DeLonghi faking its Amazon product reviews
Jun 9, 2009 So I was shopping online today for an espresso machine. I noticed that DeLonghi got some really great reviews from T. Carpenter - "Espresso Addict". Regardez (click on the image below to see the actual Amazon profile for T. Carpenter):
[UPDATE: 10 June 2009 -- the reviews have been removed from Amazon]
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So I clicked on T. Carpenter's profile (here). This person has written 12 Amazon product reviews covering coffee machines, toasters, dehumidifiers, etc. The catch? All 12 reviews are for DeLonghi products and all 12 reviews give the products glowing, 5 star ratings.
Then I googled "Carpenter" and "DeLonghi" and found that someone named Tara Carpenter works for the company (see below) -- as a 'communications manager'.
Ms. Carpenter really knows how to espresso herself (bada bing)...
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Belkin was busted for doing this recently.
What's amazing in this case is the amateurish fashion by which DeLonghi went about posting its fake product reviews on Amazon. For example, Tara Carpenter gave two product reviews for two different DeLonghi coffee makers on the same day (13 May 2009). One of the reviews actually says "instead of buying 2 different machines for my family I bough[t] only this DeLonghi machine....". Errr... if you only purchased one, how are you reviewing two? Thus, the falsity of the product reviews is immediately apparent. I suppose it's easy to confuse yourself when you are authoring multiple fake product reviews.
There is also an M. Flora -- also nicknamed "Espresso Addict" (and also from New Jersey) who has only reviewed DeLonghi products and has only given them 5 stars. Link to that profile - here.
[UPDATE: 6 July 2009 -- the M. Flora reviews have been removed from Amazon]
You would think that anyone involved at the managerial level in a large firm such as DeLonghi would want to avoid ruining their firm's reputation by engaging in this type of false and deceptive activity. I would imagine it's a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as well as numerous state laws.
Muppets...