I feel the same with Angie's List. We joined them a year ago, thinking we might need some names for service and repair with our new home. Again, we've had great success with electricians, plumbers, etc. that were recommended on their website.
Ratemyprofessor.com is another useful website if you are a college student and want to check out what other students have thought about a professor before you sign up for the class. There are sometimes a few disgruntled students, not happy with their final grade, but for the most part, my kids have found the comments to be spot on.
But the best part of online reviews? The comedy relief it brings. Just like in the blog world, there are people out there who are hilarious! If you need some good chuckles, please check out a few of the reviews for this product. If you want to laugh until you cry, then check out this review. I believe it is the absolute funniest thing I've EVER read online.
"I'm the type of person who doesn't buy anything online without first looking through the reviews."
ReplyDeleteMeeeeeee too! Before I purchase something, I do a LOAD of investigation through customer reviews. In fact, before I purchased my most recent camera, I did that. But like you, I often wonder WHO is actually posting these reviews because sometimes they appear to be people FROM the company posting RAVE reviews.
I will also investigate reviews and feedback if I'm thinking of joining a particular online website, to see if it's legit.
LOVED the banana slicer!
Also the review on the sugar-free gummy bears was HILARIOUS. That's exactly what happens to me if I eat ANYTHING that contains sugar-substitutes. They tear my stomach up!
FUN post!
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Yes, sometimes when a review is short without any details, but they act like something is great, I'm suspicious. Esp. when it's a hotel! The gummy bear thing had me in tears. I have never had a problem with a sugar-free food, but I may write about what we went through this summer with Middle Child..........just as a warning to people!!! (And it had nothing to do with the toilet! Ha)
DeleteThose reviews were a hoot! We had an interesting experience with our San Francisco hotel. Trailfinders assured us it was fine and they'd had no complaints but the Trip Advisor reviews were a real mixed bag of happy and unhappy. In the event we were quite happy with the hotel and were puzzled by the bad reviews - maybe they were written by competitors wanting to trash the hotel? I did my own Trip Advisor review of the hotel which was very complimentary.
ReplyDeleteHotels can be hard just because there are sometimes big differences in rooms, esp if the hotel is big. Some rooms can be remodeled, while a different floor still has 80's decor and carpeting. But there are uber picky people out there, so you never know. Glad you enjoyed the reviews.
DeleteI loved the guy who said all his bananas curved the other way. . .
ReplyDeleteBut I'm sorry; that gummi-bear review was simply High-larious. . .
Wasn't it the best? I
DeleteThe banana tool is just ridiculous to me. Is it that difficult to slice a banana?
Online reviews are good, bad, and sometimes ugly. And hilarious, I had run across those two and some other hoots a while back.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I was unemployed I got an offer to be a 'professional' reviewer and did some research. I found out that there is a cottage industry of sorts of people who get paid to do reviews for companies and they were willing to teach me how to effectively test and review products in such a way that I would not be 'detected'.
The enticements were free products and a small payment per 'accepted' review. Suffice to say I don't take 'em as seriously as I used to but you can still gain some insights.FYI- Best way to spot a planted review is to look for reviews that are far too complete OR a review that recommends another similar product after implying this product is really good.
I usually stick with reviews on retail sites where I'd be purchasing a product, not googling it. Yes, I can see if the review is either too short or too lengthy, it's suspicious. And definitely is the same person is recommending a similar product multiple times.
DeleteRight, and that's what the offer was for. They would even give a list of the retailer sites they expected reviews to be posted on! The only redeeming value to the offer was that they were gonna send the real product so you could actually review it but still seemed too shady to me.
DeleteI loved the gummi cleanser one; you are right, I was laughing; too funny. My hubby looks at reviews; I don't buy a lot of stuff so I rarely read the reviews, which is interesting in the fact that I previously was doing book reviews on my blog and Amazon. It is interesting in some of the reviews we read for restaurants that they will pan the restaurant and we actually liked the restaurant, do I guess to each his own?
ReplyDeletebetty
Restaurant reviews are highly subjective and can certainly depend on the wait staff. I do like to read them before a trip so I have an idea about what's available.
DeleteI remember reading that banana slicer review last year and laughing myself silly. But I also always read on-line reviews. And not just for products I'm buying on-line. If I need something like an appliance that I'm planning to buy at a store, I still get on-line and read reviews. I most trust the good reviews that include a few down-sides to the product.
ReplyDeleteMy spouse also likes to read all the appliance reviews, but then we get to the stores and find that those models are not on the floor to look at. And I have to see it in person before buying something that major.
DeleteI love online reviews. Ratemyprofessor helped me through college so much. And you are right they are absolutely hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI wish we had ratemyprofessor when I was a student!
Deletei do believe the reviews, only because that's someone's opinion and i like to know their experience before buying. most of the time my mind is made up but someone may say something that i want to know about a product and it helps. like the links you listed, i have read several funny ones in the electronics section with cameras and lenses and watches costing so much money, it's just crazy. i love reading them though, who doesn't like to laugh.
ReplyDeleteI always appreciate a sense of humor!
Delete"No more winning for you, Mr. Banana!"
ReplyDeleteLet me get this straight--people need a special device to slice a banana? And it actually saved someone's marriage?!?
Am I hallucinating or did that reviewer actually compare the banana slicer to the wheel, penicillin and the IPhone. I'm going to get one of my own. Maybe I'll be to pick up supermodels!
Btw, I do check online reviews, but always with a little bit of skepticism because you never know who's got a personal beef.
Now to slice some bananas!
Isn't it ridiculous? People will buy anything!
Deleteok, blogger has gone mad...i've beem commenting and i am signed in but it seems to be eating comments and requiring me to sign in on each blog as i visit it.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i've seen the banana slicer reviews but the gummi bear review....man, you were not lying. i did laugh until i cried.
Glad you enjoyed!
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