Hey Dude – Where’s My Reviews Gone?


[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_3]

Chris McCabe joins on Amazon Reviews

  • Amazon were under pressure to do something about fake review
  • They’ve deleted some reviews and many legitimate ones were also removed
  • Suspicious behaviour around how many came in, timeframe of posting and positivity
  • Seem to just be attacking positive ones rather than negative and so hitting legitimate sellers more
  • Some of the ‘early review’ programmes that have also had reviews pulled

Impact on Sellers

  • There’s a big chunk of Amazon sellers that start with friends and family and grey hat methods to get a review
  • Someone had over 1,000 reviews wiped out and left with 224
  • Another had all his positive reviews wiped out and was left with only negative ones

What triggered it?

  • The Wall Street journal article made some impact but this has been brewing for a while
  • They haven’t found the accurate way to do it and so have done a shotgun blast to be seen to be taking action

Paypal shares info with Amazon?

  • Does Paypal share information with Amazon?
  • Some people buy a review and pay the money via Paypal and get spiked by Amazon this way

Sellers are Dependent on Review

  • Sellers are dependent on these grey ones to get noticed on Amazon
  • People have to get brand awareness raised in other ways now
  • Some people have great product and funnels but their review metrics get skewed because they are so quick adn so successful
  • Lots of badly written Chinese reviews coming in 3 days
  • There needed to be a cap on this

Amazon Reviews programme

  • Amazon understands that Sellers need reviews to scale their businesses
  • They have their own Amazon Review programme
  • Why can’t they open it up a bit more?

Attention Matters

  • Attention matters these days – metrics are the driver
  • Whether it’s likes, friends, etc
  • Instead of review volume, you focus on review quality
  • If the ‘star rating’ is the only thing Amazon was showing then people focus on the quality of reviews rather than the quantity
  • Click farms would not exist if the number of clicks on a page did not impact the sales ranking
  • Unless Amazon makes changes to the algorithm behaviour won’t change

Suspensions – a new run?

  • You have not substantially established your rights owner infringement notice against this seller
  • Sellers reporting Sellers and being blasted for fake infringements or clogging up the queues because the reporting seller misinterpret the ToS rules
  • Amazon does not agree with you, tired of one seller ratting out another and reacting with suspension of sellers until they get a proper POA
  • By-product of people pitching legal services aimed at taking your competitor out
  • Bottomline Amazon is not tolerant of this

Ambulance Chasing

  • Offering brand protection services to Sellers to make a huge judgement on what they can do in the Amazon system
  • They don’t know the legal position and are using their judgement but taking huge risks

Transparency Programme

  • Had people complain that it’s too expensive
  • Seems like it might help with brand protection
  • Had mixed feedback and saying it was worse than the SAM project for $42k to get account manager than knows less than you
  • People also complaining about Amazon Exclusives not delivering too

Contact

RELATED POSTS

Unlocking Click Bias Secrets Seller Sessions A9
Colin Raja Seller Sessions Podcast (1)
Shopping queries dataset Seller Sessions
Seller Sessions Podcast Elizabeth Greene
Multi objective ranking
seller sessions the complete guide to autocomplete on amazon
A9 Bot How To Get The Most Out Of Your Listing Optimisation (1)
1 2 3 98
databrill logo

Looking for a Better Agency?

Are you a 7 or 8-figure Amazon seller who is…

Databrill Logo

Looking for a Better Agency?

Are you a 7 or 8-figure Amazon seller who is…