So many review sites go back to amazon

I try to read both good and bad reviews on any product I may buy. from flashlights to knives to soap nuts to toilet paper. Across different sites. However, increasingly, most of these reviews lead back to buying the product on Amazon. anybody else see this?

Because you're technically being linked to an entire competing marketplace of that item and all of that item's customers' reviews as opposed to one retailer's sell page - a link to Walmart.com for example would just get you Walmart's price and the paltry few reviews only from those who bought there.

It's a way to make money. You can become an Amazon Affiliate, and embed your affiliate number in the link, and you'll get some money if a person buys through that link. Hover over the link to see the the entire URL, and you can see if this is the case.

Is that a definition of Amazon? "an entire competing marketplace"? Is that an in-house Amazon term? Sounds like hubris or marketing jabber.

I think LGT is writing about the fact that many 'reviewers' are trying to make money by having a link on their website go to Amazon and then the reviewer gets a cut of the sale if the viewer buys from Amazon.

KITROBASKIN said:

Is that a definition of Amazon? "an entire competing marketplace"? Is that an in-house Amazon term? Sounds like hubris or marketing jabber.

I think LGT is writing about the fact that many 'reviewers' are trying to make money by having a link on their website go to Amazon and then the reviewer gets a cut of the sale if the viewer buys from Amazon.

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This.

I've had several so-called reviewers ask me to do reviews and they said I'd get paid and everything. Each one was an Amazon seller who wanted my reviews to have an Amazon 'buy it here' button at certain places in the review.

I replied "thanks, but no thanks".

The Affiliate program works by putting a 24 hour cookie on the browser of whoever clicked the link; that person does not have to buy the specific item that was linked to in order for the person who placed the link to get paid, rather the clicker needs only to buy anything from the site in that 24 hour window. Placed links only get attention, and only will provide income for those who placed them, if they're for items that are already very hot - so unless you're linking to an item everyone is already buying, there's not going to be any impact on clicker/clickee/reviews/anything.

Any form of payment for reviews violates terms.

Most interesting regarding those details, thanks.
Now that my favorite charity is a part of the smile program, the convenience/HATE relationship with the mighty-river has only worsened.

Not sure if my point was correctly stated. If I were to go to Pete's Country Farm reviews of the best grass seed, or Johns review of 10 best oven mitts, every one of the items they reviewed, when clicked on, would go right to Amazon. Just seems like I'm trying to read somebody's personal review, but everything they review is at Amazon. I really don't think I'm getting an independent review, but rather somebody trying to pump up sales.

So if you were reviewing an item and wanted to provide a link where the item could be purchased, where would you link to?

StarHalo said:

So if you were reviewing an item and wanted to provide a link where the item could be purchased, where would you link to?

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I'm just saying some sites, for all products reviewed, go directly to Amazon. While others will list multiple dealers to buy from. I just think some of those every product I review is sold on Amazon sites aren't really independent reviewers. Now please excuse me while I do some shopping on Amazon.

LGT said:

I'm just saying some sites, for all products reviewed, go directly to Amazon. While others will list multiple dealers to buy from. I just think some of those every product I review is sold on Amazon sites aren't really independent reviewers. Now please excuse me while I do some shopping on Amazon.

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I understand completely what you are saying LGT. And agree completely. Amazon has their tentacles in just about everything now.

Many defend Amazons domination policies and have no issue with them. Me, I'd kinda old school and just want to read a review without being coaxed into buying something from somebody who cost my neighbors their job or business.

You know someone who lost their job or business from Amazon?

StarHalo said:

You know someone who lost their job or business from Amazon?

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Toys "R" Us has how many employees? Their business model failed, but actual people are going to hurt. Small businesses simply can't compete if Amazon sells it, unless they too join 'The Amazon/Borg Collective'. Steer me if I'm wrong.

For the the sake of newer readers of this forum, it may be useful to know who StarHalo works for...

