This story is a little old, but was just brought to our attention this weekend. Elsevier, which is sort of the Death Star of academic publishing, was caught offering $25 Amazon gift cards to professors who gave the book five-star reviews on Amazon.
amazon.com
![Yet Another Company Learns The Difference Between Amazon Reviews And Ads](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/504x_tara_carpenter_jpeg.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Yet Another Company Learns The Difference Between Amazon Reviews And Ads
Instead of paying outsiders to give their products fake positive reviews on Amazon product pages like Belkin and other companies, DeLonghi cut out the middleman. Their communications manager, Tara Carpenter, simply went on Amazon and gave a variety of DeLonghi products five-star rave reviews herself.
![No More Amazon Referrals For North Carolina Residents](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/amazonlogomed1.jpg?w=180&h=76&crop=1)
No More Amazon Referrals For North Carolina Residents
This morning, Amazon e-mailed all North Carolina residents who are part of its Associates program to notify them that their accounts will be terminated in the next few weeks.
![Continuing Adventures Of The Stupid Shipping Gang](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/packing-material.gif?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Continuing Adventures Of The Stupid Shipping Gang
Today’s “Toothpaste For Dinner” Web comic features a visit from the Stupid Shipping Gang. A bigger version of the comic, and more adventures of the Stupid Shipping Gang, inside.
![$220,000 Diamond Ring Gets Rave Reviews On Amazon, Sort Of](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/41keg2v7uul-_sl500_aa280_.jpg?w=280&h=225&crop=1)
$220,000 Diamond Ring Gets Rave Reviews On Amazon, Sort Of
We’re no fans of fake customer reviews here at Consumerist, it’s true, but obviously goofy reviews are one of my very favorite things. (The reviews for this gallon of milk are an Internet classic.)
![Amazon Customer Service Phone Numbers](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/nophone.jpg?w=158&h=152&crop=1)
Amazon Customer Service Phone Numbers
Slightly buried on Amazon’s page and, at one time, not even published on their site, Amazon.com’s customer service phone numbers:
![Most Expensive Items on Amazon.com, by Category](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cash18.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Most Expensive Items on Amazon.com, by Category
Rich Lafferty, clearly a man with as much talent as he has time, decided it was his civic duty to determine the most expensive item in each and every Amazon.com category.
Ogling the Complainosphere
• Volkswagen likes to sponsor concerts by wives of convicted war criminals, and no, we’re not just talking Hitler’s Youth Army Dance Party this time. GENOCIDE! LIVE! AND IN CONCERT! Will the Jetta’s superior side-crash safety rating protect us from the pangs of conscience? [Report from a concert by a Serbian war-criminal]
![Google Trends Forecasts Our Watery Demise](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/googletrends.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Google Trends Forecasts Our Watery Demise
Using the fancy new Google Trends web app launched today, we were able to rank which US cities are searching for Wal-mart, iPods, Amazon and Sex the most, as well as compare results by city.
![Shopping in the Valley of the Amazons](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/bazaar.jpg?w=300&h=188&crop=1)
Shopping in the Valley of the Amazons
Amazon Marketplace is awesome but perils lurk among the shadows of the the merchant’s stalls…
![Ask Consumerist: Amazon Prime Throttling?](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/delivery1.jpg?w=165&h=144&crop=1)
Ask Consumerist: Amazon Prime Throttling?
Teresa loves Amazon.com, but never became a member of Amazon Prime. In that service, you pay a flat rate and gets free two-day shipping on many Amazon.com items, upgrades to overnight shipping for just $3.99 an item. There’s also no minimum purchases required and a “members-only” one-click button on product pages.