Ken Roshkoff, CEO and President of AMC Global, recently published an article in Total Retail where he examines how verified purchase reviews outperform incentivized feedback and why that matters for retail strategy.
In “Why Incentivized Reviews Weaken Trust,” he discusses how consumer trust in product reviews continues to shift. While incentivized review programs still exist across retail categories, shoppers are getting better at filtering out feedback that feels transactional or disconnected from actual product use.
Ken references recent industry coverage from Retail Dive about how incentive programs boost participation but create authenticity concerns, as well as sharing Retail Wire reports that show how incentivized reviewers consistently rate products higher than non-incentivized ones. He notes that platforms like Amazon and the Better Business Bureau are actively removing fake review brokers that disconnect feedback from verified transactions.
AMC Global’s recent consumer study confirms what this coverage suggests: reviews tied to confirmed purchases are viewed as more credible and more likely to influence decisions. Shoppers trust feedback from people who actually bought and used the product—and they discount reviews that seem promotional, even when incentives are disclosed.
This is why AMC Global developed VerifiedViews™—a review collection system anchored to confirmed purchase behavior. VerifiedViews sources feedback directly from verified purchasers and actual product use, providing the credibility and relevance that today’s consumers expect and that brands need for reliable decision-making.
Read the full article: “Why Incentivized Reviews Weaken Trust”
You will learn about practical implications for review strategy, including how timing, sourcing, and verification affect credibility—and why systems anchored to real purchase behavior produce feedback that’s easier to interpret and more useful across teams. Reach out to us for more information!
