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Amazon Selects Their Favorite Fake Customer Reviews

An anonymous reader writes "Amazon's just created a new web page where they're officially acknowledging fake reviews posted by their customers — and they've even selected their own favorites . ('I was very disappointed to have my uranium confiscated at the airport. It was a gift for my son for his birthday. Also, I'm in prison now, so that's not good either...') On the front page of Amazon, in big orange letters, Amazon posted 'You guys are really funny.'And then — next to a funny picture of a rubber horse head mask — Amazon's linked to a list of some of the very best satirical reviews their customers have submitted over the years, noting fondly that 'occasionally customer creativity goes off the charts in the best possible way...'"

35 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. I deny everything by ackthpt · · Score: 2

    It wasn't me, it was the other guy.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:I deny everything by alphatel · · Score: 5, Informative

      Link to the actual funniest reviews page

      --
      When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
    2. Re:I deny everything by NettiWelho · · Score: 5, Funny

      Personally I'm of the opinion that this page has the funniest reviews on Amazon.

    3. Re:I deny everything by Mr.+Sketch · · Score: 2

      How did they miss this page?

  2. Trying reading reviews for odd products by nayrbn · · Score: 2

    I remember a great evening with the family when we were reading reviews for laxatives and other products like it. It's just so funny for people to be open about their, er, regular habits. Some samples:


    "I used to be constipated for several days at a time for over 20 years before I started taken Swiss Kriss herbal laxative. I gave this herbal laxative 5 stars, because it works every time I use it. I never cramp. It's just a smooth move everyone should try."


    "I have ALWAYS had a problem with constipation. Even when I was a child I had problems. Now at 55, I have learned I'm allergic to all DAIRY products which has helped tremendously, but still have a problem with constipation. Swiss Kriss is the ONLY product that my doctor will let me take every day. I take FOUR tablets at bedtime and I do not have any problems. I recommend it highly! BUT, until you know how many you will need to take, I'd only start out taking ONE tablet and then adding to it, only if needed."


    "I actually never heard of this product till I read a biography about Louis Armstrong recently. Amongst Louis' many quirks and talents, he was actually a very health-conscience guy. He was into various techniques to keep his weight down and in general, stay healthier. This product was something he liked so much, swore by in fact, that he'd offer little packets of it to friends and associates he'd meet (even offering some to the British Royal Family during his visit in the U.K.). He also did a few commercials for them. Sooo, how could I pass that up?! I tried it myself and Pops had it right. This stuff has been around for a looong time and still works like a charm."


    "I went to my favorite restaurant and ordered one of everything on the left on the menu...I felt...a feeling, I sensed an urgency, like a clogged pipe was my colon after that meal I've always had 'butt' issues btw I drove slowly through the bad side of town looking for a drugstore, looking for a way out of my 'condition.' I managed to locate an all night drive thru pharmacy with the word 'relief' posted clearly in the window. I parked, got out of my vintage Studebaker and proceeded to bang on the window pleading for a product that would take my pain away. [...] These pills do work...they just work too good...YOUR LIFE WILL BE FOREVER ALTERED AFTER USING THIS...THIS...'product.' Why is it $5.49 a bottle? I wouldn't pay more than $5.38."

    1. Re:Trying reading reviews for odd products by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I remember a great evening with the family when we were reading reviews for laxatives...

      Oooh-kay.

  3. one of my favorites by yorgasor · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm reading this while wearing my three wolf moon shirt. It's the best shirt in the world, if only it glowed in the dark.

    --
    Looking for a computer support specialist for your small business? Check out
    1. Re:one of my favorites by ackthpt · · Score: 2

      I'm reading this while wearing my three wolf moon shirt. It's the best shirt in the world, if only it glowed in the dark.

      Console your self with the banana slicer, but not while you are wearing the horse mask.

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    2. Re:one of my favorites by Jumunquo · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's what the uranium is for.

    3. Re:one of my favorites by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny
      Apparently one of the reviews is from George Takei. Like, actually from the real George Takei. I guess?

      This shirt has changed my life! Before, I couldn't walk through the aisles at Wal-Mart, graze on the buffet at Sizzler, or even take in a round at my local miniature golf course, without people pointing and saying, "Hey, you're that Zulu guy from Star Wars, aren't you?" Even if I wore sunglasses, I'd still get mistaken for Yoko Ono. But with The Mountain Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee, the SHIRT now draws the eye. One young teen even shyly approached me, and instead of asking for a picture or an autograph, simply smiled conspiratorially and whispered, "Team Jacob, right? Me, too. He's sooooooo dreamy." Yes he is, young lady. Yes. He. Is.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    4. Re:one of my favorites by Nimey · · Score: 2

      Yeah, he's been posting fake reviews on Amazon for a bit over a month now.

      --
      Hail Eris, full of mischief...

