Tell HN: Amazon's book search is gamed, keyword-stuffed, and inaccurate

Re:Tell HN: Amazon's book search is gamed, keyword-stuffed, ... by ComputerGuru on Wednesday March 16, 2022 @01:42PM (#30701763)

This is actually a very complicated topic. Amazon will let sellers of product X “claim” a product page of a (now) poorly performing product Y, or will themselves substitute product Y for product X (swap the listings but keep the ASIN).

It’s not even for remotely equivalent products: my subscribe and save for cat litter was replaced with a birth control test under the same ASIN, after being unavailable for a few months!

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: Amazon's book search is gamed, keyword-stuffed, ... by LegitShady on Wednesday March 16, 2022 @01:59PM (#30701950)

its not complicated - its quite simply dishonest. i guess its complicated whether it counts as fraud or not but if someone trusts amazon reviews in 2022 theyre not making good decisions anyways. heavily gamed, paid for, etc.

i bought a wifi card on amazon and it came with a note mentioning a $20 amazon gift card if left them a good review. i reported it to amazon and nothing happened - i dont think they even responded.

i go elsewhere for reviews because amazons are so gamed and untrustworthy.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: Amazon's book search is gamed, keyword-stuffed, ... by ComputerGuru on Wednesday March 16, 2022 @02:19PM (#30702187)

I meant the mechanics involved are complicated and not as simple as "seller Foo manually swaps out the listing details of product X for product Y."

But yes, you're right. The short and sweet of it is that it's just a gamble getting anything you can't physically validate or verify upon receipt off of Amazon.

[ Parent | on HN ]