Three-quarters of people read reviews from other customers when buying goods or services online, says Jo Thornhill in The Observer – but there’s a “burgeoning market” in fakes. How can you tell the difference?
● Be suspicious if a product has received a lot of five-star reviews in a short space of time – especially if it’s not a well-known brand. Be wary if the best-reviewed products are new or unheard of brands.
● Don’t just look at the star ratings: read the actual reviews. Do they sound natural or are they short and repetitive, using a lot of the same phrases? If so, beware.
● Where possible, filter your search for verified reviews (meaning ones where the reviewer bought the item or service). But remember that a consumer may have been refunded…
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The Week United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, V. 1236