Report: Why you shouldn’t always trust the ‘Amazon’s Choice’ badge

If you see the ‘Amazon’s Choice’ badge on a listing on the ecommerce site, you might assume that it’s a quality and trustworthy product. However, a report by Buzzfeed News suggests that it might not be as trustworthy as it seems.

The site reported a bunch of customers who bought items with the ‘Amazon’s Choice’ label received low-quality products.. Some of the products included in the report were a forehead-and-ear thermometer, high-security padlocks, and a whiskey flask. Apart from these, there are several people on Twitter, complaining about the quality products with the ‘Amazon’s Choice’ label.

I got fooled on the internet. Jess and I were talking about bug suckers and bought one on @amazon to try it.

Using "Amazon's Choice" logo, bunch of obviously fake reviews. Got here and is non-working cheap trash. It's so well faked, I'm not even mad.https://t.co/52M4AK6SSq

— Scott Chacon (@chacon) June 2, 2018

Whelp bought an HDMI switcher not a splitter, even when it’s literally amazons choice for “HDMI splitter”. Best part is, to return it, it costs me $5.99. Might as well keep it for the future if I ever need one. Unless any of you need an HDMI SWITCHER. Bids start at $5.99. pic.twitter.com/zW7PGcKb2D

— #DareVizable (@Vizable_) May 9, 2019

I bought the “Amazon’s Choice” skateboard for $35 ? pic.twitter.com/n9ylxcBFFn

— John Hill (@johnhilltube) October 20, 2018

But why did people put their trust in Amazon’s recommendation? Well, if you hover over the label, it says, “Amazon’s Choice recommends highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately.” The label is generated automatically based on customer reviews, price, and stock. The company told Buzzfeed News it uses “human and automated techniques” to ensure the quality of suggestions. 

Amazon’s correspondents didn’t comment on individual cases reported by Buzzfeed news, and said customers can ask for specific brands:

Amazon’s Choice is just our recommendation, and customers can always ask for specific brands or products if they choose. It’s been a really popular feature both on Amazon and on Alexa because it allows customers to make fast and easy decisions on what to buy. 

The report also notes that Amazon’s problem of fake reviews is a huge factor in generating unreliable ‘Amazon’s choice’ tags. It highlighted how several products had high ratings and mismatching reviews despite sellers claiming them to be inaccurate.

So, next time you’re buying an ‘Amazon’s Choice’ product, make sure you read some reviews before making the purchase. It would be even better if you can use sites like ReviewMeta to spot fake reviews.