How to Decide Whether to Believe Online Product Reviews

The ease of posting information on the Internet has paved the way for some questionable product reviewers. To avoid being duped by corrupt information, use common sense and look for signs of legitimacy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access

1. Find out who or what paid for the review, if anyone. If the review has been funded or sponsored by a particular company or manufacturer, the review may be biased.

2. Determine whether the entity providing the review is trustworthy. Is it a legitimate consumer advocate group or neutral publication? Or an amateur with his or her own Web page? Is it a site that sells the products being reviewed? If so, manufacturers might be paying for review slots.

3. Look for comments on the specific features and operations of a specific product rather than overall impressions or sarcastic comments. This will help ensure that what you're buying suits your specific needs.

4. Make sure any safety issues are thoroughly and objectively addressed.

5. Look for quantifiable data, if applicable. (Exactly how fast did a computer perform a certain operation, for example?)

6. Look for other reviews by the person whose review you're reading. This will help you get an idea of any general biases the reviewer may have.

7. Read multiple reviews from various sources, including a few printed reviews (in magazines or newspapers), if possible. This will help you determine what to believe.