I tend to pay attention to how a review is written, as well as read more than a few reviews – depending on what I’m considering buying, and how much it costs. The more expensive, the more I’ll research.
If I see a lot of reviews that are similar, or poorly written, I’ll usually navigate away and look for something else that will work for what I’m looking for.
I’ve noticed this too. I’ve taken to searching the product name under Image Search and looking for photos of the product being unboxed/disassembled/used, which helps me find websites where the reviewer does those things, rather than just re-posting the manufacturer’s promo photos.
There used to be. It was under the purview of Customs, and they used to check children’s toys for safety similarly to Underwriters Laboratory. I think it went extinct when trade agreements changed and the cheap Chinese imports flooded the ports. Too much like trying to drink from a firehose.
For what it’s worth, I used to re-sell books on Amazon, but I just quit bothering because my buyers wouldn’t take the time to write feedback for me. They just wouldn’t do it, good or bad. So, I had sold about $600+ worth of books and unopened software packages for maybe $20-30 each transaction, but none of my customers could give me the courtesy of one lousy feedback, so it looked like I was fishy.
I guess these are older reviews (i.e. written before Amazon started cracking down on them), but I’ll frequently see “I received this product at a reduced price [or for free] in exchange for my honest opinion.” In fact, the first time I remember seeing that was in the reviews for some earbuds that BB featured. (Here’s an example review, and another; in contrast here’s my uncompensated review)
But I still see this (again, maybe older reviews) for clothing items.
Amazon has a “Report Abuse” button at the end of each review, but is this what it’s for? Does “abuse” refer to abusing the system, or abusing the readers?
I also focus on the 1-stars, because the reason people disliked the product usually helps me more than the positive reviews.
Try talking about world peace and GOP mass resignations for ethical problems and see if that works too.
Its usually best to do a google search for the product(s) you want and then jump into Amazon and other sites to see where you can get the better deal. Otherwise yeah, you run into a sea of mystery cheap brands
I think that it’s very possible to use reviews to evaluate a product, if the reviews include sufficiently specific information. I scan through the recent reviews for details that connote actual experience with the product. If a suitcase’s handle came loose or its wheels stopped turning, that’s information that may have been confirmed by other reviewers. I don’t think your typical ten dollar gift card shill does enough homework to work at that level.
People often write follow-up comments on reviews with this level of detail. Sometimes the will even report that the OP’s problem was fixed on the one that they received. Even very positive reviews sometimes provide more specifics than “GR8 BEST EVAR”.
I write unpaid reviews on amazon for products that gave me more than a “meh” reaction. I only write them if I think I have something to say about a product that will benefit potential buyers. So until the paid reviews show a similar level of thoroughness, I think that a careful sift can still help with one’s decision.
I could sell you a dressing for $30.
IMHO, This is a hard problem to solve, and I think (industry-wide) will result in a marked shift in how these reviews are performed.
I know people think Amazon has a financial interest in keeping fake reviews up, but I disagree. Amazon has to contend with return costs for these pieces of crap when they are returned as well, don’t forget. For physical goods, I’m sure Amazon can look at the return rate to help them discover deceitful sellers.
For virtual goods (or supplements as Cory suggests), the issue is more complicated. In theory, there’s some measurable case where a product suddenly gets several reviews at once (positive or negative) as an indication of fraudulent activity, but that’d have to be weighed against legitimate marketing driving sales (for example, a positive review of the product posted somewhere reputable suddenly resulting in sales).
I guess we all just need to wait for video testimonials to become ubiquitous or something at this point.
I use fakespot.com for nearly every Amazon purchase I make. It’s not always perfect but it’s a good start. If something is 5-star on Amazon and gets above a 60% deceptive review rating I keep looking.
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