# Fake reviews on Amazon **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 2, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335 "2013-05-02T18:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/1 "2013-05-02T18:23:03Z")
There was a thread already on this not too long ago, but that was sharing the funniest, I think. What I don’t like are people giving funny reviews, but leaving only 1 star when they do. For instance: [How to Avoid Huge Ships](http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/product-reviews/0870334336/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending) is the kind of title just begging for spoof reviews. And yes, some are funny. But why leave only 1 star? If I was the author, I’d be pissed. What do you think, should Amazon somehow clamp down on this? If so, how? Only allow reviews from people who purchased the item? (I fear I’m overlooking something and Amazon already addressed this, if so, please be gentle.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/2 "2013-05-02T18:57:36Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > (I fear I’m overlooking something and Amazon already addressed this, if so, please be gentle.) I read a couple of Amazon boards, and the long-timers there say that Amazon does eventually address fake reviews, and fake reviewers, as well as the Helpful and Unhelpful votes on those reviews. I never remember to check back on those reviews though, so I don’t know how long it takes. Amazon is very involved with their authors and their reviewers – they’re not just a marketplace. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/3 "2013-05-02T20:10:39Z")
The most annoying ones are the people who rate an item 1 star because they didn’t receive it in time. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/4 "2013-05-02T20:13:12Z")
I’m sure that the artist who drew “Three Wolf Moon” didn’t expect this. > **[Amazon.com: The Mountain Men's Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee : Clothing,...](https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Three-Wolf-Short-Sleeve/dp/B002HJ377A)** > > Hand dyed shirt featuring a stunning screen print of 3 wolves howling at a moon on a preshrunk, 100% cotton tee dyed and printed by the mountain. This hand dyed tee shirt features a stunning screen print graphic on a preshrunk,... ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/5 "2013-05-02T20:20:37Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > The most annoying ones are the people who rate an item 1 star because they didn’t receive it in time. :rolleyes: I can’t remember if it was Amazon or somewhere else, but one guy gave an electronic device one star because he couldn’t figure out how to turn it on. I can’t really blame him, the instructions were buried deep in page 2 of the manual. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/6 "2013-05-03T06:35:43Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I read a couple of Amazon boards, and the long-timers there say that Amazon does eventually address fake reviews, and fake reviewers, as well as the Helpful and Unhelpful votes on those reviews. I never remember to check back on those reviews though, so I don’t know how long it takes. If they do, it’s longer than 2 years for the [banana slicer](http://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/product-reviews/B0047E0EII/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0) and 3.5 years for the [steering wheel desk](http://www.amazon.com/Wheelmate-Laptop-Steering-Wheel-Desk/product-reviews/B000IZGIA8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/7 "2013-05-03T12:58:36Z")
It’s sort of difficult to get rid of “fake” reviews of books, since you can easily read them without buying them (there are still public libraries, for instance). If Amazon limited reviews only to purchasers who bought items on Amazon, there’d be Purity, but many fewer reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/8 "2013-05-03T13:11:49Z")
It seems to me that the obvious solution is to allow people to post reviews that don’t have a “star” rating. This would also be helpful for when someone like the original author or publisher posts a “review” giving additional, helpful information; they wouldn’t be forced to give a rating to their own work when doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-reviews-on-amazon/657335/9 "2013-05-03T15:10:37Z")
When I need a good laugh I go to the listings for luxury watches, sort by “PRICE…high to low” then read the “reviews” on the really expensive watches which are ALL parodies.