Third-party sellers on Amazon and other e-commerce sites are sending random products to people across the US as part of what’s known as a “brushing scam” – a bizarre scheme that helps boost a vendors’ ratings online. Here’s how it works.
Produced by Zachary Wasser
Senior Producer: Bronte Lord
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Send me packages and I’ll give reviews.
@Thomas Armsworthy Jr how does it feel to be the first person in the world who’s alive, without a brain?
@Thomas Armsworthy Jr dert ter der moron
@Thomas Armsworthy Jr Trump lost through honesty
Please consider donating them instead of throwing them away. Better for our planet. 🌎 😉💖
JOE not what we ordered — WHO sent wrong package❓
Biden COLLAPSING 3 Days In… Already Dealing With A MAJOR SCANDAL, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7F3v-XT24
I want a million dollar gift card!
Or, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, Mac Book, and … that’s about it, I guess…
Me too , and I want them free. Paying for stuff is so pointless if they can give them to me , where do I sign up?
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
That would explain why a seller contacted me after I posted a bad review on a coat way too small to be an XXL and they said they would give 75% back of my money back if I changed my review to something positive.
Only 75%?
I’ve never had THAT happen, but I have ordered clothes meant for Chinese sized people, XL shirts and large shorts that I couldn’t even begin to fit into, LOL!
That’s true, some Sellers are relentless if you don’t give 5 star review.
@Christina Jefferies I had exactly the same phone call and did exactly the same as you
I was so annoyed about it I cancelled my Amazon account, don’t regret that for a second, and will not be going back either
I’ve had the same thing happen. I’ve also had a seller’s email me to review their items and say they will pay me back and one person never returned my money. I stopped doing it. Also they pay you for the product but not taxes
As usual: Buyer beware.
https://youtu.be/0dNN2N9zutw
If there was an option on Amazon’s site where you said, “I do not want to receive any gifts to this address,” would that work and if people did this en masse, would it be easier to track down the scams?
I can’t even get the stuff I did order and paid for.
JOE not what we ordered — WHO sent wrong package❓
Biden COLLAPSING 3 Days In… Already Dealing With A MAJOR SCANDAL, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7F3v-XT24
@ARLENE WUK you will be alright take a breath 🙄
@Augusta Nduka This Congresswoman Just Filed Articles of Impeachment On Joe Biden
@ARLENE WUK I know right she’s missing trumpet … she will be alright too
Bruh I feel ur pain😭
Personally, I usually pay more attention to the negative reviews. Then I look on youtube for additional reviews. The youtube reviews are so so on credibility but you can at least see the product in use.
@melissa saint One and two stars are often just some guy that had totally unrealistic expectations or somebody that got a faulty or damaged item and took it as a personal insult.
I always check the 3 stars for real info about what could be downsides.
thats right man 👍
JOE not what we ordered — WHO sent wrong package❓
Biden COLLAPSING 3 Days In… Already Dealing With A MAJOR SCANDAL, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7F3v-XT24
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
Sometimes sellers will send good products to youtubers for free and give others crappy stuff
This happened to me me and I had to call Amazon and they said give it away, after a while they stop coming.
This happened to my Mom a while back too!!! She was receiving items almost every other day, and was freaking out because she thought she was somehow being charged for them. Good to know now that it was likely something like this, but we had to go thru all of her accounts to make sure she wasn’t actually paying for the stuff… Now on my end, I keep getting charged by Amazon and not actually ordering or receiving anything!?! Ugh… would have much rather received the free stuff!!!
@AAndrews Here’s the solution: have your mom give you her stuff! 🤪
Same here
An easy fix for this is for Amazon to note which reviews are for gift purchases. Personally, I wouldn’t put much stock in a review from someone who isn’t primarily using the product.
You dont get it at all……. no one is rating gifts anywhere for crying out loud lol they are sending them as gifts to people, then would use the shipping order tracking code to impersonate the receivers of said “gifts” to leave perfect reviews on their own shitty products…
@Kozlav You don’t get it. The tracking number is different from the order number. When there is no order number in the box and it just has a tracking number on the outside of the box Amazon can’t find the buyer for some reason.
Amazon needs to tighten up its policing and regulations on third-party sellers, even if this abuse is mostly harmless and more of a nuisance.
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
They should put pictures with the reviews so people know it’s actually a real review.
Seems like this could be easily solved by not allowing reviews for “gifts”
@BigCooter.com I am sorry this happened to you. I once found some pink earrings I wanted, could find nowhere else, $8, but the item was clearly marked as coming from China and would take 2 months.
@stirange Or just marking reviews for all to see for those who selected the gift option.
@BigCooter.com I agree …ball in court of amazon.
In my opinion; I suspect Amazon wants the gift receivers/end product users to participate ( hence an even larger end users/potential customer interactions)…if that’s case they’ll need to strike balance via stopping such abuses in their platforms
They should not allow orders with gifts to be reviewable by the buyer.
@stirange How? You cannot review something you dont have because you gave it away.
This is probably the weirdest scam I’ve ever heard of.
You want me to have an education? You’re asking a lot from an American!
Since September, I’ve received a bunch of free stuff from Amazon: a collapsible trunk organizer, a massage pillow, a ear + nose hair trimmer, and — just last week — a dispenser bottle, and an eyeliner + lashes kit. So Santa Clause is real! 😊
It’s not a scam , its COVID !! New York said 66% of corona positive patients obeyed and STAYED at home!! So how did they get it? HOME DELIVERIES
@The Paradigm Shift You think someone writing a fake review and sending the package to someone else is a scam?
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
I find it weird to see 75 reviews with no pictures from the buyers
I know. Right
I’ve done tons of reviews that I’ve bought, very rarely do I ever attach a picture or video. I think most people are the same.
This is exactly why I read the 3 star reviews. I find that these are the most honest.
https://youtu.be/0dNN2N9zutw
I do the same thing. I go to the three star reviews first and compare it the four stars and two stars.
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
I dont give reviews of stuff i order from web shops , if the product wont work i send it back … people should really stop giving ratings for stupid stuff .
Me to 😂🤣
The other thing that happens is when the reviews look negative, the seller deletes and renames the item. Then either that seller or another seller put the item out again, with none of the negative reviews that were there. I put a negative but balanced review on a product, then was surprised to see the item is still for sale on Amazon, without the review.
This is why I start at the END of reviews and work my way that way no matter WHAT company it is…
This is the one time I hope I get “scammed”.
🤣🤣🤣
JOE not what we ordered — WHO sent wrong package❓
Biden COLLAPSING 3 Days In… Already Dealing With A MAJOR SCANDAL, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7F3v-XT24
I was able to give Christmas presents with the stuff
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
@Iro This happened to my mother too but something worth some money. She got a recliner from Wayfair worth $360, it had her name and address on the package but she never ordered anything from Wayfair before. We still haven’t figured out who sent it or if it was a mistake.
No one came to claimed it after putting it on our HOA’s facebook page nor did the delivery company (FedEx) come back to reclaim it.
I wish they would use my address…I wouldn’t mind some free stuff!
Same
Everyday I’m amazed by how people manage to find new ways of doing ‘bad’ things. If only we would put this much effort into doing ‘good’ things. Maybe all of the world’s problems would be solved.
👏👏
Capitalism rewards bad behavior, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.
*https://youtu.be/VZ8hJwhnskI*
@musiclvr1able Dude what is up with your quotation uses they make ‘no’ sense.
@musiclvr1able The toughest part about that is getting the job. I can’t interview for a job or submit a resume worth anything. So there is no point, I gave up on that long ago.
I don’t mind being “scammed” like this where do I sign up?