How to spot fake Amazon Reviews and Reviewers.

So, you're in the market for a new whatever it is your looking for. Naturally, you go and check the amazon reviews. Alas, something does not seem right. You're scrolling through all the reviews, and it has nothing but glowing, wonderful, positive reviews, or one star, negative, awful reviews. Upon actually reading them, you see that half the reviews are garbage. Well, let me tell you. Instinct is right, they're probably fake.  Here's how you can tell.



For starters. Amazon terms of service states a blogger who has received a product for free needs to include that in their review. Additionally, a blogger can not be paid for a review. (Or product tester, I use the term blogger, because that's what I am) Also. I have CONFIRMED, you may NOT pay/ask your reviewers to upvote/down-vote reviews. So, if a pretty terrible review has a lot of helpful votes.. this has probably happened. Or, a good review that is 1 star has a lot of un-helpful votes. Well you get the point.


How to spot a fake review:

1. They are all 5 star or 1 star reviews. No one is going to write a fake review, and give it 3 stars. It just does not happen. Most 1 star reviews, or 5 star reviews that are fake. Are going to be very generic, and not detailed. Some might even sound as if they aren't even talking about the product you wish to purchase! 1 star reviews, might include links, or comments about a competitors product being better.... 
2. Bulk of reviews written in same day, If they have 53 reviews, and 27 are written on the same day. Then, chances are they are fake! Take this one with a grain of salt, as many bloggers who receive promotional items, review on the same day, or within the same time span. However, if you start to look at the profiles, and they only have one review than chances are those are fake reviews. Or, all of the persons reviews are for products sold by the same company.
3. Fake profiles- An easy way to spot fake profiles- they have really odd names, or only one review, and if you click on that review it probably goes to a product that has many same day reviews, by accounts with only 1 review.
4. Unverified purchases- If all of the above seems to be correct, and the review is an unverified purchase. (You will be able to tell, since it wont have the orange verified purchase underneath) than it probably is fake.   While most reviews are typically verified, many bloggers do receive items away from amazon to review. This should be taken into account with other items above, do not assume a review is false, just because it is unverified. 

Look at a Reviewers profile. 

Do they only have 1 review.

Are all their reviews for similar products, stating one is better than the other?

Is it clearly fake.

Are all of their reviews 5 stars... (Chances are this is a dishonest blogger, only leaves 5 stars to get free products)

Amazon reviews. 

Are all the ratings the same?

Do they have any detailed ratings? Other than this product is great, it works well. pr this product sucks, it doesn't work.

One way to really tell if the reviews are sincere, is to go look at all the negative reviews. Do you see a similar theme happening? Like a battery not staying charged, or a cable breaking, or it does not do what it claims to do? different color than what was ordered?.. etc. 

All in all, Yes,  there are people who just can't write a review, but someone who is reviewing a product is going to put some thought into it. So, if you find most of these are happening. I wouldn't trust that review, or that product, and move on. :D

Happy Days,

Lyn.