Amazon in their infinite wisdom decide to censor their own content /S

[Muse]

Yeah, so evidently some people can see comments others can't. I have no idea what's up with that.

Sellers mostly are unhappy with Amazon's declaring Comments to Reviews were cancelled (as of Dec. 16, I believe):

Seller Forums

Find answers for questions about selling on Amazon and collaborate with fellow sellers.

sellercentral.amazon.com

 

[Captante]

Like if I wanted to print to pdf an invoice from Ebay for a hard copy?

Although I need to go to print preview anyway.

Windows 10 has the option "print to PDF" on all 4 of my PC's running it.

If for some reason you don't see the option, I suggest CutePDF.

Yeah, so evidently some people can see comments others can't. I have no idea what's up with that.

Sellers mostly are unhappy with Amazon's declaring Comments to Reviews were cancelled (as of Dec. 16, I believe):

Seller Forums

Find answers for questions about selling on Amazon and collaborate with fellow sellers.

sellercentral.amazon.com

Not sure if this has already been suggested but try opening Amazon in Edge and don't sign into your Google account (if you use one) and either don't sign into Amazon at all or make a 2ed "dummy" account for testing.

This should give you a better idea where the problem lies.

 

[Muse]

Just now, I let IE11 go online for the first time in ages, and it can see the Amazon review comments too.

So, I just fired up IE (ver. 11) for the first time in ages, maybe ever on this Win10 64bit laptop. Still cannot see the comments to that review.

 

[Captante]

So, I just fired up IE (ver. 11) for the first time in ages, maybe ever on this Win10 64bit laptop. Still cannot see the comments to that review.

You can also try creating a second user-profile in Windows and maybe install something like Opera or Brave. Frankly I wouldn't even suggest opening IE11 on a internet-connected PC.

Really if you don't have a second profile set-up already I STRONGLY suggest you do so asap regardless. I've had user-profiles get irreparably corrupted to the point I was unable to login more than once and while its possible to get around either way its MUCH easier just to login to "plan-b".

 

[Muse]

Not sure if this has already been suggested but try opening Amazon in Edge and don't sign into your Google account (if you use one) and either don't sign into Amazon at all or make a 2ed "dummy" account for testing.

This should give you a better idea where the problem lies.

Just opened Edge (again, not sure have ever), went to Amazon site, didn't sign in, found that review and still no comments. I have no better idea "where the problem lies" than I already did. IOW, basically none.

Yes, I have a Google account but didn't sign into it (or to anything else).

 

[mindless1]

^ I have this friend who thinks he is cursed, and sometimes I have to agree with him. His name is Wess. If your name is Wess, that explains everything.

Maybe you just have IE security settings more restrictive? I don't need them restrictive because I never take it online, even firewall it from habits back in the day when apps used to use IE engine to get online instead of just making a URL call.

If your Firefox has add-ons installed, I'd try launching it in safe mode.

On Firefox and Chrome, I've been signed into Amazon. On IE11, not, so no obvious difference there.

 

[Muse]

You can also try creating a second user-profile in Windows and maybe install something like Opera or Brave. Frankly I wouldn't even suggest opening IE11 on a internet-connected PC.

Really if you don't have a second profile set-up already I STRONGLY suggest to you do so asap regardless. I've had user-profiles get irreparably corrupted to the point I was unable to login more than once and while its possible to get around either way its MUCH easier just to login!

2nd user profile? You mean a different Windows user? I don't normally have more than one but can, of course, set up another.

I do have Brave Browser installed.

Aha! I see the Comments in Brave Browser... it so happens I am signed in to my Amazon account. "32 Comments."

No dice in Chrome, Firefox, IE 11, Edge, but Brave sees the Comments. This is just nuts... NUTS!

It may just be a matter of time until Amazon blocks Comments for all browsers, I would think they could do that with a snap of their fingers (figuratively). But like I say (and have shown with links here) the sellers don't like it. I'm sure that users don't like it either. Blocking the Comments has no possible advantage for users, I can only see it as a possible maintenance/security/liability issue, but they're not owning up, not leveling with us concerning their motivations.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The comment section also could become "unofficial support".

