If you have ever suspected some reviews on amazon were fake, it turns out your hunch might have been correct.
Consumer reporter John Matarese tells us about some new findings about those reviews, so you don't waste your money.
Do you read Amazon reviews before you purchase a product?
A new report reveals that many of those reviews may have been paid for by the sellers themselves.
Whether shopping on Amazon or Walmart....many of us -- like Missy Verdin -- read reviews first.
"Depending on the product, if I don't know the product I always read the reviews and that determines what I buy," Verdin says.
But more and more shoppers like Katie Maddock have their suspicions.
"Not always," she says when asked if she always trusts those online reviews.
Dimitrius Casem doesn't trust them, either.
"I mean one person can say one thing, and you can go in there and find something totally different," Casem said.
Now I just ordered a video cable from Amazon.
It came in a few days, great price and great reviews.
But how do I know if I can trust those reviews?
A new report in PC Magazine says in many cases you can't.
It says recent data exposed 200,000 Amazon reviewers who were allegedly paid for glowing reviews.
"What happened was they were sent a product, they were given instructions on how to review, make it believable, obviously make it positive," PC Mag's Chandra Steele said.
She says the third-party sellers would then reward the reviewers.
"We will let you keep the product for free," she said. "We will pay you for the review."
Amazon has released a statement saying: "We have clear review policies .....and we ban and take legal action against those who violate these policies."
But PC Magazine advises buyers to:
- Look for verified purchaser reviews.
- Read both the best and worst reviews.
- Look for common complaints in the worst reviews.
And why would a seller pay for fake reviews? To boost their position on amazon, so that their product shows up first.
So be skeptical so you don’t waste your money.
