Are Sponsored Items on Amazon Safe? All You Need to Know

If you have ever shopped you might have noticed some products in search results which have the Sponsored label. 

These items are normally at the top of the page and many customers have asked this question. 

Are sponsored items on Amazon safe?

Should such products be approached with caution before making a purchase?

In this blog, we shall outline what are sponsored items, how they work and if they are worth buying. 

What Exactly are Sponsored Products?

These are adverts. Any seller or company with a product to sell can ask Amazon to advertise it. They want the product to appear high in search results and product displays. 

These ads are based on the specific search performed. 

So, if one searches for wireless headphones, they will likely see ads for wireless headphone products in the search results, along with other non-sponsorable items.

There is a clear indication over this product that it is for sponsorship and thus the consumers will be able to see it. 

How Does it All Work?

For the sellers, one of the ways of increasing the chances of exposure and sales potentially is by paying for sponsored placements. 

They can pay for certain keyword phrases and when a potential buyer goes to the site and searches for those terms the product shows up in a high search rankings. 

Products usually are in the same category as the organic results but that right there is what makes these products different from other products because of the Sponsored tag.

Does Sponsorship Mean Excellent Quality?

Sponsoring a product does not affect the quality of the product or safeness of the product in any way. Amazon does not differentiate the quality level of any item simply because it is placed for sale with a dependency on paid promotion, whether sponsored or not.

Every Sponsored Product must also comply with Amazon criteria and policies like any other product offered by Amazon. This includes adhering to safety standards, maintaining customer satisfaction levels and ensuring quality control. 

As always the last verdict is for you as the end consumer to decide the real worth of the item.

Are Sponsored Items on Amazon Safe? Important Considerations

To evaluate the credibility of amazon sponsored products here are some important elements that need your attention: 

Seller Validation

When buying a sponsored product, do not forget to consider the seller’s profile. For instance, you can access the profile of the seller and read their reviews. 

• How long has the seller been on Amazon? 
• Are there any good reports from previous buyers? 
• How quickly do they respond to queries or problems?

In case of any product purchase, concentrate not on the product, but the seller even if it is a sponsored item. 

Most of the time, trustworthy sellers tend to be safe to buy their product irrespective of whether it is sponsored or not.

Recommend to Read: Amazon Sponsored Brand Ads Guide‍

Client Feedback

Thanks to the customer reviews, which are available for your reading pleasure it is very fast and easy to assess the safety of any product, paid or not. 

For instance, Amazon offers star ratings as well as opinions from other users about the product.

Beware of the product with fishy reviews. 

Newly sponsored listings also tend to attract fake ratings because of the overhyped and unrealistic expectations of the product. 

Fake reviews are mostly easy to pick. These would be the ones that look too long and full of advertisements.

Policies on Returns and Refunds 

Amazon has strict policies regarding returns and refunds that ensure buyer protection. This holds regardless of whether a product is paid for or available organically. 

However many sellers may opt out of this return policy. Always remember to check the return policy on the product page for the precaution in the event something goes wrong after the purchase.

If it is found that the purchased item is defective, dangerous or not as described usually the customer can return it for money return or an exchange. It does not matter whether the item is a paid advertisement or not.

Checking the Description

Most importantly, do take a careful look at the description of the product and even more so for sponsored products. 

Sponsored listings may sometimes also contain products that are not yet popular or are new to the site. 

So you need to be clear about what you are getting. 

Confirm the specifications, materials used and features of the product to make sure that you get what you need and that the product is of good quality.

What is the Purpose of Product Sponsorship?

Sellers are faced with tough competition while selling on Amazon. 

There is a huge competition making it a challenge to be noticed especially for smaller companies.

Here are a few reasons why:

• Enhance Exposure: Sponsored listings are tactics that sellers use whenever they are new in the market or they have introduced a new product intending to make the item availed to more customers.
• Escalate Sales: Increased visibility nearly means increased sales. Sponsored products have a wider audience which may lead to better chances of the product being sold.‍
• Challenges: Usually big brands control the organic rankings. They have more tools and other manpower at their service.For this reason, smaller businesses compete with them to win the competition.

Can Sponsored Products Be Fake?

Buyers are wary of counterfeit items especially when making purchases from third-party sellers. Amazon has maintained a clear stance against fake items and has put in measures to remove them. 

But some counterfeit goods do manage to escape these measures.Just because an item is sponsored does not mean that the item is guaranteed to be free from counterfeits. 

To safeguard against fake products, here are some suggestions:

• Get from Approved Vendors Only: Look out for items that are sold by either Amazon directly or sellers that have the tag Verified.
• Look for Amazon Prime: This is because prime products are the ones which are usually enhanced with more care and consideration since they are fulfilled by Amazon. As opposed to the other ones that are cheap and misleading to the customer.‍
• Examine Reviews Thoroughly: Many times a warning is issued for the specific things which are likely fakes in the reviews. For example, look at the reviews and analyze if there are any references to low-quality products, misleading labels or if the product received is different from what was ordered.

Recommend to Read: Amazon Sponsored Display Ads Guide

Guidelines for Safely Buying Sponsored Products

Here are a few practical tips to help you have a more secure shopping experience:

• Investigate The Market
• Confirm the Vendor's Trustworthiness
• Think Further Than the Ads
• Check the Reviews for Negative Responses
• Check the Return Policies

Conclusion:

The sponsored products on Amazon are equally safe compared to other products on the platform. It means someone has paid to have the product on the upper side of the search results. 

It has no bearing on the safety, quality or trustworthiness of the product.It is important to research, read reviews and check the reputation of the sellers. These actions will help in making decisions and buying the item much easier.

Be a smart consumer and do your research carefully before hitting the Buy Now button.