This is a special post for quick takes by Laiba Rehman ✦ RJ. Only they can create top-level comments. Comments here also appear on the Quick Takes page and All Posts page.
Wondering how robust Amazon's process of labelling a review with "Verified Purchase" is. Are we sure these are all users using AI to write their reviews and not bots?
Amazon say, "We check if the reviewer bought or used (e.g., streamed) the item on Amazon and paid a price available to most Amazon shoppers. If we confirm both, we label the review with Verified Purchase... Our automated and human checks stop millions of suspicious reviews."
You hack the "verified purchase" check by creating new accounts and using them to buy your product and post a positive review. It costs some money, of course, but so does all advertising, and this can be more effective.
Companies have been doing crazier things, such as buying their own product in huge numbers on day 1, to boost their statistics of Day 1 sales, if those statistics were published visibly enough in the shop to encourage actual customer to check what is this new thing that everyone is so crazy about. Compared to that, this is peanuts.
Damn, just looked through the reviewers I screenshotted and yeah, all but one have only posted one review. However, "Only customers who have spent at least $50 on Amazon in the last 12 months can submit ratings and reviews." (Should have put that in the original, my bad.) That makes it seem like it would only be profitable if you intend to reuse the accounts for future reviews? Unless the value of a few 5-star ratings is much higher than I realise.