On Line Purchase - Reviews and/or Feedback

[Car-Guy]

Just curious, when you buy something on line, (e.g.from Amazon) do you:

(1) Review other customers on-line feedback/comments, before you buy, on either the product(s) you are buying or on the sellers service/support?

(2) After you buy, do you provided feedback on the products you bought "or" on your buying experience, "when asked"?

I often will read the on line customer reviews/experaince before buying on line but I'm often skeptical of who really made some of the posts/comments. (The seller or buyer) I sometimes wonder if they are all legit? Are the bad reviews deleted? Still I'll often skim them and consider if they seem credible or not before buying.

And I typically will respond with my experience with the product or service "when asked". Then I'll see my post on-line in a day or so... So I know some are legit... I guess I tend to trust the reviews I see on the "big guys" websites more so than the "little guys" websites... Not sure if that justified or not, but that's me...


How about you? Do you see any value in reading and/or providing on-line reviews?

 

[OldShooter]

Except for trivial purchases, I always look at the most negative reviews. If they are customers complaining about torn boxes and late deliveries that is a positive for the product. If the same product flaw is identified in several reviews I am likely to move on.

I rarely read the positive reviews. I will post if I bought a product that has problems. I will also post a positive review if there are few product reviews, but not if there are hundreds.

 

[RunningBum]

I use Fakespot to check the validity of Amazon reviews. I read the most helpful reviews, and some of the bad reviews to get a feel for the reviews. Sometimes the bad reviews are because the product arrived late or for some other reason that has nothing to do with the product.

I do give some reviews, whether asked or not.

 

[finnski1]

Except for trivial purchases, I always look at the most negative reviews. If they are customers complaining about torn boxes and late deliveries that is a positive for the product. If the same product flaw is identified in several reviews I am likely to move on.

I rarely read the positive reviews. I will post if I bought a product that has problems. I will also post a positive review if there are few product reviews, but not if there are hundreds.

Same here.

 

[Aerides]

(1) Review other customers on-line feedback/comments, before you buy, on either the product(s) you are buying or on the sellers service/support?

(2) After you buy, do you provided feedback on the products you bought "or" on your buying experience, "when asked"?

Yes to both, but 1 more than 2.

I also like to sort reviews to Most Recent, as I think this gets good filtering vs someone's most popular comment from 3 years ago. And I look for themes vs. outliers.

I'd like to leave reviews more often, but sometimes don't, unless I'm really really pleased with a purchase. If I'm not, I'm out for a return anyway, which I figure is enough for a seller to have to deal with. And if I'm getting my money back, then I don't need to also slam them with a bad review.

I am never inclined to add a review when asked - if anything it turns me off from leaving one.

 

[qwerty3656]

I use Fakespot to check the validity of Amazon reviews. I read the most helpful reviews, and some of the bad reviews to get a feel for the reviews. Sometimes the bad reviews are because the product arrived late or for some other reason that has nothing to do with the product.

I do give some reviews, whether asked or not.

+1 for Fakespot. Fake reviews are big business now. Also, CamelCamelCamel to check out price history of a product

 

[Lewis Clark]

I've seen articles saying that a large percentage of online reviews are fake - either written by the company to help themselves look good or written by the competition to make them look bad.

As a former teacher I had hundreds of opportunities to read anonymous reviews about me or my classes. Since I had first-hand knowledge of the facts I was able to know that many of those reviews were not factual.

As a result of these experiences I rarely look at online reviews, and take those few I look at with a huge dose of skepticism.

 

[friar1610]

I mostly read the negative reviews looking for trends. I recently posted a negative review for a pair of L.L. Bean shoes on which the eyelet/loop for the lace broke soon after buying. I subsequently noticed that several other people experienced the same problem. So there’s a trend developing there and those reviews should be helpful for a prospective purchaser.

Mine is the June 5 review:

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/125...c=474-629-506791&feat=506791-GN2&csp=a&pos=17

 

[Sunset]

If the reviews are on a company website, I consider them all fake or they only post the good reviews.

On Amazon, DW tells me to read the (-) reviews as nobody pays for a (-) review but will pay for a 5 star review.
I also trust Amazon reviews if there are thousands of reviews more than a product with 65 reviews.

I do sometimes add a review when asked. Especially if I'm extra happy or negative about it.
I've also answered the questions some folks ask (which are sent to me via the website), mostly as I know I had similar questions when I was going to buy the product.

