Amazon shoppers: do you read or write reviews?

[Marie5656]

When I am shopping for something on Amazon that is either something I have never bought before, or a higher ticket item, I always read several of the reviews, both positive and negative. They usually will influence my decision on what to buy, or at least narrow down my options. I am especially interested in the 3 star or lower reviews mixed in with the 5 stars. What was it that caused people to vote something down?

On the other side of the coin, I will often review items I have purchased. Again, high or low stars, depending on my own personal experiences with the product. An example, I ordered one of those Damp Rid units for the house. It supposedly gets rid of mold, moisture and mildew. Within hours of setting it up, in a less frequent room of the house, I got headachy, and felt ill from the strong aroma. It was not an unplesant aroma, just VERY strong, even through a closed door. Ended up packing it up and returning it. Felt much better after getting it out of the house. Gave it 2 stars, based on my experience.

But I have made many decisions based on the reviews.

 

[Sunny]

Seldom write them, but often read them, especially for clothing items. They usually discuss whether the item runs large or small, which is a help in deciding which size to get.

 

[Gary O']

I do

I write a lot of 'em
Pros, cons
If I can help someone make a decision, well, that's a part of the buying

 

[C'est Moi]

Yes; I read them and I write them. I also rate the 3rd party sellers I do business with.

 

[win231]

I frequently review products & services on Amazon, QVC, HSN and Yelp. Also on "Ripoffreport.com" (when they deserve it). And often, after a bad review, the company will contact me & make it right. When they do, I always change/update my review.

As an example, I bought a vacuum that I wasn't happy with. I posted a "so-so" review, describing what I didn't like about it. The company contacted me & had me do a few tests & they immediately sent me a replacement vacuum that worked great - free shipping both ways.
I posted a negative review for a couple of businesses for giving me outrageous estimates & they contacted me & had me send them the paid invoice for the job I had another company do. They actually THANKED me for providing a general idea of what other similar companies were charging for the same service....they realized they were overcharging.

"Yelp" is immediately notified when a review of their business is posted. It definitely changes how business is conducted - for the better.

 

[Ruth n Jersey]

I read them but usually make up my own mind anyway unless I see the same negative comment over and over again. I've read where sometimes they pay people for a positive review. I'm not sure if that is true or not.

 

[Gary O']

I've read where sometimes they pay people for a positive review. I'm not sure if that is true or not.

Doubt it is on Amazon
At least not as much as someone's dedicated site

 

[Butterfly]

I read 'em, but usually only write them when something is spectacular or horrible.

 

[Old Dummy]

I read them but usually make up my own mind anyway unless I see the same negative comment over and over again. I've read where sometimes they pay people for a positive review. I'm not sure if that is true or not.

Yes, I've heard that too, plus family members and close friends often write reviews which -- surprise surprise -- are always glowing. At some point, Amz started tagging "verified buyers" so readers would know if the commentator had actually bought the product or not.

I've been an Amz customer since 1997 and I've written maybe five reviews of products I've bought. I always read at least some of the reviews for something I'm considering buying; sometimes they change my mind, sometimes they don't.

Addiction: I used to keep my Amz purchases to every other month at the most, because I don't like using my credit card every month. But in the past couple of years it has gotten the best of me: Now I'm struggling to keep it to once per month, and often failing at that. But if I can't find something at Wally's, Lowe's, or an auto parts store, I just order it from Amz so I'm not necessarily spending more than I used to.

 

[Geezerette]

Not on little things but once read then wrote reviews on the half circle fan-pleated shaped Clerestory window treatments I needed for three west facing windows I had when I was in assisted living. Got them for $45 each when local stores were charging as much as $250 each for exact same thing. They were excellent quality, just as represented & fit perfectly with just a minor bit of trimming on installation. Gave them a great review & happily replied to any other questions that came up.

 

[terry123]

Yes I do both and for 3rd party sellers too.

