A China-based company that sells $500 million a year in tools and appliances on Amazon has been accused of manipulating its customer product reviews – and competitors gripe that Amazon has been turning a blind eye, The Post has learned.
Shanghai-based Vevor, which sells everything from power tools and toys to camping gear and restaurant equipment, has been systematically creating multiple listings for identical products in a bid to sidestep negative reviews — flouting Amazon’s rules as well as US regulations for consumer protection and unfair competition, rival sellers claim.
In one example, a Vevor slushy machine appears in two different listings. Both display a $743 price tag, but one shows a 2.9-star rating with 41 customer reviews, while the other displays a 2.6-star rating with 70 reviews.
“Arrived in crate with gooey dried up residue,” a customer wrote in a review dated July 2, griping that Amazon’s customer service hadn’t responded to complaints. “Was obviously used before but sold as new and never used. This vendor is a ripoff and Amazon should be shamed for allowing this vendor to sell through Amazon.”
Vevor — which also faces lawsuits over copyright violations from established brands including Vitamix — racked up an estimated $450 million in revenue on Amazon alone from January through Sept. 15 — up 10.5% versus a year earlier, according to Jungle Scout.
The real number is likely larger as the estimate is based on Vevor’s 15,000 top sellers – out of a total of 30,000 items, according to Jungle Scout.
The fact that Amazon has failed to clamp down on Vevor is partly signals that the Seattle-based e-commerce giant is desperate to work more collaboratively with Chinese manufacturers — and tolerate violations of its seller rules — as it faces rising competition from e-commerce apps from China, experts told The Post.
Amazon “has gone soft on Chinese companies, because they are trying to be more engaging with Chinese sellers to compete with Temu and Shein, ” according to Chris McCabe, a former Amazon executive turned consultant.
“Over the past year these practices have accelerated,” McCabe added. “Negative reviews are getting removed mysteriously and these sellers are only punished briefly by Amazon.”
As a result, critics say Amazon is risking customers’ trust in its own brand — and allowing its site to become plagued with the same problems with quality, reliability and fair competition concerns that have dinged its fast-growing, China-based rivals.
Vevor’s alleged manipulation of customer reviews has been meticulously tracked by an anonymous Amazon seller who has used the pseudonym “Jake Anderson” to file multiple whistleblower complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and several state attorneys general.
The whistleblower, who spoke with The Post on the condition of anonymity, tracked 1,500 instances in which Vevor allegedly created duplicate listings for the same item after the product received negative reviews.
It took the whistleblower a year to document the incidents, meticulously entering links to the product listing on an Excel spreadsheet.
In one case, a Vevor coin sorter appeared in three different listings — with 2.5-, 3- and 4.5-star ratings and prices ranging from $53.99 to $59.99 — but which otherwise appeared identical, the Amazon seller’s research shows.
In a review dated Aug. 15, one customer wrote, “Buyers BEWARE” and warned that the coin sorter “broke on first try.”
“For starters coins didn’t sort out properly. Pennies got into nickel and dimes. It kept jamming up.
It stopped working…BIG DISAPPOINTMENT,” the reviewer fumed.
Amazon’s seller code of conduct prohibits “unfair activities,” including “creating multiple detail pages for the same product.” Sellers are also warned that any violations of Amazon policies could result in penalties including “cancellation of listings” or a “removal of selling privileges.”
“We reached out to Amazon more than 10 times through the seller central platform about different Vevor items,” the whistleblower said.
Amazon’s “boiler plate” response: “We investigated the issue that you brought to our attention and took appropriate action. For privacy reasons we cannot share the results of our investigation with you.”
The whistleblower went on to share his research of the with the FTC and New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office in addition to other states, according to complaint letters and responses from the regulators provided to The Post.
James’ office didn’t commit to an investigation, but the AG’s bureau of Internet and Technology, Division of Economic Justice alerted Amazon to the complaint — and drew a vague, inconclusive response from an Amazon official who identified himself as “Arun,” according to a Sept. 11 email to James’ office.
“I’ve escalated this issue to the appropriate team for further investigation on the vendor and the product reviews,” the Amazon employee wrote. “I’ve reviewed the complaint and understand [the whistleblower’s] concern regarding the review issues with the vendor on Amazon website.”
Amazon declined to comment about Vevor on the record, including the status of the complaint with the New York AG. Instead, the Jeff Bezos-owned company provided a statement about its efforts to fight fraud in general. It also did not respond to allegations that it’s “gone soft” on Chinese sellers.
Vevor, meanwhile, said in an email to The Post that it is not being investigated by Amazon. Regarding duplicate listings, the company said “the same product listing may be removed and then reinstated later to reflect latest product updating or upgrading based on comments, advice or critics raised by customers.”
Vevor claimed in a press release that its products are “widely available across markets in North America, Europe, and Asia with sales expected to reach $2.7 billion in 2024.”
Vevor has a B- rating from the BBB, which warns on its site that “this business has a pattern of complaints.”
Vevor customers have complained that “items will come defective or they receive the incorrect items,” according to the BBB site. “Also, consumers report issues with contacting the company. Some indicated the company has failed to respond to their requests or just don’t communicate with them at all.”
As for Amazon sellers, most are too concerned about retaliation to raise complaints about bigger vendors on the site, Lesley Hensell, a consultant who helps Amazon sellers told The Post. That’s because overseas sellers have been known to use “aggressive, black hat tactics” including attacking listings of sellers who complain and reporting fake violations, he said.
“I have to hand it to the US seller who discovered this, compiled the data and reported it to Amazon – and then the government,” Hensell said. “It’s brave to take that on. And it’s very important. The Amazon seller community must stand up and say, “these kinds of black hat tactics have to stop.” It’s up to Amazon to stop them – no matter what their country of origin.”
Last year, Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of US states sued Amazon for allegedly wielding an illegal monopoly through its online marketplace. The FTC has also accused Amazon of using deceptive practices to enroll consumers into its Prime membership service.
The FTC has also cracked down on fraudulent or misleading online reviews. A new rule banning marketers from using fake reviews to promote their products was set to take effect in October.
Vevor seemingly exploded in the US over the past few years even though its website says the company set up shop in the US in 2007 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. It has since courted DIY influencers including “Den of Tools” founder Jeff King, who devoted a segment to the seller “Who the Heck is Vevor on his YouTube channel last year.
“Vevor blasted out of no where and now we are seeing them all over,” King said.