Amazon Reviews

[Qs Laptop]

since then we almost never order from Amazon anymore just because the chance of getting something counterfeit or not as advertised is not worth the risk or hassle. Amazon has many many 3rd party resellers who are out and out criminals and amazon does nothing to police them or root them out. Sad and pathetic that amazon allows this. Integrety is pretty much zero with amazon in my book.

Amazon is aggressively addressing counterfeiting. As a seller I have been bombarded with strong suggestions to join the Amazon Transparency Program. Twice monthly emails, even phone calls from Amazon counterfeit department explaining the program and asking me to join. Until I explicitly opted out of the program they kept asking.

Proactively Prevent Counterfeits
Transparency is a product serialization service that helps identify individual units and proactively prevent counterfeits from reaching customers.

https://brandservices.amazon.com/transparency

 

[triangle]

I look at the other way. Leaving honest reviews helps other customers and encourages honest sellers. If that makes Amazon (or wherever I left the review) a better place, I don't see that as a negative. It's the same as answering my phone whenever it rings, and flagging spam calls. It doesn't cost me anything, it helps others and it hurts spammers
....

I do not disagree. I will still sometimes leave a brief review if the experience was much better or much worse than expected. But I did stop providing detailed reviews that include extra pictures, dimensions, weight. Things that could have (should have?) been included in the listing to begin with. But to be fair it is not just Amazon, similar issues exist with other online retailers and even manufacturer's website.

As an example I recently purchased a Zojirushi carafe from amazon. While basic dimensions were provided, a critical dimension for my purchase decision was the size of the opening, both the inner and outer dimensions and that information was not provided for many styles listed. I could have bought it and posted pictures labeling these dimensions to help others who might want to use it with their favorite pour over device, but I did not.

 

[Sunset]

I'll do reviews if I really like or hate the product.
I was promised 4 long spoons for doing a review of something, since I liked the product I did the review.
Surprisingly, they sent me the 4 long spoons (I didn't think they really would).

I tend not to buy much from Amazon due to the counterfeit issue, and hard to judge some things without touching them.

 

[Ready]

I guess no matter how much Amazon makes an effort to ban sellers who pander for good reviews, there will always be vendors who keep trying. I still have a RavPower battery pack from six years ago that works quite well. They banned RavPower for review pandering, only to have them come back and rename themselves RAV and start selling things all over again under a new vendor account. It seems Amazon is just too big to notice this stuff.

 

[mystang52]

I guess no matter how much Amazon makes an effort to ban sellers who pander for good reviews, there will always be vendors who keep trying. I still have a RavPower battery pack from six years ago that works quite well. They banned RavPower for review pandering, only to have them come back and rename themselves RAV and start selling things all over again under a new vendor account. It seems Amazon is just too big to notice this stuff.

Along the same lines, I frequently find products that look identical but supposedly made by a different company. I'm pretty certain they're all made in one plce with the only difference being the packaging.

 

[Aerides]

Along the same lines, I frequently find products that look identical but supposedly made by a different company. I'm pretty certain they're all made in one plce with the only difference being the packaging.

This is exactly what happens, because of the way amazon values "brands" so that no one can compete on your listing. It's complicated, but it's an outcome of the rules of listing that amazon has created.

 

[CaptTom]

Along the same lines, I frequently find products that look identical but supposedly made by a different company. I'm pretty certain they're all made in one place with the only difference being the packaging.

This isn't unique to Amazon. I buy lots of "commodity" items that are all made in the same factory, or at least to the same specs, in China or wherever.

Often sellers put their own sticker on them, but functionally they're all the same. I'll buy from whoever has the best value, be it price, shipping time, grouping products together in one package, or whatever.

For me as a buyer, Amazon takes a lot of the other "value" decision factors out of the equation. I know I can return defective items or items which don't match the description. I know I won't get hit with phony "shipping" charges. I know my credit card or identity won't be stolen. I know it'll get here when they say it will. I even get a kind of customer support by reading other customers' reviews, questions and answers ahead of time.

Other on-line sellers hit some, but not all of these points, which complicates the decision, but I'll still shop at those others when I feel the value is there for me.

 

[Walt34]

For me as a buyer, Amazon takes a lot of the other "value" decision factors out of the equation. I know I can return defective items or items which don't match the description. I know I won't get hit with phony "shipping" charges. I know my credit card or identity won't be stolen. I know it'll get here when they say it will. I even get a kind of customer support by reading other customers' reviews, questions and answers ahead of time.

