Facebook employees caught posting 5-star Portal reviews on Amazon

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Frank Miles | Fox News




The primary purpose of the Facebook Portal is to let you make the types of video calls you can already make on Facebook’s Messenger app. The Portal is part of a new category of gadgets best described as screens for making video calls, listening to music and responding to voice commands for tasks you can also do on your phone, and are meant to rest at a fixed location in your living room, kitchen or, gasp, your bedroom.

An Amazon user named Tim Chappell said in his review that he paid $1,150 to buy four Portals and one Portal Plus “on a chance” right before Thanksgiving — although he isn’t a big Facebook user.

“I would recommend this product to anyone who has a family or friends that they enjoy staying in contact with,” Chappell wrote. “So much better than just a plain phone call.”

Chappell actually is a Facebook employee.

The same as a few others who work at Facebook and used their real, full names as they posted 5-star reviews for the Facebook devices.

The reviews were first reported by The New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose who tweeted the controversy.

VP AR/VR at Facebook Andrew Bosworth tweeted Thursday that Facebook told its employees that “we, unequivocally, DO NOT want Facebook employees to engage in leaving reviews for the products that we sell to Amazon.”

Lara Sasken Lindenbaum, a Facebook spokeswoman, told Fox News via email Thursday night: “All employees have removed their Amazon reviews as we asked them to.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[DemonGeminiX]

I've stopped reading reviews a long time ago, at least the positive ones. I read the negative ones to see if anybody has a specific complaint about what I'm thinking of buying, and even then I'm skeptical.

But I'm surprised people aren't caught doing this shit all the time.

[deebakes]

I've stopped reading reviews a long time ago, at least the positive ones. I read the negative ones to see if anybody has a specific complaint about what I'm thinking of buying, and even then I'm skeptical.

But I'm surprised people aren't caught doing this shit all the time.

this^

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Amazon sellers do this all the time. They setup all kinds of other accounts and change their IP to leave positive feedback on their own stuff

[Hal-9000]

Amazon sellers do this all the time. They setup all kinds of other accounts and change their IP to leave positive feedback on their own stuff

Episode of Homeland featured Carrie's buddy getting a job at a clandestine place that created multiple sock puppet accounts to influence major media and politics.

I have no doubt that the new departments in big business marketing are similar to the above TV plot, where a large percentage of feedback is composed of troll strategy.

[Godfather]

There are videos of 'review farms' in China where they have dozens for of phones set up to throwing phony reviews at shit.

The huge redeeming quality about Amazon for me is that their return program is SO easy. If something comes and it's shitty because of fake reviews or whatever, you make about two clicks to return, print a label on the spot, throw it back in the box it came in and drop it off in the post. I do appreciate that.