Don't trust reviews

[Stuart Wright]

+ or - ?

I gave vBulletin a 1 star negative review because the product is probably the worst on the market at the moment.

 

[tenants]

Companies ask website owners to remove negative reviews (these can be damaging)

Without something foundational / proof, it's fairly hard to see how it could be legal to write negative reviews, and expect them to always "stick"

Written defamation is libel, if you are the owner of the website where the comment has been added, and you are asked are to remove the comment... most of the time, you will (you don't want to be taken to court)
There is no conspiracy here, negative comments on large sites will sometimes get asked to be removed

So... just count the number of positive comments

 

[Slavik]

Companies ask website owners to remove negative reviews (these can be damaging)

Without something foundational / proof, it's fairly hard to see how it could be legal to write negative reviews, and expect them to always "stick"

Written defamation is libel, if you are the owner of the website where the comment has been added, and you are asked are to remove the comment... most of the time, you will (you don't want to be taken to court)
There is no conspiracy here, negative comments on large sites will sometimes get asked to be removed

So... just count the number of positive comments

We have been asked and threatened many times to remove negtive reviews from our site.

We told the companies where to politely shove it. If a negative comment is also true, then you can't be sued for it.

 

[tenants]

Somebody like IMDB could possibly be threatened by large film industries (or just asked politely)... and if the comments were actually liable, being the publisher (as opposed to the author), then IMDB too would be responsible

I think "negative content" being liable defamation is a case by case thing (it being true, is sometimes hard to prove)

... but I'm obviously more of a coward

 

[Dodgeboard]

What really chaps me:

From TigerDirect

Share Your FeedBack

Dear XXXXXXX,

Our site allows users to post questions, answers, and reviews on the products they purchased. Let's face it, if you have to buy something important, you'd want to get the opinions of those who already own it.

Well, as the owner of the products below, we would love your honest feedback on each of the items you purchased.

I get spammed with these continuously after I make a purchase. But I know they don't really want my honest feedback. Hell, they wont post my honest feedback. What they really want is my positive feedback. So stop spamming me asking for my honest feedback when you have no interest in honest feedback TD!

Kind of ticks me off!


But I cannot see how any review could ever be construed as libel. They are solicitations for the end users opinion.

 

[Forsaken]

What really chaps me:




I get spammed with these continuously after I make a purchase. But I know they don't really want my honest feedback. Hell, they wont post my honest feedback. What they really want is my positive feedback. So stop spamming me asking for my honest feedback when you have no interest in honest feedback TD!

Kind of ticks me off!


But I cannot see how any review could ever be construed as libel. They are solicitations for the end users opinion.

Ditch TigerDirect for Newegg.

I generally find cheaper prices there anyways for most things.

 

[craigiri]

We have an area where folks post reviews of their stoves or fireplaces - years ago I had a couple manufacturers call me complaining, but they had a valid complaint! They said that they could not get in touch with the folks who gave the reviews and therefore could have no hand in satisfying the customer.

I formulated a policy that I would refuse to publish really bad reviews that did not include an email...and, if a manufacturer called about a certain review, I'd attempt to contact the end user and see if the problem was being addressed.

In the few cases that I dealt with, the manufacturers was trying to help and some of the situations were solved, but the customer jumped the gun while they were angry and posted a bad review.

 

[Dodgeboard]

My problem with companies wanting to address reviewer's issues, is they only address them because of the public review, not the shortcomings of the product. They have no interest in addressing everyone's issues, just those that speak out. I posted a chronicle of my problem with TD over on Tomshardware.com a very high profile techie forum, and a TD rep quickly "wanted to address my concerns". Of course what they really wanted was for me to be happy and accept a $20 gift card, so I would shut up and move along.

The whole purpose of reviews is to warn would-be purchasers. When you start to taint those reviews with filtering and payoffs (which are strategically targeted to only the reviewers), then you undermine the whole purpose of the review system.

 

[craigiri]

Right - but in the one case I first followed, the company had been in touch with them long before I inquired.

Also, in the realm of customer satisfaction...if that's what it takes to get a makers attention, so be it. The squeaking wheel gets the grease. Often, in our industry, the end user was shafted by a local dealer, not the manufacturer. Most decent (long term) manufacturers want to solve the bad problems. Yes, there are some exceptions but in our industry those have either went out of business or have a bad reputation by osmosis.

 

[Andy.N]

As I look forward to a Reviews addon being created for XF, I believe the middle ground approach would be to allow vendors/manufacturers to comment on reviews left by the members. This way, they have a venue to address any valid complaints.

This is how sites like TripAdvisors approach it.