Amazon disallowing reviews?

indianroads · Oct 21, 2019

I'm unsure if this is the correct form - please move it if I have it wrong.

I've been contacted via my FB author page by two people who have read my book, but had Amazon not allow them to post a review. I've heard rumors of this sort of thing happening, but don't understand why Amazon is deleting reviews. These people purchased and read the book - they are frequent Amazon customers (with over $50 / year in purchases). Both say they've made some sort of protest to Amazon about it.

So, what's going on?

cool pop · Oct 21, 2019

Maybe Amazon knows they are fans of your page? Amazon has a way of knowing people's FB contacts and have been known not to allow reviews from people they suspect are a "friend" of the author even if not. I suspect FB is feeding Amazon info. Not sure but this has happened many times where people who were fans of the author on FB or on their friend's list couldn't leave reviews. This is why it's best not to link Amazon to FB on your Amazon author page if you do because you can best believe Amazon spies on people the same way FB does.

Aside from that, these people could have violated Amazon's review rules and are no longer allowed to review. You'll have no way of knowing that.

indianroads · Oct 21, 2019

What a society we live in eh? Everyone seems to be spying on everyone else. You'd think a verified purchase would be enough to post a review.

These people are among those that follow my author page, and I do advertise my books there, but the 'Learn More' button takes them to my website.

shadowsminder · Oct 21, 2019

Amazon is known to use search robots to identify connections. One of the latest blogs that goes over the "friends" excuse and other reasons for disappearing reviews is linked below.

https://justpublishingadvice.com/why-did-amazon-delete-my-book-reviews/

You might want to ask readers to consider leaving more reviews on LibraryThing, which doesn't remove or hide reviews as Amazon does. LT feeds reviews into other review sites, including Amazon, when the member allows that. (There's a button to check in settings.) There's no guarantee that Kindle buyers will see the ratings or reviews that are only written on LT, but at least your readers will know they won't lose what they post.

Sidenote: Goodreads ratings and reviews have also been known to disappear. Unlike for Goodreads, Amazon only owns a minority share of LT and can't manipulate user data on the site.

As for the two reviews you know are missing for your book, those might return. That happens sometimes.

cool pop · Oct 21, 2019

What's sad is that Amazon wastes no time penalizing honest authors who are just trying to get reviews the correct way yet there are loads of authors using paid review sites and fake reviews that never seem to get caught.

mrsmig · Oct 22, 2019

When I republished the first four novels of my fantasy series this year (after my publisher folded in December 2018), Amazon transferred the reviews on the first book from the first edition to my second edition without issue. For Books 2-4, they refused to transfer the reviews, saying that the titles did not match exactly. When I set up the books for Amazon publication, I listed them as "Title: Book __ of The Gemeta Stone," and apparently that was enough to set off the Zon's alarm bells. I didn't have that many reviews for the later books, but still...

I went back and forth with them for a while, but I was afraid if I persisted they'd pull down the reviews for the first book. So I finally just gave up. It was so discouraging. They were all legit reviews from people who'd bought and read (and enjoyed) the books.

Al X. · Oct 23, 2019

Wanna hear something funny?

Amazon sent me an invite to review my own book. So, of course I reviewed it. It took a few days and I think they realized how they screwed up, but they allowed it.

Amazon disallowing reviews?

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.

shadowsminder

writing in the shadows

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Al X.