Avoiding Amazon Scammers: 13 Tips

Not all Amazon sellers are trustworthy buyers. Edition Reader's Digest has compiled a list of necessary steps to protect yourself from unscrupulous sellers.

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Beware of shadow sellers on Amazon

Amazon has been around for more than two decades, and as we all know, it has become the largest online retailer. But a recent Amazon site study showed that what you see is not always realistic to get.

Not all Amazon sellers are conscientious, and not all purchased products are as described, they may be completely dangerous and prohibited.

The study showed that more than half of the products do not match the declared description or quality.

Start with Seller Ratings

People who have dealt with a seller often want to share their experience, especially if the experience is very positive or very negative. This is why you should look at the seller's reviews before purchasing the product. "If it's had less than a 30% positivity rate in the last 90 days, find someone else," says Josh Kreutzer, CEO of Channel Bakers, the first Amazon-focused ad agency.

Pay attention to the product page

“Nonsense brand names are a common feature of large Chinese retail companies,” says Rachel Johnson Greer, founder and principal consultant at Cascadia Seller Solutions, an e-commerce marketing agency focused on growing brands through the Amazon channel.

On the subject: 7 Amazon Secret Topics You Should Know About

"Stywvoe is a set of letters specifically designed to obtain a trademark through the USPTO because Amazon requires brands to be legally registered." All of this indicates that the company is selling fraudulent or substandard products outside the United States.

Check image quality

When viewing the contents of the page, also pay attention to the quality of the photographs. “A good seller will have access to the products they sell, so they should have a lot of high-quality images,” says Jared Scott, Amazon expert at Effective Spend. To analyze the quality of the photos a seller is using, Scott advises hovering your mouse over the image and seeing if you can enlarge it. “High-resolution images allow you to judge the quality of the product yourself,” he explains. “Amazon sellers who use a single, low-resolution photo for their products are likely using illegal photos and low-quality merchandise.”

Read reviews

Sounds simple enough, right? But when people are excited about a product or already know they want to buy it, they don't have to worry about this step. This is a mistake because the review section of a product can tell you a lot, especially when it comes to inexperienced sellers. Too few reviews could indicate a recently released product or a seller who hasn't had time to build a reputation on Amazon. Bad reviews are a sure sign to stay away from this seller. “Reading reviews from other customers can give you insight into the seller,” Kreutzer says. “For example, if multiple people claim they never received the item, that would be a sign that the seller may be unreliable.”

Check the date of writing reviews

Good reviews do not necessarily mean that you have found a good seller. If almost all positive reviews about a product appear within a few days or a week in a row, this may be a sign that the product is arriving in batches. These reviews relate to the quality of the consignment.

Make sure the reviews match the actual product.

Make sure the product mentioned in the reviews is the same product you are purchasing. “Stores can change the products they sell but still keep the same page,” explains Heather Lovett, director of communications for Deal News. “Maybe they sold a pack of pencils for cheap and got a bunch of five-star reviews, but then they changed the product to a plastic helicopter that breaks the first time you use it.” Most reviewers leave their reviews on the quality of the product, so a quick glance will be enough to assess the situation.

Check reviews for authenticity

Watch out for fake reviews. “Amazon's review system is easy to game with fake, artificial, and manipulated reviews,” says Derek Hales, editor-in-chief of Modern Castle. Signs of a fake review include ones that only use one or two words, such as “Fantastic!” Or “Great product!” You can also click on a reviewer's profile to see what their review history looks like.

Keep track of whether the seller is an intermediary or manufacturer

“Whenever possible, buy directly from the brand or manufacturer of the product, rather than from a random seller,” advises Lauren Richter, founder and CEO of BlueBiology. “Otherwise, you risk buying counterfeit products or products that are not covered by warranty.”

On the subject: 10 Secret Tricks Every Amazon Buyer Must Know

Pay attention to the delivery time.

Most Amazon Prime members are used to having purchased items delivered within a day or two. But from time to time there are sellers who do not provide such delivery. “It's common to see sellers with delivery times of three to four weeks,” explains Susan Harris, owner of Rooted Mama Health. - This is incredibly long and usually means that the seller ships the goods directly from a warehouse in China. This is a common practice, but, as a rule, the products there are not of very high quality.”

Please note if the product or seller has Amazon approval

“When it comes to brick-and-mortar marketplaces like Amazon, look for sellers who have their seal of approval,” advises Brandon Kovach, founder of Kovach Companies Inc. “If a seller offers Prime or one-day shipping, then you know they are an established partner in the marketplace and they have been vetted.” By checking reviews and working with verified Amazon sellers, you minimize the risk of fraud.

Check answers to frequently asked questions.

Typically, these questions and answers can be found above the “reviews” section. Look for a large number of frequently asked questions and helpful answers from both satisfied buyers and sellers themselves. If there are a lot of positive reviews, but only one question was asked about the product, then this is, at a minimum, suspicious.

Be careful if the seller overprices and then makes a discount

Inflated list prices are another thing to watch out for. If something like a plastic trash can has a list price of $5000 and is marked down to $10, then chances are the seller is trying to make their item more attractive by discounting it that much. However, price reductions are not always a sign of fraud. For example, older models of products are sometimes discounted when new models are introduced.

When in doubt, buy from someone else

If you feel you might be tricked, there are a number of browser extensions that let you know more about the seller, product, and reviews.

On the subject: 7 Secret Ways to Get More From Amazon

ReconBob - Provides the seller's sales history.

Keepa - Checks product prices and determines whether the purchase is a good deal and whether the seller has had any unusual price hikes or discounts.

ReviewMeta and FakeSpot authenticate customer reviews.

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