Amazon has filed its first lawsuit in Spain against a website that deals in false product reviews and also announces new global actions against this type of website that provides fraudulent information to consumers, according to sources from the ecommerce giant.
These procedures join those opened in the United States against the administrators of 11,000 web pages and groups on social networks that published fraudulent reviews on Amazon in exchange for free products or money.
The lawsuit in Spain is against the Agencia Reviews page, according to Amazon. This page targets Amazon sellers and customers, “with whom you would communicate via instant messaging services and social media (channels outside of Amazon) to bypass controls,” the ecommerce group says.
In this increasingly widespread practice, the alleged offender (in this case the website) would refund the price of the product purchased to the customer in exchange for a five-star rating on the marketplace. In networks, they sometimes offer free products in exchange for this evaluation, although it is normal to offer a refund once the user buys.
EXTENDED PRACTICE
This demand is joined by another in Italy, also the first in Europe. The North American ecommerce giant has rigorous security controls to guarantee a good purchase for its customers, such as the fact that the person making the evaluation has made purchases of more than 50 euros.
Also, all reviews are reviewed and that is why when a user submits one it is not reflected instantly. Suspects are blocked.
In the US, they had already initiated actions to prevent this marketing of favorable opinions that give misleading information to consumers, thus encouraging them to buy a product. It is about “avoiding the impact and distortion of the competition through misleading reviews,” they explain from the company.
“There is no place for fake reviews on Amazon, or anywhere else in the retail chain,” says Dharmesh Mehta, global vice president of seller services.
Refunded product money to customers in exchange for five-star reviews
