Amazon Description Concern

[Jerry1]

So I've been looking for a new hose for my pressure washer. I'm on Amazon and I see a new hose for a good price with good reviews. However, when I read the description I become concerned. See Below:

Universal Replacement Hose: 1/4 Inch 50 FT up to 3200 PSI. Fit most brand power washer . . .

Higher Performance: Using high strength pure material with braid layer support professional high pressure working, prolonged service life, weather and abrasion resistant . . .

Non-Kink and Durable Brass: Help you enjoy washing without kink by new developed material, easy manage and roll up. The American Standard M22-14mm adapter is made from SOLID BRASS, much thicker and heavier, can be firmly connected with your Pressure Washer and Pressure Washer gun, don’t shake or damaged easily and no leaking. DOUBLE DURABLE!

The English is so poor, it makes me feel like I'd be dealing with a fly-by-night company. The reviews are all 5 stars (28 out of 30). Here the two negative reviews.

February 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
This item is junk. I used it for 10 minutes and it blew apart!!!...So I trashed it that day

March 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
Hose popped in first hour of operation. Poor quality.

This is typical of the positive reviews:

February 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
It's so nice to be able to leave the pressure washer in one place while completing my washing. It's a great time saver and works just as well as the hose that came with my pressure washer.


All say they are verified purchases but I'm skeptical on pulling the trigger on this one despite the good price. Plus it states that it's sold by the company and fulfilled by Amazon. I try to stay away from those items too. Am I too cautious? I'd save about $15 over the next best one that I would choose.

 

[sengsational]

I'd buy it from Amazon with that description and especially a bunch of verified purchase reviews. I wouldn't buy it directly from a smaller outlet, but if it's no good, Amazon would go to bat for you.


Actually, the seller could easily have bought 25 copies and published all the positive reviews. Do the positive reviewers have other reviews to their credit? If not, then I might start to believe the negative reviews.


I was going to do this for you, but I couldn't find the exact hose you were looking at on Amazon. But you can put it into:


https://www.fakespot.com/


And see what it thinks.


EDIT: I found the exact item on Amazon shortly after I posted here and fakespot is saying they are legit happy customers. I clicked into a couple of reviewers' histories and they're long-time reviewers with a mix of positive and negative reviews. I'd feel confident buying that hose.

 

[always_learning]

Are you too cautious? I don't think you are, for I am the same way, so if you're too cautious, then we both are.

I know that Amazon has had a problem with fake reviews. I remember reading that once they cracked down on the non-verified purchase reviews, people found a way around that by somehow hacking the accounts of legitimate folk and posting as them. How this worked, I don't know but I remember being surprised and figure that's how I got "taken" a few times. I wish I could point you to where I read that but it was a year or so ago.

Because of that, I now don't trust even the verified purchase reviews.

What I look for in reviews is lots of reviews... 30 don't cut it for me unless it's a very new product. I also look at the *dates* of the reviews. If an item has, say 50 4-star reviews and they are overwhelmingly within the last four weeks or so, where as the bad reviews are from six months or so back, then I feel that product's rating has been artificially inflated and I'll look elsewhere, even if it means paying more.

I also look at the quality of the written description, as you mentioned. It's not that I'm bothered that a non-native English speaker has written the description, but it bothers me from a possible customer service standpoint. I find it difficult and annoying to have to repeat over and over again what an issue is and what my desired outcome is with a non-native speaker. It is extremely frustrating.

I also follow my gut. If I feel hinky about a listing, I'll pay more to buy the item from somewhere else.

In your case, without having seen the item or read all of the reviews, if you feel better about the other product, I'd say spend the extra $15. That said, our pressure washer hose split apart just as we turned it on for the second use and it was the original Toro one, only 2 years old. Our replacement has been used three times now, the most recent being yesterday after a six-year hiatus. I wish you luck in finding something you're happy with.

