[Ronald Oakes]

I'm an avid fisherman and recently purchased four Goture Raiderr 7'6" Catfish rods on Amazon by a company called Goture.
When I receive them they looked pretty good and I thought they may be better than my old Ugly Stik catfish rods I was replacing that had never failed...... Boy was I wrong!
However within 2 weeks I managed to break two of them off where the two piece Rods joined together. However it was on some pretty big flathead catfish that were over 40 lb. It was advertised that they were for giant catfish and I decided that instead of only leaving a one-star review I would leave a two-star review and just not use the rods for the monsters I was after.
So I leave a honest review on Amazon detailing my experience using them and lo and behold Amazon won't let me tell the truth about these crappy chinese-made fishing rods and instead basically locks my account down so I can't leave reviews on anything anymore!!
I did an internet search and discovered to my dismay that Amazon manipulates it's reviews something horrible
At this point I'm really aggravated and look at it like this. Amazon prefers fake and often paid reviews from a conglomerate of China fakes , rather than honest truthful opinions about some of their really shoddy and second-rate products.
Anyone else Fed up with them ? I've pretty much lost all trust because of the massive campaign to manipulate reviews by Amazon.

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Last edited by Ronald Oakes; 11-12-2021 at 02:45 PM.

[BigMackCam]

I'm tired of fake reviews on Amazon UK, but I've left several negative (though always constructive) reviews of my own for products and never been blocked for doing so Without seeing the content of the review you left, it's difficult to know whether Amazon was unjustified in blocking you or not.

Can I ask your source for the information stating that Amazon manipulates its reviews and prefers fake and paid reviews from Chinese conglomerate fake reviewers? Those are pretty bold claims, though I'm open-minded to the possibility if the source has credentials and reputation for truthful reporting. It just seems unlikely to be quite that simple and/or blatant, given that Amazon's ongoing success depends to some extent upon a majority of customer satisfaction. I believe they've acknowledged the review system has been subject to widespread abuse, and I'll admit that it doesn't seem as if they've done much to address that yet - but manipulating reviews and preferring fake reviews? That's a big jump.

FWIW, I don't know of a major online review pool that hasn't been bombarded with fake and paid-for reviews to make products look better than they really are. At least with Amazon the return policy is excellent - so if you make a purchase based on reviews and it turns out to be a lemon, returning it and obtaining a refund is about as easy as it could be, and much better than with many other suppliers.

I appreciate that you're unhappy with your purchase. and I wish it hadn't happened to you. I've experienced similar disappointments from time-to-time, but it's one of the pitfalls of mail-order and online purchasing. Thankfully, due to distance selling regulations (in the UK and Europe, at least - I'm not sure about elsewhere) such problems can usually be resolved...

[Ronald Oakes]

I'm tired of fake reviews on Amazon UK, but I've left several negative (though always constructive) reviews of my own for products and never been blocked for doing so Without seeing the content of the review you left, it's difficult to know whether Amazon was unjustified in blocking you.

Can I ask your source for the information stating that Amazon manipulates its reviews and prefers fake and paid reviews from Chinese conglomerate fake reviewers? Those are pretty bold claims, though I'm open-minded to the possibility if the source has credentials and reputation for truthful reporting. It just seems unlikely to be quite that simple and/or blatant, given that Amazon's ongoing success depends to some extent upon a majority of customer satisfaction. I believe they've acknowledged the review system has been subject to widespread abuse, and I'll admit that it doesn't seem as if they've done much to address that yet - but manipulating reviews and preferring fake reviews? That's a big jump.

FWIW, I don't know of a major online review pool that hasn't been bombarded with fake and paid-for reviews to make products look better than they really are. At least with Amazon the return policy is excellent - so if you make a purchase based on reviews and it turns out to be a lemon, returning it and obtaining a refund is about as easy as it could be, and much better than with many other suppliers.