      E pluribus sanguinem
  4. Ahh good ol' Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant by Saija · · Score: 5, Funny

    one of my favorites: Epic all-situation survivor's kit

    --
    Slashdot ya no es que lo era! ;)
  5. Greatest Review Of All Time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Read http://www.amazon.com/review/RXXPVOUH9NLL3

    I'll quote the first stanza:

    Once upon a mid-day sunny, while I savored Nuts 'N Honey,
    With my Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 gal, 128 fl. oz., I swore
    As I went on with my lapping, suddenly there came a tapping,
    As of some one gently rapping, rapping at the icebox door.
    'Bad condensor, that,' I muttered, 'vibrating the icebox door -
    Only this, and nothing more.'

    1. Re:Greatest Review Of All Time by sc0ob5 · · Score: 2
      By far the best one I have seen so far.

      Link for the lazy.

  6. All of the ones for the banana slicer are funny by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny
    Most of those on that page are incomplete. For instance:

    What can I say about the 571B Banana Slicer that hasn't already been said about the wheel, penicillin, or the iPhone.... this is one of the greatest inventions of all time. My husband and I would argue constantly over who had to cut the day's banana slices. It's one of those chores NO ONE wants to do! You know, the old "I spent the entire day rearing OUR children, maybe YOU can pitch in a little and cut these bananas?" and of course, "You think I have the energy to slave over your damn bananas? I worked a 12 hour shift just to come home to THIS?!" These are the things that can destroy an entire relationship. It got to the point where our children could sense the tension. The minute I heard our 6-year-old girl in her bedroom, re-enacting our daily banana fight with her Barbie dolls, I knew we had to make a change. That's when I found the 571B Banana Slicer. Our marriage has never been healthier, AND we've even incorporated it into our lovemaking. THANKS 571B BANANA SLICER!

    And my personal favorite review of the banana slicer:

    I would rate this product as just okay. It's kind of cheaply made. But it works better than the hammer I've been using to slice my bananas.

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  7. Denon Gold Plated Ethernet Cables by Somebody+Is+Using+My · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the reviews on this page yet for Denon's AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable, a $500 gold-connector CAT5 cable. Possibly the greatest fake reviews on Amazon.com

    Oh, wait. It's mentioned on TFA. Well, since nobody reads that anyway so can we still say I was the first guy to mention it? Plus, they deserve being mentioned twice anyway ;-)

    1. Re:Denon Gold Plated Ethernet Cables by greg1104 · · Score: 2

      This is similar to the AudioQuest K2 reviews, which includes the funniest single review I've ever seen there--starting with "We live underground. We speak with our hands. We wear the earplugs all our lives."

  8. "Just created"? No by Anubis+IV · · Score: 2

    More like it's been visible from the front page for at least a few months now. It's been one of the items in regular circulation right under that topmost section of the page where they advertise their various services and products.

    Even so, if you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a read. The Three Wolf Moon shirt and $10,000 Denon cable are, of course, on there, but so are a surprising array of other items.

  9. My wish list... by Kaenneth · · Score: 2

    Amazon wiped my old wish list for no apparent reason, so I've been using my new one mostly to track humorous reviews

    http://amzn.com/w/2MQ4CMS9RE1O7

    To be clear, I don't actually want most of these items, please don't buy me any of them.

    Especially the 55 gallon drum of lube.

    1. Re:My wish list... by Talderas · · Score: 2

      Why would you say "Don't buy me these things." People will buy them for you.

      So the question is.... why do you want a 55 gallon drum of lube?

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
  10. Other of my favorites by Saija · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wolf Urine Lure-32 oz
    One for the cellar
    One is immediately drawn to this vintage by the colour, which is an elegant, pale straw hue with an appealing peachy fruit on the nose. It has an incredibly effervescent bead -- the whole glass teams with bubbles -- culminating in a frothy layer at the head.

    The palate has panache, with a firm, mineral acidity that cuts through a rather elegantly styled, poised meaty presence. As with most Chateau Deerbuster products, this has the signature leafy-fresh character, which softens into a slight rancid feel towards the end.

    Even though it has a rather short and crisply defined finish, I still believe this has the composition and acidity to age well in the cellar of any self-respecting urine connoisseur.


    Good and bad...
    This product gets three stars and here's why:

    Good: This is soooooooo much easier than trying to get the Wolf Urine directly from a Wolf. Wolves are, from my experience, VERY possessive of their urine. Until the advent of the The Mountain Men's Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee (which acts to calm the wolves) let's just say vicious bites and deep lacerations were the norm when trying to "milk" the wolves of their urine (how else can you get it?). Even with the The Mountain Men's Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee it was never easy. This product had changed all of that!

    Bad: As a lure this thing sucks. I can't even get a hook into it. It's liquid! HELLOOOOOO??? Who makes a lure out of liquid??? Shiny plastic, rubber, or metal, sure, but liquid? No, this is a serious design flaw.

