Google engineer writing Amazon reviews on USB-C cables that don't work

Post by oDot » Wed, Nov 04, 2015, 11:20 PM UTC

excalq wrote: post #213

organsnyder wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also started buying Anker exclusively. Their chargers work with every device at full-rate, and their cables are decent. I have had the clips break on a couple of MicroUSB cables, including the 1ft from a similar 5-pack. I had my phone attached to a battery pack and stuffed both in my pocket. The stress of bending the cable in strange directions messed up the clips on the cable. Not quite bulletproof, but not bad…

They also make a ridiculously amazing Solar charger array, which when I took across a border to Israel, had the inspectors in serious awe and wishing they could get one as inexpensively as we can in the States.

Post by ColinDabritz » Wed, Nov 04, 2015, 11:28 PM UTC

keithrl wrote: post #245

bkmartin wrote: post #17

The average consumer has no idea if one of these cables will actually do what they proclaim. The only way to really know is when other customers review the product, which we know is barely useful most of the time due to fraudulent reviews. Great job on the part of this Google engineer for writing such clear and technical reviews of the products. Now that an expert has called some of these cables out as not adhering t…

Lawyer here. Pure speculation/not legal advice: Theoretically, people who purchased complain to their state attorney general or report the manufacturers to the FTC. There might be some recompense under consumer fraud laws. If enough people had bought them, there might be enough people to form a class action (doubtful though). The problem is that amount of $ involved here is just not something anyone is likely to get…

Post by scott_karana » Wed, Nov 04, 2015, 11:42 PM UTC

SandB0x wrote: post #266

krschultz wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But once there are 500 reviews on a product it basically gives you that confidence. This isn't a troll comment. Ben Thompson makes the argument that the reason why EBay, AirBnB, and Uber work is because you basically are replacing the trust you had in a brand with the trust you have in community reviews. He calls it 'Aggregation Theory'. I find it rather compelling to explain why these types of marketplaces work.

Problem is another supplier can claim to sell the same item and benefit from the positive reviews. I've seen a lot of this with unbranded items like USB chargers for cars.

Post by gkanai » Wed, Nov 04, 2015, 11:48 PM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #66

I see no reason why to buy anything but Anker. I once tried to purposely destroy an Anker MicroUSB cable (bought a 5 pack that had three 3ft, one 6ft, one 1ft, didn't need the 1ft), by grabbing the head of it with clamping pliers and yanking the fuck out of it with the cable wrapped around my hand, and bending it to near 180 degrees repeatedly for about 5 minutes. I could not kill it without straight up taking wire c…

Post by arnaudlaudwein » Wed, Nov 04, 2015, 11:54 PM UTC

chedabob wrote: post #228

SixSigma wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One problem I have with Amazon reviews is this type : "Just got the product, arrived really quick. It worked when I tried it a minute ago, 5 stars."

I have a feeling there's some kind of reward system in place for reviewing products and answering questions. There's so many answers to fairly simple questions that are along the lines of > will this HDMI cable connect my laptop to my tv? > i don't know but it sends a good signal from my xbox to tv They help nobody and just clutter up the actual helpful answers