Umm, No. This could well be why they killed it off, or are considering doing so.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Aha! I see the Comments in Brave Browser... it so happens I am signed in to my Amazon account. This is just nuts... NUTS!

...

 

[Captante]

2nd user profile? You mean a different Windows user? I don't normally have more than one but can, of course, set up another.

I do have Brave Browser installed.

Aha! I see the Comments in Brave Browser... it so happens I am signed in to my Amazon account. "32 Comments."

No dice in Chrome, Firefox, IE 11, Edge, but Brave sees the Comments. This is just nuts... NUTS!

It may just be a matter of time until Amazon blocks Comments for all browsers, I would think they could do that with a snap of their fingers (figuratively).

I'm thinking its a security setting on your PC/browser or possibly an over-aggro anti-malware program.

As I mentioned make a second Windows user-profile and install a browser you don't regularly use. Aside from a little work doing so it can only benefit you.

 

[mindless1]

After looking at what is supposedly the email that sellers received, I am left wondering if the feature being disabled is not the entire comment feature for reviews globally, but only the seller account comment reply feature?

Any sellers here that can test this? Of course you'd need a browser that WORKS PROPERLY

 

[Muse]

I'm thinking its a security setting on your PC/browser or possibly an over-aggro anti-malware program.

As I mentioned make a second Windows user-profile and install a browser you don't regularly use. Aside from a little work doing so it can only benefit you.

Well, I have the free version of Malwarebytes installed, but AFAIK it doesn't do constant monitoring, I figure that's the professional version. I have the default Windows security settings, haven't modified them whatsoever. Windows 10 Professional 64bit. No other anti-malware programs.

So, if I set up a 2nd user account in Windows, my other browsers won't work in it, I'll have to install them in that account? IOW, new installs? I'd think, of course, that Edge and IE would work already, being Microsoft.

 

[Captante]

Well, I have the free version of Malwarebytes installed, but AFAIK it doesn't do constant monitoring, I figure that's the professional version. I have the default Windows security settings, haven't modified them whatsoever. Windows 10 Professional 64bit. No other anti-malware programs.

So, if I set up a 2nd user account in Windows, my other browsers won't work in it, I'll have to install them in that account? IOW, new installs? I'd think, of course, that Edge and IE would work already, being Microsoft.

You are correct free MBAM is a "scanner-only" program.

The issue is that if you use a browser you already surf with all the time it may drag along some of your information and cause the same problems.

Its also possible your existing web-browser (s) will work just fine on Amazon with a "clean" user profile logged in but I suggest going with Opera (for example) and again don't import settings or sign into anything.

 

[Ajay]

I've already made it my policy to only buy from Amazon directly for any item over approx $20 due to shaky at best "marketplace" sellers which have reduced them to "sub-Ebay" reliability levels.

Much more of this type of nonsense and I will stop buying anything expensive from Amazon at all under any circumstances. (just like I did with ebay a LONG time ago)

I look for external reviews and look up the product makers. If I can't find the company that produces and sells the product, I almost always pass. A lot of companies make products solely for Amazon and have no presence or reputation outside the Amazon bubble. Even external reviews are tricky, as more an more sites use 'affiliate' links *only* to help make income for their sites - this, IMO, taints the reviews. Youtubers who do this don't bother me, so long as I trust the reviewers.

 

[Torn Mind]

Umm, No. This could well be why they killed it off, or are considering doing so.

I meant that in the sense that end users can help each other out regarding the product.

Sometimes official reps do post as well, often in response to a negative review.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Apoplectic? I wasn't even angry, much less apoplectic. I simply saw you say you didn't see value in a retailer allowing honest feedback on purchases. That's what I saw.

But that wasn't actually what I wrote. I wrote that I did not see any legal obligation for a retailer to do so. That is far different than saying that I do not see the value of honest (well, somewhat...) feedback on purchases to both a retailer and his/her customers. It is, however, IMHO a choice that the retailer gets to make based on what they think is best for their business. That choice doesn't seem to me to be something you can take a retailer to court for.

