typically go for just the reviews with media attached plus the ones with 1 or 2 stars to see what people complain about. 4.5 stars just means there is a slight possibility that the product is not crap.

Has worked out pretty well for me for products that can’t easily be found reviewed elsewhere.
There are always negative reviews and I try to balance that out with a grain of salt, people seem more likely to complain than leave a good review. However, many of these products are scamming the system and it really blurs the lines.


As a result we've been looking outside of Amazon for other credible reviews and trying to stick with product names we know.
 

DT

I am so Smart! S-M-R-T!
Posts
6,405
Reaction score
10,455
Location
Moe's
Main Camera
iPhone
Unless it's something kind of disposable (and inexpensive), or simple (where it can't really "go wrong"), I pretty much only buy name brand products, that have their own website, and that I can source external reviews (like product type specific sites, ex: coffee grinder). I also tend to make sure the seller is the product company, especially if there's any concern about fake products.

I can't count my "disappointing" products on one hand over dozens of years.
 

Alli

Perfection
Staff Member
Site Donor
Posts
5,887
Reaction score
11,792
Location
Alabackwards
This is true, returning is super easy, we just put the money back on account because we're just going to spend it again within a week. :ROFLMAO:
And if you return to Kohls, they give you a 25% coupon to use on something they sell that you were probably going to buy anyway.
 

Eric

Mama's lil stinker
Posts
11,294
Reaction score
21,744
Location
California
Instagram
Main Camera
Sony
We usually get the credit issued when the return shipping label is processed, it's nuts, I'll drop something off / UPS picks up, and moments later I'll get the email from Amazon.
Same, I'm guessing the first time you ship back a rock in a box when returning a toaster will be the last time you're given the benefit of the doubt.
 

Herdfan

Resident Redneck
Posts
4,690
Reaction score
3,571
I like disposable. I admit it. I also like instant gratification. And it’s so convenient now to return an Amazon purchase.
Yes it is. Except my local shipping store is now charging $2 to print the label. No thanks, I'll just drive around with it in the truck until I get to a UPS Store.
 

lizkat

Watching March roll out real winter
Posts
7,341
Reaction score
15,163
Location
Catskill Mountains
I've only ever returned one thing and it was just a wrong-item delivery for an order of a 6-pack crate of noodle bowls that I couldn't find in a supermarket at the time... but when it was delivered it was shoyu ramen instead of the noodles. Hmm. So i started the return process and they refunded me but called it a "returnless refund" and said not to ship the wrong crate back, so i got to keep the ramen bowls too. They were good, just pricier than regular noodle bowls and I would never have shelled out for them, so the whole experience was upside for me.
 

DT

I am so Smart! S-M-R-T!
Posts
6,405
Reaction score
10,455
Location
Moe's
Main Camera
iPhone
Yes it is. Except my local shipping store is now charging $2 to print the label. No thanks, I'll just drive around with it in the truck until I get to a UPS Store.

FYI, you can always print the label yourself, now I know you're thinking the option isn't available sometimes, and well, that's because they make it very inconspicuous.

I prefer to print my own label and package up my own shit for return.

I suspect the reason for this more recent-ish option to have the shipper label and package is because:

1) When you generate the label at home, that has billed Amazon's shipping account, whether or not you return it - it's to try to the "print and keep" cases down, you drop it off, it's definitely coming back

2) I bet a lot of people don't use the same box/packaging (or one that's reasonably sized vs. the item) and wind up sending back a single cable in a box big enough to accomodate a microwave :D So now, there has to be some auditing between the assumed cost of shipping vs. the actual cost for UPS (if the shipper packs it, it's more likely to be a more appropriately sized box/bag)

If I decide to return someone, it goes back, in fact, I actually print and package it up as soon I can print the label. And I almost always use the original packaging, or have so much on hand from other shipments I can get a good fit. I really don't like the idea of someone else packing up my return.
 
U

User.45

Guest
I keep getting bitten by good reviews for terrible products on Amazon, several times I've purchased items with 4.5 stars and a ton of really awesome reviews just to find out it's total shit. I also tried a review verify plugin for Chrome and even it was duped (or in on it) so now I'm just going out of my way to find reviews for the product I want elsewhere.
Just talked about this a few days ago with my wife. The rating system became rigged. Most recently I wanted to buy a bug/rodent repelling ultrasound machine, I dove into the reviews and they were all about makeup mirrors. Some of these vendors shuffle SKUs to keep reviews good for the products they want to sell at the moment. We just unpacked in our new house and we had to face how much unnecessary shit we have, and about 90% of that shit was purchased via Amazon. Let's call Amazon what it became: a peddler of plastic waste.

I used to prefer Amazon due to the reviews, because 5 years ago when you ordered stuff from there, you knew exactly what to expect vs. "blindly" lifting something off a shelf. These days I get more information by being able to hold the item before buying it, so it's time to get back to that old habit of physical shopping.
 

Eric

Mama's lil stinker
Posts
11,294
Reaction score
21,744
Location
California
Instagram
Main Camera
Sony
Just talked about this a few days ago with my wife. The rating system became rigged. Most recently I wanted to buy a bug/rodent repelling ultrasound machine, I dove into the reviews and they were all about makeup mirrors. Some of these vendors shuffle SKUs to keep reviews good for the products they want to sell at the moment. We just unpacked in our new house and we had to face how much unnecessary shit we have, and about 90% of that shit was purchased via Amazon. Let's call Amazon what it became: a peddler of plastic waste.

I used to prefer Amazon due to the reviews, because 5 years ago when you ordered stuff from there, you knew exactly what to expect vs. "blindly" lifting something off a shelf. These days I get more information by being able to hold the item before buying it, so it's time to get back to that old habit of physical shopping.
Right, for us it's always the unknown that ends up being crap or fake so we've just been sticking with names brands we know and trust. I know even Amazon has admitted that they're having a hard time fighting off the fake reviews as well, it's almost as if they're not spending some of that insane profit on adding credibility to their site.
 

SuperMatt

Site Master
Posts
7,862
Reaction score
15,004
Right, for us it's always the unknown that ends up being crap or fake so we've just been sticking with names brands we know and trust. I know even Amazon has admitted that they're having a hard time fighting off the fake reviews as well, it's almost as if they're not spending some of that insane profit on adding credibility to their site.
1630331306352.png
 

Alli

Perfection
Staff Member
Site Donor
Posts
5,887
Reaction score
11,792
Location
Alabackwards
Yes it is. Except my local shipping store is now charging $2 to print the label. No thanks, I'll just drive around with it in the truck until I get to a UPS Store.
I just print it before I leave home. Since you’re supposed to include the small tag inside the package, it’s just easier to do it that way.
 
U

User.45

Guest
Right, for us it's always the unknown that ends up being crap or fake so we've just been sticking with names brands we know and trust. I know even Amazon has admitted that they're having a hard time fighting off the fake reviews as well, it's almost as if they're not spending some of that insane profit on adding credibility to their site.
If they are willing to give up what made them the most convenient shopping site, well, they'll realize over time that people will slowly take their business elsewhere. I'm sick of Amazon boxes anyway, so overall I could just spend the amount of effort to get what I really want once a month as folding and recycling those fucking Amazon boxes.
 
Top Bottom
1 2