> The problem isn’t that it lacks what you want, but that it offers infinite permutations of often unknowable quality.

This the problem. The actual worthwhile products being buried in a sea of garbo. Along with the reviews being gamed, it's essentially the online equivalent of a flea market.

It just means consumers have to be more careful and do a lot more research before they buy. While this isn't a new thing for anyone here, this will be a necessary behavior shift for everyone in order to avoid these dark patterns, and to get safe and quality products. This isn't just an amazon problem.

Essentially: avoid impulse shopping.