The black market for Amazon reviews makes some sense if you consider how valuable positive reviews can be to sellers on the platform. With more than 2.5 million sellers on the platform, getting seen by customers who might make a purchase is no easy feat. As one friend who has been selling on Amazon Marketplace since 2016 explained to me, on Amazon, “the more reviews you have on an item, the more likely for the item to come up in an algorithmic search. The more customers like the item, with reviews, the more Amazon likes it.”
Source: My Bizarre Stint As an Amazon Reviewer for Hire
For many years, I’ve been complaining that you cannot trust ANY system of review on the internet. Always to deaf ears, of course.