An Amazon.com package awaits delivery from UPS in Palo Alto

An Amazon.com package awaits delivery from UPS in Palo Alto

Amazon sues to stop phony product reviews

  • By Mae Anderson The Associated Press
  • Wednesday, October 21, 2015 12:01am
  • News

By Mae Anderson

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Internet users increasingly rely on online customer reviews when making spending decisions, whether they’re buying an iPhone case on Amazon or hiring an Uber ride in their hometown.

But just how much can you trust those reviews?

A new lawsuit in which Amazon accuses more than 1,000 people of offering to post bogus glowing write-ups for as little as $5 apiece might give you pause.

The case, filed in Washington state court Friday by the nation’s biggest online retailer, casts light on what appears to be a burgeoning practice: the commissioning of paid, fake reviews that masquerade as testimonials from ordinary people.

Fake reviews are nothing new to online retailing, and Amazon is far from the only big company affected.

Yelp’s restaurant reviews and TripAdvisor’s hotel ratings have long been a target of critics who claim that merchants can easily post positive reviews of their own businesses.

Aggressive attempt

Amazon’s legal counteroffensive, however, appears to be one of the most aggressive attempts yet by a major U.S. e-commerce company to fight back.

Its lawsuit alleges that individuals would write five-star reviews about products they never even tried and plotted with product makers to subvert Amazon safeguards that are meant to bolster confidence in the website’s reviews.

“Suing the reviewers is a way to discourage them from doing it again,” said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. “They’re trying to make a statement that you can rely on the integrity of the reviews on the site.”

There are powerful incentives to plant fraudulent reviews.

About 45 percent of consumers consider product reviews when weighing an online purchase, according to Forrester Research.

Two-thirds of shoppers trust consumer opinions online, according to research by Nielsen.

For small businesses, it can be more economical to pay for positive reviews than to buy advertising.

Helps with booking

For example, a half-star increase in a restaurant’s online rating can increase the likelihood of securing, say, a 7 p.m. booking by 15 percent to 20 percent, said Jenny Sussin, a director at Gartner Research.

So a restaurateur might be tempted to pay $250 for 50 positive reviews online in the hopes of raising that rating.

Online sites like Amazon, Yelp and TripAdvisor have worked hard to thwart the planting of fake reviews — a practice sometimes called “astroturfing,” a reference to the synthetic grass used on sports fields.

They employ computer algorithms and teams of investigators who scour reviews and delete suspicious entries.

Often, only people who have paid for a product or service and been verified can post reviews.

Yelp director of business outreach Darnell Holloway said that when suspicious reviews are found, the company puts a “consumer alert” badge on a company’s Yelp site for 90 days warning consumers that reviews might be deceptive.

If the problem persists, Yelp removes all reviews of the company.

Most recently, Yelp deleted all reviews of a business called Movers Alliance after it found the company was pressuring customers to write positive reviews.

TripAdvisor says it has a team of 300 people using fraud detection techniques to weed out fake reviews.

“In the first half of 2015 alone, we took action against 29 different optimization companies around the world to put a stop to their activity,” said spokesman Kevin Carter.

Not going away

But in general, experts say, fraudulent reviews aren’t going away anytime soon.

Gartner estimates that 10 percent to 15 percent of all online reviews are fake.

Legal recourse has been scarce.

In 2013, the New York attorney general’s office said it had settled cases with 19 companies and secured $350,000 in penalties for fake reviews.

In April, Amazon sued several websites that offered to produce positive reviews.

Now it’s targeting the actual writers of the reviews — in this case, those who have accounts at Fiverr.com, a site for freelancers looking for work.

In many cases, the writers ask product sellers themselves to write the review, and then they put their name on it, the Amazon lawsuit alleges.

Defendants

At least one would-be reviewer offered to receive an empty envelope from a seller to make it look as if the person had actually bought the product, according to the lawsuit.

The defendants in the lawsuit are identified only by their online handles. Amazon is still working to determine their real names.

