This is fascinating. Someone finally dug up some hard evidence on how Amazon's most prolific "reviewer," Harriet Klausner--who has "reviewed" some 28,000 books in the past decade--is operating her scam.
Klausner is notorious for posting regurgitated back-cover blurbs with 4- or 5-star ratings--she clearly doesn't actually read this stuff. But what was she doing with all the free books publishers sent her?
Selling them, it turns out.
http://harriet-rules.blogspot.com/2012/10/she-works-hard-for-money.html
This may be enough evidence to finally shut her down.
Klausner is notorious for posting regurgitated back-cover blurbs with 4- or 5-star ratings--she clearly doesn't actually read this stuff. But what was she doing with all the free books publishers sent her?
Selling them, it turns out.
http://harriet-rules.blogspot.com/2012/10/she-works-hard-for-money.html
- HK receives advance review copies of books from publishers
- HK posts "reviews" on Amazon (and other websites)
- HK puts books up for sale on Half.com under her son's name (or else gives them to her son to post there), sometimes well in advance of the release dates of the books
- HK violates FTC disclosure rules by failing to mention that she received free copies of these books in exchange for an endorsement (and 99.7% 4- and 5-star reviews certainly implies endorsement)
This may be enough evidence to finally shut her down.