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I bought a $50 item and a couple of weeks later I received a letter in the mail offering me a $35 Amazon gift card if I leave a 5-star review with a video or pi

I bought a $50 item and a couple of weeks later I received a letter in the mail offering me a $35 Amazon gift card if I leave a 5-star review with a video or picture attached. I'm surprised Amazon allows these kinds of bribes.

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mbreese 4y ago
They don't, but it's hard to crack down on. The only way for Amazon to know is if the people who get the gift card notify Amazon, which isn't likely to happen. Here's a story about how Amazon banned a popular battery/charger maker because of the same thing you're talking about. (I have one of their batteries... it was pretty good too). https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/16/22536976/amazon-ravpower-battery-charger-removed-amazon https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/16/22536976/amazon-ravpower-...
- SkyPuncher 4y ago
  It'd be far easier if Amazon didn't provide my contact information to sellers (unless they're large enough to be "trustworthy")
  - chihuahua 4y ago
    Unless it's FBA (fulfilment by Amazon), it's difficult for the seller to send you the item you ordered, unless Amazon gives them your address as part of the ordering process.
- aftbit 4y ago
  I have actually tried to report this to Amazon customer support a number of times. Most of the time, the CS agent either entirely does not understand what I am complaining about, or openly says this is allowed. Last time they told me I would only get the gift card after I left a 5 star review, and to chat back if I did not get it!
tasty_freeze 4y ago
Twice that has happened to me, so I left a review mentioning the bribe. Amazon rejected the review saying that isn't the right mechanism for that feedback. All the same, hundreds of people were ordering this five star item, unaware most of the reviews were paid for reviews.
- m463 4y ago
  I've tried to report fraud, but amazon does not have any sort of way to report fraud on their site. It's more like "amazon would never call you and ask your credit card number" types of stuff. I think it's all on purpose. I remember having a missing package and not being able to say "package missing but says delivered". The site would take you to a non-helpful page that would say "have you looked in your bushes?" "have you asked your neighbors?" but no way to resolve it through amazon. on purpose.
- whoopdedo 4y ago
  Funny how they have a way to reject reviews that don't meet their criteria but claim rejecting improper listings is "too hard".
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
ei8ths 4y ago
I got one of these, i bought a kids alarm clock for my daughter, it works really well, good quality. I did cash in the gift card. Why not? now if it was some crap product, i would report the bribe.
- criddell 4y ago
  Who would you report it to? Amazon doesn't care. Is there a state-level consumer affairs department that might care? The FTC maybe?
  - walterbell 4y ago
    https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-... > If you endorse a product through social media, your endorsement message should make it obvious when you have a relationship (“material connection”) with the brand. A “material connection” to the brand includes a personal, family, or employment relationship or a financial relationship – such as the brand paying you or giving you free or discounted products or services.
cptskippy 4y ago
> I'm surprised Amazon allows these kinds of bribes. I reported one of these attempts to Amazon customer support once and the response I got back was basically "if we catch you accepting payment for positive reviews, we'll ban your account and you'll lose all of your digital purchases." No questions about the seller or the item, just a veiled threat.
BrotherBisquick 4y ago
I once received a postcard (as in, no envelope) with a picture of the product I bought, trying to bribe me for a 5-star review. The product itself was totally innocuous but I can imagine if that happened with something that was even slightly sensitive or embarrassing. Like, now everyone at the post office knows you ordered a Swedish penis pump along with a hardcover instruction book written by Austin Powers himself.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

mbreese 4y ago

They don't, but it's hard to crack down on. The only way for Amazon to know is if the people who get the gift card notify Amazon, which isn't likely to happen. Here's a story about how Amazon banned a popular battery/charger maker because of the same thing you're talking about. (I have one of their batteries... it was pretty good too). https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/16/22536976/amazon-ravpower-battery-charger-removed-amazon https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/16/22536976/amazon-ravpower-...

SkyPuncher 4y ago
It'd be far easier if Amazon didn't provide my contact information to sellers (unless they're large enough to be "trustworthy")
- chihuahua 4y ago
  Unless it's FBA (fulfilment by Amazon), it's difficult for the seller to send you the item you ordered, unless Amazon gives them your address as part of the ordering process.
aftbit 4y ago
I have actually tried to report this to Amazon customer support a number of times. Most of the time, the CS agent either entirely does not understand what I am complaining about, or openly says this is allowed. Last time they told me I would only get the gift card after I left a 5 star review, and to chat back if I did not get it!

tasty_freeze 4y ago

Twice that has happened to me, so I left a review mentioning the bribe. Amazon rejected the review saying that isn't the right mechanism for that feedback. All the same, hundreds of people were ordering this five star item, unaware most of the reviews were paid for reviews.

m463 4y ago
I've tried to report fraud, but amazon does not have any sort of way to report fraud on their site. It's more like "amazon would never call you and ask your credit card number" types of stuff. I think it's all on purpose. I remember having a missing package and not being able to say "package missing but says delivered". The site would take you to a non-helpful page that would say "have you looked in your bushes?" "have you asked your neighbors?" but no way to resolve it through amazon. on purpose.
whoopdedo 4y ago
Funny how they have a way to reject reviews that don't meet their criteria but claim rejecting improper listings is "too hard".
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

ei8ths 4y ago

I got one of these, i bought a kids alarm clock for my daughter, it works really well, good quality. I did cash in the gift card. Why not? now if it was some crap product, i would report the bribe.

criddell 4y ago
Who would you report it to? Amazon doesn't care. Is there a state-level consumer affairs department that might care? The FTC maybe?
- walterbell 4y ago
  https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-... > If you endorse a product through social media, your endorsement message should make it obvious when you have a relationship (“material connection”) with the brand. A “material connection” to the brand includes a personal, family, or employment relationship or a financial relationship – such as the brand paying you or giving you free or discounted products or services.

cptskippy 4y ago

> I'm surprised Amazon allows these kinds of bribes. I reported one of these attempts to Amazon customer support once and the response I got back was basically "if we catch you accepting payment for positive reviews, we'll ban your account and you'll lose all of your digital purchases." No questions about the seller or the item, just a veiled threat.

BrotherBisquick 4y ago

I once received a postcard (as in, no envelope) with a picture of the product I bought, trying to bribe me for a 5-star review. The product itself was totally innocuous but I can imagine if that happened with something that was even slightly sensitive or embarrassing. Like, now everyone at the post office knows you ordered a Swedish penis pump along with a hardcover instruction book written by Austin Powers himself.