To wonder how a large company worked out it was me who left a review on Amazon?

[PikachuSayBoo]

I bought a kettle from a fairly well known brand via Amazon nearly two years ago and left a fairly shitty review.

Just had an email direct from the company today asking if it was me that left the review and offering to replace the product.

How on earth did they get my email address? How have they linked my Amazon account to my email? My Amazon name/id for reviews is nothing to do with my real life name or my email. Ive clicked on my public profile on Amazon and there's no details at a.

All I can think of is that Amazon has dobbed me in!

But they're willing to give you a new kettle! I would say yes, take the kettle and then query it with Amazon.

I thought we were anonymous on there, too!

Maybe the terms and conditions allow that? I've never thought to check.

There are all sorts of ways they could have got this, apart from Amazon.

If you used your real name, or a name you have used elsewhere, it can be searched for connections and eventually finding an email address. Have you reviewed other items on Amazon or elsewhere? Did you complain about the kettle on Facebook? Everyone leaves a personal trail around the web.

I don't want a new kettle, it will be just as shit as the one I left a bad review for. Ive emailed them back and said it was me and declined their offer!

Maybe they contacted amazon & did an email through their filtering thing

Ive reviewed other items on Amazon. Didn't mention the kettle on FB.

Say my real name is Sarah smith and my Amazon profile name is bilbobaggins. Totally unrelated. Don't think Ive used the bilbobaggins thing anywhere else, it's an Amazon only nickname.

And even odder they've referred to me in the email by my nickname. Which isn't what I'm registered to either my email or Amazon with.

So for instance my email is Isabelle as is my Amazon account but they've called me Izzy which is what everyone calls me.

Hmmm. It does point towards Amazon. I would ask them directly is they passed your email on.

Was the item dispatched by Amazon or the kettle company? They would have your details for delivery

Crossed with your last. That suggests it wasn't Amazon then. Are you sure you haven't emailed anyone else about the kettle? It was two years ago.

I'm 99% it came direct from Amazon as Ive got Prime and we got it next day delivery as the other one broke. It's still being sold by Amazon prime.

Maybe they just looked at who had bought that kettle within a certain time period of you leaving the review and figured it was you? They would have your contact info from Amazon anyway I would imagine, from when you bought the product. Not sure about the nickname though, unless you mean the nickname is the name you used to leave the review?

But surely they shouldn't be able to see who has bought the product unless Amazon hand over their customer lists/details?

I have my real name on my birth certificate which is what both my Amazon and email account are registered to.

I have a stupid name rather than using my real name for Amazon reviews so if people see a review of mine they don't think oh that's x who I work with.

In real life I am known by an abbreviation of my real name by friends/family.

The email I got from the company addressed me by my abbreviated name. Though it's possible Ive contacted Amazon in the past about something and signed off with my abbreviated name.

Were you logged into your Amazon account when you left the review?

Oh I think Ive worked it out.

Ive been looking though my other product reviews on Amazon to see if Ive inadvertently put my email address in one and Ive previously bought a product by the same manufacturer and left a good review for that item. I seem to remember that item came from the company rather than Amazon.

Yes. As I said above we all leave a trail behind on the web.
It doesn't take long for someone to trace you if they want to.