Amazon Sues Websites for Illegally Selling Reviews on its Website

On Wednesday, Amazon filed a lawsuit in King County court claiming that three websites are illegally selling reviews on its website.

Companies offer to post positive reviews on items being sold on Amazon. The rate differs like one company sells three reviews for $74 and another company offers 200 reviews for $3,400.

As per Amazon, the companies have been violating federal and state Consumer Protections acts. Not only the lawsuit has claimed that the websites are posting fake views, but they are also violating Amazon’s trademark and are providing false advertising.

The owner of one of the websites said that their reviews are honest and his company is doing nothing wrong. Mark Collins, owner of buyamazonreviews.com, was of the view that those who provide reviews post honest reviews only.

Amazon has claimed that the bogus reviews affects a system that the company has launched two decades back with an aim to help shoppers use its website decide what they should buy. Four and five-star reviews can help boost sales, but for that it is also important that customers must consider them as unbiased.

Amazon said that the activities carried out by the websites are leading them to have improper profit. The complaint read that the reviews are small in number, but they threaten to undermine the trust of customers and also of the majority of sellers and manufacturers.

Amazon said that the defendants have posted reviews on its website from time to time through a measure that has been designed to evade its detection systems. The lawsuit accused the defendants for trademark infringement and violations of federal anti-cybersquatting. It has become clear that Amazon is willing to wipe out paid reviews.