Amazon is suing for unspecified damages and an order forcing the users to stop writing fake reviews.

The Seattle company said the offenders are liable for breach of contract for violating Amazon’s terms of service.

Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said that ultimately, it’s up to the consumer to read and evaluate reviews online carefully.

“You never know until the product actually comes to you if a review is real or not,” she said. “Online shopping is a leap of faith.”

More in News

Serving up a Thanksgiving meal are, from left, Taylor Hale, Gina Landon, Shawn Lammers, Ryan Lammers, Sara Taylor and Jean Ball, all volunteers with Holiday Meals, located in the Tri-Area neighborhoods of Chimacum, Port Hadlock and Irondale. The group expected to serve up to 460 full Thanksgiving dinners with 287 being picked up, 118 delivered and 55 eaten at the Tri-Area Community Center. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Thanksgiving meals kick off holiday joy

Smiles, warmth light up Queen of Angels Catholic Church

From left, Gail Jangarrd, Bob Dunbar and Sammy Dionne treat a lucky dog to a biscuit made with organic, healthy and human-grade ingredients.
Gatheringplace to open public phase of capital campaign

Nonprofit to construct building for developmentally disabled

Port of Port Townsend on track to hit revenue goal

Agency receives eight bids on stormwater treatment project

The outside of the Vern Burton Community Center is decorated with giant Christmas balls and lighted trees on Wednesday for the opening ceremonies of the Festival of Trees. “White Christmas” was played by the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra’s brass quintet and then sung by Amanda Bacon. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Festival of Trees opens

The outside of the Vern Burton Community Center is decorated with giant… Continue reading

Tamara Clinger decorates a tree with the theme of “Frosted Cranberries” on Monday at the Vern Burton Community Center in Port Angeles. The helping hand is Margie Logerwell. More than three dozen trees will be available for viewing during the 34th annual Festival of Trees event this weekend. Tickets are available at www.omhf.org. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Finishing touches

Tamara Clinger decorates a tree with the theme of “Frosted Cranberries” on… Continue reading

Grants to help Port Angeles port upgrades

Projects, equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Joseph Molotsky holds Jet, a Harris’s hawk. Jet, 14 or 15, has been at Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue for about seven years. Jet used to hunt with a falconer and was brought to the rescue after sustaining injuries while attempting to escape an attack from a gray horned owl in Eastern Washington. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Wild bird rescue to host open house

Officials to showcase expanded educational facilities

Jaiden Dokken, Clallam County’s first poet laureate, will wrap up their term in March. Applications for the next poet laureate position, which will run from April 2025 to March 2027, are open until Dec. 9. To apply, visit NOLS.org/NextPoet. (North Olympic Library System)
Applications open for Clallam poet laureate

Two-year position will run from April 2025 to March 2027

The YMCA of Port Angeles was May recipient of Jim’s Cares Monthly Charity at Jim’s Pharmacy in Port Angeles.
Staff and customers raised more than $593 to support the YMCA.
Pictured, from left, are Joey Belanger, the YMCA’s vice president for operations, and Ryan French, the chief financial officer at Jim’s Pharmacy.
Charity of the month

The YMCA of Port Angeles was May recipient of Jim’s Cares Monthly… Continue reading

Festival of Trees QR code.
Contest: Vote for your favorite Festival of Trees

The Peninsula Daily News is thrilled to announce its first online Festival… Continue reading

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office uses this armored vehicle, which is mine-resistant and ambush protected. (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
OPNET to buy armored vehicle

Purchase to help with various situations

Lincoln High School students Azrael Harvey, left, and Tara Coville prepare dressing that will be part of 80 Thanksgiving dinners made from scratch and sold by the Salish Sea Hospitality and Ecotourism program. All meal preparation had to be finished by today, when people will pick up the grab-and-go meals they ordered for Thursday’s holiday. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
Students at Wildcat Cafe prepare Thanksgiving dinners

Lincoln High School efforts create 80 meals ready to eat