Are Online Product Reviews Legitimate or Scam - Ask Sid - AARP Bulletin

Are Online Product Reviews Legit

It' s tough to tell Here are some clues to get the truth

Q. I often read reviews online before I buy products or make travel plans. How can I tell if they're legit or were planted on websites to increase sales? A. It can be tough, but typically the more reviews a product has, the more reliable the feedback, good or bad. See also:

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Where you read it also matters. You can generally expect a higher level of authenticity at high-volume sites like ; which collects reviews from retailers who have asked purchasers to review products; which specializes in tech products, and of course, which routinely surveys its subscribers about their experiences in addition to doing its own product testing. is another go-to site, but you should realize that the site pays some of its reviewers (based on how often their comments guide readers' buying decisions, Epinions says). For product and company gripes from especially dissatisfied people, good sources include and Be suspicious when praise is over-the-top ("This is the best product ever made!") and when words such as "easy," "fast results" or "amazing" are overused. Obviously, too-good-to-be-true promises — such as making $1,000 a day after buying a kit that helps you work from home — are just that. Also be wary of first-name-only posts ("Bob," "Sue"), monikers with a company name ("MeLoveAcme"), or frequent misspellings and grammatical errors, which suggest a too-busy paid reviewer. Recent research at Cornell University shows that fake reviews of Chicago hotels tended to have more verbs and contain more scene-setting language, frequently using words such as "vacation," "business" or "my husband." Conversely, truth-tellers tend to use more nouns and concrete words to describe facilities, features or service, such as "bathroom," "check-in" and "price." Also of interest:
Sid Kirchheimer writes about consumer and health issues. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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