I appreciate that you're unhappy with your purchase. and I wish it hadn't happened to you. I've experienced similar disappointments from time-to-time, but it's one of the pitfalls of mail-order purchasing. Thankfully, due to distance selling regulations (in the UK and Europe, at least - I'm not sure about elsewhere) such problems can usually be resolved...

Content of my review was perfect and factual....nothing that could remotely be against their review standard except 2 stars on a never before reviewed product.
I'm not posting any links , just Google Amazon and manipulated or fake reviews.....it's an eye opener.
One thing we agree on is return policy. However I'm not sure how it ends up when the return is broken.....we shall see.
https://www.ecomcrew.com/chinese-sellers-manipulating-amazon/
I also just learned that if several people flag your review as abuse (even though it isnt)....Amazon's alogorithym blocks any further reviews from that reviewer. No review no explanation.
Now if that isn't manipulation , I don't know what is. Say something negative in a review.....PRC knows how to manipulate the system !

[BigMackCam]

Content of my review was perfect and factual....nothing that could remotely be against their review standard except 2 stars on a never before reviewed product.

I'm quite sure you saw nothing problematic in the review, Ronald, and maybe there wasn't anything... but without seeing it, it's impossible for me or anyone else to know one way or the other.

I'm not posting any links , just Google Amazon and manipulated or fake reviews.....it's an eye opener.

That's a problem, because the web is awash with fake news and propaganda from a multitude of sources with a multitude of motives. If you Google "Illuminati" and "Lizard People" you'll get all sorts of eye-opening information on that too... but of course it's not exactly dependable, and you wouldn't (I hope) just accept it at face value

There are very few sources I trust, and even with those I do, I usually cross-check with several others to get a balance of opinion and information. Most sources, sadly, are no more reliable than the fake reviews on Amazon that are frustrating you so much. Why trust one and not the other?

Without sources, you're just some guy (OK, not "just some guy"... a fellow forum member; but still) who's had a bad experience with his purchase and claims Amazon manipulates reviews and colludes with fake reviewers because of stuff he's read on the web.

One thing we agree on is return policy. However I'm not sure how it ends up when the return is broken.....we shall see.

Good luck with the return, Ronald. I genuinely hope it works out for you

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 11-12-2021 at 03:35 PM.

[BigMackCam]

I also just learned that if several people flag your review as abuse (even though it isnt)....Amazon's alogorithym blocks any further reviews from that reviewer. No review no explanation.
Now if that isn't manipulation , I don't know what is. Say something negative in a review.....PRC knows how to manipulate the system !

At worst, though, that exposes a flaw in Amazon's systems, and its susceptibility to external manipulation. That's quite different than claiming it manipulates its own reviews, and prefers fake reviews from Chinese conglomerates. Poorly designed systems I can believe, for sure. They're staggeringly common in businesses and all other walks of life...

I'll step out of the thread now, I think. Good luck

[DeadJohn]

IMO negative reviews rarely work. Dishonest companies misrepresenting products will use their dishonesty to manipulate the review process.

Initiate a return with Amazon. If Amazon refuses, consider disputing the credit card charge, with the risk of getting banned by Amazon.

[Lord Lucan]

Anyone else Fed up with them ? I've pretty much lost all trust

Me. I will not have anyhing to do with Scamazon ever since they started debiting Lady L for a Prime account that she had not signed up for. They are also taking over the world of retail and their bubble needs to burst.

She was trying to buy something from them and got a page demanding inviting her to join Prime. She could not see a way to decline it, so she backed out by shutting the browser down. Apparently, Scamazon takes that as a "Yes". It took her a morning on the phone to unsubscribe and get her money back. Scamazon gets away with this sort of behaviour because most people seem to think they are wonderful.

[BigMackCam]

She was trying to buy something from them and got a page demanding inviting her to join Prime. She could not see a way to decline it, so she backed out by shutting the browser down. Apparently, Scamazon takes that as a "Yes". It took her a morning on the phone to unsubscribe and get her money back. Scamazon gets away with this sort of behaviour because most people seem to think they are wonderful.

