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For at least the last couple of years I ignore them entirely. I just have zero faith in any of them anymore. The problem some ten-ish years ago were bogus com

For at least the last couple of years I ignore them entirely. I just have zero faith in any of them anymore. The problem some ten-ish years ago were bogus computer-generated reviews. But now the bogus reviews are written by humans and are smart enough to sound balanced. I don't know what to do. But for now, I subscribe to Consumer Reports and use price as a proxy for quality.

osrec 6y ago
On Amazon, they could just make the refund/returns rate for a product public. That would probably be a pretty good quality indicator for physical goods.
- Nextgrid 6y ago
  They'd just start buying their own product (which then goes right back into the supply chain) to skew the numbers. However, I do agree this is a good next step as it ups the costs significantly (the transaction fees as well as logistics of having to move your product in a loop) compared to buying fake reviews.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    They probably do it already. I know for a fact this is an existing practice on Allegro - Polish eBay equivalent. What happens is a boss gets their employees to order their products with on-site pickup, or post + payment on delivery, wait few days, and upload a five-star review. Rinse, repeat. The product is, of course, never sent. The company loses on platform fees, but it's profitable if used to fabricate social proof for new listings, or to compensate for the few negative reviews weren't able to bribe away, that drag down your total rating too close to the point the platform may cancel your privileges or ban your account. Being a witness to all of this, I no longer trust any particular review. At this point, I strongly prefer to spend a little bit more money, and buy a product straight from a recognizable and reputable brand name.
- akudha 6y ago
  And allow reviews only from customers who have actually bought the product - they do it to some extent today, with "verified purchase" label, but it would be nice to not even let customers review products that they haven't bought

osrec 6y ago

On Amazon, they could just make the refund/returns rate for a product public. That would probably be a pretty good quality indicator for physical goods.

Nextgrid 6y ago
They'd just start buying their own product (which then goes right back into the supply chain) to skew the numbers. However, I do agree this is a good next step as it ups the costs significantly (the transaction fees as well as logistics of having to move your product in a loop) compared to buying fake reviews.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  They probably do it already. I know for a fact this is an existing practice on Allegro - Polish eBay equivalent. What happens is a boss gets their employees to order their products with on-site pickup, or post + payment on delivery, wait few days, and upload a five-star review. Rinse, repeat. The product is, of course, never sent. The company loses on platform fees, but it's profitable if used to fabricate social proof for new listings, or to compensate for the few negative reviews weren't able to bribe away, that drag down your total rating too close to the point the platform may cancel your privileges or ban your account. Being a witness to all of this, I no longer trust any particular review. At this point, I strongly prefer to spend a little bit more money, and buy a product straight from a recognizable and reputable brand name.
akudha 6y ago
And allow reviews only from customers who have actually bought the product - they do it to some extent today, with "verified purchase" label, but it would be nice to not even let customers review products that they haven't bought