Smart Holiday Shopping: Avoiding Fake Reviews And Tricky Ads

There are lots of bargains online during the holidays, but also plenty of ways to get scammed, even at established outlets like Amazon

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How can you be sure you’re reading a legitimate review, not one coming from a company employee? How can you flag sponsored placements and other ads — and protect your credit card once you buy?

Although there’s no magical solution, try some of these practices to be a savvier online shopper.

REVIEWING THE REVIEWS

Online reviews at major retailers such as Amazon and Walmart and listing services such as Yelp look like a good place to get first-hand information from people who’ve tried a product or merchant. But investigations by The Washington Post and BuzzFeed have described networks of fake reviewers paid to inflate ratings for lesser-known sellers on Amazon. Merchants might also have their own employees write favorable reviews, or trash competitors.

Amazon has waged a legal battle against fake reviewers since at least 2015, when it claimed in a court filing that “an unhealthy ecosystem is developing outside of Amazon to supply inauthentic reviews.” The Federal Trade Commission recently settled with a cosmetics merchant that, it charged, had its own managers create fake accounts and direct employees to write good reviews on Sephora.com. Beyond that, many so-called social media influencers also write reviews after receiving free products.