manipulated customer reviews

[fazool]

I was referenced in a textbook. The author asked me to make an online account and write a good review of his book. That was my first realization of how "planted" these five-star reviews are.

This problem is so pervasive. But I just came across another manipulation:

I had a bad experience with a luthier product, branded with the online retailers name. I wrote a negative review of the product because I was honest.

The product has a handful of reviews, all five star reviews. I had a really bad, damaging experience with the product and wrote that.

My review was being moderated (which means a human has to make sure it isn't offensive, threatening and that it's actually a real product review.)

My review never got published.

So, they suppressed a negative review from a real customer who bought their product because they didn't like what I said. So, they are deceiving the market when they pretend to ask for objective reviews but they censor and erase any negative reviews. They aren't reviews, they are selective praises, meaning they are just advertisements.

[Bob Womack]

That is why I always go out to independent sites. Even some of the professional review magazine sites are suspect.

Bob

[srick]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

That is why I always go out to independent sites. Even some of the professional review magazine sites are suspect.

Bob

And even then, it's hard to figure out who is truly independent and who may have sold out. Several sites that I used to follow have now sold out seeking revenue streams.

Rick

[HHP]

Had an experience once that sort of enlightened me. I was doing an article for an outdoor magazine on weather proof. water proof cameras. I contacted one major Japanese manufacturer, told them what I was doing, and simply asked for access credentials to their press section so I could download some stock photos of their products.

Got a box a few days later and it contained 1 each of the 35mm cameras I inquired about. I called their US distributor and told them I didn't need the cameras, just a few JPEG's. They replied with "That's OK, try them out, no need to return them, we have plenty". Wasn't a lot of money, the cameras were probably about $1,000 retail, but still.....

[HOF dad]

Originally Posted by HHP

Had an experience once that sort of enlightened me. I was doing an article for an outdoor magazine on weather proof. water proof cameras. I contacted one major Japanese manufacturer, told them what I was doing, and simply asked for access credentials to their press section so I could download some stock photos of their products.

Got a box a few days later and it contained 1 each of the 35mm cameras I inquired about. I called their US distributor and told them I didn't need the cameras, just a few JPEG's. They replied with "That's OK, try them out, no need to return them, we have plenty". Wasn't a lot of money, the cameras were probably about $1,000 retail, but still.....

Wow - you could parlay that into an early Christmas (if you were that kind of guy and all......)

[HHP]

Originally Posted by HOF dad

Wow - you could parlay that into an early Christmas (if you were that kind of guy and all......)

As matter of fact, some of my relatives did receive somewhat better Christmas gifts that year.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by HHP

As matter of fact, some of my relatives did receive somewhat better Christmas gifts that year.

Drop a line to Collings, tell ‘em you want to write about their stuff, maybe Jaguar too ....

[HHP]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Drop a line to Collings, tell ‘em you want to write about their stuff, maybe Jaguar too ....

Tried both, no dice. Still waiting to hear from Porsche. Fingers crossed.

[Bob Womack]

Well, I can tell you that there has been no pay-to-play on my site. I buy the items I review at retail and I pay all fees to keep the site online. I sure wish I could get a deal with a retailer to try out his floor models or something but it hasn't happened. There's only been one item I reviewed years back that I didn't acquire retail and there was no agreement or hint from the builder about me reviewing it - I did the review solely because I had something new I could review in a period when I didn't have the money to purchase new stuff to review.

Bob

[Mr. Jelly]

Businesses that do product reviews are inherently skewed. Like guitar magazines and guitar stores. I believe it should be assumed. Think of a guitar magazine that trashed equipment on the reviews they give. What company would want to advertise with them when they trash your product. A company would not want to loan they equipment etc. A guitar store that wants to sell a guitar and review it in a bad light? Like all information a person needs to read between the lines and dig a little for the underlying truth. One indicator is how something is stated. Often it is what is not being said that tells you the most.

[Basalt Beach]

I experienced a company who also removed my review. I recently purchased a waterproof biking jacket for my daily ride to get through my first New England winter in 30 years. I wrote a review on the jacket on the company's website just recently.

I pointed out the positive & negatives in a technical manner and I gave it only two stars since the jacket builds up moisture on the inside when I use it in the rain when the temps are between 33 to 46 degrees. The inside of the jacket lining is soaked after a 45 to 50 minute ride leaving my clothes underneath wet. No amount of venting helps. I also own the same company's waterproof pants (different product line) and commented how well they performed compared to the jacket. I received a confirmation email to confirm I wrote the email and it went live after I hit confirm. My review was up for two days and now today, it is gone from their website.

I am now shopping for a good waterproof biking jacket (breathable) so would appreciate any advice from those with experience.

[M19]

I make my preliminary decision based on the feature set(s), assuming they are are all performing the way they should, then I read the negative reviews to see if the features don't perform as expected, and what other issues MIGHT result if I buy.

