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Amazon.com has unveiled a "Holiday Customer Review Team" that consists of half a dozen of its most active reviewers.

Amazon says the goal of the review team is to "provide fellow Amazon customers with top gift picks for the season as well as helpful tips on cutting costs over the holidays."

The reviewers have been given access to some of Amazon's most popular Black Friday deals so they can offer up their opinions on the items with other shoppers.

"Our customers have come to rely on the third-party expertise our customer reviews provide, and the Holiday Customer Review Team is an extension of that resource over the holidays," said Russell Dicker, senior manager of Community at Amazon.com.

Amazon says the reviewers are real people giving unbiased advice and are not employed by the company or its affiliates.

The New York Times points out there is more to that story. "Some team members have been flown to Seattle to conduct broadcast interviews on behalf of the company. Moreover, they have been given free products to review and keep."

That being said, each review of a free product is disclosed allowing shoppers to sniff out any potential bias.

Online shoppers can visit the Amazon Holiday Customer Review Team page now through December 25 to discuss Black Friday and other holiday deals, gift ideas and specific products that have been reviewed.