Here's How to Spot A Fake Product Review - Comments Page 1

Fake reviews on Amazon?

Well color me shocked!

I base my consideration on Negative Reviews First.
Too many and I don't bite. No one fakes negative reviews

Fakespot for android not optimized for my (android) tablet.
Neither is reviewmeta.

Fake negative reviews are also sent in by other companies trying to eliminate the competition.

Competing product sellers often leave bad reviews on their competitors' products' pages. Have algorithms been created that ferret out fake negative reviews?

“No one fakes reviews”. That will be next if it isn’t already being done. Bogus negative reviews planted in your competitor’s competing product…

I trust more those ratings with pictures.

So I had a few purchases from Amazon this year. Mostly it has been ok, but like another poster, I too read negative reviews. I also noticed I would tend to get a barrage of questions from amazon about my purchase, its delivery etc. I did purchase a table frame that is adjustable... But then I get questions about a different table, that I did look at, but did NOT purchase. Any questions, review etc., I'm trying to get more specific to my purchase; or answer and be specific to whether I own it or not, and give my input from there. Hands down I would say, yes there are bogus negative reviews! I feel like some of them are so off base, with some of the dumbest questions/answers, or just not describing the product your looking at, at all! I have found it helpful to peruse the negative ones, just as it has been helpful to check up on positive ones. I feel like the difference is in the details of what a reviewer says, or doesn't say, that can make a buying decision easier. That includes ANY site I am considering a purchase from. I've had one item; a keyboard/mouse combo, where I cannot use the keyboard, but love the mouse! It had a few very positive reviews, and took a chance. I had became hasty and bored trying to sift thru what felt like a million different options, and didn't get what I had intended to. Other than that I feel like I've been pretty lucky. Great article Bob!

That's why I only look at review's 4 stars or less

Thanks for this tip! Going forward, I'll definitely be more aware.

I gave up on reviews a while back. Too many for some products. They were not reliable guides to the product. I did use reviews some years ago, before too many reviews swamped the products. I do not write reviews except rarely. Most request the review before I have opened the box, not after I have used the product. Paid reviews — always a way to ruin what was once interesting, if not helpful.

I agree with Sarah L. The review request is always received before I can write an informed review.

Reviews are a clustermess. I do try to pick a few positive and a few negative that appear to have been well thought out, include pictures and have details that a fake likely wouldn’t bother to include. But, ultimately, I try to protect myself via other means, since I know reviews can’t really be trusted. They are helpful as a filtering tool, but definitely not the most important filter.

There are other ways to help protect oneself when shopping online. For example:

I only purchase from online retailers that have known, good return policies.

When purchasing from Amazon, I select items “sold and shipped by Amazon.” This helps ensure that I can easily use their return options. I had never had an issue with an Amazon return. I am often refunded before my item arrives to them.

Use a credit card, rather than a debit card, in case there’s an issue where I need to dispute the charge. (I’ve never had to do this, but a friend of mine had to after she purchased something from some random seller on Facebook.) There are other forms of payment that also include buyer protections, as well.

Why do so many folks feel they are obligated to give a review? Out of a sense of being a better person to the rest of humanity? I buy a lot of movies on Blu-ray discs, on Amazon, of movies that I've seen and enjoyed at the theatre, over the years, or movies that look to be interesting based on reviews I've read on legitimate media - major newspapers and magazines. But I don't feel that I have to give a review for a movie that I like or don't like - it's my personal opinion. Major bricks-and-mortar stores don't bug you to give a review, If you don't like the product, just return it and get a refund, and buy something else.

I've used Fakespot for about 6 months now and I am satisfied with their analysis.

I only trust the review ratings if there is a large {greater than 1,000} number of reviews. It would be a lot of work or expensive to fake so many reviews!

I try to check reviews on multiple websites - Amazon/Walmart/Target/BestBuy/HomeDepot etc - PLUS the mfr website. I ignore reviews of products used less than 3 months or untried - sure you love it bc it's new, but when the honeymoon's over? As another reader said, the return policy is key regardless. Also good are reviews found on various tech forums, which usually include pertinent details of pros and cons. I also don't leave a review w/just thumbs up or down, but w/specifics on the product experience. Thanks Bob!!

I have been an Amazon shopper for a very long time. I suppose I have been lucky because I have never received an item from them that was not what I expected it to be, and my orders have always arrived on (or ahead) of schedule. When I want something, I search the Internet for it first, to get an idea what it will cost, and which brands are available. Next, I look on Amazon and any other vendor sites (such as Best Buy for electronic devices, etc.) to see who has what I decided to get. I also check the original vendor's site (the brand name owner's site) if there is one. For example, I got my current phone from the Samsung website because their price was very competitive with the other sites I searched.

As for product reviews, I look more at the ratio of product ratings (how many reviews for each category e.g.: 1 to 5 stars) than the ratings themselves. if I am in doubt about a product (or seller) I do read the more negative reviews first (1, 2, or 3 stars) to get a feeling for what issues the purchaser had to deal with regarding the product. I tend to ignore the negative reviews that simply say the item is crap, etc. with no explanation why.

I also look at a few of the positive reviews (4 and 5 star) to get a handle on what other purchasers liked about the item. As with the negative reviews, I ignore the ones that tell me the product is great, outstanding, etc. with no explanation why it's so good.

If I see too many 1-star, or 5-star generalized reviews that fail to tell me why the product is either so great or terrible (on Amazon), I look for a different seller. If I am shopping elsewhere (not on Amazon), I go look on Amazon to see if they sell the item, and what the ratings/reviews look like. Another thing I do is look for reviews on the Internet for the product (and seller) I am researching.

The bottom line for me is that if I have any doubt about a product (or seller), I don't buy. I take my time. I do the research so I know as much as I can about the item I want to buy. As far as I am concerned, taking the time to do the research before buying a product, then when I am satisfied that the product will meet my expectations, and I know as much as I can about what I may be getting into, I go ahead and buy it.

These are the things I have found that seem to work for me. I look at anything a seller says about a product with skepticism. I try to find products that are developed by manufacturers whose reputation I trust. If I get burned (has not happened yet), I'll report my issue to Amazon (if I got the item there), or to wherever I got it. If the vendor site lets me post a review, I do so with as much detail as I can (I keep records about everything I purchase for this reason). I know that most people do not have the time to do as much research as I do, but I hope that anyone who reads this can get a few ideas and develop their own processes, especially for the more expensive items we all have to get from time to time.

Ernie

Bob,

Sincere thanks for an informative article as usual !

I go back through months of reviews, especially if the last 20-30 are 5 star. The big giveaway for me is that they don't go into detail about why they gave it a 4-5 star rating. All you see is 'great seller' or 'good product' or nothing at all. If there are 20-30 of these in a row, I run away.