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Is It Really Five Stars? How to Spot Fake Amazon Reviews
It’s on us to understand how Amazon reviews really work before we buy, and it’s on Amazon to start rethinking the star system entirely

Joanna SternDec. 20, 2018 9:00 a.m. ET
My dog loves this pet drinking fountain. He doesn’t care that it’s louder than Niagara Falls when the water level is low, and that the setup instructions were impossible to follow. Oops, this is supposed to be a positive review. So, yeah, the LED light is nice, I guess?

I’ll never actually post that, but it could have been worth money if I had. Let me explain. I visited a Facebook group called “Amazon Reviews” and was promised a full refund on a $44 Amazon purchase of a pet fountain if I did the following on the mega-retailer’s site:

1. Write a positive review.

2. Post my photos of the product.

3. Rate it five stars.

Not only is this ethically problematic, it is also against Amazon and Facebook user policies. Plenty of people don’t care, though: They’ll do it for this pet gizmo or one of the other bajillion products in these forums.

Every day, many of us search for a product on Amazon, pick a four- to five-star option and tap Buy Now. Those little yellow stars can make or break a product.

“In early 2012, the Amazon catalog grew too big, and the only way to get to the top of search results was to prove to the algorithm that your product was the best,” said Juozas Kaziukėnas, chief executive of Marketplace Pulse, a business-intelligence firm focused on e-commerce. “Most sellers realized acquiring reviews was a golden ticket.”

That five-star Amazon review? It may have been given in exchange for a free product or even cash.
That five-star Amazon review? It may have been given in exchange for a free product or even cash. Photo: Photo illustration: Laura Kammerman/The Wall Street Journal
Over the past few years, Amazon has cracked down on fake reviews as well as on incentivized reviews, where companies offer refunds to shoppers in exchange for top stars. However, my hours lurking in shady Facebook groups and combing Amazon reviews tell me both types are very much still alive and well.

It’s on us to better understand the complicated world of Amazon reviews before we make a purchase. But it’s on Amazon to start rethinking the star system entirely.

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Originally posted by cas:
On Amazon or any other site, I usually only read the negative reviews. Often to see if they reenforce specific concerns I have.

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Originally posted by konata88:
Yea, I also seek out the negative reviews. I don't just look at the positive reviews. But the negative reviews are sometimes sketchy as well.

But I don't even look at reviews if the product has a hint of being from a PRC company (not just an American company with products made in PRC). PRC made for a PRC company - definite no for me since I don't even care for PRC made for an American company (but sometimes unavoidable)).

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Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
I wrote a three star review and the seller contacted me to ask if I'd change it, offering me a coupon on my next purchase.
I said no, as my review wasn't subjective... they claimed their bowl was 22 ounce capacity, but you couldn't put 16 in it without it overflowing.

Later I found my review had just disappeared. they continued to list the product as a 22 ounce bowl.

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Originally posted by Ackks:

I love the idiots who leave negative reviews that have nothing to do with the actual product.