the missing or edited reviews

can't believe it. i just got a call from a third party seller (that operates on Amazon) requesting me to change my negative review regarding an order from it that never came, and offering me a Rs. 500 coupon in exchange. wow. the guts of the seller. some days ago, a paper was being presented at ISI, about Tripadvisor reviews and the website's use versus advertising. there was a question/pointer by someone in the audience that stretched on for some 15-20 mins with other people jumping in from both sides of the argument that it created (peaceful academic argument). that was about sellers manipulating customer reviews. no wonder everyone has happy #UL stories as well. whereas my experience has been delays, wrong products delivered and then further delays while they were replaced. agreed its better than its next best alternative, but that doesn't say much for it in a country where inefficiencies are the norm.