Amazon, the globally recognized cloud computing company and internet retailer, is taking a large number of Fiverr users to court. The company, which has headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA, has filed a lawsuit against what it describes as fake reviewers. In total 1,114 defendants have been mentioned in the lawsuit, all listed as “John Does” as it is not possible to determine their exact identities.
Fiverr bills itself as “the marketplace for creative and professional services”. It allows people, often freelancers, to promote their services for as little as $5 per service. It attracts a wide range of users, from those offering logo designs to people offering teaching services and so on. The site currently offers services from 3 million users. Amazon's complaint is that the 1,114 defendants are selling fake reviews of Amazon's products through Fiverr and as a result "misleading Amazon's customers". Each, Amazon suggests, advertises fake review services on Fiverr.
According to Amazon's lawsuit, the defendants are “tarnishing Amazon’s brand for their own profit and the profit of a handful of dishonest sellers and manufacturers”. The lawsuit goes on to suggest “Amazon is bringing this action to protect its customers from this misconduct, by stopping defendants and uprooting the ecosystem in which they participate.”
What are your thoughts? Can review sites ever rid themselves of bogus reviews? Add your comments below.
