# Amazon and other user product reviews **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008 "2009-08-01T22:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/1 "2009-08-01T22:09:52Z")
I always find these helpful when buying online. I usually read a few of the five-star reviews, and then some of the one-star ones to find out if there are any flaws. Both have been helpful. Then I began to realize that a large proportion of one-star reviews were really ridiculous. Some from people who never actually bought the product, some who broke it themselves and were angry because the company would not replace it, and other silly things. I especially noted the silliness in book reviews. No matter how fine a book was, there were always some cranky people who hated it. Being bemused by this, I looked up a few great classics by Dickens, London, Shakespeare, etc. Every single on had some one-star negative reviews. I guess some people can never be satisfied. Makes me wonder. ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/2 "2009-08-01T23:58:45Z")
And you need to watch out for paid reviewers. So, it’s important to use your own filters and stick to the statements of fact you can pull out of all the review hyperbole. One users stated reason why they don’t like something is often another’s plus point, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/3 "2009-08-02T02:38:22Z")
My favorite is folks who leave 1-star ratings because the shipping was screwed up. Oh yeah, _that’s_ helpful to know when deciding whether or not to buy something. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/4 "2009-08-02T02:41:41Z")
I can’t find it now, but a few weeks back I ran across a book review that was so off-the-wall, I had to look at the person’s other reviews. They were funny as hell. She gave a one-star review for a bedspread because couldn’t get it clean after her dog puked on it. Her reviews were like a shopping diary and a bit on the manic side. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/5 "2009-08-02T03:10:55Z")
> [@Tortuga](#): > > One users stated reason why they don’t like something is often another’s plus point, and so on. There used to be this movies and books critic in the local newspaper that I really miss. Anything he loved, I hated; anything he hated, I loved. Once I realized that, I’d run to the theater whenever he hated a movie! My favorite living Spnish writer? That critic can’t stand his writing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/6 "2009-08-02T14:27:14Z")
Sometimes I am given books to review for my column and they don’t come with press releases that say how much the books cost. So I have to look around to find the information, and Amazon often is where I start. Every once in a while, I will find a book that has one review – _written by the author_. > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **the Asshole Author** > This book is amazing – full of nuance and appeal for any reader. I couldn’t put it down! I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book with action, adventure, and romance! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/7 "2009-08-02T18:18:19Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam;11401627…She gave a one-star review for a bedspread because couldn’t get it clean after her dog puked on it. [/QUOTE] I actually did laugh out loud at that! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/8 "2009-08-02T18:36:48Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > My favorite is folks who leave 1-star ratings because the shipping was screwed up. Or because they had “bad” customer service when ordering. (or not ordering) “I wrote Amazon to ask if this product came in red - I was told it came in taupe and brown. I did not ask if it came in taupe or brown I ASKED IF IT CAME IN RED! **ONE STAR!!!** ” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/9 "2009-08-02T18:40:10Z")
I’m on pretty firm ground perusing reviews for “concrete” goods (electronic equipment, toys, etc.). The reviews are pretty worthless however for anything involving subjective impressions (books, video games, and CDs/movies)-just too many trolls, fanboys, antifanboys, and payolaheads of all persuasions ranting back and forth. A finer scale than the “1/2 star” system wouldn’t help much because of that. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/10 "2009-08-02T20:41:58Z")
Sometimes the reviews can be entertaining: > **[Amazon.com: Tuscan Dairy Whole Vitamin D Milk, Gallon, 128 oz : Grocery &...](https://www.amazon.com/Tuscan-Dairy-Whole-Vitamin-Gallon/dp/B00032G1S0)** > > Grocery Dairy > **[Amazon.com: Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable (Discontinued by Manufacturer) :...](https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000I1X6PM)** > > Product Description Made of high-purity copper wire, it's designed to thoroughly eliminate adverse effects from vibration and helps stabilize the digital transmission from occurrences of jitter and ripple. A tin-bearing copper alloy is used... > **[Amazon.com: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank : Everything Else](https://www.amazon.com/JL421-Badonkadonk-Land-Cruiser-Tank/dp/B00067F1CE)** > > The JL421 Badonkadonk is a completely unique, extremely rare land vehicle and battle tank. Designed with versatility in mind, the Donk can transport cargo or a crew of five internally or on the roof, and can be piloted from within the armored shell... > **[Amazon.com: Uranium Ore : Industrial & Scientific](https://www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM)** > > Radioactive Ore Specimen.The ore sample is Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Uranium Ore samples are useful as check sources for testing Geiger Counters. No analysis is performed on the ore sample. So the source of the ore's... ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-and-other-user-product-reviews/505008/11 "2009-08-03T14:24:35Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Sometimes the reviews can be entertaining: > > [Amazon.com: Tuscan Dairy Whole Vitamin D Milk, Gallon, 128 oz : Grocery & Gourmet Food](http://www.amazon.com/Tuscan-Whole-Milk-Gallon-128/dp/B00032G1S0/) > [http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Link-Cable/dp/B000I1X6PM/](http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Link-Cable/dp/B000I1X6PM/) > [http://www.amazon.com/JL421-Badonkadonk-Land-Cruiser-Tank/dp/B00067F1CE/](http://www.amazon.com/JL421-Badonkadonk-Land-Cruiser-Tank/dp/B00067F1CE/) > [http://www.amazon.com/Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/](http://www.amazon.com/Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/) Ha! Some of those were great. On a side note, another thing I hate about 1 star reviews is when people give negative reivews just based on the subject matter which they have some kind of vendetta against. I was recently looking for the right book that explained where babies come from and the like for my daughter, and the book I ended up getting had a couple sentences about abortion, nothing about the morality of it or anything at ALL specific, but just that it was a medical way to end a pregnancy. There were several reviews going on and on about how horrible it was to teach kids that it was okay to murder precious babies. Not to mention that the book acknowledged the existence of gay people! Actually I guess those reviews did end up being kind of helpful though because I figured if people like that were appalled by the book, I’d probably approve of it. And it turned out to be true; I found it really appropriate and inclusive.