My Dad had the same problem, and I had a devilish job cancelling his unwanted trial membership. I don't think Amazon is wonderful... It has many flaws and quite a few unpalatable practises, like most large-scale enterprises focused on making money. I do, however, find it very convenient...

[timb64]

Not wishing to defend Amazon in any way,but it is far easier now to “make use” of the free Amazon Prime offers and cancel them,which was not always the case.

[Wheatfield]

Content of my review was perfect and factual....nothing that could remotely be against their review standard except 2 stars on a never before reviewed product.
I'm not posting any links , just Google Amazon and manipulated or fake reviews.....it's an eye opener.
One thing we agree on is return policy. However I'm not sure how it ends up when the return is broken.....we shall see.
How Chinese Sellers are Manipulating Amazon in 2021
I also just learned that if several people flag your review as abuse (even though it isnt)....Amazon's alogorithym blocks any further reviews from that reviewer. No review no explanation.
Now if that isn't manipulation , I don't know what is. Say something negative in a review.....PRC knows how to manipulate the system !

Yes well, one answer is to look carefully at the country of manufacture and base your purchasing decisions, at least in part, on that whenever possible.
It may cost more initially to buy from a trustworthy country of manufacture, but in the long run you will probably spend less and have a more satisfactory product.

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2021 at 04:50 PM ----------

Not wishing to defend Amazon in any way,but it is far easier now to “make use” of the free Amazon Prime offers and cancel them,which was not always the case.

I've signed up for Amazon Prime at least 3 times, each time I've had my 1 month free trial and each time I've canceled just before they converted to monthly billing.
I would have thought that after signing up and canceling once, my account would have been flagged as not eligible for another 1 month trial, but it seems this is not the case.

[slartibartfast01]

Not wishing to defend Amazon in any way,but it is far easier now to “make use” of the free Amazon Prime offers and cancel them,which was not always the case.

I try to time my free trials to coincide with football matches or tennis tournaments on Prime Video. I felt obliged to pay when Emma Raducanu went further than expected in the US Open. When the final was broadcast free on Channel 4 I cancelled and received a refund for the unused portion. I do know people who have signed up for Prime without realising. I also know people who have accepted a suspicious looking discount at checkout and then been surprised to find they had signed up for something else with a monthly fee. I haven't seen that one for quite a while.

[Ronald Oakes]

No wonder they broke ! Found them on sale for 1/4 the price elsewhere.
?Climbing Holds?Outlet,wholesale priceSee more Olight Baldr IR Max 135See more Burton Men"s Cargo Pant
Unfortunately I paid about $55 each on Amazon with 10% off. Similar rods by Goture had such wonderful reviews....I got suckered in by them.

[slartibartfast01]

No wonder they broke ! Found them on sale for 1/4 the price elsewhere.
?Climbing Holds?Outlet,wholesale priceSee more Olight Baldr IR Max 135See more Burton Men"s Cargo Pant
Unfortunately I paid about $55 each on Amazon with 10% off. Similar rods by Goture had such wonderful reviews....I got suckered in by them.

You should be able to send it back for a refund though. I have sent things back that developed a problem after a couple of months.

[Rondec]

I think that the majority of wireless ear head phone reviews are faked -- at least on the cheap varieties. I figured out awhile ago that you get what you pay for, but 20 dollar ear buds don't last more than a few weeks and when you go to return them, the companies are very quick to ask you to put five star reviews on their products because of their exemplary service.

[ChrisPlatt]

When reading Amazon reviews generally I ignore the top 10-20% (best) and bottom (worst).

Often reviewers motives are clearly apparent or can be detected by reading between the lines.

My favorite reviews are those from people who are really super-psyched by their purchase
- even though they haven't even received the item yet!

I look for reviews from those who clearly detail their experience using the specific item,
but not an expert in the category i.e. normal folks.

Chris