7 Ways to Spot Fake Product Reviews on Amazon

With the promise of one-day delivery, Amazon certainly is a star in the online shopping world. However, having diversity in products might also mean diversity in product reviews. But this begs the question: Are certain Amazon reviews fake? If yes, how can you spot fake product reviews on Amazon? Let’s find out.

Because of Amazon’s algorithm, the products with higher reviews and ratings tend to get a preference. However, this also means that if Amazon sellers want to get a product noticed by buyers, they need to ensure there are high-rated, extremely positive reviews available for that product. Sometimes, the sellers offer free products or gift cards in exchange for five-star reviews.

Moreover, Amazon’s fake reviews are also used to cover up the otherwise negative reviews and ensure the product is visible. So, here are 7 easy ways to spot fake product reviews on Amazon.

1. Look Out for Too Many 5-Star Ratings

There have been times when we’ve seen the overall ratings of a product and bought or at least viewed it. However, these extremely high product ratings, usually 4-star and 5-star, can be fake reviews posted in bulk to raise the product’s ratings and make them stand out to consumers.

So, if your shortlisted product has a massive chunk of extremely high ratings, don’t trust them. Set the filter and look at the two- or one-star reviews. If there’re too many of those, it’s a red flag. Avoid buying the product.

2. Check for Similar Words or Phrases in Reviews

Usually, genuine reviews for any product should contain product-related descriptions like if it’s sturdy enough, material or make is good, product size, etc. However, fake Amazon reviews often have repeated and generic words like awesome, amazing, good, etc.

This might be the case with the review heading and description too, remaining extremely vague throughout.

You can also double-check the reviews for the said product for bad Grammar, incorrect phases, and an overly flattering style of writing but without any details about the product itself. And if the review matches all these criteria, it’s safe to assume it’s fake.

3. Lookup Review Timestamps

On Amazon, fake reviews are usually posted extremely close to each other. This might be because the sellers usually buy reviews in bulk or in packages. So, once the fake reviewers get to work, they might post the reviews in bulk.

This will mean a high number of vague, high-rated reviews in a short period. These reviews might also bury the real Amazon reviews.

Posting in bulk can happen all at once or in batches. So, you can also look out for erratic reviewing patterns, depending on the date they were all posted.

4. Use Filters to Find Recent or Top Reviews

Amazon lets users filter out reviews based on two parameters: Top reviews and Most recent. Usually, when a user finds any review helpful, they can click the Helpful button near it to let others know. This can push the review to the top as well, along with other detailed reviews with images. Underneath such reviews, you can see exactly how many people found this review helpful.

You can also check out the most recent reviews left for the product. Now, compare the most recent with the top reviews. When sellers go for fake reviews, they’re mostly for leaving the reviews and not boosting the ones already there.

So, if you notice a sudden influx of extremely positive reviews, but all the top ones are negative, it might be time to explore other products. Additionally, you can report those comments.

5. Look Out for Competitor References

With Amazon being vigilant, fake reviewers have also changed tactics. In order to make the review look genuine, they’re adding references to the competitor’s product. At times, these references mostly compare the similar product of other brands, while leaving a positive review for the said product.

However, things might get dicey when certain reviewers go into the review section and recommend other products while putting down the current product. When this happens, be vigilant and look for other unbiased reviews.

6. Check Reviews on Other Websites

If you cannot segregate the fake reviews from the real ones but feel something is off, check other websites as well. A quick Google search will give you links to all other websites the product is listed on. Look through a couple of these websites and check the product reviews there. Ensure you’re searching for the right product.

Additionally, a number of YouTube channels now cover product reviews, unboxing, etc., which might help you get an unbiased perspective on the product. After this, you can make your purchasing decision.

7. Use Third-Party Websites or Browser Extensions

If you feel there are too many paid reviews for a product, you can also use certain Amazon fake review checker websites, like ReviewMeta. They will analyze and check all the reviews for the relevant product. Once the report is ready, they will tell you how many reviews they think are paid. They will also display the original ratings for the product after excluding the fake reviews.

So, follow the below steps to use ReviewMeta to scan and check for fake Amazon reviews.

Step 1: Open the ReviewMeta website on any web browser.

Open ReviewMeta

Step 2: In the search bar, copy and paste the link for the relevant Amazon product page and press enter.

Step 3: After the review analysis report is ready, check for the ratio of fake reviews.

If there are too many fake reviews visible, it is better to go with another brand or product listing on Amazon. You can also use Fakespot to spot fake Amazon reviews.

FAQs for Spotting Fake Amazon Reviews

Stay Aware

We hope this article helped you in spotting fake product reviews on Amazon. Additionally, if you’ve discovered that the product you’ve ordered is fake, you can cancel your Amazon order to save the hassle.