I Called Out a Counterfeit Item on Amazon. Then They Banned Me.
Two years ago, I got scammed by a counterfeiter on Amazon. I left a review on the product warning others about my experience. Eventually, Amazon deleted my review and banned me from leaving reviews for “violating Community Guidelines.”
Has Amazon banned you for leaving a bad review? You probably think Amazon hasn’t—but are you sure? Amazon doesn’t even email you to let you know that they’ve banned you and deleted all your reviews. It does it silently.
The Counterfeit and Bad Review
How do I know which bad review Amazon banned me for, you ask? Simple: I’ve only left a single review on Amazon.com.
In 2016, I ordered a cheap mini PC from MarsKing on Amazon. The PC shipped with a pirated Windows 10 license, which did not activate properly.
I left this review so other buyers would at least have some warning. If someone wants to struggle with Windows activation problems, that’s their choice—but I don’t.
At the time, MarsKing sent me a message through Amazon offering to sell me a new PC “with a legitimate [license]” for 50% off. I did not accept the offer, but I imagine MarsKing would have expected me to pull down the negative review if I did.
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