 

[W2R]

I read other customers' Amazon reviews, because I sometimes find out interesting details about the item that I didn't know or hadn't thought about. I think it helps me to read them, as long as I maintain a reasonably skeptical eye.

Also I review about half the items I buy.

 

[Car-Guy]

I use Fakespot to check the validity of Amazon reviews. I read the most helpful reviews, and some of the bad reviews to get a feel for the reviews. Sometimes the bad reviews are because the product arrived late or for some other reason that has nothing to do with the product.

I do give some reviews, whether asked or not.

I didn't know about Fakespot, I'll check it out... Thanks...

What prompted me to open this topic was, yesterday I got an email request from Amazon to review their "service" in general... I probably buy something off Amazon at least once a month, if not more often, so the request seemed reasonable. Anyway, they said it would take about 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire. (that's a big time request, IMO) Anyway, I decided to play along.... The first question they asked was if I were "male or female"? Okay, so I answered male. The second question was, what age group I was in? Okay, I selected my age group (over 70)....

That was the end of the questionnaire... Took about 15 secs. I guess they didn't want to hear from "older males"...

 

[RunningBum]

I also search the reviews for things I either see complaints about, or that are important to me. For example, if I'm looking at battery powered weed eaters, I search for "battery life" and see what people say about it.

 

[Midpack]

I read online reviews but I take them with a grain of salt, I know some may be planted. The reviews can often point to features I might not otherwise think of, nice to know. I'm more likely to rely on third party reviews I find myself from sources I know, plus any personal references or experiences I have.

There was a scandal in Chicago years ago with a magazine that put it to readers to pick the best restaurant - and the magazine unwittingly (then) published the results they got without questioning what happened. No idea who organized it, but it was obvious someone put together a voting scam that put a good but not great restaurant on top (Harry Carey's).

As for posting reviews, I only do so if it's a significant item or service, and it's extremely good or bad. I don't bother with trivial purchases, or if it's just as expected with no more or less.

 

[Walt34]

I'll occasionally write reviews, mostly if a product is exceptionally good or bad, or has some other unusual characteristic.

And doing that got me invited to do reviews of free products at Home Depot after I wrote and posted a glowing review (with photos) of an airless paint sprayer outfit that I was particularly impressed with. They really do want honest reviews because if they spend time/money stocking junky products that doesn't do them any good.

I don't get the really good stuff like new drill presses or anything, but mostly minor stuff like utility knives or such. Must be my demographic, being a 70+ male, I'm not in the trades and wouldn't use it very often.

 

[MichaelB]

Another Fakespot user here, it’s very helpful. I’m cautious with online reviews for Amazon, TripAdvisor and Yelp. I often read through them but don’t buy based on them.

 

[retire-early]

I generally write a review only about the item and never about the shipping etc but I recently had to make an exception for shower door I bought on HomeDepot.com

After I made the purchase and was waiting for delivery, did I realize that the item I bought was actually a kit configured by Home Depot.
The kit : (1) shower door , (2) shower track, (3) shower door handle.

Even though the kit was 3 boxes, Home Depot provided tracking number for just the shower door.
And that tracking number was completely useless.
To this day, my order shows that it was shipped but not delivered!
All 3 boxes was shipped via truck and then delivered the "last mile" by USPack to my home.

I tried in my review to warn others that they should just buy just the shower door online. The shower track and the shower door handle are stocked in Home Depot stores.
I only learned this from talking to the Delta people.

.

 

[Kerfuffle]

I ignore 5 star reviews completely, because I have a friend who does fake reviews on Amazon, and in order for him to get paid, he must rate the products 5 stars. So I look at the 4 star reviews (many of which give four stars but have valid criticisms), and I look at the 1-3 star reviews for any sort of consistency about product issues. If a product only has a small number of 5 star reviews, I won't buy it.

 

[ERD50]

Like others, the reviews can be helpful if you add a heavy dose of skeptic (comes natural to me! ).

A big problem I have with Amazon reviews is, they often have several related products on the same page (click a box to chose the variation), but the reviews are lumped together. And sometimes they are different models with big differences ( like portable/battery power vs AC plug in), not just colors or a bundle with an accessory. That makes the reviews near meaningless.

I rarely submit a review, but I have where I can add something that's not just repetition. Lately, I'm asked to review so many things - everything from Home Depot. "You recently bought Everbilt #10 x 1 in. Phillips Pan Head Zinc Plated Sheet Metal Screw (100-Pack). Tell us about it!" You recently bought 0.4 cu. ft. Washed Play Sand. Tell us about it!"

