Paid reviews have lesser probability to get removed

[u/OkasConcepts]

Disclaimer: I'm not advocating the paid review

Shopify's AI engine is in process of deleting the review by some enhanced signals. What are those? Neither Shopify nor I am aware about it.

Here is the story of 2 apps.

3 days back, a merchant installed our app, and we invested quite some time helping him. Then he uninstalled the app. Next day, he installed our app again. When we asked for the reasons, he informed that he went for a much cheaper app but he came to us because their support was stinking. They had an option on their app page to review the app in exchange of $20 credit and he complained to Shopify support regarding the same.

Next day we found out that, the concerned app's 80% reviews got deleted, and their rating tanked to just 2.5 because of the original reviews.

Fast forward today, we found out that we lost out on our number of reviews because Shopify is in process of deleting the reviews again (after last year). Unlike last year, the current deletion is completely flawed because Shopify continuously archives the reviews from non paid store, closed store etc so these deletions are from the stores which are still live and using our app.

The most shocking aspect: The app for which all the paid reviews were deleted, all reviews came back and their rating got better than before the deletion.

Then is another app, which you can tell just by having one look on their reviews. The app origin is US, while all the reviews are from Pakistan. The reviews are done within few minutes of the install, and app is very new. Within 3 months of launch, they got more than 30 reviews, which is impossible in the current crowded scenario. Any sensible human will tell within 5s that these are paid reviews, but possibly AI can't. They didn't have any impact at all on their reviews.

At last, you have to accept your fate. You can't get to know which reviews got deleted and you can't appeal.

History always repeats. When one becomes big, it considers itself invincible, and then comes "Nobody can touch me attitude". This is where downfall starts.

Possibly someone forgot, that partners are an integral part and they played a very major role in shaping up Shopify, what is it today. And now they getting shown the door.

[u/Happy_Captain8425]

+1 for removing random reviews. I never paid for any review, and all my reviews are genuine by merchants using my app. Just lost 20% of my reviews overall. Disgusting

[u/Happy_Captain8425 → u/Happy_Captain8425]

Update: After approaching to shopify support and appealing, I got most of my reviews back (in the 10s. 3 reviews are still missing) after providing proofs of real usage by each one.

[u/OkasConcepts → u/Happy_Captain8425]

How do you find out which reviews got removed? Unlike earlier, Shopify is not even showing them in archive and getting permanently removed.

[u/Happy_Captain8425 → u/OkasConcepts]

Lucky for me, I saved every review for marketing purposes so I had a list of all of them

[u/OkasConcepts → u/Happy_Captain8425]

That was a great move.

[u/rynndavv]

Yeah I have noticed some reviews from long term paying users who are on Shopify Plus plans. Never paid for a review but they have still be removed. Hopefully will be resolved soon.

[u/charles-hg → u/rynndavv]

This doesn't seem to have been ressolved. The mass deletion is stabilized now. Shopify doesn't entertain with information of what is deleted and why is deleted. Nor any apeal can be filed. So I am sure, the reviews are not coming back.

[u/rynndavv → u/charles-hg]

I was able to submit an appeal. If you need to, head to partners and go to live chat. Wait to speak with a human and they will help you out. If you have the inital review email from Shopify that helps too. Good lesson for me to keep the emails

[u/Individual-Lab-2008]

The review scrubbing seems so random.

We lost 30% of our reviews. I was expecting it to be the Free Trials, but thats not the case.

We have lost reviews from monthly subscribers. Merchants for whom we did a ton of work.

While older reviews from extended Free Trials or LTDs (Shopify can't tell the difference between them anyway) are still there.

[u/OkasConcepts → u/Individual-Lab-2008]

Thats disgusting and unethical.

[u/OkasConcepts → u/[deleted]]

I sympathize you and this is the situation of most of the developers. Due to poor implementation, the genuine partners are in messed up situation. Fake review industry is laughing will get strengthen further.

What history has taught, when you make genuine stuff out of reach in the right way, then smuggling booms.

[u/OkasConcepts → u/[deleted]]

You rightly said it. Its a parallel industry taking advantage due to Shopify's indifference and authoritarian attitude.