Why experienced sellers won't touch this review tactic

Inserts feel like low-effort marketing, a little bonus for buyers… until a few sellers push them too far.

• Is your store visible to millions of buyers? 🛒
• If your insert asks for this, count your Amazon days 🔴
• Thought of the Day 🍴

SELLERBITES INBOX

An Amazon seller (OP) asked: “Is this allowed?” after receiving a product insert that promised a £20 (over $26) gift card in exchange for a five-star review.

Inside the package, OP found a setup that immediately set off red flags:

• 5-star demand: The insert explicitly instructed buyers to leave a five-star review.
• Proof required: Buyers were told to screenshot the review as verification.
• Private incentive: The gift card would be sent after contacting the seller off Amazon via email.

📌 The line sellers shouldn’t cross

On the surface, it looked harmless. But IYKYK… that’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

Amazon draws a hard, unforgiving line when it comes to review manipulation, and this insert crossed it multiple times.

Community members were quick to point out: this isn’t a gray area tactic. It’s a stacked violation.

• Incentivized positivity: Any reward tied to positive reviews is explicitly prohibited.
• Built-in audit trail: Screenshots plus email follow-ups make violations easy to prove. 🤳🏻
• System circumvention: Inserts try to bypass Amazon systems, which raises flags, not trust.
• Account-level exposure: Investigations can expand beyond a single ASIN or order.

Several sellers noted that while this tactic is still common, it’s also one of the fastest ways to trigger suspensions, review wipes, or account-wide scrutiny.

🚨 What OP should do instead

Short answer to OP’s question: no. If a tactic requires screenshots, side emails, or secrecy, it’s already too risky.

Rather than ignoring it, the community emphasized reporting to protect both buyers and the marketplace.

TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE

Build, grow, and elevate your eCommerce business with one of the most trusted names in retail

Sell your products on Walmart.com Designed with sellers in mind, Walmart Marketplace is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms in the U.S. You'll pay zero setup, monthly, or closing fees and our competitive commission and fulfillment fees mean better margins for your bottom line. 

Walmart Marketplace sellers get access to: 

• a network of millions of customers 
• innovative programs that help you scale 
• Walmart’s omnichannel advantage 

It takes just a few steps to start selling.

Sign up today

*Conditions apply

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Shortcuts that undermine trust usually cost more than the growth they promise.

BITES OF THE WEEK

• BDSS 13 Virtual: This 3-day seller summit brings top AI-driven ecommerce experts together virtually to share strategies, insights, and tools.
• Product Marketing Summit: Product Marketing Summit DC unites PMM leaders to sharpen strategy, drive growth, and navigate AI-driven go-to-market shifts.
• 5-in-1 Summit: The 27th Annual Business Transformation World Summit unites AI and transformation leaders to drive human-centric, enterprise-wide change.
• Addressing Pain Points: This live webinar explores how AI streamlines video marketing workflows, reducing manual work, costs, and production time.