.png?width=50&height=50&name=feedbackfive-menu-icon(orange).png "feedbackfive-menu-icon(orange)"){kind=icon}
Originally published on November 17, 2021, updated March 21, 2024
Menu
Join Our Email List
- Receive our monthly newsletter.
- Stay up to date on Amazon policies.
- Get tips to grow your business.
/%5BeComEngine%5DLogo-2019-linear.svg "eComEngine Logo")
When Amazon first introduced product reviews to the marketplace in 1995, people were pretty skeptical, to say the least. To many, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. How would giving people a very public platform to complain be helpful for anyone?
Fast forward to today, and review platforms appear in virtually every industry. The vast majority of shoppers now read reviews before making a purchase and put them on par with recommendations from their own family and friends.
That being said, Amazon’s review program still gets the lion’s share of attention, both good and bad. While much of this is due to the massive growth of the marketplace, it can also be traced back to Amazon's changing review practices over the years. What is and isn’t allowed is still a gray area for countless sellers, and there's a very small margin for error. One mistake can be incredibly costly.
That’s where we come in. As the creators of FeedbackFive, the #1 rated feedback and reviews software in the Amazon Appstore (now the Selling Partner Appstore), we’re known throughout the industry for our expertise in this area.
We love when sellers like you come to us with questions, whether it be through our blog, webinars, social media, or customer success team. We’re dedicated to seller education, which is why we put together this Amazon reviews FAQ. Do you know the answers to these questions? Come find out!
Amazon updated the Communication Guidelines for its Buyer-Seller Messaging system in late 2020. It recognizes two types of Buyer-Seller communication: permitted messages and proactive permitted messages.
Permitted Messages are communications that are considered necessary to complete an order or are responses to customer service inquiries.
Proactive Permitted Messages are communications that are initiated by the seller and are not a response to a buyer’s question.
The following are examples of proactive permitted messages:
You may send proactive permitted messages to request seller feedback and product reviews through Amazon’s Request a Review button or with Amazon's Selling Partner API. You have the ability to use third-party software, like FeedbackFive, to automate feedback and review requests using Amazon’s API.
These types of messages are not permitted by the marketplace and should not be sent:
For more information, including details on the use of attachments, external links, and phone numbers, check out this great article: Communication Guidelines for Amazon Buyer-Seller Messages.
Yes! Anyone can review any product on Amazon, regardless of where it was purchased, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements as outlined in the Community Guidelines. If Amazon can confirm the person writing the review purchased the product on the marketplace (and without a deep discount), the review will be given a “Verified Purchase” badge. This can be helpful for distinguishing your Amazon customers from those who most likely purchased the product elsewhere.
Related Reading: How to Get Amazon Verified Purchase Reviews
Yes, but proceed with caution. This review solicitation method can be beneficial as it gives buyers a tangible reminder to go leave a rating. Inserts are also a nice way to personally connect with your customers, and they can be helpful for getting more repeat purchases, promoting your other products, and communicating important warranty/customer support information.
However, you’ll want to be very, very careful as inserts have been known to get some sellers into trouble, especially in recent months. Do not:
Always use neutral language and stay within Amazon’s rules. Check out this post for more info and to see real-life examples: Amazon Product Inserts: What To Do [Plus Bonus FAQ].
First, a quick refresher on feedback vs. reviews. Customers should be leaving seller feedback to let you know how well you did with your packaging, shipping, responsiveness, and professionalism as an Amazon merchant. A product review should be just that — a review of the physical item or service.
That being said, some shoppers still confuse the two and may leave them in the wrong place. However, Amazon will only remove feedback in these three instances:
In the above instances, Amazon will sometimes automatically remove the feedback for you. Most of the time, however, you’ll have to flag it for removal via the Feedback Manager in Seller Central.
Note that if the comment has feedback on the product as well as you, the seller, Amazon won’t remove it. And in all of these scenarios, the marketplace removes the feedback — it will not move it to the product page. Technically, you could post a public reply and ask them to transfer it to a product review, but you’re probably better off just leaving it alone.
Related Reading: Amazon Feedback Removal Guidelines: What You Need to Know
Never send people free products in exchange for reviews, even if that person says they will give their honest feedback. Amazon reviews have been under the microscope for a while now, and the Federal Trade Commission has even gotten involved.
Do not fall into this trap. Report these requests to Amazon and mark the message as "no response needed" so you're not dinged in your response time records. Continue to solicit feedback and reviews from actual buyers, not those just looking to score a free product.
And while you may be tempted to send a freebie to someone as your way of saying thank you for being a good customer, Amazon won't see your gesture as good PR. Don’t risk your selling privileges for this.
Our article, Amazon Review Policy: What You Need to Know, is a really good resource to keep handy.
If you're a private label merchant, you probably watch your Amazon reviews like a hawk. After all, product reviews are increasingly important in today's Amazon-centric eCommerce ecosystem. Shoppers love to read them, and smart merchants like you understand the positive impact they can have on Amazon SEO.
