Apple has quietly removed the customer “Ratings and Reviews” section from its online store product listings. Potential buyers can no longer see reviews of the products sold in the store before they buy, an those that have already bought can no longer leave reviews.
Up until now, a “Ratings and Reviews” section appeared under each product listing, allowing customers to read other shoppers’ reviews of the product.
This change was first spotted by AppleInsider, who says the removal appears to have occurred around November 16, based on archive information. The change applies to both Apple’s own products and those of third-parties.
At this point, Apple hasn’t commented on why it removed the customer reviews, although unfavorable customer reviews were not an unusual occurrence. As pointed out by The Verge, Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter had over 6700 one-star reviews. Although to be honest, those reviews were likely driven by users’ dissatisfaction with Apple’s removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone a few years back.
While it remains to be seen how the removal of the “Ratings and Reviews” section will be received by Apple’s online customers, now that a potential customer no longer has convenient access to customer reviews, and will be forced to look elsewhere on the web for feedback on products.
