I also don't particularly trust professional reviews anymore. The affiliate link funding model has set up a glaring conflict of interest.
Consumer Reports. That's literally it.
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Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
71–80 of 198 posts
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#72I use the FakeSpot extension for the Brave browser. Works with any Chrome based browser.
Uses AI to analyze reviews as well as the reviewers other reviews. Then it gives a letter grade from A to F that rates the trustworthiness of the reviews.
Maybe not perfect but very cool!
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#73Maybe re-phrase the question - I ONLY trust negative reviews now. The key is to see how many people have negative reviews and then scan them. Let's say I am interested in a BBQ Grill. 10 reviews about an open box/returned box? I'll probably go to a local CampingWorld and pick it up instead of Amazon and pay the extra $50. 4 people say the grill grate is bent but there are 1200 other reviews that don't seem to have a…
What if those 1200 other reviews were bought from a Facebook review farm?
https://www.amzfinder.com/blog/top-100-facebook-groups-list-...
There are a ton of Facebook groups out there whose sole purpose is to shove $$$ into paid reviews on Amazon (or Yelp, or other review sites). Could be a bunch of college kids looking to make a quick buck, or maybe some broken-English dude from some 3rd world country who actually made it their full time job. I don't know, but that's not the point.
The point is: you can literally buy Amazon reviews (or Yelp reviews, or ... any kind of review really) from Facebook groups, if you know where to look.
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't this just the logical consequence of the "less than 5 stars means you want them punished " mentality popularised by Uber?
It was popularized at least as far back as eBay (albeit as a positive/neutral/negative scale). "Seller shipped me an empty box but at least there wasn't dynamite in it. A+++++++ seller." I do think restaurant and product ratings are a bit different. With Uber, eBay, etc., a lot of people recognize that any less than perfect rating can lead to a personal impact on someone even if a small number of people leave a negat…
Arguably the punishment side existed before the web then in US tipping etiquette.
But at least the eBay 'approve' asks you whether the vendor was adequate or not, not to give them the maximum on an entirely artificial multiplier scale unless you think they should face consequences.
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you order McDonalds, you probably know what McDonalds should taste like. If it meets 100% of your expectations, why would you rate it lower? Similarly, if I get a meal from Michelin Star rated restaurant and it fails to meet my high expectations, should it get a better rating than McDonald's just because the restaurants meal was still likely much better than McDonald's even if it failed to meet expectations?
In practical terms it dilutes the value of 4 and 5 star reviews for other restaurants. There's some cognitive dissonance involved when McDonald's gets a 4.6/5 and a mom and pop haute-cuisine restaurant gets a 4.6/5 as well. These are two very different dining experiences but they are being judged using the same system and feels inaccurate.
For what McDonalds is they probably deliver a 5 star review the way their customers see it. You probably have to divide restaurants into different categories and compare within them. I beat a lot of people will rate MCDonalds higher than haute cuisine restaurants even in direct comparison. There is no absolute rating for restaurants.
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#76I just hope that the 44% didn't trust them 5 years ago either!
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#77I invite people to checkout BestBuy's online shop. Just about every single item has a rating from 4.0 to 4.8 out of 5. I have yet to see a single listing under 4 stars. There are of course, unrated items, but can you honestly believe that virutally every product they carry is nearly perfect? Who actually writes a 5 star review for a no-name brand of tape and cable ties? When everything is perfect, nothing is, and I d…
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Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
Consumer Reports. That's literally it.
Are they still influential? They're something I associate with my parent's generation and the era of print magazines.
They won't influence you if you don't subscribe, of course.
I used to subscribe, my sense is that they do a good job, but their tastes are geared toward those of more affluent boomers and genxers. If you're someone who can't afford a Lexus, or who'd even consider choosing a Kia over a Lexus even though you can easily afford one, then Consumer Reports may not cater to your tastes.
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is true in the real world again (still?) too. We're currently stocking up on disinfecting wipes to donate to the school when they open next month. We've been told that the teachers only want brand name Clorox wipes, because they don't trust any other brand to actually disinfect safely.
Unfortunately, even this approach isn’t foolproof. Fake brand-name products make it into supply chains all the time, especially on sites like Amazon via third-party sellers. In China for example, “fake alcohol” (where brand-name bottles are refilled with cheaper, sometimes dangerous off-brand liquors) has been a big problem: https://www.mersolluo.com/china-cracking-down-on-counterfeit... I can’t imagine that the rubb…
Yeah that is true. I'm hoping Costco has their supply chain down well enough that it's not an issue, but at least there is a slightly higher chance it's legit if it says Clorox on the side.
Re: Almost 40% of U.S. Consumers Trust Online Reviews Less Than They Did 5 Years Ago
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
It was popularized at least as far back as eBay (albeit as a positive/neutral/negative scale). "Seller shipped me an empty box but at least there wasn't dynamite in it. A+++++++ seller." I do think restaurant and product ratings are a bit different. With Uber, eBay, etc., a lot of people recognize that any less than perfect rating can lead to a personal impact on someone even if a small number of people leave a negat…
Arguably the punishment side existed before the web then in US tipping etiquette. But at least the eBay 'approve' asks you whether the vendor was adequate or not, not to give them the maximum on an entirely artificial multiplier scale unless you think they should face consequences.
>Arguably the punishment side existed before the web then in US tipping etiquette.
True. In general, even if service is bad for whatever reason, most people would say you should leave a tip even if a less generous one than you normally would.
I haven't left a rating on eBay for a long time and don't use it much. But for many situations there's something to be said for thumbs up/down or an up/neutral/down rating when you're not really trying to fine tune.