Yes, I totally agree that this is a load of rubbish. I had one product that had sold and received a 5* customer service rating, but then received 1 star global rating without a comment. It had excellent on voice of the customer. I deleted it as I thought it was pointless having a product showing on Amazon with one rating being a one star!
Then, I noticed one of my good sellers that had received 8 x 5* product ratings had suddenly attracted a 1* global review without comment. I investigated my last 3 customers - 2 had left 5* customer service reviews and the 3rd had left a 5* product review. It had a ‘flurry’ for those 3 sales and then stopped. Prior to that it hadn’t sold for 6 months.
I too am on Handmade - so no-one who’s not bought from me can buy elsewhere. Neither of these products were FBA.
I wrote to SS and ended up getting it ‘answered’ even though it wasn’t and my follow up question had been deleted from the thread! So I wrote again and was told there is a ‘report feedback thread’ and you can reply to negative feedback. Clearly you can’t because without comments there is nothing to reply to!! I reported on the official report system and received the reply that they don’t tell you any outcome - nothing’s changed on my ratings, so I know the result of their ‘investigations’… filed into the recycle bin I expect.
I honestly don’t believe that it it is a verified purchase and it HAS contributed to my star rating as it has reduced this one to 4s overall. 8 5s and 1x1*.
It is absolutely ludicrous that someone who hasn’t bought a product and has never ever seen it in real life can leave any rating, let alone a 1* rating and to my mind it could quite easily be competitors trying to scupper your product.