Gadget maker says sorry for fake product 'reviews'

An electronics company says it is investigating one of its employees for offering to pay for positive online reviews of its products.

Belkin International, a consumer electronics manufacturer based in Los Angeles, apologised this week for a freelance job posting that offered to pay for positive reviews on retail websites. Belkin has blamed a sales staffer.

After the incident provoked a furore on blogs, the company removed the listings posted on Amazon's Mechanical Turk, a website that lists piecemeal work on blogs and websites.

Belkin also says it is checking online review sites to remove the fake reviews.

Belkin spokeswoman Melody Chalaban says the company is investigating to determine the extent of the problem and if disciplinary action is needed.