    Fresh Whole Rabbit
    I know what it's like to be a feral dog
    Like many suburban homeowners, I like to kill and eat the wild animals that populate my backyard. To keep it sporting, I hunt naked, with my teeth and long sharpened fingernails as my only weapons. I've feasted on squirrel, raccoon, vole and numerous songbirds. But no matter how long I lay spread eagle and motionless in the hot noonday sun, I have never been able to outwit and catch any of the plump and juicy rabbits that hop just outside my reach and then bolt for the woods when I leap forward with a blood-curdling shriek. I have chased them at a dead run through the yards of the many unoccupied homes that surround mine but the pursuit always ends in frustration. But no more, thanks to Amazon. Every week, I order a fresh whole rabbit and affix it to a remote control car that is operated by one of my children. This way, I get the thrill of the hunt, and when the car's batteries are exhausted, I can leap upon it, bury my teeth into the rabbit's soft flesh and perform my ritual victory dance right there in the Walgreen's parking lot.

    --
    Slashdot ya no es que lo era! ;)
  11. Winner of over 2000 Space Odysseys goes to... by VortexCortex · · Score: 3, Informative

    The RoboMow RL850 Robotic Cordless Electric Lawn Mower.

    Customer Action Shot Posted by: Hal

  12. Funniest of all time by CuteSteveJobs · · Score: 4, Funny

    Check the reviews on this one:

    Playmobil Security Check Point "Thank you Playmobil for allowing me to teach my 5-year old the importance of recognizing what a failing bureaucracy in a ever growing fascist state looks like." http://www.amazon.com/PLAYMOBIL%C2%AE-36138-Playmobil-Security-Check/product-reviews/B0002CYTL2

    What is that this has been going on for a long time and Amazon has let it continue without comment. Not so cool management is still on board, but still good to see a megacorporation with a genuine sense of humor as opposed to obvious ad agency promotions.

  13. Re:Ahh good ol' Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Gian by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was about to buy the Wenger based on his review, up until he mentioned penguins in the Arctic Circle. After that, I found it difficult to trust anything he had said.

  14. Where's Harry Raddick? by shri · · Score: 3, Informative

    Disappointed that they did not choose Harry Raddick's reviews. By far the most entertaining reviewer they've ever had. EVER.

    Read them here...

  15. Re:God. by xevioso · · Score: 2

    to this day you're 90? You mean you've been 90 all along? How long have you been 90, exactly?

  16. "A New Kind of Review" by GODISNOWHERE · · Score: 2

    This gem was written about Wolfram's "A New Kind of Science":

    Why you are reading this review

    I can only imagine how fortunate you must feel to be reading my review. This review is the product of my lifetime of experience in meeting important people and thinking deep thoughts. This is a new kind of review, and will no doubt influence the way you
    think about the world around you and the way you think of yourself.

    Bigger than infinity

    Although my review deserves thousands of pages to articulate, I am limiting many of my deeper thoughts to only single characters. I encourage readers of my review to dedicate the many years required to fully absorb the significance of what I am writing here. Fortunately, we live in exactly the time when my review can be widely disseminated by "internet" technology and stored on "digital media", allowing current and future scholars to delve more deeply into my original and insightful use of commas, numbers, and letters.

    My place in history

    My review allows, for the first time, a complete and total understanding not only of this but *every single*
    book ever written. I call this "the principle of book equivalence." Future generations will decide the relative merits of this review compared with, for example, the works of Shakespeare. This effort will open new realms of scholarship.

    I am the author of all things

    It is staggering to contemplate that all the great works of literature can be derived from the letters I use in writing this review. I am pleased to have shared them with you, and hereby grant you the liberty to use up to twenty (20) of them consecutively without attribution. Any use of additional characters in print must acknowledge this review as source material since it contains, implicitly or explicitly, all future written documents.

  17. The Story about Ping by Teckla · · Score: 2

    O. M. G. This is a geek site and somehow nobody has yet mentioned "The Story about Ping"?

    Here's the product page: http://www.amazon.com/Story-about-Reading-Railroad-Books/dp/0448421658

    Go read the first review NOW. You're welcome!

  18. This is the best by wbr1 · · Score: 4, Informative
    On amazon UK.. my mom sent me this. http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK

    And no its not in their list.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:This is the best by cusco · · Score: 2

      By all the gods above, below, and in-between, the "rastefarian" review (#3 I think) was the funniest thing that I have ever read in my life. I've never seen an Amazon review with 467 comments after it before, so I don't think I'm alone.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
  19. Re:Ahh good ol' Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Gian by chihowa · · Score: 2

    " I started playing with it on the bus on my way to work, and I accidentally impregnated the woman sitting next to me. "
    Lawrence Johnson | 12 reviewers made a similar statement

    --
    If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
  20. affiliate link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    classy move, throwing your affiliate link in there.

  21. Review by a /.er by Bjecas · · Score: 2

    "I purchased this product 4.47 Billion Years ago and when I opened it today, it was half empty." Whoever wrote that step up, I know you're in here.