Reviews

I've just spent 30 mins chortling over the 'Huge Ships' reviews. Brilliant! Thank you for the link, Louella.

I read hotel reviews often and have discovered this year that a hotel we visit twice yearly is now charging for sun loungers on the beach €16 a day is a lot to be adding to our budget . Thank goodness for honest reviews

I read them, often starting with the low stars

I always read the one or two star reviews first, J52 and work my way up, especially with books!

I post on Tripadvisor reviews of accommodation and restaurants, generally positive, if I’ve had an issue, I’ll say how it was addressed.
I read reviews on there too, reading between the lines.

I’ve seen good and less good reviews on Seasalt, and have written favourable ones. TBH I’ve never been disappointed with anything of theirs. But I agree with a pp - sleeve length is something to check and be sure of before ordering - not grounds for a poor review. Incidentally I’ve got several Seasalt cotton ‘Sailor’ tops, all with 3/4 sleeves.

I recently wrote a 5* review for their Lazybones trousers - I’m positively looking forward to wearing them in the autumn!

I do often read reviews generally - they can be very helpful. I once nearly ordered a ‘roaring’ dinosaur for Gds for Christmas, but changed my mind after one reviewer said it hadn’t even lasted until the turkey was out of the oven!! No good for little Gds, then, still at the chuck-and-bash stage.

I recently wrote a 5* review for their Lazybones trousers - I’m positively looking forward to wearing them in the autumn!
So good they've sold out! I just had a look as I need some trousers like that. Perhaps they'll get more in soon.

I do not ever read reviews. I don't right them either. They are only someone's opinion. I have my own.

I usually read and ocassionally write reviews. Quite often when buying something on line without reading reviews of the company, I find I have been fleeced!

Not everything a person does/visits/eats can be 5* surely!

Ah, well, *NotSpaghetti^, I'm afraid I'm one of those irritating people that leaves mainly 5 star reviews. But that's because I only write them if the hotel, restaurant, etc, has been outstanding (and only very occasionally if it's been really bad, bad enough to warn others). I don't know how people have the time to review everything, and I just ignore requests to review.

I always read them though and find them very helpful. It's usually easy enough to spot fake ones and you can get a good overall impression, and sometimes some useful tips, particularly for holiday resorts. Sometimes I disappear down a rabbit hole of comical reviews - there are some crackers. I was looking at buying presents for a grandchild the other day and came across one reviewer complaining bitterly that the bath bombs he'd bought didn't "do anything" (it turned out he hadn't taken the plastic wrap off). Another had suggested his child try out their new metal detector by burying their birthday money. The battery promptly failed and they'd forgotten where they'd hidden it, so dad ended up digging up half a field under cover of darkness.

The reviews with a couple of indignant exclamation marks after every sentence are usually good for a laugh.

NotSpaghetti - sorry, that was an asterisk fail!

depends on what i am buying decides if i read reviews, i do read hotel reviews and i always do a review on trip advisor whenever i have been away or eaten somewhere.i find argos and amazon are always quick for you to review.

I frequently use Trustpilot both to read and write reviews. Written reviews often create action from the company to rectify a problem when they have been recalcitrant.

As a member of NetGalley, I am offered free ebooks before they are published, to read and review.

Have read some intriguing stories, and review at various websites, Goodreads, Waterstones, and Amazon.

When shopping online, if deciding on something I am uncertain off, I will always check reviews.

I don’t normally do reviews although I do tend to read them if it’s a restaurant I’d like to visit or particular goods I’m interested in. But on Sunday I did fill in the customer survey a pub emailed me (I’d booked on line) after we’d had Sunday lunch with friends just this week. It was favourable- we’d had good food and a good experience- and the pub have sent a voucher for free glass of Prosecco for each guest on our next meal there - hadn’t expected that.

I follow reviews for restaurants, hotels, AirBNB, VMBO, airlines… generally travel and dining out.

I don’t care about reviews for books or movies because they are always subject to personal tastes and philosophies. Movie critics, especially, often get it wrong and go against the tide of public opinion.

