# Amazon Bad Reviews **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644 "2019-10-29T14:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/1 "2019-10-29T14:43:35Z")
I recently purchased a wireless backup camera for my '03 Camry on Amazon. The camera works okay when it’s working, but it’s wonky and intermittent. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. I posted a review of my purchase on Amazon and gave the item 2 stars. The Seller is now pleading with me to refund or replace the item (which I do appreciate), and even send $50 as a fee for having to reinstall a new system. Here’s the message that I got from the Seller today: > [@](#): > > I know that your system doesn’t work properly for you! > I am sorry to hear that, but don’t worry, I will help you solve it. > > I plan to send you a new one, the same as the one you bought if you still want to use it. And I think it won’t get any accident this time. > Or do you want to try our another system? It is a wireless system with 5 inch monitor, and it has color night vision, please see this link: > (Amazon Link) > Or if you don’t want to try anything, just want the money back, I will help you do the full refund, and you don’t need to return the items. And also, I will send you a replacement to change the bad one. > > Which one would you like to choose? Will you accept our apology? > In addition, as compensation, I will provide you with $50 as installation fee. So sorry to bring you a not perfect experience! > > Will you give us one more chance to serve you? > I promise we will solve you problem and provide you with the best service! > Wait for your reply. **That’s all well and good, but at some point the Seller is probably going to want me to delete or modify the bad review.** I’ve had it happen before. Some time ago, a seller offered me $100 to delete a bad review. I refused. My attitude is that other buyers need to know about crappy products. What would you do? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/2 "2019-10-29T14:52:07Z")
I might update the review and upgrade the star-rating to 3 or 4, noting that the company contacted you and resolved the issue in a satisfactory way, and thus while the initial product didn’t meet your needs, the company did meet your needs eventually. That would still be useful info for other shoppers. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/3 "2019-10-29T14:52:15Z")
If it was me (and it has been in the past), I would take them up on one of the offers. Ask them to send you a new one or get your money back…then leave the review up. There’s nothing they can do about it and it’s not like it presents an actual threat to you (ie, no one is going to show up at your house). In my case, I took the replacement and when they asked me to update the review, I thanked them for the new one but told them that what I said about the product was still true. Just because the replacement worked, people should still know that some of them are defective. Another thing I see a lot of is a review where the person updates it later and says something like “Update, I changed this from 1 star to 4 because they sent me a replacement and it works fine” or something like that. The thing is, if they’re willing to pay $50 to get their ratings up, they don’t have very many ratings. If they don’t have very many, they’re likely to abandon the account and start over, so it may not matter in the end. Take the money and/or the replacement and either ignore further requests to change the rating you gave them, or give them a new one based on the replacement (maybe it was a genuine fluke that yours didn’t work) and write an updated, transparent review explaining what happened. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/4 "2019-10-29T15:06:29Z")
What **iiandyiiii** said. And provide details. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/5 "2019-10-29T16:10:11Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > What **iiandyiiii** said. And provide details. Agreed, that. Sounds like they’re genuinely trying to make it right, and they deserve credit for that. But the moment they ask you to change your review, report them to Amazon. That’s an explicit violation of their seller agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/6 "2019-10-29T16:16:04Z")
Are you willing to install a replacement if they send it to you? If so, then I would take **Joey P** ’s advice and update the review to reflect your experience with the new unit (which could be good or bad). If you don’t want to even touch one of their products moving forward, then I’d just leave things as they are. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/7 "2019-10-29T16:42:42Z")
It sounds like the seller is doing absolutely everything in their power to improve your experience. Why \*wouldn’t \*you work with them on this? I’d take the same version or the updated one, the $50 compensation, and edit my existing review. Customer experience is part of what you’re paying for when you buy a product, and it sounds like they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make it right. Any company can accidentally ship a defective product. What’s important is what they do to correct that. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/8 "2019-10-29T17:43:33Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I might update the review and upgrade the star-rating to 3 or 4, noting that the company contacted you and resolved the issue in a satisfactory way, and thus while the initial product didn’t meet your needs, the company did meet your needs eventually. That would still be useful info for other shoppers. This. You can edit your reviews later. If a company fixes a problem, that can (for me) turn a bad review into a better one. While I won’t change the original review, I will add an “update” section if warranted. I think that’s fair to other customers. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/9 "2019-10-29T18:45:44Z")
We had something similar where the seller put on their site to please do not post a bad review but to contact them directly. We had an issue and I did contact them directly and they did a great job in getting us a new item, plus they sent a bonus item. The issue was we bought a premium product but got a cheap knockoff. They are having a problem where people buy the good item, open it up and sub out a cheaper version, then send it back for a refund. Amazon sends the returned item as good which is out of the hands of the seller. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-bad-reviews/842644/10 "2019-10-29T19:48:11Z")
I wouldn’t change the original but if its possible I would either add to it what they did for you or add a second review once the replacement was in and operating.