[paxys]

I had the same experience with an acquaintance. Their reasoning is that given how Amazon's algorithms work (and how much they favor review count), it is impossible for any new product to get noticed at all unless you spend money to get those first set of 5-star reviews. It's basically an advertising budget.

[criddell]

I wonder if Amazon could fight this by expiring old reviews? Don't delete them, but weight them at zero.

Products change over time and I'm usually more interested in recent reviews.

[piva00]

What kind of product changes over time without changing SKU? Apart from software.

[criddell]

Products made by companies that are cutting costs.