Amazon reviews? For me it’s more important to see how many were sold in the last month when comparing appliances, etc. I never write reviews.
USA Gundy

I think it’s it not particularly helpful for other buyers, being a personal preference. Their point would be that you knew it wasn’t a long sleeved top I think. Maybe if you commented on something like the quality of the material it would probably have been accepted.

Callistemon21

^I recently wrote a 5* review for their Lazybones trousers - I’m positively looking forward to wearing them in the autumn!^
So good they've sold out! I just had a look as I need some trousers like that. Perhaps they'll get more in soon.

I ordered mine about a month ago, thinking that if I didn’t , they’d be sold out - and I’d been looking for something similar for ages. I dare say they’ll soon have them back in though - they’d be mad not to.

I will probably buy another pair - often do that now if I really like something - before they discontinue it. 🙁

Maggiemaybe
Re the 5* reviews...
I suppose if someone thinks everything is excellent I just assume they are not very discerning...
I do know someone like this . She always has a "marvellous" time wherever she goes, the food is always "fabulous" the wine "superb" and hotels seem to have "views to die for".

She is decidedly mid-range in terms of the above.. not Michelin restaurants etc.
Never disappointed though.
Wish I had her mindset frankly (or some of whatever she's drinking!).

I don't necessarily think they are fake reviews as others might.

This puts me in mind of my sister’s business, she runs Airbnb from her home. She consistently gets 5 star reviews for the accommodation and her hospitality and is listed as a ‘super host’. Her description of the accommodation is spot on, including that the sea is 5.4 kilometres away and it’s a short drive into the town. She offers to organise taxis and will give lifts herself if home, for non drivers. Yet she still gets visitors who mark her lovely accommodation down for the sole reason it’s not walkable to the sea or the town when they know ahead what they are getting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I did write a one star review recently for a cabin bag that was a present (from us). Hardly used, and only as cabin baggage, but the handle mechanism is broken, completely buggered.
Just not fit for purpose - and it certainly wasn’t cheap.

I usually read them but disregard a lot, especially on Amazon as a lot of people don't even seem to be reviewing the thing I am looking at buying. I don't use Trustpilot anymore as a lot of their reviews used to be paid for. I know they did a purge at one point but it still seems to be going on. We read reviews on hotels, restaurants, etc but bear in mind many things are very subjective. We always order them by date so we know we are looking at recent reviews, not something that happened a year ago.

Some reviews are hilarious - it's fairly obvious sometimes that the reviewer doesn't understand how something actually works or what it is supposed to do and you have to wonder what they thought they were buying.

I read clothes reviews if I am interested in buying. Sometimes they help me decide not to buy, or what size to buy or definitely to go ahead. It really helps. For example “ the fabric creases badly when you wear it” “ The fabric looks really cheap; not at all like the photo suggests” or “ I’m usually a 14 but I bought a size 12 and it was perfect on me” all really informs my decision making

Foxygloves I had the same response from Seasalt, which I really didn't understand! I reviewed some cotton pjs: I'd bought the same style previously and they were fine. The ones I reviewed (same size/style but a different colour) were absolutely enormous! Tbh, as someone else said, I always start reading the low score reviews and work up as they're often informative; and I've found Seasalt sizing has become erratic with other garments too. Sooo annoying, even though the returns are easy to do.

I always read reviews for hotels , apartments etc for holidays or weekends. And use TA , Airbnb or booking.com. Although some reviews it’s obvious the reviewer hasn’t done any research as their reason for the complaints are there on the previous reviews or on the properties website.
I review stuff on Amazon or on clothes websites as it gives me info on sizing up or down and help me make choices. I sometimes review restaurants.
As for writing reviews, it depends how busy I am. Although I do for booking.com and Airbnb as it’s pretty quick and easy . TA used to be quite time consuming submitting reviews.
Poor reviews on a pair of sandals from next helped me get a refund . They were poorly finished inside and ripped my feet to shreds. All the reviews said the same and next refunded me.