Amazon Verified Purchase: Policy Update and Seller Tips

Exactly five months ago, Amazon began weeding and removing the “Verified Purchase” label from reviews given using free or deeply-discounted promo codes from sellers. Recent policy changes indicate that such reviews are subject to immediate removal. This article takes a closer look at this policy, why these changes were implemented and guidelines to avoid removal of these precious labels from legitimate reviews.

Amazon Verified Purchase: Policy Update and Seller Tips

What is an Amazon Verified Purchase?

A review marked with verified purchase label indicates that the review is written by a customer who purchased the product on Amazon, did not receive the item for free or at a large discount, before leaving a review.

Why is the Verified Purchase Label Important?

This is not merely a seal of approval from Amazon to confirm that a review is written based on a genuine user experience of a purchased product, it also carries more weight. Shoppers can solely focus on verified reviews by filtering out reviews without ‘verified purchase’ labels to make their final purchasing decision. Conversely, the removal of verified purchase label from biased reviews act as a deterrent to prevent unscrupulous sellers that exploit the system, in the hopes of manipulating reviewers’ opinion on a product.

Reviews Subject to the Removal of ‘Verified Purchase’ Status?

• Paid Reviews
• Purchases made with Gift Cards
• Immediately Refunded Purchases
• Coupon codes for (almost) free and heavily discounted items

Tips to Avoid Removal of ‘Verified Purchase’ from Reviews

✓ When a verified purchase badge is mistakenly removed, remember to contact Amazon for assistance

✓ Keep coupon code discounts above 50%

✓ Request reviewers include pictures or videos of the product in their reviews

✓ Include a disclaimer in the review, “I received a coupon code in exchange for a review

It’s good to keep these tips in mind, however, regardless of whether a review is verified or not, the star rating given contributes to the average star rating for a product. Using discounts to launch a new product on Amazon.com is a great way to boost awareness when done correctly, and can help to increase conversions to improve your sales rank.

Get more ‘verified purchase’ reviews with the help of Feedback Central. Start your 14 day free trial today to increase your feedback and reviews!

Learn more about:

9 Causes for Private Label Seller Failure on Amazon

5 Reasons for Using Amazon Feedback Software

Published by BQool Marketing on 20 Apr, 2016

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BQool Marketing

April 20, 2016

Pauline's passions lie in eCommerce and supporting individuals in their online selling endeavors. Currently, as a frequent contributor to the BQool Blog, she channels her passions into creating informative contents that break down the complex challenges Amazon sellers face on a daily basis.