Read reviews sensibly
Get the truth out of a page of reviews in two minutes, and spot the ones that were written to order.
Five stars tell you somebody was pleased. One star very often tells you about the delivery. Three stars tell you what the thing is actually like to live with.
Key points
- Sort by most recent before you read a single review
- Look at the shape of the ratings rather than the average
- Read the three-star ones, because they describe living with the thing
- For a business, read how they answer their worst review
What to remember
- Change the sort order first. Everything else on a reviews page is more useful once it is in date order.
- Weigh reviews rather than counting them. Detail, dates and a spread of opinions are what make a page trustworthy.
- How a business replies to its worst review tells you more than all the good ones together.
Try this
Find the reviews of something you already own and read the three-star ones. You will almost certainly recognize the complaint, which is what will make you trust them next time.
Practice: Read reviews sensibly. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.