Learn how to Spot Pretend Evaluations on Amazon: Instruments and Recommendation
Because the main on-line retailer within the US and the UK, Amazon sells nearly all the pieces. (Like the emblem says, from A to Z.) Whether or not you’re purchasing on-line for an inexpensive transportable charger, eco-friendly cleansing provides, or headphones to your children, Amazon is probably going your first cease. And when it’s time to decide on between similar-looking merchandise, most folk depend on consumer critiques.
The difficulty is that many Amazon critiques are pretend. Unscrupulous or determined sellers pay for glowing critiques, and a few supply reward playing cards or free merchandise in trade for five-star rankings. Often, sellers will even solicit false damaging critiques on competing merchandise. It’s robust to establish with certainty what’s actual, however you’ll be able to cut back the chance of being conned when you recognize the warning indicators. We’ve compiled some suggestions that may assist.
Up to date July 2025: We have up to date this text with current information, together with the UK’s CMA crackdown on pretend critiques, the adoption of AI summaries, and Fakespot shutting down.
Pretend Amazon Evaluations
If you’re purchasing on Amazon, there’s a good probability you’ll see some pretend critiques. A 2023 UK authorities report prompt that 11 to fifteen % of shopper electronics critiques on ecommerce platforms had been pretend. That investigation led to an specific ban on pretend critiques within the UK in April 2025, as a part of the Digital Markets, Competitors and Client Act 2024. However pretend critiques are usually not straightforward to eradicate.
The bulk are constructive, extolling the virtues of a product in suspiciously glowing phrases. Quick five-star critiques are doubtless meant to sport the system by boosting a product’s rating and visibility. However there are additionally extra refined makes an attempt to steer you to purchase, the place paid reviewers will go into some element, possibly share images, and even write one thing damaging alongside many positives. They could rating a product 4 out of 5 stars, for instance, which may be very convincing.
Some sellers have interaction in paid damaging critiques designed to criticize competing merchandise. They’re sometimes one-star critiques that target cons and can typically point out one other product that compares favorably to attempt to steer you towards it.
Amazon is just not the one ecommerce web site with a pretend evaluate downside. Walmart, Goal, and lots of others have related points (the Federal Commerce Fee put greater than 700 companies on discover in 2021 and explored a rule that might set off stiff civil penalties for violators). Many of the suggestions we talk about right here will serve you usually, not simply on Amazon.
How Amazon Sellers Get Pretend Evaluations
Sellers wish to improve their gross sales, and critiques can try this. The reviewers wish to earn money or free merchandise. That’s why the underground marketplace for pretend critiques is prospering. There are abroad firms promoting blocks of constructive critiques, social media teams that arrange groups of reviewers, and firms that provide all types of incentives to steer real consumers to depart a positive evaluate. Sellers additionally present refunds or different rewards to persuade consumers to take away or edit damaging critiques. Reply All’s “The Magic Retailer” episode covers some frequent eventualities and is a enjoyable hear on the subject.
How Sellers Manipulate Amazon Evaluations
Earlier than we dig into the veracity of particular person Amazon critiques, there are a few dodgy vendor methods to pay attention to. Some sellers abuse the variation system, meant to allow them to promote variations of a product (for instance, completely different colours of the identical machine). Amazon’s variation coverage prohibits sellers from including variations which might be “basically completely different” from the unique and that embody new variations or fashions. However it is vitally straightforward to search out examples of sellers doing precisely that.
Let’s say a vendor has a list with 4,000 constructive critiques and a median of 4.5 stars. They’ll add different merchandise with far fewer, principally damaging, and even no critiques in any respect as variations, and at a look it seems as if they’ve numerous constructive critiques. In the event you discover a itemizing with a number of variations, you need to scroll all the way down to click on See extra critiques after which choose the All codecs drop-down to filter the critiques for the particular product you’re looking at.