Fake reviews and the Wild West of the web

Amazon has finally decided to act in recognition of the fact that its site is riddled with fake reviews.

The company announced on Friday that it is taking legal action against more than 1,000 people it claims provide false favourable reviews on its website.

The online retail giant said in the lawsuit that its brand reputation is being tarnished by "false, misleading and inauthentic" reviews.

Amazon claims the 1,114 defendants offer their false review service for as little as five dollars (£3.25), with most promising 5-star reviews for a seller's products.

Some people may be surprised at this but they shouldn’t be, as businesses that operate in the Wild West that is the web cannot possibly police the zillions of items they are responsible for.

Told you that you can't believe everything you see.

The internet, generally a wonderful aid, is also a technological cesspit, where anyone can say virtually anything. That’s the price we all paid when we signed up to worldwide web all those years ago, screechy modems and all.

There’s very little checking going on. But then again, how do you research whether the sender of a review from an email address like pony456@anymail.com is genuine? In my days as a journo, NOTHING went into print without being thoroughly checked – and then checked again. I’m sad to say that my profession is now more interested in clickbait on its websites and filling those print pages that still remain as quickly and cheaply as possible. Monitor monkeys seem to have replaced trained reporters. 

And what about all those reviews on travel sites like Trip Advisor? How many of them are genuine?

But at the end of the day, does it really matter? Only a fool would believe all the gushing comments. A realist, like wot I am, reads a selection, normally avoiding the five stars (who can EVER say this hotel or that resort was absolutely perfect?) and the one stars (some people will gripe about anything in the hope that a freebie stay will come their way). Hopefully, with fingers crossed and a fair wind, one can build up a reasonably accurate picture.

After all, ever since Britain became a nation of shopkeepers, the mantra has not changed – let the buyer beware.