Indeed, this is crucial sometimes in tilting the "buy here" scale in Amazon's favor, sometimes even when the price is a tad lower someplace else because I know for sure if the seller is not on the up-and-up, or the product crumbles to dust a week after I open the package, in the end I can get a full refund.

 

[OldShooter]

This is exactly what happens, because of the way amazon values "brands" so that no one can compete on your listing. It's complicated, but it's an outcome of the rules of listing that amazon has created.

This is not an Amazon thing at all. If you like seeing 500 Chinese guys offering exactly the same product with different brands imprinted, you'll enjoy browsing eBay.

... For me as a buyer, Amazon takes a lot of the other "value" decision factors out of the equation. I know I can return defective items or items which don't match the description. I know I won't get hit with phony "shipping" charges. I know my credit card or identity won't be stolen. I know it'll get here when they say it will. I even get a kind of customer support by reading other customers' reviews, questions and answers ahead of time.

Other on-line sellers hit some, but not all of these points, which complicates the decision, but I'll still shop at those others when I feel the value is there for me.

Yes. Amazon has done a lot of things right; most of them actually. It's easy to understand why the people who are losing business will cry about it and try to stir up Amazon hate, but the balance is highly tipped in Amazon's favor IMO for doing an overall good job. With the number of products they and their resellers offer its certain that they will be a few clinkers and logistical problems, like phony reviews, but without those how could the haters stir up hate?

 

[msanniee]

I got an offer similar to this. I took the $$ and left the review. There was no requirement to change my review or delete the review. No problem doing this as 1) the company did not ask how to improve the product or offer to send me a replacement; 2) I seriously dislike the attempt to bribe me.

 

[ERhoosier]

Not every buyer is eligible to write a product review- only those that have spent at least $50 directly on Amazon within the past 12 months. I was given a big gift card recently & bought an item I wanted to review (favorably FWIW). When I tried to write a review on the Amazon site I got an 'account not eligible' warning that I did not meet the "minimum requirements" to write a review. The "community guidelines" state the '$50 in past 12 mo' requirement, but that apparently does not include buying something expensive with an Amazon gift card. I get not allowing reviews by folks submitting bogus reviews, but why EXclude anyone who they know actually bought the product from them? The annoying thing is that Amazon later (after the return period as I recall) sent me several e-mails requesting that I review & answer other buyers questions about the product !?!?!.
I used to be a regular Amazon customer (inc. A Prime) but not so much anymore. Their prices and service, like so many other places, just ain't what it used to be

 

[CaptTom]

Not every buyer is eligible to write a product review- only those that have spent at least $50 directly on Amazon within the past 12 months.

I never knew that, thanks for posting!

It actually makes sense. This way a seller can't just get all their buddies (or pay random strangers) to buy their product and write a good review. It also makes sense that there would be a waiting period, after which you'd be encouraged (via e-mail) to write a review.

I'm actually impressed that Amazon is going to those lengths to clean up the review process and limit fake ones. Obviously it's not 100% effective, and no doubt unethical sellers have found ways around it. But it's gotta help.

 

[eytonxav]

I read a warning on the internet that Amazon treats cardboard boxes with something to repel rodents in their warehouses, and therefore it was advised that cat owners avoid letting their cats play with such cartons to preclude being poisoned. Of course, this is the internet, so might be false.

 

[RockLife]

My husband likes the Mpow headphones (inexpensive, comfortable). My first Bluetooth transmitter was a TaoTronics. I was surprised at the vendors that were caught trying to buy reviews.

Amazon says it’s permanently banned 600 Chinese brands for review fraud

I got tired of 5* reviews from guys named "Bob" who clearly didn't have English as their first language, and who wrote suspiciously like "George", "Steve", and "Joe" (the next three 5* reviews in line) I'm very careful about reviewing the reviews, not just looking at star ratings.

 

[Aerides]

I read a warning on the internet that Amazon treats cardboard boxes with something to repel rodents in their warehouses, and therefore it was advised that cat owners avoid letting their cats play with such cartons to preclude being poisoned. Of course, this is the internet, so might be false.

snope says nope.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/amazon-spray-boxes-chemicals/

 

[ERD50]

My review was rejected by Amazon!!!