There are plenty of website vendors with reviews (REI, Altra, etc) of their products. It's when a website isn't really a vendor and they are 'reviewing' a product in a certain category of their interest, that it looks a little suspect.

But let's face it, the Amazon reviews on Amazon can be very useful for a discriminating reader. I have been trying to buy from someone else after reading the Amazon reviews.

I am not a "normal" human being. If I read a review and an item gets my attention I do not follow the link. People are very relaxed while clicking links — they never check what is the actual address in the link. Generally speaking it may easily toss you to some evil page that copycats Amazon and you will generously pay someone for nothing.

All I do is search on the web for a better price having the name of the item. Of course, I may end up at the Amazon, but this will happen because of a better price only.

I am not in any way defending amazon, but the primary reason that toys r us went bankrupt is because Mitt Romney / Bain capital bought them out in a leveraged buy out. They saddled it with so much debt it was just a matter of time before it collapsed. Unfortunately, this is a very common occurrence with LBOs. Definitely Toys R Us will be missed and I try very hard to not buy anything from amazon. I will admit though that if you sort through the reviews, they can be enlightening.

Amazon has a great business model, no doubt. The worlds largest retailer with zero physical stores? Definitely a game changer.

Mitt left Bain in 99 but stayed as an advisor until 02. Bain bought Toys R Us in 2005. They also bought Kaybee Toys and borrowed a bunch of money to do it. Neither business was able to pay back the debt due to a bunch of reasons. Amazon was one, but were not the sole reasons they failed. Wal Mart probably played a larger role than Amazon.

But back to topic, it's nice to find a ton of products at sites run by Amazon, but it's a buyer beware thing. Know what you are buying and who from before hitting the 'pay now' button.

And yeah, I know folks who lost out due to Amazons business model, where Amazon sellers also played a part.

KITROBASKIN said:

For the the sake of newer readers of this forum, it may be useful to know who StarHalo works for...

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Five years an Amazon warehouse employee and twenty years a customer, but it would also be salient to note what political factions are currently agitated re: Amazon as well.

KITROBASKIN said:

Small businesses simply can't compete if Amazon sells it, unless they too join 'The Amazon/Borg Collective’. Steer me if I'm wrong.

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That's one interpretation; another way to look at it is to think about what it would take to sell an item you have at Wal-Mart - the legal help, the representation, the competition for the shelf space, etc. Whereas you can just sign up as an individual seller on Amazon in a few minutes and that's it, now anyone who searches for anything resembling your item sees it right there along side Amazon's copies, other big retailers' copies, and other individual sellers. That's unprecedented in the history of capitalism, that anyone can just display their wares on equal footing with any other seller without regard to scale.

bykfixer said:

Amazon has their tentacles in just about everything now.

Many defend Amazons domination policies and have no issue with them.

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bykfixer said:

Wal Mart probably played a larger role than Amazon.

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Wal-Mart is many times larger than Amazon; compare local reactions of a Wal-Mart coming to town vs an Amazon warehouse.

And no doubt Toy "R" Us put many a local toy store under. REI did much the same with small backpacking stores.

Don't have a clue what the forum violating "political factions are agitated" comment is about.

Nor is this thread about the cheesy deceptive monkey grubbing way Amazon charges and delays shipping to the low class customers who don't front $100 to become preferred.

Seemingly it is about a proliferation of review websites that look like 'artificially intelligent' tools to sell Amazon products, and the question of their integrity.

^^ Well said mon-frair.

I still read some reviews by noted reviewers knowing that at the end there is a statement saying (paraphrasing here) "buying from this site helps support this site". I'm cool with that whether it's through the big A, or not.

But all these johnnie-come-lately's popping up like mushrooms touting "top ten tactical" this or that with Amazon buttons throughout the review?
Heck, if nothing else potentially a hacker lurks just a click away.

KITROBASKIN said:

Seemingly it is about a proliferation of review websites that look like 'artificially intelligent' tools to sell Amazon products, and the question of their integrity.

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That is exactly my point/observation.