 

[skipro33]

There are always a percentage of users that post who bash an item when the fault is more likely their own. For example, it's as likely as not the the two negative reviews were written after someone backed over the hose with the family car while leaving the hose in the driveway. Who knows?

Amazon has such a great return policy on items they fulfill even if it's not genuine Amazon. Both negative review would have qualified for returns based on their reviews, yet no mention. One reviewer even says he trashed the hose. That's a pretty good sign the guy is less than astute when it comes to using a product as it's intended; when he's unable to follow up with the vendor for a refund or replacement.

 

[always_learning]

I'd buy it from Amazon with that description and especially a bunch of verified purchase reviews. I wouldn't buy it directly from a smaller outlet, but if it's no good, Amazon would go to bat for you.

Actually, the seller could easily have bought 25 copies and published all the positive reviews. Do the positive reviewers have other reviews to their credit? If not, then I might start to believe the negative reviews.

I was going to do this for you, but I couldn't find the exact hose you were looking at on Amazon. But you can put it into:

https://www.fakespot.com/

And see what it thinks.

Ooh. I'm not OP, but thanks for that link. I've not seen that site before.

I'll add a thought to my above post, too.... OP, if you do go with the cheaper hose, be sure to use it before any return windows have closed. I agree this is a decent option and valid reason for going with the cheaper hose.

 

[Jerry1]

I'd buy it from Amazon with that description and especially a bunch of verified purchase reviews. I wouldn't buy it directly from a smaller outlet, but if it's no good, Amazon would go to bat for you.


Actually, the seller could easily have bought 25 copies and published all the positive reviews. Do the positive reviewers have other reviews to their credit? If not, then I might start to believe the negative reviews.


I was going to do this for you, but I couldn't find the exact hose you were looking at on Amazon. But you can put it into:


https://www.fakespot.com/


And see what it thinks.

Fakespot gave it an A

https://www.amazon.com/YAMATIC-Resi...4dd18ffcdd2&pd_rd_wg=iZzbx&ref_=pd_gw_cr_simh

 

[cathy63]

...Plus it states that it's sold by the company and fulfilled by Amazon. I try to stay away from those items too...

I have no opinion on hoses for pressure washers, but why would you stay away from a seller who is using Amazon fulfillment services?

"Fulfilled by Amazon" is a good thing for the buyer! It means that your item is not shipping from China. You can believe the listing when it says there are x left in the warehouse. You're shipment will be packaged according to Amazon standards, which means it's more likely to survive the shipping process, and it will be trackable.

 

[Jerry1]

why would you stay away from a seller who is using Amazon fulfillment services?

I guess I always looked at that as not dealing directly with Amazon. Feels a little too much like e-bay and I'm concerned that if it's not directly sold by Amazon, if something goes wrong I'll have to deal with a 3rd party. I may be wrong on all counts, but that's why I look for "Ships from and sold by Amazon".

 

[MichaelB]

My experience is if the product is misrepresented by a third party vendor one can return it for refund. It’s a bit of a hassle, because Amazon forces you to the vendor, but if the vendor refuses (or just doesn’t respond) Amazon will then accept the complaint and refund the money.

 

[cathy63]

I guess I always looked at that as not dealing directly with Amazon. Feels a little too much like e-bay and I'm concerned that if it's not directly sold by Amazon, if something goes wrong I'll have to deal with a 3rd party. I may be wrong on all counts, but that's why I look for "Ships from and sold by Amazon".

Amazon handles all customer service and returns for items that are "fulfilled by Amazon" regardless of who the seller is. They do not make you contact the 3rd party if Amazon itself shipped the item to you.

 

[Aerides]

It’s a bit of a hassle, because Amazon forces you to the vendor, but if the vendor refuses (or just doesn’t respond) Amazon will then accept the complaint and refund the money.