Any review set that has no negative reviews is suspect in my eyes.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by HHP

Had an experience once that sort of enlightened me. I was doing an article for an outdoor magazine on weather proof. water proof cameras. I contacted one major Japanese manufacturer, told them what I was doing, and simply asked for access credentials to their press section so I could download some stock photos of their products.

Got a box a few days later and it contained 1 each of the 35mm cameras I inquired about. I called their US distributor and told them I didn't need the cameras, just a few JPEG's. They replied with "That's OK, try them out, no need to return them, we have plenty". Wasn't a lot of money, the cameras were probably about $1,000 retail, but still.....

Do you think that if I contact Taylor about writing an article on their new V-class guitars...[ducks and runs for cover]?

Anyway, in general, when I am looking at whether or not to buy a particular product, I go to forums where the product is discussed, rather than paid reviews or reviews at the same place a product is advertised. I typical find that there are those in the "honeymoon" period who love the fact that they bought the product, those who had a really bad experience with the product, and then those who have had the product for some time and are giving their opinion/experience.

When we bought our refrigerator several years ago, I found a couple of interesting things. First, I had been hearing from people I work with, as well as in the media, that "they don't make them like they used to", and they break down much more often these days. I found in my reading around various forums a slightly different view - it is the fancy stuff that people demand be piled on an otherwise solid design that are most often the cause of the breakdown, and not the basic refrigerator functions.

Then, I found discussions about the model I was interested in. Again, I had heard and read with regularity that GE appliances were not very good anymore. However, in a thread discussing appliance replacement for apartment complexes, that a particular model of GE refrigerator was both relatively inexpensive and well liked by landlords because this model didn't break down and cause trouble. Cross-checking with similar discussions elsewhere among actual customers in forums, I was able to find more validation of these findings.

Being able to use internet tools to do research, being able to come up with a wide cross-section of ideas for where to look for information, and being able to weigh the information found, will often yield usable results. However, this takes time, as does anything worthwhile, and effort.

Tony

[Nailpicker]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Anyway, in general, when I am looking at whether or not to buy a particular product, I go to forums where the product is discussed, rather than paid reviews or reviews at the same place a product is advertised. I typical find that there are those in the "honeymoon" period who love the fact that they bought the product, those who had a really bad experience with the product, and then those who have had the product for some time and are giving their opinion/experience.

When we bought our refrigerator several years ago, I found a couple of interesting things. First, I had been hearing from people I work with, as well as in the media, that "they don't make them like they used to", and they break down much more often these days. I found in my reading around various forums a slightly different view - it is the fancy stuff that people demand be piled on an otherwise solid design that are most often the cause of the breakdown, and not the basic refrigerator functions.

Then, I found discussions about the model I was interested in. Again, I had heard and read with regularity that GE appliances were not very good anymore. However, in a thread discussing appliance replacement for apartment complexes, that a particular model of GE refrigerator was both relatively inexpensive and well liked by landlords because this model didn't break down and cause trouble. Cross-checking with similar discussions elsewhere among actual customers in forums, I was able to find more validation of these findings.

Being able to use internet tools to do research, being able to come up with a wide cross-section of ideas for where to look for information, and being able to weigh the information found, will often yield usable results. However, this takes time, as does anything worthwhile, and effort.

Tony

My experience largely echoes Tony's.

Many/most problems with products I (used to) purchase had problems with add-ons. The "fancier" the product in terms of features, the more problems. And that includes virtually every type of product I've ever purchased. I now stick to basic models. They are less expensive to purchase and have needed fewer repairs. We purchased a very low end, basic HotPoint refrigerator and stove in 1990. No problems and still running strong (knock on wood) despite being told that HotPoints weren't very reliable.

Regarding reviews, I don't go to paid reviews, but I use forums and I will use site reviews such as Sweetwater and MF that sell the products. I balance where the review is coming from, if there is a trend or constancy in the type of credible complaints, I absorb as many reviews as I can to form a basic view of the quality of the product. I throw out generic complaints like "it sucks" and ones that rave about a product a day after it arrived, each offering no valid, specific, credible information.

[buddyhu]

Was speaking with a restaurant er a few weeks back, telling him how much I enjoyed his food and sharing my intention to post sowmthing on Yelp! He told me that Yelp! Now seeks some type of advertising fee from folks, and that if someone declines to pay, new positive reviews are deleted and/or are not posted. He mentioned that Yelp was taken t court in this, and it was not considered t be illegal.

After that, I looked at the Yelp reviews for a local, very highly regarded guitar shop: 7 reviews, mostly negative, almost all 2-4 years old.

No more Yelp for me. Hard to know where to find honest reviews. Even some of the posts on AGF have been considered suspect.