My review of furnace parts was rejected by Amazon. I gave a poor review because they ship them in a bubble envelope, and these parts contain delicate, brittle parts, some of which are internal, you can't inspect those. They might have micro-cracks if they were bent a little in shipping. It would not take obvious external damage for there to be internal damage.

Heck, the shipping packaging affects the part, shouldn't I be able to alert other customers to this? I don't want to buy something if the packaging is poor. I would like to know that, and choose a supplier that uses good packing.

I'll try fighting the rejection, but I doubt I'll have success. Maybe ref this thread.

OK, the email containd this: "A few common issues to keep in mind:

Your review should focus on specific features of the product and your experience with it. Feedback on the seller or your shipment experience should be provided at www.amazon.com/hz/feedback." - But I don't think that will show in public? We'll see.

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

.... I gave a poor review because they ship them in a bubble envelope, ... shouldn't I be able to alert other customers to this? ...

...Feedback on ... your shipment experience should be provided at www.amazon.com/hz/feedback." ...

It seems like you have your answer.

In general I think this makes sense, as often there are several sellers of the same item. Since the product feedback doesn't identify the seller, multiple sellers of this product could be tarred by your brush.

FWIW, I would bet fairly serious money that evaluation of submitted feedback is done via software that looks for specific words and phrases in the text and makes acceptance/rejection decisions without human intervention. To have a human reading every one would be prohibitively expensive. Even the first level appeals such as yours are probably automated.

... I'll try fighting the rejection, but I doubt I'll have success.

I think you're right.

 

[ERD50]

It seems like you have your answer.

In general I think this makes sense, as often there are several sellers of the same item. Since the product feedback doesn't identify the seller, multiple sellers of this product could be tarred by your brush.

FWIW, I would bet fairly serious money that evaluation of submitted feedback is done via software that looks for specific words and phrases in the text and makes acceptance/rejection decisions without human intervention. To have a human reading every one would be prohibitively expensive. Even the first level appeals such as yours are probably automated.


I think you're right.

Yes, but the seller feedback isn't as obvious as the reviews.

And that leads to another problem with Amazon reviews - if they lump sellers together, then it's hard to know what to think. Things like batteries are affected by being stored at high temperatures, so what if one seller keeps them in a warehouse in a desert for months and doesn't manage the inventory, and another keeps them in a conditioned space and rotates his stock (FIFO)?

They also lump reviews of different products when you can click and get variations on the same page. And sometimes it's not just color, but completely different models of the product. Sometimes people are specific, but the reviews are lumped.

Amazon really could do better.

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

Yes, but the seller feedback isn't as obvious as the reviews. ...They also lump reviews of different products when you can click and get variations on the same page. And sometimes it's not just color, but completely different models of the product. Sometimes people are specific, but the reviews are lumped. ...

Agree on both points. I'm not so concerned about seller feedback because I try to stick to Amazon and "Fulfilled by Amazon" products, but the jumbo salad reviews of multiple products are infuriating to me. In many case it is not even possible to figure out which of the jumbled products that a particular review refers to.

 

[Sunset]

Yes, but the seller feedback isn't as obvious as the reviews.

And that leads to another problem with Amazon reviews - if they lump sellers together, then it's hard to know what to think. Things like batteries are affected by being stored at high temperatures, so what if one seller keeps them in a warehouse in a desert for months and doesn't manage the inventory, and another keeps them in a conditioned space and rotates his stock (FIFO)?

They also lump reviews of different products when you can click and get variations on the same page. And sometimes it's not just color, but completely different models of the product. Sometimes people are specific, but the reviews are lumped.

Amazon really could do better.

-ERD50

I was told by a fellow that sold on Amazon, that Amazon will throw all the widgets into a big bin for sellers that send widget A to Amazon to store and ship.
This is one of the benefits of being a certain type of seller on Amazon, you can truck to them your inventory and they store and ship it.

The downside is when a person buys widget A, it's random as to which supplier it really came from, Amazon credits and links the assumed seller to buyer, but in fact its possible you get a different seller widget A.

This makes the selling of counterfeit items a big issue as the wrong sellers can get blamed.
It can also be a reason why complaining about packaging should be different than complaining about the product. It could be Amazon packaging , or seller X or seller Y packaging in the mix.

