If you received an unordered item from Amazon...

[bobdoo]

This video by MrWhosTheBoss explains it at the end of the video.



The gist: companies got your address somehow. They ship an item from Amazon, as a gift, to you. This allows them to review *any* item on Amazon, so they can give it a great review.

 

[dishdude]

Unfortunately reviews everywhere can't be trusted, there are companies out there that businesses can hire to just write positive reviews online for them in order to bury the negative ones.

 

[Hall]

Hopefully it's something I can use

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Hopefully it's something I can use

Or at least make a profit on when I list it on eBay.

 

[Hermann]

Hopefully it's something I can use

Got two HP 67 ink jet carts unsolicited and not invoiced. Lots of hoops to jump thru just to give them back. First off you have to talk to A.I or a fractured English CSR. NOPE!

 

[Zee09]

Let me tell you Amazon knows it and will terminate your reviewing privileges. Best to not go there. I am offered this daily and don't do it.

I am talking about reviews under your own name from emails that solicit this...a bit different but a no no

 

[michael007]

Hopefully it's something I can use

I once received a neck brace from Amazon. My name and everything on the label.

Thought maybe someone was being passive aggressive but now I wonder if it was just for a fake review

 

[Hall]

Let me tell you Amazon knows it and will terminate your reviewing privileges. Best to not go there. I am offered this daily and don't do it.

I am talking about reviews under your own name from emails that solicit this...a bit different but a no no

I've been contacted by sellers (all in China, FWIW) about reviews. I played along and told them I might be interested... They ask me to buy an item and they'll reimburse me. So then I ignore them.... Then they come back and offer to send me a gift card for the cost of the item and after I complete the process, they'll send another gift card. I take their offer and they are good for their word. They come back months later with another offer and I ignore it. Then repeat. I probably made about $100 doing these. The items were worthless to me though, i.e. printer toners for a printer I don't own.

They seem to have developed a "system" to help avoid Amazon catching on:

.

I quit doing it though 'cause I was afraid Amazon would catch me.

 

[Zee09]

I've been contacted by sellers (all in China, FWIW) about reviews. I played along and told them I might be interested... They ask me to buy an item and they'll reimburse me. So then I ignore them.... Then they come back and offer to send me a gift card for the cost of the item and after I complete the process, they'll send another gift card. I take their offer and they are good for their word. They come back months later with another offer and I ignore it. Then repeat. I probably made about $100 doing these. The items were worthless to me though, i.e. printer toners for a printer I don't own.

I quit doing it though 'cause I was afraid Amazon would catch me.

Yup..
A secret..
If you get tossed wait 6 months and call them direct and they will reinstate your review priveledges.
I have given reviews like that but I was totally honest.
Often they didn't like it.

And like you said most things you can't use anyway.

 

[Pablo]

Send me power tools!! And girls.

 

[PimTac]

I don’t trust any Amazon reviews. I can review products on other sites but watch for automated reviews. Lots of bots out there. YouTube has some reviews. Forums are helpful. Sometimes you can pick out a review that is honest.

 

[alarmguy]

I find the reviews helpful. Commonsense says to pay more attention to the two and three star reviews in order to check for any glaring issues that might affect your satisfaction.

I’m not sure what the sense would be to pay attention to five star reviews as you already know they’re going to be good so common sense says look at the people who are not satisfied
I know the general public does not think this way
I’m just not sure why people don’t give weight to two and three star reviews and see if there’s anything in those reviews that might bother you and reason not to buy the products. Who cares what people think if they love the product with the four and five star reviews?

 

[Hermann]

Send me power tools!! And girls.

If they send you power tools, will there be time for the girls.

 

[Pablo]

I find the reviews helpful. Commonsense says to pay more attention to the two and three star reviews in order to check for any glaring issues that might affect your satisfaction.

I’m not sure what the sense would be to pay attention to five star reviews as you already know they’re going to be good so common sense says look at the people who are not satisfied
I know the general public does not think this way
I’m just not sure why people don’t give weight to two and three star reviews and see if there’s anything in those reviews that might bother you and reason not to buy the products. Who cares what people think if they love the product with the four and five star reviews?

I read the 3-4 reviews. You can tell. If someone takes the time to go through the weaknesses , they probably are not lying and probably not a bot. Will a bot leave a 4 for a competitor and write something logical?

 

[dlundblad]

My wife received some sort of makeup brush a while back. They specifically asked for a review in exchange for a free gift.

She pitched it. She said it was too cheap and I said, “yes honey, it was free.” If looks could kill.

 

[dishdude]

A Virginia woman received more than 100 Amazon packages she didn't order, including 1,000 headlamps and 800 glue guns

A lawyer told WUSA that it was likely a Chinese vendor wanting to get rid of US inventory and picking a random address to send it all to.

www.insider.com

 

[walterjay]

I don't trust any review or any kind of endorsement on the internet. I had a company contact me and told me I can have 30,000 followers for a few bucks.

 

[JustinH]

some cheap items will put a business card inside the product piching something free in exchange for a review.

All the ones I have tried to review were already flagged by amazon, and not elegible for review.

 

[Finklejag]

I don’t read any google reviews by those local guides, they’re just posting a review to get points. I bet over half the time they didn’t even go to the place. Then you have the family members of the place posting 5 star reviews to boost the total. I always start with the one star reviews, those are the real ones.

 

[Pablo]

I don’t read any google reviews by those local guides, they’re just posting a review to get points. I bet over half the time they didn’t even go to the place. Then you have the family members of the place posting 5 star reviews to boost the total. I always start with the one star reviews, those are the real ones.

Yeah google reviews

1 star reviews are their competitors I don’t believe them either

I do read Amazon reviews after I buy the product. Hahahaha they weren’t kidding!

I’ve written around 100 Amazon reviews using the name Zee09, Vavavaroom, AutoMechanic, Buster, etc