# Another Amazon oddity (Reviews) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303 "2019-06-30T15:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/1 "2019-06-30T15:25:16Z")
I am looking for a new can opener. [This one](https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Hanldhled-Ergonomic-Seniors-Arthritis/dp/B07PRMG2LD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) gets nothing but 5 star reviews. Which is unusual in itself. Funny thing is, not one of the reviews is for this product. Or the same product, as far as I can tell. [Reviews.](https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Hanldhled-Ergonomic-Seniors-Arthritis/dp/B07PRMG2LD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8#customerReviews) Has anyone seen this before? I’m aware of fake reviews on Amazon. These don’t seem like the usual joke review. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/2 "2019-06-30T15:33:24Z")
That’s fucked up. 😃 You’re right: not one of the reviews seems to actually be for the Can Opener Manual Food Grade Stainless Steel Tin Opener Hanldhled Jar Opener Ergonomic Anti Slip Big Turn Knob and Rubber Soft Handle Ultra Sharp Blades Ideal For Seniors/Arthritis being sold. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/3 "2019-06-30T16:26:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That’s fucked up. > > 😃 > > You’re right: not one of the reviews seems to actually be for the Can Opener Manual Food Grade Stainless Steel Tin Opener Hanldhled Jar Opener Ergonomic Anti Slip Big Turn Knob and Rubber Soft Handle Ultra Sharp Blades Ideal For Seniors/Arthritis being sold. I laughed, because I never actually read past “can opener” in the name. That is as bad as the reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/4 "2019-06-30T16:51:10Z")
**Hanldhled** is my favorite part. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/5 "2019-06-30T17:16:41Z")
The earliest review (for “slims sandalwood”) is from April 2007. The most recent from Dec. 2018. So this _seems_ to have been going on a long time. But I don’t see how Amazon hasn’t caught on to this yet. Has the review systems been gamed in some way? (Like those dozens of fake 5 star reviews that instantly appear on some new cheap junk products. **Mrs. FtG** fell for an item with a bunch of those. And the fake reviews promptly went away after it was bought.) At random I picked a reviewer and started checking their [reviews](https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AG5HBFUZ4UYNUT7N5WWXLYMZWS5A/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_gw_btm?ie=UTF8). Seems mostly okay at first. But then “blocks” of identical reviews appear. So this isn’t someone who is just piling on with funny reviews. It’s a misdirected spam review. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/6 "2019-06-30T23:05:14Z")
I just clicked on REPORT for a few of those reviews. I wonder if anything will happen? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/7 "2019-06-30T23:44:40Z")
It’s not just the reviews. Even the questions halfway down the page are geared toward unrelated products (or are absurdist on a “Crazy Sam Beckett play” level): > [@](#): > > Question: What is the difference between this and the much cheaper fidget spinners? > \*\*Answer: so i recently bought two different kinds. i really like this one because it is alot more smooth and spins longer.And its easier to hold I highly recommend this one over the others. \*\* > > Question: Are there any plastic parts in the grind cup or blade area? > \*\*Answer: No. It is all steel.It is a really wonderful product. \*\* > > Question: does it run big? > **Answer: I bought it for my son and it fit as expected.** ---
**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:** [July 1, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/8 "2019-07-01T00:23:26Z")
I use [ReviewMeta](https://reviewmeta.com/), and extension for Chrome that analyzes reviews on Amazon. Checks for fakes, duplicates, and general weirdness in Amazon reviews. Very useful. Also available for FireFox and Edge. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/9 "2019-07-01T02:57:00Z")
I first saw this about a month ago. A cow-orker theorized that, since in my case the “sold by” was not Amazon, that the seller simply re-used the same Amazon ID (ASIN, I think) for a different product. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/10 "2019-07-01T03:07:16Z")
But in this case, every review seems to be about something different. ETA: has anyone checked to see if they were somehow cribbed from other items on Amazon? Like, Hubert writes a review for a retro encabulator and then somehow this user was able to “steal” that review onto his own items? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/11 "2019-07-01T04:07:59Z")
> [@](#): > > ``` > S. Joan > > ``` > > 5.0 out of 5 stars Just Adorable! > February 3, 2015 > Color: peno43Verified Purchase > These little frogs are just adorable! I ordered them to give to my coworkers who are in remote locations. Three will be given to my friends and the other three will live on my desk to remind me of them! > > They stand 1" tall and are 1/2" wide so they are tiny; but super cute! Who could ask for anything more in a can opener? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/12 "2019-07-01T04:34:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Who could ask for anything more in a can opener? Well, it would be nice if it opened cans as well. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/13 "2019-07-01T04:47:08Z")
[The Worst Things For Sale](http://theworstthingsforsale.com/) is also another good source. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/14 "2019-07-01T05:24:07Z")
Some years back I went through a few can openers in a short period. My mother had arthritis and couldn’t open cans easily, so I bought the ergonomic one at Wal-mart with big handles that were supposed to be easy to use. It broke. Others I tried didn’t work well, or broke, or both. I ended up getting an [EZ-DUZ-IT, made-in-usa](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BC2387M) model. They used to make the old Swing-A-Way openers until the company switched manufacturing to China, so they continued making the old, heavy-duty openers with the name EZ-DUZ-IT. [There’s a whole backstory to it.](https://www.chowhound.com/post/bought-ez-duz-opener-1042261) I bought one. It cost more than the ones at Wal-mart, but it opens cans quite easily with its oversized handles and gears. I wipe the carbon steel gears/blade after every use, put some olive oil on it when I remember, and I still have it. A picky friend bought one when I told him about it and he liked it a lot. Thought I’d throw that out there. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/15 "2019-07-01T07:04:31Z")
I was looking at some mattress protectors the other day. All of the reviews were for a designer tip for an icing gun. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/16 "2019-07-01T08:11:53Z")
I’m glad to see from the pictures that it can open BRAND NAME brand Tinbery’s Specials, with FOOD MOCKUPS flavoring. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/17 "2019-07-01T11:01:21Z")
Did you look at the last photo in the column on the left? A masterpiece of Photoshop artistry. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/18 "2019-07-01T12:43:18Z")
Note that Amazon products have short coded URLs. The one in the OP can be given as: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PRMG2LD/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PRMG2LD/) A typo in the coded part in a spam review company’s DB will result in the spam reviews being mis-sent to the wrong product. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/19 "2019-07-01T20:33:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > [The Worst Things For Sale](http://theworstthingsforsale.com/) is also another good source. Curses upon you for leading me to a site that is such an addictive time suck ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303/20 "2019-07-02T14:06:13Z")
Maybe we’re looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps what we are actually seeing is the 21st C. equivalent of a numbers station sending coded info. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-amazon-oddity-reviews/836303.md?page=2)