Do you read reviews?

Biblioklept

I saw a question @C_J asked in the ask anything thread and loved it and wanted to see more answers of what others do.

"When shopping online do you read the reviews and if so do you believe them to be honest reviews?"

I do read reviews but I don't always trust them, especially if there are no negative ones. I definitely trust the negative ones more

Part of the reason I doubt them is that I used to review products for Amazon sellers and a few other big retailers and while you were allowed to give an honest review, there is incentive not to because you're asked to review more stuff, whereas if your reviews are negative or more honest, you stopped getting offered as much. Especially with the Amazon sellers (not Amazon themselves)!

66Mustang

I don't usually but when I do I take them with a large handful of salt. I would say I prefer professional reviews, but then the writers have an underlying incentive for doing their work, so those reviews can't really be relied upon either.

People often give things 1/10 when there is something wrong ... nothing is 1/10, unless it literally explodes when you open it, seriously injures you and then sets fire to your house. The worse products I have ever had at least deserved 3/10.

On the flip side nothing is 10/10 either! Unless it comes with a free bottle of champagne and a lifetime warranty!

With apps however I do go by the average star rating because often people give them low ratings when they are buggy, if an app has less than 3 stars out of 5 I generally assume it will be full of bugs or not work properly, and from the times I have put those reviews aside and tried it anyway, my theory has been proved correct, so I tend to save the time and hassle now.

C_J

I'm so glad someone posted this thread so thank you @Biblioklept. It is a tricky one.

I do read reviews especially when buying from Amazon I do tend to be weary of reviews that give a ten out of ten on an item especially if there is a lot of them however I do make a point of reading the lower ratings and negatives reviews.

No one wants to purchase an item that's not as described, faulty or got bits missing or worse still not fit for purpose so when writing a review I am open and honest as I know what it's like to receive something you've brought opened it and be disappointed so if my reviews helps just one person then that's a good thing the same with a positive review although I never give an item ten out of ten.

There are to many sellers out there that just want to sell a product on these sites and don't care what they sell and even exaggerate on the products description just to make a profit so reading the reviews for me is a good idea but I do so with a sceptical mind that said you do get the legitimate sellers out there but unfortunately the rouge sellers make it hard for them as well.

As the saying goes:

"if it looks to good to be true it probably is"

Jimm_Scope

I always take online store reviews with a bit of a grain of salt. Especially if there's less than say, 10. People will be more likely to review if something is negative than positive, so reviews can tend to have a negative bias sometimes. The more reviews though the less that bias has sway.

I'll check out negative reviews even if there's a lot of positive reviews, just to see if there's a common issue and if that common issue would be a deal breaker for me.

bg844

For holidays I do, other times I don't bother. I can be sceptical of reviews all together though...

woodbine

Depending on what Im buying and from who  then I will read a review.

rebel11

Jimm_Scope said:

I always take online store reviews with a bit of a grain of salt. Especially if there's less than say, 10. People will be more likely to review if something is negative than positive, so reviews can tend to have a negative bias sometimes. The more reviews though the less that bias has sway.

I'll check out negative reviews even if there's a lot of positive reviews, just to see if there's a common issue and if that common issue would be a deal breaker for me.

This is the best advice ever, read the 'negative reviews', ask yourself 'Am I going to have this issue?', 'what can I do to get my money back?', 'is the retailer consumer friendly?' there are so many other questions you can I ask yourself.

After you've read the 'negative reviews', go to the 'positive reviews', look at the language used, if you've read reviews before you get a good feeling about genuine reviews.       

Albus_Scope

I'll check out reviews, but will not usually pay attention to 5 star reviews as more often than not, they'll be paid for.  Even the 'verified purchase' reviews on Amazon can often be left due to scams. 

Jimm_Scope

I'll also say I'm trying to avoid Amazon more and more. If I can get it locally I do that, if I have to go online I try any other reputable online store before going to Amazon. Not only does the corporation treat their employees horribly, as many have found out (luckily not me) it's very easy to get scammed.

66Mustang

@Jimm_Scope

I have nothing against Amazon but also am trying to use it less as there are lots of independent shops selling the things I need.

I cancelled my £80 (now £100 I believe?) Amazon Prime membership last year and figured I could just spend money here and there paying for delivery costs from alternate websites, which would probably not add up to £80 over the course of a year anyway, as I don't buy an awful lot.

