People seem to use the most random of starting places for making programmes [as anyone who has watched Dave Gorman on TV will know] OPFTH is the name of the new Radio 4 comedy programme hosted by Frank Skinner. It is all based on the reviews which customers give products which they have purchased online. I have always been Very Careful with my money, I used to joke that in my family we did not have Loose Change, we had Tight Budgets. So if something needs replacing, I will check out carefully what is available, what it costs, and what others think about their model. I ask around among my friends, in person and via the blog.
I read articles in Good Housekeeping and similar august publications - "The Top Ten Air Fryers This Christmas" "What sort of Microwave does your family need?" "Find the best jeans for your shape" and I read the reviews online [on the manufacturers' websites, on Amazon, and on retailers' pages, especially John Lewis and Lakeland. With the demise of so many domestic items recently, I have spent a lot of time searching through reviews- and mostly deciding that I will manage with what I've got, and not spend my pension on inadequate products.
But along the way, Bob and I have had a good laugh at some of the things people say...
Most review pages require you to give a username, a brief title, a star rating and some comment.
I felt desperately sad for the person reviewing the steam mop, the title was I am in my 40s and this is exciting. And then there was 'Grandad' whose review of a steam iron entitled "never used an iron before" said - This iron cuts through creases like a hot knife thru butter, I can't understand why my wife put up with the old heavy types"
Frequently I find people who review within seconds of obtaining the parcel [I guess they get that email from A saying "take time to review your recent purchase" and feel obliged to do it then and there] There are so many that say "5* - I haven't unpacked it yet, but the picture on the box looks good." And the ones which say things like "I bought this as a gift for my Mum/daughter/sister and she hasn't said anything bad about it" Some reviews are so short and stupid you wonder why they bothered...
"5* It is an iron" is admittedly brief and to the point - but not very informative.
"This vacuum cleaner is good if you have carpets" - isn't that what they were designed for??
Others go on for ages, with complicated stories about how it was better/worse than the thing it replaced, what every member of the family thinks about it, and in depth details of the pets.
"I use this vertically on my curtains" conjures up amazing pictures of someone waving a steam mop like Hermione's Magic Wand. So reviews can be amusing - but sometimes they are helpful. The M&S website [clothes and footwear sections] is good for letting you know about fit. I wanted to spend some vouchers on a particular pair of shoes - and many reviewers said 'these come up small, go up a half size". I did, and they fit perfectly.
Lakeland are good at responding, and have sometimes modified their products to meet customer requests.
I won't even discuss the "fake" computer generated reviews.
I write reviews occasionally - usually after a few months, when I am sure the product is still meeting up to my requirement, and my initial enthusiasm has calmed down. Which is why I haven't yet reviewed my new car here. But I will do so sometime!
Do you read reviews?... And do you ever post reviews of products you've bought?
