Amazon Deletes Negative Reviews

Amazon has repeatedly deleted my negative 1-star review of a
Sedona-area guidebook that I returned for a refund, because it was an
advertising-filled piece of junk, NOT a true guidebook by any
definition. It's been deleted over and over, despite me re-posting it.
Interestingly, there remain FIVE five-star, positively RAVING reviews
of this piece of garbage, EACH ONE by an author that has only reviewed
this book, and NEVER reviewed anything else on Amazon.com. I don't
trust Amazon as far as I can spit! What a crooked organization. Anyone
who thinks their review system is truly open and unbiased is horribly
mistaken! They manipulate their review system to their liking, and
they'll delete any review they damn well please if that's what they
feel like doing. What a bunch of Nazis!

It seems weird that Amazon would do that. I love Amazon. It's my
favorite "store." I do read the reviews and trust the opinions. I've
bought many things from amazon and read countless reviews...I've never
suspected "tweaking" of reviews. Usually I can find just as many bad
reviews as good.

I have, however, come across reviews which just seem to be something
like an author's friend beefing up the review list and whatnot.
Sometimes it can be pretty easy to spot the fakes.

I hope Amazon responds to you...I would like to hear their response.

Also, perhaps they had a glitch or some server problems? Maybe
technology is to blame, since you said a large number of reviews have
vanished?

One more thing...have you tried e-mailing customer service with your
questions? I find that it's the best way to get something handled.
That's another thing I love about Amazon: awesome customer service.

Good luck!

I'm too tired to go try and check, lol. I would hate to think that
Amazon would selectively delete negative items though, if they were
not against some TOS.

The first paragraph of an amazon.com, review of Dianetics:

"From the very first paragraph, Hubbard exhibits the controlling
attitudes of a cult leader such as Jim Jones or Joseph Smith. His
"dogma" has a unique language, unlike any mainstream psychological
terminology. Over and over he states that "My research has
proven...such and such." Well, where is it? The book has no references
to any such research."

This is a somewhat competently written criticism of the book. It
doesn't sound like something that would lead someone to buy it.
Amazon makes the reviews easy to access, as well. You can quickly see
"all 2 star reviews," for example. If they wanted to hide the
negative, they wouldn't offer this feature.

You have to take EVERYTHING you find on unsecure websites with a grain
of salt, especially what you find on this very site. The fact that
clearly negative reviews are right there to help shape a buying
decision negates your argument. For me, one or two negatives can
easily outweigh 100 positives, if what they contain makes sense.

I don't spend a lot of time surfing reviews on the web, thank the
Lord. However, being able to quickly search and find a cross section
of reviews is helpful, and I think Amazon does a good job of that. I
don't need 50 reviews to agree with a point of view that sounds
"right" to me.

Thanks, Zan. That is kind of odd when you stop and think about it. One
person doing 20 to 30 reviews a day? I guess it seems possible, but
she must be either bedridden or a group of people as you suggest.

The whole system is in need of a serious overhaul. Censorship of
reviews (good or bad) is not a good thing.

As soon as you click on User Reviews, they show two reviews (one good,
one bad) next to each other. For whatever reason there are only a few
bad reviews right now, but they are there to see. So the one negative
review you desire is right there to see.

I notice Hubbard's latest book has only 3 reviews, a 1 star, a 4 star
and a 5 star.

I haven't been monitoring Amazon's editing of reviews of anything, as
I don't have the time for that type of activity. However, I use the
reviews. If they were censoring negatives, why not get rid of all of
them?

Look it up on Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com). They have 32 reviews, and
granted, the majority are positive, but there are a handful of
negative reviews, and they are mostly well-written and reasonable. :o)

It makes no ense for them to delete negative reviews. Now, because of
the nature of that specific book, I can see folks writing inflamoatry
negative reviews. controversial material tends to bring that out in
folks.

Howeverm, if teh reviews are factual, negative or not, they should
stay!

Great letter, and I agree completely.