Not all reviews on Amazon.com are neutral.Friends, relatives, and paid reviewers may leave glowing 5-star reviews, while enemies and rivals may hope to damage the item's reputation with 1-star "put-down" reviews without revealing their personal association, bias, or financial incentive.How can you tell if a review has an agenda?
Step 1: The length and tone of the review should be considered.
The review may be fake if it is very short.If the writer just wants to affect the overall score, their main intent may be to vote via the "star" rating, and to boost or lower it.The review may be very short because one must write it as well.The review may not be genuine if it doesn't have details about the product.There are generalities that could apply to many different books.
Step 2: The review may use emotional language.
An objective review will summarize the content of the product.There is a review with an agenda.If the review was written for a friend, the book or item may be described as wonderful, great for everybody, amazing, etc., and the reviewer may say that they're planning to purchase one for everyone they know for the holidays.The item may be called pathetic, ridiculous, or a waste of time if the review is by an enemy or rival.An alternate product or author that has more credibility may be recommended by the reviewer.
Step 3: The reviewer may have written other reviews.
It may not be genuine if the person doesn't regularly write reviews.Under "see all my reviews" next to the reviewer's name, you discover that they haven't written any other reviews, or they've written only a few other short, gushing, vague reviews for friends or against rivals.
Step 4: The person may have submitted a lot of reviews in a short period of time.
If a book reviewer is paid to write reviews, they may have written many 5-star reviews for self-published or print on demand titles.To see what other people are saying, look for "see all my reviews" next to that person's name.
Step 5: If the review admits bias, you should be skeptical.
The reviewer notes that they haven't tried the product, so why are they reviewing it?The reviewer can either raise or lower the star-ratings.Sometimes a low-star review will talk about a list of ingredients, or a book theme they find distasteful, without any indication that they have ever tried that product or read that book.
Step 6: Determine if it was a verified purchase.
If the person bought the item directly from Amazon, there will be an orange "verified purchase" notation under the reviewer's name and date.The reviewer has received the product.
Step 7: The reviewer may have received the product for free in exchange for writing a review.
If the reviewer was sent an item for free in exchange for a review, you may not feel they can write an impartial review.People will often write reviews for items received elsewhere, such as a book or a library copy.If honest reviews are posted in the categories of free products and items obtained elsewhere, they are not considered fake reviews.
Step 8: There is a "Customers Also Bought" section.
This section usually contains products similar to the one you're looking at.There are products in this section that have nothing to do with the product.Let's say you're looking at resistance exercise bands.There are items unrelated to exercise bands in the "Customers Also Bought" section.It's possible that these products are being given away at a significant discount or for free in exchange for a review, which could bias the reviewers.
Step 9: Disregard the highest and lowest ratings.
See what people in the middle say about a book or product.If it's a review for a book by a controversial author, one-star reviews should always be suspect.
Step 10: Critical thinking can be applied by reading many reviews.
Does the review sound like a doting mother would say?Does it sound like someone would say something like that?If the review is thoughtful, fair, and well-written, don't judge it based on whether you share the writer's opinion of the product or book.People who disagree with you may have valid points.
Step 11: Give feedback to people who are reading reviews.
On the line at the end of the review, you can ask if it was helpful to you.Click "Yes."The review's credibility will be raised by this.Clicking "No" will lower the review's status if you decide that it isn't objective or has a hidden agenda.