Contacted by Amazon seller for bad review. Anyone else have that happen?

[Boxerfan]

I had it happen recently.

Purchased a item and it had a fatal flaw. The flaw was known by the maker & had multiple discussions / complaints on the website they had for help. I gave them a honest 1 star review. I had good comments on the device except for the flaw that rendered it useless. But because it was a known issue- they had known about for months-I gave a 1 star.

Seller contacted me 3 weeks later. It looked like a cut & paste being titled with RE as a start. Bad syntax typical of a foreigner imitating an American and a made up sounding name. Ok??

They were oh so sorry-That I had written a bad review-I kid you not that was the language. Not sorry the product was defective or anything like That. And wanted to give me a refund on top of the one I had already received-if I would remove the review. I wrote back telling them NO & why. And at the end I wrote please do not contact me again. I then went to the product page-and had to wade through a full page of newer reviews-many negative for the same reason. I added the seller contact to my review as I felt it very poor practice.


This AM I had 2 e-mails basically begging me to remove the review. Trying to say they were a small business & the family depended on it. My take is they are lucky to not be a brick & mortar right now & if they would fix the product instead of trying to erase bad reviews I'd be more sympathetic.


I called Amazon & reported the seller.

[JenniferJuniper]

1. Yes, couple of years ago.

Some issue with headphones bought for one of my kids.

They kept begging me to change the review. I reported them to Amazon who had already reimbursed me, and told them to eff off.

[DonaldsRump]

2. Online reviews are getting to be less and less reliable, IMHO

So many of the things that I get from Amazon come with a little card that says that the vendor will give me a $10 Amazon gift card for writing a favorable review. It's not just Amazon, as there seems to be a lot of gaming the system with online reviews at many sites.

Generally speaking, I'm getting less and less enamored with Amazon. I know they have huge sales, and we still buy a lot from them. However, I'm noticing their prices are not always bargains. These days, I tend to look at three or four other sources (e.g., Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and reliable sellers on eBay). In some cases, these alternates to eBay have better prices.

I also don't like Amazon's selling platform on its website. You need to be careful if you buy gifts for family members who have access to the account, as it's close to impossible to hide a purchase completely. Also, it takes forever and a day to navigate to things like customer help, terminating subscriptions, etc. Maybe it's just me, but I think Amazon's website used to be much easier to use and navigate.

That being said, when you speak to a live person in Amazon's customer service, I have found them to be uniformly excellent and willing to satisfy the customer.

[Boxerfan]

7. I agree. I only do reviews for exceptional items.

And this item-a security camera-is a very crowded market. Lots of variations and getting a grip on functionality is really hard. The majority of reviews-mostly older-were positive. The newer ones don't show unless you change the preference.

I now have learned to search negative reviews 1st. And my 2nd choice has been very good for my needs so it might have worked.
I'm amazed this got so many rec's-just venting but thanks!.

[DonaldsRump]

8. Try Ring if you're looking for online security cams!

We've super happy with them, and they work like a charm. Customer service is excellent too. (They are now owned by Amazon, FWIW).

[awesomerwb1]

9. Reviews were so easy to game in year's past

It's a lot more difficult now, but still look at the dates of the 5 star reviews when you're considering buying something. If they're older than 2 years, they're probably fake or "fake" (in quotation marks because while the review may say verified purchase it still doesn't mean it didn't come from relatives who were paid to leave it. There was an entire industry offering to do reviews for sellers for a fee up until a couple years ago.

As for negative reviews, same thing applies. Competitors who have the means could have offered relatives or employees the funds to buy a competitor's product and leave a them bad review.

[wnylib]

16. Sometimes you can tell when

the reviews are fake just by the way they are written. They sound canned, like they came from an ad agency describing the product for a sales pitch. A genuine review uses more ordinary every day language and phrases.

[BComplex]

3. I used a new email just for my amazon account, and suddenly I have spam out the yazoo on my email.

So Amazon is also selling your email address to whomever, wherever across the globe. Amazon was the ONLY site I used for that email address, and within one week, I've had over 50 spam emails/ads from every website you can imagine.

So Amazon is getting richer every day just off your email address.

Elizabeth Warren was so right about this: We have to start regulating these web monopolies.

[FakeNoose]

22. This! There's no getting away from the spam

I love Amazon - but they do have their faults. They think we haven't figured out that they're the ones who are doing it.

[fierywoman]

4. I've only done a 1 star review in my whole life. It was for a CD-ROM player

you plug into a computer. The company wrote me that they were very sorry and were sending me a later version. They did and it still works -- they never asked me to change my review.

[awesomerwb1]

6. Sellers are not allowed to ask you to delete/change a review in exchange for something

It's against the TOS. The seller may ask you nicely to reconsider updating your review if you are satisfied with the way they took care of your issue.

**** Amazon.

[awesomerwb1]

5. From the sellers perspective

Bad reviews kill sellers. Amazon has a powerful big brother algorithm where negative feedback (not the same as a bad review), return rate, bad reviews etc etc will affect how it shows products on their site. It doesn't take much to suspend or close a product listing.

If you go through bad reviews for any product you will notice negative reviews that are really more user error or even related to shipping. "It got here two days later than expected (even though it could be an Fulfilled by Amazon item) so 1 star!!!!"

"I couldn't get the device to connect to Wi-FI (didn't even bother to call support) so 1 star review!!!"
"It's darker than it looks in the bad pictures, 1 star!!!" I think you get the point. Not to mention a seller's competitor having a family member purchase the competition's products simply to leave bad reviews.

