While many Internet users still take time to read Amazon reviews before making a purchase, UFC-Que-Choisir is warning about the latter.
Amazon has acquired a solid reputation in its field over the years. Jeff Bezos’ empire has become, over time, a reference in terms of online shopping sites and platforms. It must be said that Amazon did not become what it is today in just a few days. Year after year, the site has been enriched with many features that are highly appreciated by Internet users.
One of these features has recently been in the news, but not in the best way. The UFC-Que-Choisir institute has in fact decried the famous user reviews that are frequently found on the product pages displayed on the site. According to the UFC, a large part of these reviews are simply false, or even illegal.
Amazon reviews are a great idea on paper. Once a product is ordered and received, users can leave their opinion about the product, as well as the delivery provided by Amazon or a partner company. This allows other users to ensure that a product they are interested in is actually interesting and matches their selection criteria.
However, Amazon reviews are full of fake users or biased opinions. The UFC-Que-Choisir website has collected testimonies from several people who received a strange flyer following an order placed on Amazon. These independent sellers promise their customers vouchers or gift cards worth several dozen euros in exchange for a 5 out of 5 star rating on their order. In short: they buy reviews on the Amazon website.
This technique is not new. At the editorial office, we ourselves have already obtained such a coupon several years ago. Amazon says it is actively fighting against this practice, which generally leads to sanctions against independent sellers who buy and distribute gift cards and vouchers. Unfortunately, these same cards generally require that the reviews do not mention the gift received. Thus, many Amazon reviews are therefore faked and filled out only in exchange for vouchers for users.
So don’t be surprised if, when ordering an item on Amazon, it comes with a small gift worth 10, 20 or 30 euros in exchange for a 5-star review on the product page. It’s up to you to make this transaction or not, but users don’t risk any sanctions from Amazon.