4 ms·

You don't seem to fully understand the issue. Companies aren't giving out free products to random people in the hope that their products will receive positive r

You don't seem to fully understand the issue. Companies aren't giving out free products to random people in the hope that their products will receive positive reviews; instead, companies are using services like Amazon Review Trader[1] and Review Kick[2] to find reviewers who only write positive reviews and who accept free products and discounts in exchange for reviews. For more information, visit the ProductTesting subreddit[3] where these reviewers chat about their favorite freebies and discounts. [1] https://www.amzreviewtrader.com/ https://www.amzreviewtrader.com/ [2] https://www.reviewkick.com/ https://www.reviewkick.com/ [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductTesting/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductTesting/

ghaff 10y ago
I do get the systematic issues with respect to Amazon reviews specifically and agree that they're an problem. (Systems that become especially important tend to encourage gaming.) I just react negatively when some people make this into a general statement with review-ware along the lines of financial motivations throw ethics out the window.
hippich 10y ago
They do not leave only positive reviews. This is not encouraged by group owners, nor reality I experienced first hand.
- FireBeyond 10y ago
  That's not really the reality. Have a look at the FAQ on AMZ Review Trader where they gloss over issues that will "make Amazon delete your review", including mentioning the product name in the review, and other things that sound spammy. They talk about reasons why your request to review might not be selected and hint about how your previous reviews may not appeal sufficiently to the seller. The sites advertise to seller as "make more money!". You as a reviewer get free products to use in exchange for these reviews. It's an exercise in hopeless optimism, or naivety, to say that the expectation is that you'll write honest, including negative reviews. I'm sorely tempted to sign up and write honest but negative reviews and see how long my account lasts. I suspect "not long". It'll be flagged for "other reasons". In their list of tips for "awesome reviews", great headlines and such are up there. "Things you didn't like" gets... half a sentence from twenty bullet points. "Leave a disclosure. But don't do it at the start. No one wants to hear that anyway."

ghaff 10y ago

I do get the systematic issues with respect to Amazon reviews specifically and agree that they're an problem. (Systems that become especially important tend to encourage gaming.) I just react negatively when some people make this into a general statement with review-ware along the lines of financial motivations throw ethics out the window.

hippich 10y ago

They do not leave only positive reviews. This is not encouraged by group owners, nor reality I experienced first hand.

FireBeyond 10y ago
That's not really the reality. Have a look at the FAQ on AMZ Review Trader where they gloss over issues that will "make Amazon delete your review", including mentioning the product name in the review, and other things that sound spammy. They talk about reasons why your request to review might not be selected and hint about how your previous reviews may not appeal sufficiently to the seller. The sites advertise to seller as "make more money!". You as a reviewer get free products to use in exchange for these reviews. It's an exercise in hopeless optimism, or naivety, to say that the expectation is that you'll write honest, including negative reviews. I'm sorely tempted to sign up and write honest but negative reviews and see how long my account lasts. I suspect "not long". It'll be flagged for "other reasons". In their list of tips for "awesome reviews", great headlines and such are up there. "Things you didn't like" gets... half a sentence from twenty bullet points. "Leave a disclosure. But don't do it at the start. No one wants to hear that anyway."