Stupid brands will destroy online product reviews
ADOTAS — Having a company force its workers to anonymously blog about its products, regardless of whether they use them or like them, and attack others is pathetic.
It’s been a long standing problem, but with the Federal Trade Commission paying more attention than ever, you would think that brands would be smarter. But they’re not. The other day I mentioned DeLonghi, which was caught by a blogger, using workers to post fake reviews, but that’s nothing compared to the New York Attorney General’s office catching you.
Yesterday, the AG announced that it had reached a settlement with cosmetic surgery outfit Lifestyle Lift over the publishing of fake online consumer reviews. Andrew Cuomo’s office said it might be the first in the nation aimed at combating “astroturfing.”
According to the AG, Lifestyle Lift employees published positive reviews and comments about the company to trick Web-browsing consumers into believing that satisfied customers were posting their own stories. Company employees were directed to create accounts with various Internet message boards and pose as satisfied customers of Lifestyle Lift. Employees also attacked legitimate message board posters who criticized Lifestyle Lift and tried to get those posts removed from message boards. Internal emails discovered by AG’s investigation show that Lifestyle Lift employees were given specific instructions to engage in this illegal activity. Lifestyle Lift will pay out $300,000 in penalties and costs to the state.
As online shopping grows, there will always be sellers using fake reviews to make noise in a crowded marketplace. This will most probably result in a crackdown by the government. You wonder if the burgeoning distrust of anonymous reviews will work in favor of other online advertising media.
Reader Comments.
I think the Government’s stance with unwanted telephone solicitation has worked.
I know I don’t get that many calls anymore. I’ll take that as a win.
If there was a way for administrators to turn in businesses for posting product reviews. That threat might have the same effect.
User/Member online Ratings and product reviews are an important part of today’s Internet Experience.
On the other hand.. It took nearly 100 years since the invention of the Telephone for the government to take action.
Hmmmmm
I LOVE Adotas! Best site on the web! Anybody who says differently should be kicked off the site and not allowed to use exclamation points!
You might think I work for Adotas, but I don’t! Just a very, very satisfied reader!
Let’s hope they’re watching the “I’m Jenny from [Your Town] and I lost 30 pounds with this auto-renewing $99.95/month scam” pages.
Any one of us engaged in legit emarketing knew from moment one that “Rachel Ray’s Diet Blog”, promoted by “Dr Oz” and “as seen on Oprah” was a total scam. The fact that all of us knew it right away but it takes the regulators months (years!) to follow-up does not help me sleep at night. And what about the site and networks earning all the profits by taking the ad revenue from these scams? Doing no harm? They cannot turn their cheek on this.
Do as I say, not as I do.
Left hand advertising sidebar – “Triple Traffic to your website in 48 hours”. Some mob called http://www.AdvertisingWebService.com.au. I had to cross enter the name, because the advert is an image.
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