Better Business Bureau
November 30 is Cyber Monday. That’s the first Monday after Thanksgiving, designated since 2005 as the shopping day for online-only bargains, in response to the Black Friday shopping day.
The day has taken off quickly, so much so in fact that last year’s Cyber Monday online sales reached a record $2.68 billion, with an average order value of $124. Your Better Business Bureau has advice regarding one aspect of online shopping – those product reviews that are on most online retailers’ sites.
Warning signs of fake reviews
Things are not always as they seem in the world of online reviews. Marketing firms sometimes pay people to leave reviews on major sites. The problem of fake online reviews has gotten so bad that Amazon recently sued over 1,000 people who were paid to post fake five-star reviews of products.
Here are some things to look for as you assess whether an online review is real or has been planted to fool consumers:
Short reviews. These may be an attempt to raise the “star rating” of a product by posting a good review. Star ratings are only affected by posted reviews.
Vague reviews. A lack of details about the product may indicate the reviewer didn’t really have it.
Emotional language or extreme statements. Statements like “I’m buying one for all my friends!” or “This is a pathetic waste of time” could be fakes, designed to emotionally engage other consumers.
Few reviews by the writer or reviews that all have a similar tone. Taking the time to look at the reviewer’s other product reviews can help you decide if they are legitimate.
Lots of reviews within a short time span. This can indicate that they have been paid to write a number of reviews.
Watch for indications of whether they have actually used the product. Some will say yes or no outright, and some will only hint at whether they tried it.
“Verified purchase.” On Amazon, there will be a notation of whether the reviewer purchased the product.
Free items in exchange for reviews. Reviewers are required to disclose if a product was sent to them free for reviewing.
Ways to look at reviews
There are a few ways to maximize the usefulness of product reviews. It may be more helpful to disregard the extremely positive or negative reviews and concentrate on what those in the middle say.
Apply critical thinking as you consider the reviews. Read as many as you can. Compare the different approaches and decide which sound off-the-wall, suspiciously gushing and which are well reasoned and well written.
Contribute to the review community yourself by leaving feedback for others. Click “yes” or “no” in answer to the “Was this review helpful” question.
BBB’s customer reviews
Recently the Better Business Bureau has begun allowing consumers to post reviews about their experiences with businesses, brands and charities on BBB websites. Just like our complaints, reviews are vetted by BBB team members and sent to the business before they are published online.
Reviewers’ names aren’t shared with the public, but must be disclosed to the BBB in order to verify that they are customers of the business being reviewed. The reviews are considered to be the subjective opinion of the individual posting them, not of the BBB.
Many of us read and value product reviews. Keeping a critical eye open for fake reviews, and contributing our own view for the benefit of others are ways we can improve the usefulness of online product reviews. That way we also help make Cyber Monday shopping experiences better for all concerned.
If you have questions or concerns about online shopping, contact your BBB by calling (800) 856-2417, or visit our website at bbbinc.org.