So why do some Amazon reviews disappear? Amazon will remove product reviews from the marketplace for any of the following reasons:
Disappearing reviews can be a blessing or a curse. It all depends on your perspective (and the star rating). You can be proactive by requesting product reviews from buyers with FeedbackFive.
Chances are you’re seeing the effects of the new Amazon rating system. Introduced to the marketplace in 2019, Amazon ratings allow shoppers to leave a 1-5 star product rating without also having to write a full review of the item.
Many shoppers like one-tap ratings because they take so little time to complete, but we understand some sellers' frustration with them. Written reviews are a huge asset to your Amazon business and influence many of your product and inventory decisions. However, having a high number of ratings (preferably good ones!) can certainly catch a shopper’s attention. Don’t discount them from your review strategy.
Did You Know: FeedbackFive’s automated review requests also account for Amazon ratings and allow buyers to leave a written review or a simple star rating. With Campaign Analytics, you can also dig into all of your feedback data to examine how your email campaigns are affecting the number of seller feedback, ratings, and reviews received.
No, you may not ask buyers to change or remove their reviews at any time. If you work with the customer to resolve the problem, which may include a refund or replacement, they may choose to edit or delete the review, but it has to be their decision. Do not attempt to influence it.
Amazon’s review policy clearly states that you cannot offer a refund/reimbursement in exchange for removing a negative review.
Amazon sellers are not allowed to review their own products or their competitors' products. That being said, it does happen. Bad actors have been known to employ this tactic to get a leg up on the competition. However, this is a breach of multiple selling policies and the Seller Code of Conduct, which prohibits you from attempting to “damage or abuse another seller, their listings, or ratings.”
If you seriously suspect this to be the case or, better yet, have proof that this is happening, report it. Just don’t do this for every bad review you receive — it won’t go over well with Amazon.
Sellers used to be able to comment on reviews right from the product page, but this feature was retired in December 2020. In June 2021, Amazon announced that brands can contact buyers who left critical 1-3 star reviews with templated emails through Buyer-Seller Messaging. This is just one more benefit of joining the Amazon Brand Registry.
The new feature, which is housed under the Brands menu in Seller Central, allows you to contact buyers for two reasons:
Neither of these templated messages can be edited in any way.
Related Reading: Brands Can Contact Buyers About Negative Reviews on Amazon
Another good one for our Amazon review FAQs! Yes, Amazon does send its own solicitation for ratings, but not for every order. You have no control over the timing of these requests, but you do for your own messages.
All feedback and review requests must be sent within 30 days of order completion. You’ll want to ask for seller feedback right away when the experience is still easy for customers to recall. But for product reviews, it looks a little different. You need to give buyers time to try out the product. To know which day is best, consider what the item is and how long it takes for people to form the best opinion of it.
If you send your request too early, they may not have experienced the product’s full value yet. If the request is sent too late, the item could be long forgotten. Seasonal items like holiday decorations, costumes, and gifts also require some extra consideration.
Check out our article Timing Tips for Amazon Review Request Emails for an in-depth analysis of several top categories and their recommended message timing.
Fun Fact: FeedbackFive’s Campaign Rules function allows you to easily adjust the timing of your requests so you’re always sending the right message at the right time.
Nice question! You definitely want both, and for different reasons. Feedback influences your account health, acceptance into certain Amazon programs, and Buy Box ownership. It’s also a key competitive advantage that can set you apart in a crowded category. Maybe even more importantly, your feedback rating is a public grading of your reputation as a seller. Customers look at this very closely.
Reviews are the public perception of your products. They help buyers make purchasing decisions and provide invaluable data about your existing ASINs and can even influence future product decisions. Reviews also factor into Amazon’s search algorithm; products that receive quality reviews on a regular basis are placed higher up in Amazon’s search results (and even on Google), and we all know that many shoppers don’t get past page one. This is a huge benefit.
We’d like to call it a tie, but if you really twisted our arm, the answer would be reviews. But still do your best to get both!
An easy way to accomplish this is by sending Amazon's Request a Review message — which you can do with FeedbackFive! — as it includes a combined request for both seller feedback and a product review. In a recent survey, we found that 55% of sellers rely on this option.
We hope this article taught you a thing or two about reviews! It’s pretty clear to see that having the right Amazon review strategy is critical.
FeedbackFive helps sellers in 17 Amazon marketplaces get more feedback and reviews every single day. Whether you create a custom request or use Amazon’s Request a Review message, you’ll save time while reaching more buyers. Plus, the software’s flexible product review management plans make it easy to monitor your reviews while text and/or email alerts let you know when new ratings arrive. Detailed analytics are also available so you can better visualize their impact on your business and discover what messages work — and which ones don't.
We’re happy to answer any of your questions about reviews, FeedbackFive, or Amazon in general. Just get in touch!
No Comments Yet
Let us know what you think