I know of Amazon sellers who provides products to buyers in return for positive reviews, I have also seen that with pens and inks, you cannot trust anyone.
I know of Amazon sellers who provides products to buyers in return for positive reviews, I have also seen that with pens and inks, you cannot trust anyone.
There is actually one vendor who makes a rather good jerky, which I had bought several times. I had left a four star review for one of their products (I almost never give five). On my last order from them, they offered a substantial Amazon discount coupon if I would give them a five star review. I did not answer, but I was quite annoyed, and decided never to buy from them again.
I left a two star review for another product, and the vendor offered to return my money if I would remove the review. I declined.
I left a three star feedback for a seller of used books (not the book itself), citing the fact that the condition was significantly worse than advertised. They returned my money without being asked, and asked me to remove the feedback. I didn't. As I explained to them, they needed to get the description right before the sale, not attempt to make things right afterward.
If you look through the comments on many negative Amazon reviews, you will see some from sellers disputing the points made, and urging the reviewer to contact their customer service.
To be fair, I've seen negative reviews where the buyers clearly didn't understand what they were buying or how it was supposed to work. In evaluating reviews on Amazon or elsewhere, I look for hard information on what the reviewer did or did not like about it. A negative review with pictures showing the defects can be particularly useful.
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
G.K. Chesterton
amk (January 17th, 2021)
I can't believe the thread has got this far without mention of the Veet for Men reviews at amazon uk. A classic. Silly, crude, often very funny.
Morgaine (January 15th, 2021)
I needed a good laugh, thanks for that!
Have you tried Review Meta (https://reviewmeta.com/) ?
M: I came here for a good argument.
A: No you didn't; no, you came here for an argument.
M: An argument isn't just contradiction.
A: It can be.
M: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
A: No it isn't.
M: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction.
A: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.
M: Yes, but that's not just saying 'No it isn't.'
A: Yes it is!
M: No it isn't!
catbert (January 22nd, 2021)
I did, (you have to be able to tell which are shill reviews, and pay attention to the less than 5 star votes) but I'll never buy off Amazon again. I don't like paying for things twice.
The last time, Amazon's CS admitted I was charged twice, and claimed they would issue a refund. Been over a week, and still no refund. I guess I need to dispute it with the bank.
I can get the same brand products elsewhere.
Last edited by Ugly Old Guy; January 29th, 2021 at 10:56 AM.
I've never had a problem with Amazon that couldn't be sorted out with a phone call. If the first person who you speak with can't solve the problem with your refund then ask for the supervisor. Some accounts take longer than others to get funds back into, but rest assured you will get the money.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
Ole Juul (January 30th, 2021)
I use the "Fakespot" chrome plugin for Amazon purchases. It also works on eBay. It shows rate of fake reviews to real ones, adjusted real rating, and seller warnings.
I'm in the market for a new hummingbird feeder. In the past I have purchased plastic feeders and was thinking glass and metal would last longer and plus not fade. I found a nice looking glass and metal version, but the reviews educated me that a galvanized container could be toxic to the bird. Again, I find the reviews very useful.
This just in regarding "booty fresh" Amazon reviews..... "I love Booty Fresh. He finally "ate the groceries" the other night and I'm happy because it's taking our relationship to a whole new level! Thank you, Booty Fresh!"
Spammer reported
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
Stands on Feet (April 15th, 2022)
Back on topic...
My wife got a package the other day with some completely random stuff. Electric sheet metal shears, a woven laundry basket, and an odd towel rack.
Checked her amazon account, no security lapse and didn't order that stuff. Weird.
Turns out there's a "brushing" scam. Companies buy their own stuff and send it to random amazon customers (not sure how they get the info), and since they're the purchaser they write 'verified buyer' reviews for their products which bumps it up in the rankings (and visibility). I guess it's cheaper than advertising...
"A truth does not mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged."
Chrissy (April 15th, 2022), Sailor Kenshin (April 24th, 2022)
I start by reading the Q & A section, if there is one. If the same questions are repeatedly asked it can point to a problem with the item. Although I am always amazed at the high number of people who respond to a question by saying they do not know the answer. Why bother answering at all if you have nothing useful to say?
Then I look at the photos attached to the reviews, if there are any. After that I go to the 1-stars and work my way up, weeding out the people who didn't realize what they were ordering and think that's Amazon's fault and the idiots previously mentioned who can't follow simple directions and again bIame Amazon or the product.
With what's left I look for trends in both the reviews and photos. I am looking to see if there are consistent points of failure not caused by user error & that are backed up by photos. As I work my way up through the levels I look for comments in both negative and positive areas that only a user would have experienced and pretty much ignore the glowing generalizations that smack of a quickie paid review or someone who responds to anything just to see their username published.
Finally, I try to purchase only items with Prime return privileges. If the item doesn't work out, I have a month to find out and returns couldn't be much easier. I have always been reimbursed promptly, both on returns and the few items that never showed up.
I look at the reviews on Amazon, but buy direct from the maker or another source.
Bezos ruined my living, as a mid-list author supported by local bookstores, so I damn sure am not going to make him richer.
Jon Szanto (April 24th, 2022)
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