Ask HN: User reviews: when do they influence you to buy, read, watch? When not?

Products where reviews do not matter (to me) Fiction books, movies, music: These are such personal taste, I mostly read reviews after I read a book or watch a film to see what other people think of the book or film. Sometimes for movies, it might be the average rating rather than the individual reviews that influences. When reviews do matter or influence purchasing Non-fiction books: Although it depends on the type of non-fiction book, I generally read reviews before purchasing. Household appliances and electronics: If the product is a known brand, I read the reviews and assume the reviews are not fake. I purchase a product even if there are only a few reviews. When reviews may matter: Unbranded ('no-name') electronics or products: If it's a low-cost item e.g. a 'no-name' keyboard, then I'll probably buy the item with a quick glance at the reviews or average rating. When I buy these items it's always with a suspicion that some of the positive reviews are fake. Travel/Hotels: Tend to look more at rating rather than individual reviews. --- Although the problem of fake customer reviews remains, I can't imagine purchasing a wide variety of products without reading (or watching) reviews. When do customer reviews influence your purchases? And when do reviews not influence your purchases? Are there types of goods or service that you are more likely to read reviews for?