Jonathan Heatt's Blog: Teaching Snapping Turtles - Posts Tagged "amazon"

Once I finish writing my book Teaching Las Vegas I'm creating a website start-up company. Until then I write blogs pointing out the obvious flaws in other websites so I don't make the same mistakes. Let's start with Amazon.

I'm an author who publishes ebooks and print books on Amazon. I admire their adherence to freedom of speech, yet they lack any sort of rational book review structure. They allow fake reviews. It's hard enough to sell books, but it becomes impossible when Amazon allows fake negative reviews.

For example, my book AnonMan was bombarded with fake reviews from a cyber bully who scammed me on eBay. The psycho stalker threatened me that he would get everyone he knew to leave me bad reviews. And for what? Because he scammed me on eBay for a Silkk the Shocker CD and when I reported him he did a quick Google search on my name then left me negative reviews. This is a clear example of Cyber Bullying. And it hurts the chances of my book being sold, and be put into libraries. Amazon should consider some guideline changes to thwart Cyber Bullying of this sort. Shouldn't only verified purchasers of the book be allowed to leave reviews?

I contacted Amazon customer service reps and they deleted the first negative review, but wouldn't remove his second review. Amazon allows reviews by people who are not verified purchasers. This seems counter-productive to sell products, especially when my book is only available on Amazon.

To make matters worse, my Mom bought my book and tried to leave a review, but they removed it because of "bias". She bought that right! But a cyber bully who didn't buy the book can post a fake review?

For real, Amazon? Is this the policy? Buy a book, and be banned from leaving a review, but let some fake creep post a bogus review?

AnonMan is a tight book, I don't need any reviews because I will continue to write books, but it's only good business practice to let verified purchasers to leave reviews. So what if my Mom wanted to leave a review? She spent money on your website!! Isn't that the point?

Without a change in guidelines Amazon book reviews will become just another outlet for deranged anonymous individuals to scrawl their hateful graffiti...which is what most of the internet is now.