Amazon: Investigation discovered fake reviews on products being sold in bulk

Amazon is said to be getting fake reviews on the products sold on its marketplace. Based on the report, the reviews are being sold in bulk and priced at £5 each.

Reviews in exchange for money or goods

The discovery of the bogus postings shows that Amazon is experiencing issues with fake reviews in the business, and the problem seems to be getting deeper. As per BBC News, the consumer organization called Which? found at least 10 websites that sell fake reviews.

The sites offer positive reviews, and they either get paid in cash or receive free products from the Amazon sellers where the reviews are posted. Which? is a brand name in the U.K., and it promotes informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services by testing various products. The group also raises awareness of consumer rights.

The wrongdoing was a result of Which?’s investigation on the matter, and it informed Amazon about it. With the probe, it was able to identify websites that offer review services for items being sold at the Amazon Marketplace. This practice is a clear violation of the retail giant’s terms and conditions as well as the country’s consumer law.

Amazon’s response to probe results and review manipulation details

Amazon immediately responded to the fake reviews report and assured the public that the company is taking down those bogus product assessments. The company also said that it will be taking legal action against anyone who engaged in this practice.

It appears that the review manipulation business is still thriving even if Amazon is strictly implementing its terms of use for merchants who use the platform to sell their goods. This is why the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is also urged to step in and quash the sites that are selling fake reviews to protect the consumers from being misled.

"Customers need to be able to trust the reviews they see online and the systematic manipulation of reviews needs consistent enforcement and global coordination with stronger enforcement powers given to regulators against bad actors,” Sky News quoted Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, as saying.

Finally, Which? divulged that sellers who want to purchase reviews for their products on Amazon are offered different packages. A single fake positive review is priced between £5 to £13, and bulk offers range from £620 to £8,000 for 50 and 1,000 reviews, respectively. Five businesses were already found to have over 700,000 product reviewers.