PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Amazon is continuing its efforts to combat fake product reviews by suing three of its sellers for using dodgy accounts to post positive feedback.
Over the past year, we’ve seen the etail giant crack down on fake, paid-for reviews of products sold on the platform. Amazon filed a number of lawsuits against those offering glowing reviews in exchange for cash.
The firm has targeted a number of website operators engaged in the business practice, including amazonverifiedreviews.com, paidbookreviews.org, amazonreviewstar.com, buyamazonreviews.info and more.
Now, for the first time, Amazon has taken to suing the sellers who are buying these fake reviews.The recent suits are against sellers who it believes have 30 to 45 per cent of their total reviews made up of paid-for ones.
The defendants are made up of Michael Abbara of California, Kurt Bauer of Pennsylvania, and Chinese company CCBetter Direct.
The etailer is calling for the defendants to be banned from selling products on any of Amazon’s sites, as well as being banned from accessing any of its services.
The firm is also asking for the profits the sellers made on Amazon, attorney’s fees, and damages exceeding $25,000.
“Our goal is to eliminate the incentives for sellers to engage in review abuse and shut down this ecosystem around fraudulent reviews in exchange for compensation,” said an Amazon spokesperson.
“The vast majority of reviews on Amazon are authentic, helping millions of customers make informed buying decisions every day.”
Since early 2015, Amazon says it has sued over 1,000 people who have posted fake reviews in exchange for money.
Amazon has come under fire itself recently after a number of people claimed that the retailer owes seven figures in unpaid invoices to a range of distributors, going back years in some cases.
One distie, Smithie UK, even told PCR that suppliers should unite against Amazon.
“Everybody is scared [of speaking up] but I don’t care what anybody thinks anymore,” MD Steve Riordan told PCR. “Why are these people getting away with it? In the industry there are millions of pounds sitting on people’s balance sheets that Amazon won’t pay.”
Read more about how, and if, Amazon can regain supplier trust here.