Really? It was gritty, and heavy. Sorry, not worthy of an "!".

-ERD50

 

[retire-early]

I ignore 5 star reviews completely, because I have a friend who does fake reviews on Amazon, and in order for him to get paid, he must rate the products 5 stars. So I look at the 4 star reviews (many of which give four stars but have valid criticisms), and I look at the 1-3 star reviews for any sort of consistency about product issues. If a product only has a small number of 5 star reviews, I won't buy it.

How is your friend able to get away with this?

Doesn't Amazon require a "Verified Purchase"?

 

[Sue J]

I didn't know about Fakespot, I'll check it out... Thanks...

What prompted me to open this topic was, yesterday I got an email request from Amazon to review their "service" in general... I probably buy something off Amazon at least once a month, if not more often, so the request seemed reasonable. Anyway, they said it would take about 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire. (that's a big time request, IMO) Anyway, I decided to play along.... The first question they asked was if I were "male or female"? Okay, so I answered male. The second question was, what age group I was in? Okay, I selected my age group (over 70)....

That was the end of the questionnaire... Took about 15 secs. I guess they didn't want to hear from "older males"...

I also got asked to do that survey. 66 yr old female so I must be their targeted demographic because I was able to do the whole thing.

The questions were focusing on how much I relied on reviews to decide if the product would meet my needs. Questions about the usefulness of “verified purchases” reviews. Also, some other features on the product site such as “shoppers also bought…” or “similar items”. Did I take into account “Amazon’s Choice” or something like that. More questions about features I never noticed.

Overall it did take about 15 minutes and they say I’ll get a $5 Amazon gift card. We’ll see!

 

[JRon]

Like others I mostly read the negative reviews to see if I can spot a trend. I do read some reviews on almost everything purchased online. About every 6 months I go through the items I have purchased and leave reviews on the ones that really impressed me or really didn’t. It helps to have used the product for a bit before I leave the review.

 

[jollystomper]

Just curious, when you buy something on line, (e.g.from Amazon) do you:

(1) Review other customers on-line feedback/comments, before you buy, on either the product(s) you are buying or on the sellers service/support?

(2) After you buy, do you provided feedback on the products you bought "or" on your buying experience, "when asked"?

I do both. For purchases I look at number of reviews, and the negative views to see if the negative was product related or process related - sometimes the negative review has nothing to do with the product, or was in truth a "user error". Due to Amazon's return policy and process, negative reviews or a low number of reviews do not necessarily scare me off.

I provide feedback on products as much as possible. Hey, I'm retired, I have the time . I will add pictures if convenient. I try to give a detailed review, particular including my specific usage of the product. For example, if I buy computer memory, I will specify in the review the motherboard model and type that I used (or tried to use it) with. I appreciate it when other Amazon users indicate my review has been helpful. On two occasions I received a discount/free item from the sellers for leaving a detailed review.

 

[Bruceski44]

I bought a pair of bike gloves thru Amazon. They were the wrong size, even though the site had various sizes based on my palm width. After returning them I left a review saying they were undersized, even after taking the size chart into account.

Now, 2-3 times per week, I'm getting emails from the seller offering to pay me $50 to change my review. I blocked the sender's email, only to get more from new senders about the same product.

I contacted Amazon and asked them to make it stop, but they're still coming.

I don't want to change my review, as it was strictly factual and uncritical. The seller could easily rebut my review by posting an update.

Now that I realize the reviews are effectively for sale, I do not trust them as much. If people are withdrawing or rewriting the negative reviews in return for money or merch, then they are decidedly skewed and no longer objective or useful.

 

[rk911]

the items i purchase online are almost always standard items or things I have used in the past which are either not available in stores for one reason or another or the stix and brix retailer is too far away to make in-person buying convienent and nearly always from reputable retailers (Target, Amazon, Wally, etc.). it's surprising the stuff that is still not reliably stocked in store shelves. on the rare occasion where i want something out-of-the-ordinary from an unknown source I'll look at the most negative reviews for patterns but i rarely leave reviews of my own.

 

[Kerfuffle]

How is your friend able to get away with this?

Doesn't Amazon require a "Verified Purchase"?

Yep, Amazon doesn't know about it. The sellers reach out to my friend (or actually I think the sellers reach out to a guy who reaches out to my friend), and he actually buys the item and then gets paid for the item plus a little extra once his 5 star review posts. He rarely even opens the items, just donates them or whatever. For the record, I disagree with him doing this, it only makes it worse for all of us. But it has definitely changed how I look at reviews!