Jimm_Scope

Indeed, I also cancelled my Amazon prime last year. I found I would often default to Amazon because "I can get free delivery", but also wasn't buying enough off them to actually cover that high a cost.

I'm trying to be less consumerist, as in buying things that can't be re-used or recycled.

Albus_Scope

I'll always try and use a local, small business first,  but due to not getting out much, I very much rely on online shopping and sometimes Amazon is the best choice.   Though after my recent issues with a wireless charger nearly catching fire, I'm extra careful at checking reviews. 

66Mustang

I read from someone on another site - they did some sort of FoI request to Amazon for their entire purchase history dating back to around 1999-2000 and they managed to get it. They put it all in spreadsheet format and it turned out they had spent around £40,000 over the 20 odd years!

Lottie1732

@66Mustang It's an expensive lesson to learn. Things don't matter.  I wouldn't dare get my amazon history in a spreadsheet but I did have to just do a major downsize housing wise so I got to handle all that stuff and try to find homes for, or throwaway, my amazon history.  I used to have a high income, now I have nothing. But I have more.  That buy now, get it tomorrow... order in 2 hours 48 minutes is very, very powerful.  I don't have prime anymore so I put things in my basket only as personal memos.  Gradually they get deleted so I didn't need/want whatever it was anyway.  There's also the fact that a lot of the goods are made in low cost manufacturing areas and so not up to scratch in terms of quality and safety. 

So getting back to reviews. Yes, I always read reviews and items with less and 4.5-5 stars I don't even look at though I realize that this can be unfair. It it might only have one review and someone's complaining about the delivery going wrong. Obviously that's not about the product or how good it is. 

I used to write to Audible a lot to complain about their reviews. There are a lot of self publishers who sell on there (indeed there is a scheme that someone was flogging recently about how to do that and get reviews).  Searching for, for example, "learn italian", there were tons of audio books, recently published that have 50, 5 star reviews.  In the past they were grammatically incorrect or made no sense.  And all posted in just a few days.  Of course they're fake.  I've just looked again now and I think they are using AI to work out what to say rather than paying people to make them. Nevertheless you can still see a pattern and read those same reviews and they're just  not things that people would really say.

C_J

I don't buy from Amazon as much as I use to however I do have the Amazon Fire stick that I often use and I also have the Amazon Alexa and Amazon Kindle all of which require an Amazon account. When it comes to electrical items I won't buy them from Amazon I'd rather buy from a local shop or store. I mainly use Amazon for the fire stick ect.

WelshBlue

I tend to trust TrustPilot reviews more than others.  Or YouTube videos, usually get the truth there

That said I've bought a product off Amazon that had a lot of 1 Stars- was a fantastic product <shrug>

As 'Mustang sort of says, some poor reviews are down to undue high expectations or picking fault for nit picking.   Does a ripped box deserve to lose 4 stars ?  

I've just bought some kitchen cabinet handles ... .39 pence each offline - WOW fantastic quality.  Had a few negative reviews because some didn't have all the screws ... took a chance for a £tenner for 20 and delivery. Very pleased.  More importantly the boss is happy. 

Also bought some paint brushes - 4 for £5 ... awful reviews from some - best I've bought in years for use on water based satin. No brush marks at all.   Some people just don't read the descriptions/ Specs IMO and then expect a product to do what it's not designed for ?  

I'm also going away from Amazon and eBay for all Home/DIY ... ToolStation and ScrewFix are usually half the price for better quality items.  

Power tools - slated by some but you can't beat Lidl Parkside for price ... like the Duracell Bunny ... last for ever for a casual/ heavy DIYer.  Reviews are subjective to expectations ?

In all I've bought high end brands which were cack and knockoff brands which are fantastic.
Like all things online, I just use buyer beware ... if I get caught once, I don't go back.  Moan like hell to anyone who will listen... but I learn a lesson

Sandy_123

I love the reviews especially on amazon it has meant I've refused to buy an item because there have been several  bad reviews on 1 item. Ive also bought because several reviews were good. Plus I leave reviews as I find.

WelshBlue

... the .39p cabinet handles

£15 kitchen makeover with Bedec Multi Surface Paint left over from other projects and £5 for a LED strip.
T'was boring wood effect before

Used an electric sprayer designed for the garden as my arms are fibro' ticklish this week ... just the other side to do when I recover from doing that side

Hannah_Alumni

I do read review that are about a products practicality. So when I order storage baskets, I read reviews to see if they are true to size or as sturdy as they say. 

rebel11

https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-amazons-marketplace