Amazon's Feedback Policy Questioned After Negative Review Vanished
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Can you trust Amazon feedback?
That's what one woman is asking, after she says her negative review vanished from the website.
She says she relies on others' feedback before ordering and posts her own to help others.
So, where did her negative post go?
When returning a broken Nintendo Wii, Sandy Parker says the third party seller on Amazon initially didn't give her a full refund.
So, she posted a negative review.
"I rated the seller two stars out of five," she said.
Within 30 minutes. she says the seller emailed her about it.
"It said, 'Please remove your lie feedback,'" Parker said.
She declined and complained to Amazon. Only then did the seller send her the rest of the money.
But, she says Amazon removed her review and won't let her post another one.
She wants to warn others about this seller.
"Even if they completely disagreed with me, don't call me a liar," Parker said.
Amazon does say online it will only remove feedback if it's obscene, or gives a name, email address or phone number.
Parker insists her post was clear of any of that.
"The reviews. That's what gives the company credibility," Doug Elmets, a public relations expert, said.
Elmets says sanitizing reviews is dangerous.
"If they are limiting what the purchaser is seeing, then it calls into question the credibility of the company," he said.
After reaching out to Amazon, the company admitted it may have removed her review, because the matter was resolved.
But, after it was pointed out that a "resolved matter" is not listed in its policy as a reason for removal, Amazon re-posted Parker's review and gave her the chance to revise it.
"How can I trust any purchase I make on Amazon.com if I can't trust the feedback?" she said.
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