While you purchase one thing on Amazon, the e-commerce big isn’t at all times the one making the sale; an estimated half of all products offered on Amazon come from third-party sellers. Amazon says it’s merely the conduit between purchaser and vendor, and doesn’t bear duty if a third-party product is flawed (though some latest court docket {cases} have challenged that stance).
Third-party sellers aren’t supposed to have the ability to electronic mail Amazon clients instantly outdoors of the platform, however a brand new report in The Wall Street Journal reveals that some sellers can discover methods to get in contact with patrons who depart unfavorable product critiques, and a few companies even supply “electronic mail extraction” for patrons as a service to sellers.
So moderately than paying individuals to offer favorable critiques, a observe Amazon banned in 2016, these third-party sellers go after individuals who depart a foul product assessment and supply them cost to alter or delete it (a observe which can be a violation of Amazon’s guidelines). Nicole Nguyen writes within the WSJ about Katherine Scott, who purchased an oil spray bottle for cooking which didn’t work as marketed, so she left a unfavorable assessment. Every week later, she acquired an electronic mail that seemed to be from a customer support rep from the oil sprayer firm providing a refund if she deleted the assessment.
Ms. Scott requested for a refund however didn’t need to delete her assessment. One other consultant reached out the subsequent day and declined to subject her refund. “A foul assessment is a deadly blow to us,” learn the e-mail. “May you assist me delete the assessment? When you can, I need to refund $20 to you to specific my gratitude.” (This was twice what Ms. Scott paid.) Just a few hours later, she obtained one other plea from the identical electronic mail tackle.
Amazon instructed the WSJ it doesn’t share buyer electronic mail addresses with third-party sellers, and that it eliminated some 200 million faux critiques final yr alone. However Nguyen writes that third-party sellers are discovering methods to electronic mail clients all the identical. Go read this excellent report which incorporates recommendation for how one can protect your electronic mail tackle from Amazon sellers who shouldn’t have it within the first place.