In this case, and in any case where the item says "Fulfilled by Amazon" you never have to deal with the vendor. All complaints, refunds, returns would be just as if amazon was the seller. (i know I are one)

FBA means the shipment and all servicing, including returns and refunds, is 100% managed by amazon. The only time you might end up contacting the vendor if is you had a complaint months down the road and amazon didn't want to help. And even then, the vendor would be 100% in the right to say "this item was fulfilled by amazon please contact amazon instead."

OP your bet on this item is about as ironclad as any amazon purchase. The item has great reviews, and the seller had great feedback. Yes it's probably an overseas seller, with a no-name brand item from alibaba that they've self-branded, but that's half the stuff on amazon.

 

[misshathaway]

I always read the negative reviews first now. It boils down to if you want the hassle of having it blow and then having to return it and buy a new one.

 

[CRLLS]

I usually read the 4 and 3 star reviews. There might be a bit less "shady reviews" in them IMO.

I do not hesitate at all when Amazon ships as fulfillment of a 3rd party purchase. It comes from the Amazon warehouse, and usually qualifies for Prime. I bought an item on Amazon last year that was sold by and shipped by a 3rd party. Nowhere did it say that the provider was from the UK and it would take 4-6 weeks for delivery. I had a disappointed GD at Christmas time. I look very carefully now for who sells and who ships. Amazon has a lot to learn from eBay in this respect.

 

[sengsational]

I always read the negative reviews first now. It boils down to if you want the hassle of having it blow and then having to return it and buy a new one.

Negative reviews can be fake too...a competitor, for instance.



Amazon is doing a great service by having such a large stash of less biased reviews...I ignore the reviews on most sites because they are strongly incented to downplay poor performance, whereas Amazon has competition between the miriad sellers.

 

[misshathaway]

Negative reviews can be fake too...a competitor, for instance.

I flatter myself by thinking I can tell the fake negatives. Short, sometimes not native speaker, general.

 

[sengsational]

I flatter myself by thinking I can tell the fake negatives. Short, sometimes not native speaker, general.

No, you're probably good in trusting your interpretation of those. What I have come to realize is the distribution or average is often simply not enough...so enter good old hard work of reading the reviews. But fake spot puts AI on the side of the good guys if slogging through reviews isn't an option. Sounds like an ad for the site but I simply like when tech kind of works.

 

[Jerry1]

Well, after lamenting over this purchase and doing more research, I did something a little stupid and threw out caution and bought a different hose. Further reviews indicated that the flexible hoses have a tendency to blow out. The pictures look like those skinny balloons they use to make balloon animals as if it was being filled with water. So, I found a high strength hose that looked pretty good for the same price as the high end flexible hose. The throwing caution to the wind is that there were only two reviews and they seem clearly fake to me. However, it is fulfilled by Amazon so if it’s a piece of junk when I get it, I’ll send it back. The company does have other hoses and they have good reviews plus it does say a one year warranty. Taking my chances but hoping it works out. They should sell pressure washers with no hose. The one that came with mine is, at 25ft, pretty much worthless. I imagine a lot of people upgrade their hose right out of the gate. Might as well just leave it out of allow for and upgrade option at purchase.

 

[cathy63]

Well, after lamenting over this purchase and doing more research, I did something a little stupid and threw out caution and bought a different hose. Further reviews indicated that the flexible hoses have a tendency to blow out. The pictures look like those skinny balloons they use to make balloon animals as if it was being filled with water. So, I found a high strength hose that looked pretty good for the same price as the high end flexible hose. The throwing caution to the wind is that there were only two reviews and they seem clearly fake to me. However, it is fulfilled by Amazon so if it’s a piece of junk when I get it, I’ll send it back. The company does have other hoses and they have good reviews plus it does say a one year warranty. Taking my chances but hoping it works out. They should sell pressure washers with no hose. The one that came with mine is, at 25ft, pretty much worthless. I imagine a lot of people upgrade their hose right out of the gate. Might as well just leave it out of allow for and upgrade option at purchase.

Yay for living dangerously!

Sometimes I catch myself agonizing over a purchase like this and then realize the time I'm spending on it is worth way more than the cost of the item.