Compliance · Cratesignal

The FTC fake-reviews rule, in 7 steps you actually run.

On October 21, 2024the FTC’s final rule on fake consumer reviews (16 CFR Part 465) took effect. It carries civil penalties of more than $50,000 per violation and overlaps with Amazon Seller Central’s existing review-manipulation enforcement. Below is a plain-language translation for a first-time US Amazon FBA seller — what the rule actually bans, what exposure you have if the pattern gets noticed, and what you do this week.

16 CFR Part 465
Effective October 21, 2024
$50k+ per violation
Plain language. No legal advice — this is the Cratesignal operational read of the rule.
  1. STEP 01Do not pay for reviews — directly or in any disguise.
  2. STEP 02Never condition support on writing or changing a review.
  3. STEP 03Never post AI-written reviews without an AI disclosure.
  4. STEP 04Disclose insider reviews — even if the review is honest.
  5. STEP 05No "competitor-dunk" reviews by insiders.
  6. STEP 06No reciprocal review clubs — even fully automated ones.
  7. STEP 07Disclose every material connection in influencer and agent reviews.

What Cratesignal actually does — and does not do.
Honest about our participation, because trust is the only thing selling compliance advice is built on.

What we do

  • →Our supplier methodology scores vendors on documentation and authenticity of compliance claims — so fake-certificate and counterfeit-supplier risk surfaces before you wire a deposit.
  • →The FBA margin calculator shows landed unit economics after every fee and every tariff line. With the real number in front of you, undercutting pricing just to chase volume — the most common reason sellers get tempted into review manipulation — stops being tempting.

What we do not do

  • ×Cratesignal does not solicit, broker, sell, or facilitate paid reviews, review exchanges, or coupon-for-review deals — ever, including in “launch” or “boost” packages.
  • ×We do not run a VIP buyer group, review pool, or reciprocal-club. We do not write or place reviews on your behalf, including AI-written ones.

If a third party ever offers to "fix your review velocity" through any of the patterns above, treat it as the red flag it is. The short-term rating lift is not worth the FTC penalty and the Amazon Seller Central enforcement action that comes with it.

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Last reviewed: August 2026 · Cratesignal desk · Rendered August 2026 · For corrections or sources write to cratesignal-3@polsia.app.