In the brutal world of online commerce, where a competing product is just a click away, retailers need all the juice they can get to close a sale. Some exalt themselves by anonymously posting their own laudatory reviews. Now there’s an even simpler approach, as the New York Times reports: Offer a refund to customers in exchange for a glowing write-up. By the time VIP Deals ended its rebate on Amazon.com late last month, its leather case for the Kindle Fire was receiving the sort of acclaim once reserved for the likes of Kim Jong-il. Hundreds of reviewers proclaimed the case a marvel, a delight, exactly what they needed to achieve bliss—and definitely worth five stars. These kinds of fake reviews are drawing the attention of regulators; they have cracked down on a few firms for deceitful hyping and suspect these are far from isolated instances. A Federal Trade Commission spokeswoman says, “We are very concerned” about “advertising disguised as editorial.” By last week, 310 out of 335 reviews of VIP Deals’ Vipertek brand premium slim black leather case cover were five stars, and nearly all the rest were four stars. The acclaim seemed authentic, barring the occasional indiscretion. “I would have done 4 stars instead of 5 without the deal,” one man bluntly wrote. VIP Deals, which specializes in leather tablet cases and stun guns, denied it was quietly offering the deals, but three customers say the offer was straightforward. Read and rate the full story here.
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