Amazon makes change to popular service that shoppers say is ‘absolutely terrible’

From August 4, shoppers on Amazon will be able to leave star ratings on products without writing a comment.

Amazon is making a big change to a popular service in days but it’s bad news for customers. From August 4, shoppers on Amazon will be able to leave star ratings on products without writing a comment.

Amazon said the change will make it easier for customers to leave a review of a product. But one customer described the move as an “absolutely terrible idea”.

They added: “Why should anyone be permitted to give someone a grade with no explanation of the reasoning behind said grade?” Another agreed and said: “How can you call this feedback then, we’ll have no clue what happened.”

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A third fumed: “Another horrible change being made to the detriment of the seller. Who is thinking up these changes and who is reviewing/approving them? Please rethink going through with this change.”

Another raged: “Amazon allowing buyers to leave star-only seller feedback without any explanation is a terrible policy shift that hurts sellers without offering any value to the customer experience.

“We receive 1-star ratings with zero context, which gives us no opportunity to improve, respond, or even understand the issue.”

And another fumed: “This is terrible! This rule makes it impossible for us to identify the source of customer complaints and improve the quality of our customer service!”

Scott Dixon, a consumer champion who runs The Complaints Resolver, said: “Whether it’s buying sensitive items or buying surprise gifts, this feature served a clear purpose.

“Quietly removing it without warning or explanation is unacceptable, and Amazon ought to listen to its customers and reinstate this feature immediately.”

Consumer expert Martyn James said: “A star review, even if from a verified purchase, doesn’t give the nuance behind the complaint.

“I’ve seen reviews on Amazon of books that give the title one star. But the low rating isn’t for the content – it’s for the book turning up late or damaged.

“Without context, reviews can destroy businesses.”