How to Avoid Phony Online Product Reviews

Like many online writers, I write online product reviews about merchandise that I have bought or would like to buy.  In addition to using first hand accounts of my own experience with a product, I also discuss the product with other members of my family and read the reviews other people have written on sites like Amazon.  On websites like Squidoo and InfoBarrel, I have written hundreds of reviews of products that I like, or that my friends and family members enjoy using.  Whether the products I am reviewing are sunglasses, children's books, shoes or jewelry, I try to write reviews that are helpful and reliable.  In writing these reviews, I try to be as positive, yet honest, as possible.  If I am aware of a disadvantage to using a certain product, or know that there is a better choice available on the market, I let people know.  If I simply believe that it is generally an important item for people to own, such as First Aid Kits, I try to give them a wide range of choices, rather than push just the most expensive one.

As readers of this blog know, I feel comfortable informing my readers whenever I spot a lie or intentional misinformation.  I also am not hesitant to make negative comments on my other blog, Baby Boomer Retirement, when I think it is appropriate.  For example, on that blog I have mentioned problems I have heard about retirement communities, such as the sinkholes in Timber Pines, near Tampa, Florida, or the water issues that could hamper development in the Green Valley area of Arizona.

On the other hand, despite my love of honesty and full disclosure, whenever I write reviews of products, the truth is that I rarely mention anything bad about a product unless I have purchased it and had an exceptionally negative experience.  The reason for this is simple.  When I have had a bad experience with a product, I usually do not write a review.  Consequently, nearly all of my reviews are fairly positive.

At the same time, I have never written an entirely phony review.  I have never written a glowing report on a product, and told others how much I loved it, if it was about a product that neither I, nor anyone I personally know, has ever tried.  In addition, I have never been paid to write a phony review. Unfortunately, my personal scruples do not appear to be typical of everyone who writes online product reviews.

The website business2community.com recently posted an article about online reviews in which they reported that a research company named Gartner has discovered that approximately 15% of online product reviews are fake!  I want to help my readers avoid being scammed by these phony reviews.  In searching for recommendations on how to spot this dishonesty, I picked up some important tips.

How to Avoid Phony Online Reviews

Be suspicious of any reviews you read on the internet if they show any of the characteristics listed below:

Be skeptical if everything about the product is fabulous, incredible, unbelievable or amazing, especially if there are few specifics mentioned.  Most normal people are hesitant to sound ridiculously enthusiastic about a product, even if they like it.  Only people who are paid to write fake reviews talk this way.

Check to see if there are several reviews that are practically the same or were written on the same day or very close together, even though they are written under different online names.  If all the reviews sound the same, they were probably all written by the same person.

Don't rely on reviews that are written in ALL CAPS.

Be suspicious of reviews that sound too good to be true.  For example, if the writer warns that you might lose too much weight too quickly if you use this product, or if the product exceeded the reviewer's wildest dreams, don't believe it.

Be skeptical of reviews that insist that only one manufacturer of the same product is any good.  This is common with phony reviews of nutritional supplements.  

Watch out for what writers call Keyword Stuffing.  This occurs when a writer uses the name of the product and the model number over and over again.  Real people tend to use a lot of pronouns, and are more likely to write vague reviews that sometimes only barely mention the specific name of the product.  For example, a real person is more likely to say, "I really like these shoes;" they are less likely to repeatedly mention the brand, style, color and product number of a pair of shoes that they are reviewing.

You should also be aware that you may be reading a phony review if the person gives you discount codes or links to where you can buy the product, and only that product. On the other hand, many perfectly honest reviewers will include a link to Amazon or a similar legitimate site where you can read more about it and purchase the product.

You also need to be suspicious of especially vicious negative reviews.  Sometimes they have been written by the competition.  Make sure that you are not simply looking at an ad in disguise for another product.

It is smart and perfectly reasonable to read reviews before you purchase a product.  However, just remember not to believe everything you read.  Personally, I particularly like to read Amazon reviews because they allow you to read reviews by people who have given the product a range of scores, from 1 Star to 5 Star.  If you read a few reviews at each level, you should get a fair evaluation of the product.

When I write product reviews on sites like Squidoo, I often include not only my own experience but I sometimes will mention some of the comments other people made in their Amazon reviews.  My goal is to always give people a range of choices, rather than limit them to just one item that I am pushing.  I wish other reviewers made the same effort.  Fewer people would end up feeling deceived.

You are reading from the blog, http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of sunglasses are courtesy of amazon.com.