Fake Consumer Reviews = More than Sheer Stupidity

It was recently discovered that representatives from Belkin (a major manufacturer of audio, video, and computer accessories) were paying for 100% positive reviews that were published on various shopping sites (including Amazon and Buy.com) in order to assist consumers with purchasing decisions and boost internal site search rankings. Belkin paid 65 cents for each review, many of which were to promote a router that has consistently garnered bad reviews online.

Not only were Belkin’s actions unbearably stupid (the company posted dozens of requests for the reviews via Amazon’s very own Mechanical Turk), but the company also demonstrated questionable business tactics and showed complete disregard for business ethic laws. As a result, Belkin is facing possible ban from shopping sites (including Amazon itself), severe public backlash, and a tarnished reputation.

Sucks for Belkin. Perhaps next time they should leave the consumer reviews to the consumers themselves – the damage the inflicted on themselves is far worse than the negative reviews that existed previously.

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