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AIBU?

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Original poster

Card from Amazon, offering £30 for a 5 star review on a product I bought.

61 replies

FleetwoodRaincoat · 08/06/2021 15:58

I think this is shocking! How can you believe the reviews on Amazon if they've all been bought in this manner? AIBU to contact Trading Standards (or whoever) about this? Can't believe they actually do this.

OP posts:
Tippytappytoes · 08/06/2021 17:55

You need to report the seller to Amazon. It breaches the terms and conditions third party sellers sign to sell via Amazon.

Fitforforty · 08/06/2021 17:57

Amazon have very recently banned some of their larger sellers for doing this.

NameyNameyNameChangey · 08/06/2021 18:11

I had a tenner one today, but they aren't going to like my review as the product is shit and doesn't work.

TailFeatherz · 08/06/2021 18:30

I've heard this numerous times, you can't take reviews online seriously for anything

Kapalika · 08/06/2021 18:37

This really pisses me off.

Silhillian · 08/06/2021 18:48

I had this, bought an item based on glowing reviews. Arrived with a voucher in exchange for a good review.

callmemaybee · 08/06/2021 18:49

Hey you can pass that my way!

Notavegan · 08/06/2021 18:49

I had one and wrote a review to say so, which a Amazon deleted for breaking community guidelines. Bullshit

callmemaybee · 08/06/2021 18:50

I have ordered a lot from Amazon but have never had any communication from the seller like this ! Maybe an email to say thank you for your purchase but that’s all.

catsareme14 · 08/06/2021 19:00

I actually had a phone call off a third party trader after I left a 1 star review . He was quite threatening & told me that my review would damage his business & would I compromise & change it to a 3 star review . I said no & explained that it would be dishonest & would mislead potential buyers . He wasn't happy . I reported it to Amazon .

gooseygoosey12345 · 08/06/2021 19:07

I've had offers for money off items or refunds in return for a review, but never been asked to leave a 5 star (or even positive) review. Can't trust reviews as it's well known many are paid for.

trevthecat · 08/06/2021 19:11

I bought a marble run for one of the kids and I was offered a full refund for a 5* review! I did it because I genuinely thought it deserved it but now I get constant emails to buy off Amazon, the Seller will issue a full refund and then you leave a good review

MasterBeth · 08/06/2021 19:12

@CovidCorvid

I've had similar approaches - always from marketplace sellers. I view all reviews with a pinch of salt due to this.

But then I've also had m&s and Joules decline to put negative reviews of mine of particular products up for "not meeting standards". So m&s I said a particular top the material was very thin and flimsy. Joules I said about some wellibobs leaking. It's not like I was slandering them! So I think they're all manipulating reviews.

I would have declined you for saying wellibobs.
LeopardHawk · 08/06/2021 19:26

@CovidCorvid
Joules I said about some wellibobs leaking.

Did you actually type 'wellibobs'? And then think 'yes, I'll post that'?

LeopardHawk · 08/06/2021 19:26

@MasterBeth ha, cross-post!

Glitteryone · 08/06/2021 19:34

I had this on LED lights for the kids rooms. They cost £25 and they offered me a £20 gift card for a 5 star review!

Dodgy as hell! It’s really made me doubt the authenticity of Amazon reviews.

CrystalDaze · 08/06/2021 19:56

I experienced this too, with a medical product I bought based on the amazing reviewsBlush. The product was useless, didn’t work at all. It was only £15 they offered for 5* review - but still. It shocked me too after spending years shopping on Amazon oblivious to just how many reviews are fake.

Sadly too many folk don’t care if they convince some poor sod to waste their money, I’m alright jack.

Eyjafjallajokulldottir · 08/06/2021 20:05

I get offered these a lot. I always give them 5 stars, why not? It's free money 🤷‍♀️

I've also signed up to review some TV stuff for Amazon TV. I had to watch 3 episodes of a new TV show about some foot ball club and then fill in a short survey for another gift card. Well I just had the TV show running in the background whilst I was working then made up any old bullshit on the survey, easy money!

BessMarvin · 08/06/2021 20:32

[quote LeopardHawk]@CovidCorvid
Joules I said about some wellibobs leaking.

Did you actually type 'wellibobs'? And then think 'yes, I'll post that'?[/quote]
Not that strange really given that's what joules call them

NC276 · 08/06/2021 20:36

I wrote a bad review once on a product on Amazon (not terrible, just that it didn't work for me) and they wrote to me 5 times offering me £20 to change my review to 5 stars. Makes me not rely on reviews too much these days.

CovidCorvid · 08/06/2021 20:49

@leopardhawk and @MasterBeth... Yeah take the stupid name up with joules. Of course I didn't just decide to call them that. Hmm. AFAIK their normal wellies are fine so I didn't want to slander the wrong item. 😁

MereDintofPandiculation · 08/06/2021 20:50

@FleetwoodRaincoat

Yes, but don't you see my point? If all the 5 star reviews on there are bought, then you'll end up buying crap, which you thought was good because of the reviews. I think this is dishonest.
Yes, but didn’t you know this. Which? Magazine did a report on it a couple of months back and it was all over the news
ChompStompRoar · 08/06/2021 20:54

I’ve had this offer a few times. It makes me angry. I also bought a couple of things that came with 5 star reviews and they were shit. Now I know why!!

WinstonsWeirdVole · 08/06/2021 20:54

I don’t know why anyone is surprised by this from a company who treat their employees little better than slaves.

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