A China-based company that sells $500 million a year in tools and appliances on Amazon has been accused of manipulating customer product reviews, while competitors are being turned a blind eye by Amazon. A report by the Post revealed that he was dissatisfied with this.
Vevor, a Shanghai-based company that sells everything from power tools and toys to camping equipment and restaurant equipment, systematically creates multiple listings for the same product to avoid negative reviews. , ignoring Amazon's rules as well as US regulations on consumer protection and unfairness. Competition, rival sellers claim.
In one example, Vevor's slushie machine appears in two different lists. Both have a price tag of $743, but one has a 2.9-star rating with 41 customer reviews, and the other has a 2.6-star rating with 70 reviews.
“It arrived in a wooden box with sticky, dry residue,” the customer wrote in a July 2 review, complaining that Amazon customer service did not respond to her complaint. “Obviously previously used, but sold as new and unused. This vendor is a rip-off and Amazon should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this vendor to sell through Amazon.”
Vevor, which has also been sued for copyright infringement by established brands such as Vitamix, generated an estimated $450 million in revenue from January to September 15 on Amazon alone, an increase of 10.5% year over year. It was reported that. jungle scout.
According to Jungle Scout, this estimate is based on Vevor's top 15,000 items out of a total of 30,000 items, so the actual number could be higher.
Amazon's failure to crack down on Vevor comes as the Seattle-based e-commerce giant faces increased e-commerce competition and is increasingly working with Chinese manufacturers to crack down on violations of its seller rules. It partly shows that they are desperate for acceptance. It's an app from China, experts told the Post.
Chris McCabe, a former Amazon executive turned consultant, said Amazon has become “soft on Chinese companies because they want to engage more with Chinese sellers to compete with Tem and Shein.” “That's because it is.”
“Over the past year, this behavior has accelerated,” McCabe added. “Negative reviews are mysteriously removed and these sellers are only punished by Amazon for a short period of time.”
As a result, Amazon is putting customer trust in its brand at risk and risking its site to suffer from the same quality, reliability, and fair competition concerns that plagued its fast-growing China-based competitors. Critics point out that it allows for
Vevor's alleged manipulation of customer reviews has been closely tracked by an anonymous Amazon seller who filed multiple whistleblowers with the Federal Trade Commission and multiple state attorneys general under the pseudonym “Jake Anderson.”
The whistleblower, who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity, tracked 1,500 instances in which Vevor allegedly created duplicate listings for the same product after the product received negative reviews.
It took the whistleblower a year to document the incident, carefully entering links to product listings in an Excel spreadsheet.
In one case, a Vevor coin sorter was listed on three different but otherwise identical listings with 2.5-star, 3-star, and 4.5-star ratings and prices ranging from $53.99 to $59.99. Amazon seller research shows that it appears to be the case.
“Buyer beware,” one customer wrote in a review dated Aug. 15, warning that the coin sorter “broke on the first try.”
“First, the coins weren't sorted properly. The pennies went into nickels and dimes. It kept getting jammed.
It's no longer working…It's a shame,” the reviewer said furiously.
Amazon's Seller Code of Conduct prohibits “unfair practices” such as “creating multiple detail pages for the same product.” It also warns sellers that violating Amazon's policies may result in penalties such as “cancellation of listings” and “revocation of selling privileges.”
“I contacted Amazon over 10 times through the Seller Central platform regarding various Vevor products,” the whistleblower said.
Amazon's “boilerplate” answer is: “We have investigated the issues you have brought to our attention and have taken appropriate action. For privacy reasons, we are unable to share our findings with you.”
The whistleblower shared his findings with the FTC and New York Attorney General Letitia James' office, in addition to other states, according to a complaint and regulatory responses provided to the Post. It is said that he continued.
James' office did not respond to the investigation, but the AG's Internet and Technology Division, Economic Justice Division referred the complaint to Amazon, eliciting a vague and inconclusive response from an Amazon official named “Arun.” That's what it means. to a Sept. 11 email addressed to James' office.
“We have escalated this issue to the appropriate team for further investigation regarding the vendor and product review,” the Amazon employee wrote. “I have reviewed and understand your complaint.” [the whistleblower’s] Concerns regarding review issues with vendors on the Amazon website. ”
Amazon declined to comment on Vevor on the record, including the status of its complaint to the New York AG. Instead, the Jeff Bezos-owned company released a statement about its efforts to combat fraud in general. It also refused to respond to claims that it had “relaxed its stance” toward Chinese sellers.
Vevor, however, said in an email to the Post that he has not been investigated by Amazon. Regarding duplicate listings, the company said, “Based on comments, advice, and criticism received from customers, the same product listing may be removed and later reinstated to reflect the latest product updates or upgrades.” said.
Vevor claimed in a press release that its products are “widely available in markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, and sales are expected to reach $2.7 billion in 2024.”
Vevor has a B- rating from the BBB, which warns on its site that “this business gets a lot of complaints.”
According to the BBB site, Vevor customers have been complaining that they received “defective or incorrect products.” “Consumers are also reporting issues with contacting the company. In some cases, the company does not respond to their requests or does not contact them at all.”
When it comes to Amazon sellers, most sellers are too worried about retaliation to file complaints against big sellers on the site, Leslie Hensel, a consultant who helps Amazon sellers, told the Post. told. The reason is that overseas sellers are known to use “aggressive blackhat tactics,” such as attacking lists of sellers who have filed complaints or reporting false violations. He said it was because of this.
“We have to give this to the U.S. sellers who discovered this, compiled the data and reported it to Amazon, and then we have to give it to the government,” Hensel said. “It takes courage to take that on. And it's so important. The Amazon seller community has to stand up and say, 'These kinds of black hat tactics have to stop.' It's up to Amazon to stop them, regardless of their country of origin. ”
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of U.S. states sued Amazon, accusing it of operating an illegal monopoly through its online marketplace. The FTC also accused Amazon of using deceptive practices to get consumers to sign up for its Prime membership service.
The FTC is also cracking down on fraudulent or misleading online reviews. New rules banning marketers from using fake reviews to promote products were due to come into effect in October.
Vevor appears to have grown explosively in the U.S. in recent years, even though its website states that the company opened a U.S. store in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in 2007. Since then, the company has courted DIY influencers, including Den of Tools founder Jeff King. Segment to seller “Who exactly is Vever?” on his YouTube channel last year.
“Vevers exploded out of nowhere and we're seeing them all over the place now,” King said.
