Some people shouldn't write reviews...

[Skribs]

I have a few pet peeves when I read reviews.

• Give it a 1-star and just say "crap" with no information (or 5-star and just say "good")
• Give a glowing review and list a lot of positive attributes, don't list any negatives, and only give a 4-star rating (why not a 5 if nothing is bad?!)
• Someone who does not have the product or has it and hasn't tried it out, and is reviewing solely on pictures, advertisements, and other reviewer's information

However, my biggest pet peeve when reading reviews is when someone clearly doesn't understand the product well enough to be a trusted source for information on it.

I found the Ruger LCR on Cabela's' website, and aside from one person, 90% rated it 5-star, 10% rated it 4-star. The one outlier gave it a 2-star rating, with the following information:

This decent overall handgun got it in 38 special. The amount of kick not bad for the size and caliber, but .380 would be more manageable for weaker hands. I am not a great shot but hard to hit 8" target farther than 15 ft out. Does not have a mechanical safety. The reason for 4 star not safety and not that accurate.

Seriously. Someone knocked a double-action revolver because of a lack of mechanical safety. The "decent overall handgun" being the opening for a 2-star rating gets me a bit, but..."does not have a mechanical safety"...well, it has a transfer bar, but no manual safety. But what revolver does? I'm at a loss...

 

[Sam1911]

Have you heard those "Captain Obvious" commercials on the radio? Probably the same guy.

 

[B!ngo]

It's a wrinkle in the force of the web. There is an entire sub-culture of people who like to write to their blogs, web sites and others entries having no interest, foreknowledge or thoughts for the subject. I am astonished that people take the time to write multi-paragraph reviews for Amazon products such as blenders, spatulas and light switches. Why? Why!
I have taken the position of viewing it as a vast sociology experiment. Though I temper my analysis with an intensive use of the 'delete' key.
B

 

[Hometeached1]

That is the reason I come here/tell others about this great forum when there is something that is firearm related that I'm wanting to find out more about.

Thanks THR!

 

[JERRY]

the internet has given many folks an outlet for their opinions which might not otherwise be heard. some gripe about every gun, some love every gun they handle. the truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

[Wishoot]

The reviews that annoy me the most are the people that rate a product 1 star but go on to say that they love the product.

 

[Doc7]

The issue is rating a product not for the intended purpose but the desired qualities. For example giving a low rating to the revolver you mentioned not because of fit and finish issues but because it didn't meet the users desire for a safety. He could also give a spatula a one star review because it doesn't plug in and blend the food automatically.

Even the most useless product in the world should get a 5 star review if it has good fit and finish and meets the advertised capabilities. Unfortunately this isn't the way reviews are written.

 

[bikerdoc]

My brother in law is a prolific reviewer of products, he is also a blithering idiot.

 

[JERRY]

some guys seem to get all junk when they post youtube videos, while other guys seem to get nothing but absolute jewels when they do a review... its uncanny.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Gun safety?....

Many people(outside of the US military, shooting sports, LE, hunters) do not clearly understand how guns work or what firearms do.
Hollywood images & inaccurate information push this often.
Many people(including jury members ) think things like;
all guns have manual safety levers
you must first cock the hammer to fire any type of handgun
guns have knock-down power & can drop anyone, of any size with one shot
add-ons like laser aimers or white lights aren't "sporting" & clearly show your blood-lust or vicious intent to kill
if someone is unarmed they can't be violent or use lethal force & you having a gun means your guilty(even when you have a valid CCW or are a veteran/ex-cop/retired/etc). See: Harold Fish or George Zimmerman.

Rusty

 

[Panzerschwein]

It helps to read the online reviews with a grain of salt.

Often, totally ridiculous 1 star reviews can through off the total "score" of the product, so it pays to closely examine several reviews then go from there.

When it comes to guns, I'm a member of forums like these to get some REAL info on something before I buy it.

 

[FinnComm]

How about the "product" reviews which say, "great product, delivery took 3 days", one star...

 

[beag_nut]

Regardless of the product being reviewed, I always look at the lowest ratings first, and the quantity of them. If those lower ratings make some sense, I keep them in the back of my mind when I then look at the top ratings. I then look for anything which might cause the low reviews being negated by something intrinsic to the product, but was ignored by the lower reviewers when they screwed up and bought something they shouldn't have in the first place. Something like: the gun recoiled too much, when it's obvious that a lightweight should recoil more. Then, the low review was caused by an idiot who didn't do their homework, NOT by anything defective in the gun.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

The internet does not require an IQ test before use. Many reviews out there are poorly written by fools who have no idea what they are talking about.

I just sort through them and disregard what they say.

 

[usurp31]

Agreed with all points. Someone mentioned one that I find odd every time; when the reviewer 'loves' the product and gives it a 4 out of 5. What? It's like a movie; I try to decipher the 'subtext' when I'm reading a review to see what the reviewer really means.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Media; lawsuits.....

A recent media story in my local area said a few small business owners & shops are now using civil actions against online reviewers/reviews.
I'm not sure what legal bearing that will have but I could see the merit if a business owner/firm could prove the person lied(used insults, false details, etc).

I had a young woman rail against me in a travel website. She didn't cite me by name but crowed over the hotel & her conditions.
I was a security officer on the night shift.
I laughed because the guest left out how she damaged hotel property & allowed different street people & hookers "borrow" her hotel room.

I had another guest in a different property get so mad she wrote the president/CEO of the hotel chain!
That is a whole other story.... .

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I laughed because the guest left out how she damaged hotel property & allowed different street people & hookers "borrow" her hotel room.

Man..... Hookers write the worst reviews.

 

[dickydalton]

A recent media story in my local area said a few small business owners & shops are now using civil actions against online reviewers/reviews.
I'm not sure what legal bearing that will have but I could see the merit if a business owner/firm could prove the person lied(used insults, false details, etc).

I had a young woman rail against me in a travel website. She didn't cite me by name but crowed over the hotel & her conditions.
I was a security officer on the night shift.
I laughed because the guest left out how she damaged hotel property & allowed different street people & hookers "borrow" her hotel room.

I had another guest in a different property get so mad she wrote the president/CEO of the hotel chain!
That is a whole other story.... .

Just the threat of a lawsuit can stop people from exercising the their First Amendment rights. That is a certain breed of people's way of controlling others. Vote in November.

 

[astra600]

I like (not) the low star/number reviews that end with the person feeling bad about what they said and retract it in the end. "It was cheap when we opened it and fell apart quickly, but my grand daughter loved it. I would buy again."