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Belkin's Amazon Rep Paying For Fake Online Reviews
remove office writes "I recently discovered that Belkin's lead online sales rep, Michael Bayard, has been secretly paying internet users to review his company's products favorably on Amazon.com and other websites like Newegg, whether or not they've ever used the devices. Bayard instructed the people he was paying to 'Write as if you own the product and are using it... Mark any other negative reviews as "not helpful" once you post yours.' Ironically, he was using Amazon's own Mechanical Turk service to hire his fraudsters. Did he honestly think he wouldn't get caught? Are Slashdotters aware of other examples of other such blatant astroturfing on behalf of a large tech company like Belkin?"
I will review any piece of crap i know nothing about for money.
I missed out. If anyone wants me to review their products, I'm sure I can do it for the right price.
Steve's Computer Service, Hobbs, NM
Why did Belkin even both to do this? They make wonderful products. Just the other day, I got a Belkin Tunebase FM Transmitter with ClearScan for iPod and it was my best purchase ever. It plays my ipod over the radio with amazing fidelity, and my truck gets better gas mileage to boot. I've sold my home and I'm living out of my truck because the sound is so much better. (Where's my money?)
Seriously, the first thing that needs to happen is a bunch of people should "review" Belkin's products with the evidence that they're faking reviews. It'd pretty much finish them, at least with Amazon customers. This is extremely annoying and we need to make it as painful as possible.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
It wasn't personal, I'm just supposed to do that after I post my glowing review of the belkin backpack as anon. otherwise I dont get paid.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
Shillington Labs provides independent product reviews. Our corporate motto is: "Product Reviews, Your Way!"
I went into an electronics store recently and the staff let me try out wireless adapters to find out if it would work on my laptop ( running Ubuntu 8.04 at the time ). The first one we tried was a Belkin USB adapter and it worked fine. I brought it and haven't regretted my purchase in the slightest, in fact, I'd purchase more. The signal strength was way better than other adapters I'd used and it's never dropped the connection ( to a Linksys WRT54G ).
I'd probably recommend them for their hardware but it seems their ethics need to catch up.
The disappearing pencil trick. Let me show you it.
Its like being surprised that a professional was using hGH or 'roids.
... hemroids?
First, Belkin is astroturfing Amazon and Newegg. Next thing you'll be telling me is that Monster Cable's stuff isn't actually any better than the generic stuff!
I'd be pretty surprised if my doctor or lawyer was on steroids.
Netgear PR department? Is that you?
Groucho not Karl.
Wow, now I know why you arent the CTO anymore.
you mean like this post: /. Post
Funny, I wasn't able to find a registered cooperation under that name. It seems like MicroSoft would sue them for the name similarity, if this Micro$oft outfit is at all involved in technology products. I'm guessing from the name that they might make financial software of some sort?
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
Are they still hiring reviewers?
greed@All_Evils:~#
I hear the Nostromo has a really nasty bug.
I really can't understand why he'd marked them down for the quality.
Maybe he has a crappy sound card or receiver/amp? Or maybe he just can't! I have a friend who can't tell the difference between regular TV and HD (on my 24" Dell LCD monitor for a fact). No kidding. I also showed her some dry, brown, stemmy weed and I go, "Ah, look, such excellent bud!" and she totally agreed until I go, "Dude, this is dry, brown, stemmy weed, yuch!"
My grandmother used anecdotal evidence all the time - she lived to be 125, and never had this problem with her Belkin USB hub.
No, that would be Asstroturfing.
I remember that, because I was an "incentivized reviewer" for Sony at the time. I'm just sorry I hadn't gotten the chance to review any Belkin hardware for cash. As most Slashdotters (I think that's a last name in Iceland) know, Belkin stuff is the worst of the worst and I would hesitate in recommending it to my worst enemy (although I would in the end). However, if suitable baksheesh were involved, I'd be happy to sing Belkin's praises from the nearest mountaintop (which is pretty far away considering I live in southern Louisiana).
Treadmill and bike at the same time? Doesn't he know you aren't suppose to multitask?
I don't preview or spellcheck.
[citation needed]