Amazon perma-bans 600 Chinese brands for review fraud

[HEXUS]

It has expunged 3,000 seller accounts linked to the likes of RavPower, Aukey, Mpow, and more.

Read more.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Then they can force people to buy the same stuff rebranded as Amazon Basics. Ravpower actually made some decent powerbanks,and the Anker equivalents are very overpriced on Amazon.

[AnonAnon]

I liked RavPower, was surprised when I couldn't find it the other day.

[kalniel]

Finally! Let's hope it lasts - it was getting really hard to actually sift through the fake reviews to find anything realistic. As mentioned, several of them didn't actually need to do this, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they get around it.

[watercooled]

Two important lessons for sellers then:
1) Don't abuse the review system
2) Don't put all your eggs in one basket by selling only through Amazon

[Saracen999]

.... Ravpower actually made some decent powerbanks, ....

Maybe so, but it isn't really the point. Assuming they are manipulating the reviews system, and it sure as hell is close to unusable these days, they deerve to be banned regardless of how good, or how good value, their products are.

Personally, I'd be delighted if Amazon magane to stamp out that practice entirely, and maybe it'll encourage others that also have good products to just rely on their product quality and not 'cheat', because doing so defrauds us all.

That so many Chinese companies display the morals of rutting polecats is why I tend to avoid them all, which is grossly unfair on those Chinese companies (pobably the majority) that do play fair. If Chna, as a state, wants to avoid a very unwholesome future reputation for ethics, the state could do worse than crack down on flagrant abuses themselves. They don't need their companies to cheat, to do well but I've certainly avoided Chinese options in several recent major purchases because of this. Overall, it's a few greedy and unethical small-timers doing the whole country a gross dis-service.


Oh, and it isn't just China. India, and others, would do well to take note.

[Tabbykatze]

Then they can force people to buy the same stuff rebranded as Amazon Basics. Ravpower actually made some decent powerbanks,and the Anker equivalents are very overpriced on Amazon.

Doing something positive with one hand while doing the dirty with the other...

Anker powerbanks are expensive? I though 20kah were still about 20 squids or so?

[hatsumi]

I got some mpow wireless earbuds for about £20 that are better than the galaxy iconx buds I got with my Samsung S9.

I would have left a genuine 5 star review if I wasn't a lazy sod.

[Darkedge]

they'll be back up under different name already I'm sure. Rebrand resell same shifty practices. Bit like Amazon

[cheesemp]

Meh. If I'm buying cheap Chinese electronics I usually skip the middle man and buy direct via aliexpress. Its not like most of these cheap bluetooth buds are really any different under the hood... (It usually the same chip and batteries in a different case - its why they are so cheap). You just except they will randomly fail in 6 to 12 months and buy another. Still cheaper than a set of branded ones.

[acewing905]

I'm actually surprised RavPower is one of these. Their powerbanks that I've used have been very good. Would've assumed it should be easy for them to get good reviews.
Wonder if there's some other rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish going down behind the scenes here.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Maybe so, but it isn't really the point. Assuming they are manipulating the reviews system, and it sure as hell is close to unusable these days, they deerve to be banned regardless of how good, or how good value, their products are.

Personally, I'd be delighted if Amazon magane to stamp out that practice entirely, and maybe it'll encourage others that also have good products to just rely on their product quality and not 'cheat', because doing so defrauds us all.

That so many Chinese companies display the morals of rutting polecats is why I tend to avoid them all, which is grossly unfair on those Chinese companies (pobably the majority) that do play fair. If Chna, as a state, wants to avoid a very unwholesome future reputation for ethics, the state could do worse than crack down on flagrant abuses themselves. They don't need their companies to cheat, to do well but I've certainly avoided Chinese options in several recent major purchases because of this. Overall, it's a few greedy and unethical small-timers doing the whole country a gross dis-service.


Oh, and it isn't just China. India, and others, would do well to take note.

It is when Amazon is just trying to push some brands which it clearly makes more money on - Ravpower is universally well reviewed by independent reviewers. Amazon have conveniently removed almost EVERY well known competitor to Anker on their own website,so something is really dodgy here.

So its seems very dodgy Amazon is removing them and keeping overpriced Anker in comparison. Remember,you are taking Amazon's word on this - there is nothing to say they are quietly boosting companies they have better relations with.As a result I will be not buying anymore powerbanks,etc from Amazon because they are clearly trying to abuse their marketplace to favour specific brands.

Amazon is not going to tell me what brands,I can and cannot buy - they are clearly benefiting from getting rid of decent,better priced brands which have a decent history. So they can do one really,as I see how they are trying to push PR to get rid of off long serving brands which don't need "dodgy" reviews. Ravpower is not a random brand - it has gotten good reviews for its products for years from large review sites.

I know plenty of people who have used their products - its like Amazon banning Samsung,Asus,etc phones(Ravpower is that level when it comes to external batteries IMHO) from their shop(Anker being Apple in comparison).

Have any of these brands been able to have a way to fight back - nope. So you are relying on Amazon to be 100% honest in this regard. However,when it suits Amazon's interests they can sell tons of clearly fake stuff.

Maybe,Amazon can actually concentrate on actually not selling fake chargers/cables/batteries via its own warehouses. Its why when I wanted a charger and charging cable for my Samsung phone I got it from Samsung directly,when it is quite clear what Amazon itself is selling(not fulfilled) is different from what Samsung itself is selling,and people have noticed this.

Stuff literally sold as original direct from their warehouses,which is in plastic bags,and looking a tad off?? I expect Amazon will say "its a supplier problem" before loads who know less get third rate clones. Its the same with their camera batteries - they mix suppliers up so you have the potential of getting something off(looking at some of the user reviews).

Doing something positive with one hand while doing the dirty with the other...

Anker powerbanks are expensive? I though 20kah were still about 20 squids or so?

I play a game called Ingress,and back when it started Anker was a small company(Ingress is the game Niantic made before Pokemon Go),and they sponsored the game. The products used to very well priced,and it is through that game they started making a name for themselves. However,in recent years their stuff has become more tierised,so you they basically make lower quality parts to fit the old price-points and jack up the price of the good stuff even higher now.

It seems very dubious Amazon is basically getting rid of almost all the competition to Anker on Amazon.

I'm actually surprised RavPower is one of these. Their powerbanks that I've used have been very good. Would've assumed it should be easy for them to get good reviews.
Wonder if there's some other rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish going down behind the scenes here.

Something is going really weird there.

[excalibur1814]

Amazon should never have removed the comments.

Additionally, Enacfire weren't bad at all.

[mers]

I'd take reviews on Amazon the same as I do for movies on imdb or anywhere else for that matter, pinch of salt. Amazon as a company I hate and don't use , they find a popular item from a dealer , locate the source and deal direct putting the dealer out of business , seen it time and time again. I've bought so many items from China , sometimes faster postage than from ordering UK stuff , mind boggles. A lot of the stuff made there is exported with the big name brands on them and peeps buying them say they wouldn't buy junk from China , oh yeah. lol , gotta have the brand stuff. Down the years buying Guitar parts , tools , PC parts etc had no problems and saved a lot of money on the same products , stuff Amazon , don't need them.

[Percy1983]

I am suprised by Ravpower, one of my best devices in made my them, its a powerbank with lets you copy sd cards to usb devices, as a photographer I put memory cards in there and copy yo an USB SSD while still on the job.

[watercooled]

Yeah I mean you really can't take star ratings at face value regardless. They might be useful to spot common problems, but frequently people give very good reviews simply because the item works on arrival, and bad product reviews when an item arrives late.

https://xkcd.com/937/