Feedback and online reviews

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's been a while since I did a rant on feedback and online reviews, and how little I think of them, but this seems like as good a time as any to bring it back up.

Last summer Megan bought a garden hose on Amazon, and frankly, it was pretty crappy.  She bought it because it had almost all good reviews, and let's face it, reviews are important.  It started to spring leaks shortly after we got it, but in the end, it was good enough.  Live and learn, right?

Megan decided to leave a 2 star review for it, stating that it had sprung leaks, and life went on.  For the record, we are still using it now- it works well enough, and nothing we need it for is critical to not have a little spray out from probably a dozen little pinholes.

A week ago I started getting emails from the seller asking me to delete my review in exchange for a $20 gift card, payable after they confirmed it was deleted.  I ignored the first couple, but they kept coming, saying things like they have changed the manufacturer and the new product is better than the old one, I am hurting their small business, if I don't remove it they will be fired and their family will starve etc.

I eventually told them I had no intentions of changing or deleting my review, and they continued on and on, eventually getting the gift card to $30, then $40 and most recently $50.

After about ten emails in the past week (I have screenshots and am debating posting them), the latest email didn't even ask me to change it- ot was like a command to do it.

Just go to your Amazon profile and delete the review

You can easily get 50 dollars amazon gift card

here is how to remove:

To edit a review:

1.Go to Your Profile.

2.Choose the review you want to change in the Community activity section.

3.Edit or delete your review, as required.

To which I want to respond "what part of NO is not being translated properly?"

For the record, they brought up a language issue with me, suggesting that I didn't understand how serious a poor review was.

But, rather than tell them off, I have instead screenshotted the whole conversation and sent it to Amazon's community help email, because this is harassment and fraud, both of which violate the community standards.

If someone offers you compensations to create, edit, or post content that violates our guidelines, forward the offer to community-help@amazon.ca. Please include:

Contact information
Product detail page
Screenshot of the compensation offer
After we receive your report, we'll investigate and take appropriate action.

Seems pretty straightforward to me.  If my bad review is that bad for them, I wonder how destitute their family will be if their seller account gets suspended?

Anyways, I am not suggesting that reading reviews is bad, but always read them with a bit of skepticism, as I doubt very much I am the first person these smurfholes have tried to push into removing bad reviews.

Def

[Tasky]

I would have edited my review, to include the details of the bribery attempts.

Part of me also wonders if you could take the $50, considering it compensation for a shoddy product, and still report/publicise the bribery... I'm sure it's reprehensible in moral terms, but there aren't any Amazon rules against accepting it, are there?

[Aloha]

I have always been a bit skeptical of online reviews.  I am happy that amazon will return darn near anything.   Its no wonder how some product get 5 stars.  Pretty sad actually.  I once had a guy ask me if I'd take 100 off my service and he'd give me a 5 star rating on a local contractor site.  I told him I was not part of that site.  I really wasn't. 

I'd probably would have asked for them to send me a new hose and I'd be happy to relate my experience.  Since they are bribing you its much too late for that.  It also makes me wonder how many complaints amazon gets regarding this same scenario? 

We'll see how this plays out.   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I had considered trying to get one of the new hoses and I'd edit my review....  but in the end, the repeated annoyances and bullsmurf stories just pissed me off.

If my children were one bad Amazon review away from starvation, I'd be damned sure the product I was sending out was made of a combination of gold and supermodel underthings.

Def

[Aloha]

If my children were one bad Amazon review away from starvation, I'd be damned sure the product I was sending out was made of a combination of gold and supermodel underthings.

Def

 

[Sea Monster]

There's a few of reasons I don't shop with Amazon,

but the lack of control of the products they ship, and the general being-a-sack-of-crap-person that it seems a lot of the sellers are is definitely on the list.

If you buy off a seller you can find, and throttle, and who has a direct line to their supplier*, you've got a better chance of
A. Getting something that works in the first place
B. Resolving issues if they arise.


*Asterisk because in Australia their relationship with the supplier/manufacturer is irrelevant, your business is with the seller, and if it's not fit for purpose the onus for rectification is with them, even if they squirm and whinge and say it'll take weeks/months for them to get a credit from their supplier.
They sold it, they own the problem.


In any case, good on you for standing your ground against the temptation of $50 of more trash.

Perhaps if more people did that, Amazon would not be the cesspit it is, enabling smurfty manufacturers and sellers to turn natural resources into decorative garbage and shipping it across the world.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have nothing against Amazon.  I have been extremely happy with most things I get from them.  I have an issue with clothing as I like to try things on first and their clothing (especially pants!) seem to be sized according to a race of microscopic organisms, but that's another story.

If the reviews aren't allowed to be honest then they shouldn't exist.

I often read the reviews before purchasing an item I am unfamiliar with, like this hose (and by "I" I am including Megan in this because she bought the hose) and if those reviews aren't accurate and impartial then how are we to know if the product is worth buying or not?

I'll say it again- if the reviews are not honest, they aren't worth the dots on the screen that make them up.

Def

[Barry Rowland]

Good for you Def!  They should have refunded your money and sent you a new hose free of charge.  I think it's pretty sleezy to even ask someone to delete a review, let alone entice them with a bribe.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sadly, as wrong as it may seem, I'm guessing it happens pretty often.

Oddly enough, I haven't heard from the seller or Amazon since I sent in my complaint to Amazon.  I figured there would be a follow up of some sort.

Def

[Aloha]

Tell them send you 75 and a new hose.  The 75 is for the aggravation so no retraction of review of the hose.  Upon use of the new hose review pending.   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I doubt they will send anything but assassins after I sicced Amazon's Community Standards people on them....

Def

[ReamerPunch]

I always check the negative reviews/feedback too. That's why I've stopped shopping for stuff on ebay. 5k positive feedback, only three negatives saying the same thing, and I fall for it, order the thing, and what do you know? I have the exact same issue. It's appalling to see outright scammers on ebay and amazon getting away with it.

I also value communication. I've taken away the "100% positive feedback" from a few sellers for poor communication, or lack thereof. 

[dks]

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