A China-based company that sells $500 million a year of appliances and equipment on Amazon has been accused of manipulating its customer product reviews — and competitors complain that Amazon is turning a blind eye, The Post has learned. .
Shanghai-based Vevoor, which sells everything from power tools and toys to camping gear and restaurant equipment, is systematically creating multiple listings for similar products to circumvent negative reviews — in violation of Amazon’s rules as well as consumer ones. Violating US regulations for protection and unfair. Competition, claims of rival vendors.
In one example, a Waver Slushie Machine appears in two different listings. Both sport a $743 price tag, but one shows a 2.9-star rating with 41 customer reviews, while the other shows a 2.6-star rating with 70 reviews.
“Arrived in a crate with sticky dried residue,” one customer wrote in a July 2 review, lamenting that Amazon’s customer service had not responded to complaints. “Apparently previously used but sold as new and never used. This seller is a fraud and Amazon should be ashamed for allowing this seller to sell through Amazon.”
Vivor – which also faces lawsuits over copyright violations from established brands including Vitamix – generated an estimated $450 million in revenue on Amazon alone from January to September 15 – a 10.5% increase from a year earlier. jungle scout,
The real number is likely larger because this estimate is based on Weaver’s 15,000 top sellers — out of a total of 30,000 items, according to Jungle Scout.
The fact that Amazon has failed to crack down on waivers partly signals that the Seattle-based e-commerce giant is desperate to work more collaboratively with Chinese manufacturers — and crack down on violations of its seller rules. is tolerating – because it faces increasing competition from e-commerce. China’s apps, experts told The Post.
According to Chris McCabe, a former Amazon executive turned consultant, Amazon “has gone soft on Chinese companies, because they are trying to engage more with Chinese sellers to compete with Temu and Shein.”
“There has been an increase in these practices over the past year,” McCabe said. “Negative reviews are being mysteriously removed and these sellers are only punished for a short period of time by Amazon.”
As a result, critics say Amazon is jeopardizing customer trust in its own brand — and allowing its site to suffer from the quality, reliability and fair competition concerns that have plagued its fast-growing, China-based company. Has troubled the rivals.
Vyvor’s alleged manipulation of customer reviews has been carefully tracked by an anonymous Amazon seller, who has used the pseudonym “Jake Anderson” to file multiple whistleblower complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and several state attorneys general.
The whistleblower, who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity, tracked 1,500 instances in which Waver allegedly created duplicate listings for the same item after the product received negative reviews.
It took the whistleblower a year to document the events, meticulously entering links to product listings onto an Excel spreadsheet.
In one case, a waiver coin sorter appeared in three different listings — with 2.5-, 3- and 4.5-star ratings and prices ranging from $53.99 to $59.99 — but which otherwise appeared identical, according to research from the Amazon seller. It shows.
In an August 15 review, a customer wrote, “Buyer beware” and warned that the coin sorter “broke on the first try.”
“For starters the coins were not arranged properly. Pennies merged into nickels and dimes. Due to this there was jam.
It stopped working…big disappointment,” fumed the reviewer.
Amazon’s seller code of conduct prohibits “inappropriate activities”, including “creating multiple detail pages for the same product”. Sellers are also warned that any violations of Amazon policies may result in penalties, including “listing cancellation” or “removal of selling privileges.”
“We contacted Amazon through the Seller Central platform more than 10 times regarding various waiver items,” the whistleblower said.
Amazon’s “boiler plate” response: “We investigated the issue you brought to our attention and took appropriate action. For privacy reasons we cannot share the results of our investigation with you.”
The whistleblower shared his research with the FTC and the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, among other states, according to complaint letters and responses from regulators provided to The Post.
James’ office did not commit to an investigation, but the AG’s Bureau of Internet and Technology, Division of Economic Justice, alerted Amazon to the complaint — and received a vague, inconclusive response from an Amazon executive who identified himself as “Arun.” Identified as. Email sent to James’ office on September 11.
“I have escalated this issue to the appropriate team for further investigation on the seller and product reviews,” the Amazon employee wrote. “I have reviewed the complaint and understand [the whistleblower’s] “Concern regarding review issues with the seller on the Amazon website.”
Amazon declined to comment on the record about the waiver, including the status of the complaint with the New York AG. Instead, the Jeff Bezos-owned company put out a statement about its efforts to fight fraud in general. It also did not respond to allegations that it has “gone soft” on Chinese sellers.
Meanwhile, Vevoor said in an email to The Post that it is not being investigated by Amazon. Regarding duplicate listings, the company said, “The same product listing may be removed and then later reinstated to reflect the latest product updates or upgrades based on comments, advice or critiques made by customers. “
Vivor claimed in a press release that its products are “widely available in markets across North America, Europe and Asia and sales are expected to reach $2.7 billion in 2024.”
Weevor has a B- rating from the BBB, which warns on its site that “there is a pattern of complaints at this business.”
According to the BBB site, Weevore customers have complained that “items arrived damaged or they received the wrong item.” “In addition, consumers report problems contacting the company. Some people indicated that the company failed to respond to their requests or did not communicate with them at all.
As for Amazon sellers, most are too worried about retaliation for complaining about larger sellers on the site, Leslie Hensel, a consultant who helps Amazon sellers, told The Post. That’s because foreign vendors are known to use “aggressive, black hat tactics,” including attacking lists of complaining vendors and reporting bogus violations, he said.
“I have to hand it over to the American vendor who discovered it, compiled the data and reported it to Amazon — and then to the government,” Hensel said. “It takes bravery to admit it. And this is very important. The Amazon seller community must stand up and say, “These types of black hat tactics have to stop.” It’s up to Amazon to stop them – no matter their country of origin.”
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of US states sued Amazon for allegedly exercising an illegal monopoly through its online marketplace. The FTC also accused Amazon of using deceptive practices to enroll consumers in its Prime membership service.
The FTC has also cracked down on fraudulent or misleading online reviews. A new rule banning marketers from using fake reviews to promote their products was set to take effect in October.
Vivor has exploded in the US over the past few years, although its website says the company set up shop in the US in 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. It has since attracted DIY influencers, including “Den of Tools” founder Jeff King, who dedicated a section to the vendor. “Who the Heck is Vivore Last year on his YouTube channel.
“Vavor exploded out of nowhere and now we’re seeing them everywhere,” King said.