 

[Keesha]

Absolutely. It helps other buyers. Plus I always read up on items before I buy them and the reviews really help me determine what I’ll purchase
I count on people’s reviews so do my part in return

 

[hollydolly]

I read them but usually make up my own mind anyway unless I see the same negative comment over and over again. I've read where sometimes they pay people for a positive review. I'm not sure if that is true or not.

yes they do, in the form of free goods, and the recipient is supposed to state in their review that they're giving a positive review for the item after receiving it free from the seller..

 

[Keesha]

yes they do, in the form of free goods, and the recipient is supposed to state in their review that they're giving a positive review for the item after receiving it free from the seller..

Could you elaborate on this some because I have seen plenty of customer reviews where the reviewer clearly stated that they were given a free product to try if they’d leave a review. This never happens to me so how do you get this?

 

[hollydolly]

Could you elaborate on this some because I have seen plenty of customer reviews where the reviewer clearly stated that they were given a free product to try if they’d leave a review. This never happens to me so how do you get this?

I wish I knew Keesha, because it's never happened to me. I just read the reviews like you and wonder how they get all this free stuff!!

 

[Keesha]

I wish I knew Keesha, because it's never happened to me. I just read the reviews like you and wonder how they get all this free stuff!!

Oh ok. Well thank you. We can both feel perplexed and confused about it then. Maybe someone can enlighten us and give us the scoop on how to get free stuff.

 

[Ken N Tx]

But if I can't find something at Wally's, Lowe's, or an auto parts store, I just order it from Amz so I'm not necessarily spending more than I used to.

Ditto.....

 

[Pappy]

I do leave reviews in most cases. I call them like I see them. Good, fair and ugly. Most from Amazon have been positive.

 

[moviequeen1]

Yes, I read the reviews and write my own especially if I really like the product I bought.It might help others who are interested

 

[JustBonee]

Oh ok. Well thank you. We can both feel perplexed and confused about it then. Maybe someone can enlighten us and give us the scoop on how to get free stuff.

I always read reviews, especially for something I'm not familiar with, and I do give reviews fairly often.

I have been offered free merchandise in turn for a 'good' review, but I don't really care for that practice. It's usually a company trying to get a foothold into the market against bigger competition for a product.

 

[TravelinMan]

I definitely read reviews, but sometimes I don't buy the item if it got consistently poor reviews. I will write reviews on some items but not everything, especially if there are already lots of reviews that express how I feel.

 

[fmdog44]

I saw this morning Amazon is now guaranteeing one day delivery on everything. The piece added they are losing money the stock is down 6% today as the cost of this move is double what they anticipated. Seen on MSNBC.

 

[StarSong]

I always read reviews, particularly negative ones so I can decide if the problems are manageable. Oftentimes I ignore the 5 star reviews entirely and focus on the 2-3-4 star reviews (less likely to be competitors who smear a product or employees who laud it).

What drives me crazy is people who review a product a day or two after receiving it. Glad to hear it arrived in X days, and it's interesting to know about the packaging (too much, too little, just right), but shoppers mostly care about how the product works over the longer haul.

 

[win231]

I read them but usually make up my own mind anyway unless I see the same negative comment over and over again. I've read where sometimes they pay people for a positive review. I'm not sure if that is true or not.

That's why you have to read several reviews to get an accurate evaluation. If there are too many perfect 5-star reviews or the review sounds too good to be true, I'd be suspicious. The same goes for too many bad 1-star reviews. Companies may bad mouth a competitor's product. It's rare for a product to be perfect for everyone.

 

[win231]

yes they do, in the form of free goods, and the recipient is supposed to state in their review that they're giving a positive review for the item after receiving it free from the seller..

Yes, when it says "Vine Customer Review of Free Product" at the top of the review, they got the product for free in exchange for the review. But I've read some negative 3 & 4 - star reviews of such products, which tells me they don't always give a positive review for free products.