Fake reviews?

[wegs]

Is it possible for an online seller, say for a site like Etsy, to post his/her own reviews, thus giving the impression that they have tons of 5-star reviews? (or hack the system in order to do so?) On Amazon, this isn't the case; they label each review as a ''verified purchase.'' My friend is dealing with a horrible seller on Etsy, who still hasn't shipped her package, but is assuring her that he has (she checked with the USPS and used the tracking number Etsy provided). His reviews paint an entirely different picture of this seller, and I can't help but wonder if there's a way to fake reviews.

Just wondering.

 

[DaveC426913]

Of course it's possible. I don't know if all places reconcile reviews with purchases. Etsy might or might not. I don't know.

It is certainly not unknown for people to get employees and friends to write glowing reviews. A good question is: how many reviews does the seller have? Hundreds? Thousands? Hard to "game" numbers like that. But if they only have a few dozen, then it's possible they're fake.

It is also quire possible there there really is a hang up somewhere in the system. It's really easy to blame the seller and assume they're crooked. Your friend should be pretty sure there's something fishy.

BTW, take my advice with a grain of salt. I'm in the software industry, but only have a modicum of personal experience with private seller ecommerce.