I saw this
article on the CNN.com website this morning.
Quote:
|
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday, Amazon (AMZN) staff members are peddling internal data and other advantages that independent merchants can use to try to get higher rankings for their products in searches on the site. The practice is "particularly pronounced in China," the article said.... The Journal reported that Amazon was investigating several incidents, including some involving employees in the United States.
|
I'm not surprised. Personally I've always thought their reviews were being manipulated by sellers, but I didn't suspect employees to be involved, though I probably should have... I thought it might have been an issue of Amazon turning a blind eye to obvious manipulation because they wanted to keep their 3rd party sellers happy. It looks like it is a much deeper issue. At any rate, I never trust the ratings on sites like Amazon, Walmart, or any other retailer. That seems to me very much like believing what a used car salesman tells you about the car he is trying to sell you.