Friends and Family Reviews for Your Amazon Listing {Myth Buster}

Summary

This video provides Amazon sellers with crucial insights into the risks of using friends and family for product reviews. It explains why such reviews violate Amazon’s terms of service, which could lead to account suspension. The video outlines safe methods to generate reviews, such as using indirect connections like friends of friends, and highlights Amazon’s strict detection of biased reviews through IP addresses and social media links. The speaker emphasizes the importance of detailed, organic reviews, including text, photos, and videos, to build credibility while avoiding penalties.

Takeaways

• 😀 **Amazon’s Policy on Reviews**: Friends and family reviews are against Amazon's Terms of Service and can lead to account suspension.
• 🤔 **Bias in Reviews**: Amazon’s algorithm flags biased reviews, even if human buyers might understand the intention behind them.
• ⚠️ **Risk of Account Suspension**: Soliciting biased reviews may result in a warning email, followed by account suspension after multiple violations.
• 🔍 **What Works for Reviews**: Reviews from people indirectly connected to you (e.g., friends of friends) are safer and less likely to be flagged by Amazon.
• 🚫 **What Doesn’t Work**: Reviews from immediate family, close friends, or people you’re connected with on social media (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) can trigger flags.
• 💻 **Amazon's Detection Methods**: Amazon can flag reviews if the seller and reviewer are on the same Wi-Fi network or share an IP address.
• 🔄 **Search, Find, Buy (SFB) Strategy**: Use the SFB strategy by having someone search for your product, find it, and purchase it without direct influence from you.
• 📧 **Amazon Warnings**: If Amazon detects manipulation, sellers will receive a warning email, followed by a second warning, before account suspension on the third violation.
• 📸 **Effective Reviews**: Detailed reviews with text, photos, and videos are more impactful and help customers understand how to use the product.
• 💡 **Best Review Practices**: Focus on obtaining organic reviews through legitimate channels, avoiding excessive reliance on family and friends for review generation.

Q & A

Why are family and friends' reviews against Amazon's Terms of Service?

Amazon considers reviews from family and friends biased because they are directly linked to the seller. This bias violates Amazon’s policy of impartiality in reviews, which is why the platform flags and penalizes such practices.

What is the risk of obtaining biased reviews for your Amazon product?

The main risk is that Amazon’s algorithm can detect biased reviews, and if you’re caught, your account may be flagged, and you could face warnings or even suspension, which is hard to recover from.

Can reviews from people who are friends on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp be used?

No. Amazon's algorithm can connect these platforms (all owned by Meta), so using contacts from Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp to review your product can lead to penalties for violating Amazon's review policies.

What is the 'Search-Find-Buy' strategy and how does it work?

The 'Search-Find-Buy' strategy involves asking someone who is not directly connected to you (e.g., not a family member or close friend) to search for your product on Amazon, find it, and purchase it. This strategy helps avoid direct links between the reviewer and the seller.

What should a seller do if they receive a warning from Amazon regarding biased reviews?

The first step is to stop engaging in biased review practices immediately. If you receive a warning email from Amazon, it’s crucial to avoid repeating the behavior to prevent further actions, such as a second warning or account suspension.

How many warnings can a seller receive from Amazon before their account is suspended?

A seller can receive up to two warning emails from Amazon. After the second warning, if biased review practices continue, the account may be suspended, and recovery can be difficult.

What type of reviews are considered valuable for a product listing?

Reviews that include detailed text, pictures, and videos are considered valuable. These reviews should also answer potential customers' questions and explain how to use the product, which increases their credibility and usefulness.

What are the consequences of using a family member’s IP address for reviewing your product?

If a family member purchases your product while logged into Amazon from the same IP address, Amazon’s algorithm will flag the account due to the connection between the two purchases. This could lead to account suspension if detected.

Why is it important to be cautious with the number of reviews obtained from family and friends?

Excessive reviews from family and friends increase the risk of detection by Amazon’s algorithm. It’s safer to limit this practice to just a few early reviews to get the ball rolling without triggering red flags.

How can a seller ensure their reviews are compliant with Amazon's policies?

To stay compliant, sellers should avoid asking for reviews from people who are directly linked to them or within their personal networks (e.g., family, neighbors, or social media connections). Instead, focus on obtaining reviews from customers who are genuinely interested in the product and have no connection to the seller.