 

[ERD50]

I was told by a fellow that sold on Amazon, that Amazon will throw all the widgets into a big bin for sellers that send widget A to Amazon to store and ship.
This is one of the benefits of being a certain type of seller on Amazon, you can truck to them your inventory and they store and ship it.

The downside is when a person buys widget A, it's random as to which supplier it really came from, Amazon credits and links the assumed seller to buyer, but in fact its possible you get a different seller widget A.

This makes the selling of counterfeit items a big issue as the wrong sellers can get blamed.
It can also be a reason why complaining about packaging should be different than complaining about the product. It could be Amazon packaging , or seller X or seller Y packaging in the mix.

But the way I'm looking at it, the whole process is "the product". And since I pay my money to Amazon, they should be responsible for the entire process.

If Amazon did the packaging, and the product suffers because of poor packing, then I didn't get the product I paid for. If the seller did the poor packing, then Amazon needs to get after them, as Amazon is experiencing customer dissatisfaction.

This is different than "the delivery guy set it in a mud puddle", or "UPS lost my package". That's a delivery issue unrelated to the product. But if the product needs good packing to assure it isn't damaged in some (possibly non-obvious way), then the packaging is really part of the product.

Based on what you say "seller feedback" is meaningless. You mean my review might actually go against a different seller, that maybe does pack his stuff well?

This is crazy, I'm disliking Amazon more each day - but of course there are a lot of positives to using them. I'd think it would be in their interests to clean this stuff up, and come across as a high-end company, rather than coming across as sleazy in many ways.

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

... I'd think it would be in their interests to clean this stuff up, and come across as a high-end company, rather than coming across as sleazy in many ways. ...

I'm not sure "sleazy" is fair because you disagree with their operational policies. Me, I am in awe of how well they do considering their growth rate. That kind of growth is a nightmare to manage, now made more difficult by criticism from grandstanding politicians who have never managed anything bigger than a lemonade stand.

I'm sure Amazon management would agree with you that it's in their best interests to improve the feedback system, but I'm also sure that the company doesn't have the management bandwidth to work every operational glitch as a top priority.

 

[Aerides]

Did you buy from a 3Party seller or from Amazon (sold by amazon?)

If sold by amazon, you have no further review/feedback. If it was a 3P, you can leave seller feedback from your order page...BUT you cannot be certain that seller packed the item poorly. They for sure are not the one that put your thing in a bubble mailer. And...seller feedback about packaging which is done by FBA is routinely removed by amazon bots because.. amazon takes responsibility for the delivery. Or if it's not, you have an innocent seller with a bad feedback, and big red "warning your account is at risk" flags on their dashboard (yes, even just one can do that).

Yes, any seller using amazon fulfillment learns to pack the item to survive Warehouse Billy plopping the item in a mailer. Or, in a box, with your order for a hammer and cat food all together. But then, to pack for this nonsense, the seller has to fortify your item beyond normal reason, which means their costs to ship the item in to amazon go up, and their storage and fulfillment fees go up as well.

It's a judgment the seller has to make if they can afford the tradeoff, because selling directly where the seller maintains shipments means they get maybe a third of the sales, or even less if others are using amazon fulfillment (FBA). I sell on amazon. I use FBA. I pack so that my items can be drop kicked in a mailer. But mine are small and light and would only break if they were crushed.

Amazon warehouse staff get only seconds for each shipment in their queue, and have to grab whatever is closest and fits and then move onto the next... and quickly.

And of course...when your return comes in to Billy Warehouse dude, he has a similar number of seconds to determine if your item can still be sold. If you packed it up and it doesn't look damaged from the outside...guess what! Good as new, back to the new pile...and around it goes. No one is happy.

 

[braumeister]

you cannot be certain that seller packed the item poorly. They for sure are not the one that put your thing in a bubble mailer.

I wouldn't be too sure about that.
I received an item just yesterday that said "Ships from Amazon" but it was mailed (USPS) directly from the manufacturer (obvious from the envelope).

 

[Aerides]

I wouldn't be too sure about that.
I received an item just yesterday that said "Ships from Amazon" but it was mailed (USPS) directly from the manufacturer (obvious from the envelope).

On rare occasions, amazon drop ships from the manufacturer, but it's not common, as they can't do the 2-day stuff for it.