I am more lenient personally, because Amazon sucks, absolutely sucks for sellers. The amount of control Amazon has over sellers and more importantly, the seller's customers is ridiculous. To the point where the only way for a seller that uses FBA to contact a customer is through Amazon's messaging system because Amazon hides the customer's personal information.

**** Amazon.

[Boxerfan]

10. It was earned and supported IMHO.

I asked the seller not contact me again. They e-mailed twice after that is why I was taken to action.

Also they have probably a 30% fail rate judging by recent reviews. All the same complaint.

It is a security camera so it requires installation typically high up outside. The camera was functioning fine & lost wifi overnight. And this was the 2nd failure and I knew to check signal strength . The app showed 78% & rated the signal as good. I used every function available from the app to connect. Refresh re-start etc... I had to go outside, unplug & re-connect the unit. Then climb a ladder to push a small wifi button on the side.

They had identical complaints for months on the help website & had verified signal strength etc... It was a earned negative. And they K/O'd themselves contacting me further.

[awesomerwb1]

11. I agree on the earned part knowing more of the details.

I wasn't implying you were unreasonable, sorry if it came across that way. Yeah, contacting you repeatedly is a no-no as well.

[mitch96]

12. I noticed ebay sellers almost threaten you if you going to give a bad review in the info on the

bottom of the sale page.. Screw that.. The only "bad" review I gave was for an item that came DOA. I think he was a reseller and he/she never saw the item.
Prompt refund and good review for the transaction..
If you want to pay it's pretty easy to get bad reviews removed... My friend works for a hair transplant doctor. When starting out he screwed up a few procedures and got some bad reviews. She told me he hired a company and for $5000 all the bad reviews went away never to be seen again. I don't know what this company did but he now gets nothing but glowing reviews.
I think you can buy "good" reviews. It's wide spread on Yelp. Why would people from all over the country give good reviews of a restaurant in no where Alabama?? I only look at reviews from the town or town near where the establishment is..
Angies list is another scam.. Pay to play and you get put on the top of the "recommended" list...
I called someone else for a job and the " recommended" person called me TOO!! I did not call or contact them... So I think these places are just lead generators for vendors. Not what they started out as... Ok rant mode off..
m

[Dopers_Greed]

13. Yeah I had this happen to me as well

I bought an office chair at the beginning of corona WFH.

This thing was absolute garbage. Sitting in it for more than 15 minutes killed my back, and it was more like a $30-40 chair, not what I paid ($120). I'm pretty sure most of the 5-star reviews for it were fake too.

The seller contacted me multiple times, but I just ignored the refund emails. My company already reimbursed it, and they are super anal about that stuff, so accepting the refund would have caused a massive headache.

[BainsBane]

15. Did you ever find a good chair?

I'm looking for one.

[Dopers_Greed]

24. I ended up just picking up my old chair from the office

Once it became clear we wouldn't re-open anytime soon, we were able get approval to pick up personal things.

If you can, put on a mask and go to an office supply store so you can try chairs. Online ordering is way too hit-or-miss for certain items.

[BainsBane]

14. Yes, I have. It's irritating

I also get pestered by them to write reviews.

[Liberty Belle]

17. Where did you have a good chair? I bought one a month ago that's falling apart.

Office Depot has done nothing so far.

Thinking of calling my credit card company to dispute payment for it.

[BainsBane]

19. that's the other poster

My chair is not adequate.

[Nululu]

18. Similar thing happened to me

We bought rechargeable batteries that were defective. They looked old, wouldn't take a charge, defective. Less than half the order arrived. Total ripoff.

They kept demanding more "proof". Fortunately Amazon gave us a refund.

Unfortunately many online outlets sell substandard counterfeits today.

[FakeNoose]

23. I have found that Amazon never disputes a return or a complaint

They have always taken the return, and in some cases they haven't asked for a reason. When I give a reason for the return, I'm honest. Maybe I made an error, maybe it's the wrong size, maybe I decided I didn't like it. Occasionally it's a problem with the product. They always give me a refund no matter what. However I'm a Prime member so maybe I get treated a little better, I don't know.

[Aristus]

20. Complaints executive will one day be a bold career choice:

"The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation is the galaxy's premiere manufacturers of computers, robots, lifts and other such essential, life-enhancing technologies. Most recently, they have fitted the starship Heart Of Gold with their flagship products.

The corporation's "Genuine People Personalities" make interacting with objects such as doors and teasmades a new and exciting adventure. Or very irritating, depending on your frame of mind.

Doors will always open politely, and it will be their pleasure to serve your entrance and exit needs. Their Happy Vertical People Transporters - or Lifts - are fitted with the most recent precognition software, allowing them to be on the floor you want, before you know you want it!

Their Nutri-Matic Drink Machines very rarely produce drinkable beverages.

The corporation's complaints department now covers all the major land masses of the first three planets in the Sirius Tau Star system. The theme song for the Complaints division is "Share and Enjoy", and has since become the theme apparent for the company as a whole. The main office building and headquarters for the company was originally built to represent this motto. It was written in letters of fire three miles high above their corporate headquarters, but due to bad architecture it sank halfway into the ground, killing many thousands of promising young complaints executives. The protruding upper half of the sign now reads, in the local language: "Go Stick Your Head In A Pig, and is no longer illuminated, except at times of special celebration."

[Vinnie From Indy]

21. What was the product and what was the flaw?

Your post leaves out a great deal of info.

You state that you were offered and accepted a full refund on your purchase. Apparently, that and an apology were not sufficient.