Well, I never said they didn't have the right to screen comments for inappropriate content. Amazon has always AFAIK never posted reviews without a period of gestation, which I assume includes some kind of inspection for appropriateness. However, I did notice that comments were not subject to similar gestation, so I had to wonder about that. Why weren't they similarly careful? Maybe that's why they decided to jettison the whole thing. Still, it's a shame.

It would be interesting to know why Amazon has decided to make this change to their review process. And I understand why you might think it is a shame they did.

But that's not what they did here. I have no quarrel with them censoring inappropriate content. I would have issues with them deleting any negative reviews. In this case they have axed a long standing feature, being comments, basically wiping out probably 100s of thousands of comments, if not millions.

I understand why you and really all Amazon customers might have "issues" with the way that Amazon handles product reviews and comments. (The proliferation of questionable positive reviews perhaps being the most troubling.) But for better or worse, it seems to me that Amazon does have the legal right to make whatever changes they see as best for their business. And that can certainly be different than what is best for their customers like you and me. We can signal our disagreement by shifting our purchases to better online retailers (are there any?), but I do not think Amazon can be taken to court on this.

FWIW, I do not think our thoughts are that far apart.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I meant that in the sense that end users can help each other out regarding the product.

Sometimes official reps do post as well, often in response to a negative review.

Again, reviews are not discussion areas nor negotiating tools.. I left a poor review on the Tractor Supply about some things that failed too soon for me. Shortly after I started getting emails from the store and the manufacturer seeking to resolve the complaint. I never replied to any of them. My purpose was to accurately relay my opinion of the product, not to seek interaction or resolution.

 

[mindless1]

^ If a product failed "too soon", why not let them resolve it? That's a bit different than trying to scam something for free, if in your opinion you didn't get what you paid for, then it's in everyone's interest to satisfy you and retain you as a potential repeat customer.

Why can't comments on reviews be a discussion area? Anyone can simply opt not read them if they find it of no value.

It IS annoying sometimes, when you leave a review and there's a comment, you get notified of this and go to see it and it's some useless soul that writes nothing of value, but again I can opt not to check those if I find it is not productive.

I can appreciate the support issue of having discussions turn into arguments or even trolling sessions that need moderated, but if prospective customers see someone having a problem and that the manufacturer or seller is stepping up to assist them, I see that as value added to the product.

 

[Torn Mind]

Again, reviews are not discussion areas nor negotiating tools.. I left a poor review on the Tractor Supply about some things that failed too soon for me. Shortly after I started getting emails from the store and the manufacturer seeking to resolve the complaint. I never replied to any of them. My purpose was to accurately relay my opinion of the product, not to seek interaction or resolution.

You don't want them to be. But they can be and useful when allowed to be.

Furthermore, commenting doesn't change the content of the original review.

 

[Torn Mind]

^ I am not running the current version of Firefox. I'm running a souped up, well worn in, old version 54 that will have to be pried from my cold, dead, hands.

Sometimes, the extensive mods and blocking I do with it, breaks sites, so I run latest Chrome too but as you see, the latest isn't always a solution. Yes there are some Firefox add-ons that slow it down, even create memory leaks so you have to choose carefully. The memory space in Firefox is apparently not infinite, can run out before your main system memory is exhausted including the x64 version.

Just now, I let IE11 go online for the first time in ages, and it can see the Amazon review comments too.

Maybe this is an experiment by Amazon, put the statement out there that they're going to do something then gauge the internet response. It seems pretty coincidental to have both of these things happen within the span of a couple weeks.

Is there an official statement by an Amazon rep instead of just 3rd party questionable info? Sorry if someone linked that already but there is only so much time and so much text to read...

Being an old browser might have something to do with it. Comments show for me on IE11 on Windows 8.

But not the latest Chrome, Firefox, Pale Moon.


Sample link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005EKY1EM

 

[rh71]

Yeah, I will buy on Amazon sometimes rather than, say, Ebay because I'm more confident I won't run into hassles if there's a problem. Amazon customer service is relatively excellent. I can get an associate on the phone in a matter of a minute or two. Try that with Ebay, I dare you.

Actually I have done the latter and it was indeed a hassle to get to that point. Chat is much easier though.