A common practice (or at least it should be) before making a purchase either online or in-store is to research the product. Reading the opinions of previous purchasers of the product you are considering should offer you some insight as to whether it is in fact what you are looking for, and if it will live up to your expectations. But what if the reviews you read turned out to be fraudulent? Would you even be able to tell?

 

With the holiday season quickly approaching and the convenience of online shopping, it’s common to search for the object of your intention only to find numerous websites where consumers rate the product you are considering.

 

According to an article on USA Today.com, experts say, “Websites and online product reviews are increasingly pretending to contain legitimate opinions about products but are often for-hire endorsements or promotional material.” This tells us that there is a chance that you could unknowingly run across a fraudulent review on the websites you look to for reviews.

 

In light of the misinformation that you could find, there are still credible ways to find out whether a product is worth buying or not. For starters, word of mouth remains one of the most effective marketing tools for good reason: when people like something, they usually can’t wait to tell others. So don’t be afraid to ask a friend or neighbor how that new treadmill he bought five months ago is holding up, or if the graphics on his daughter’s new video game are really as good as reviews say. Chances are you’ll get the truth.

 

Also, there are ratings organizations such as ConsumerReports.org, that provide objective reviews. There might be a charge to view ratings on specific products or services. But if the price is right for you, then a resource like this may be worth considering before making your purchase.  

 

The key takeaway is to be discerning when you read online reviews; if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

 

While we believe the external websites listed above are reputable, we neither endorse them nor can vouch for their complete accuracy. AC: 1111-5267