Tip #1 DO NOT use a site called Fakespot (which I was about to recommend!). Absolutely bogus.

 

Fakespot has gotten a lot of press lately (here) but in writing this I thought it might be a good idea to look into Fakespot itself. Whoa! They’re not what they seem to be – their own ratings are barely one star.

But this is the oddest thing. I decided to put it to the test with a fairly pricey mattress topper I just bought and that I absolutely love.

• Fakespot gives the reviews a C although it says 77% are authentic (on Amazon).

In checking Fakespot’s review analytics, all I can say is crazy and clearly reviewed by non-English speakers.

• What they show as examples of “most authentic” sound absolutely phony while what they list as examples of “inauthentic” and “most negative” are actually great reviews. It’s like an April Fool’s Day Joke a month early. (See pic below of the reviews and tell me if I’m wrong.)

So what is one to do about reviews?  Read on below.

 

My most important tip is to ALWAYS start with the most current, negative reviews. They tend to be the most truthful and helpful.

• From there, I work my way up to the 5 star reviews. This process has worked for me 100% of the time.
• It clearly takes more time but for items that are unfamiliar or pricey or a hassle to return, it’s worth dedicating 10 or 15 minutes to do some research to make sure you get what you want.
• As I said, I always start with the most current and get a little suspicious when there have been no reviews for a few months.
• And then I spend most of my time on negative reviews recognizing that we all have different tastes so what might be a negative for one person is exactly what you are looking for e.g. I like a firm mattress, some people don’t.
• The negative reviews on the mattress topper I just bought were generally about the thickness of the topper which was clearly described as being 4” in total with the foam portion being 2”. Of the negatives, most had misread it as being 4” of foam.
• However, if there are consistent issues brought up in the negative reviews that you agree what would also be a problem for you, I say move on, do not buy. This happens about one-third of the time for me.

I also recently wrote about Instagram fashion brands (mainly from China) that had major fake reviews. Link here.

 

Bottom Line.

It’s BUYER BEWARE like never before. And never before has it been more important to be skeptical and have your bullshit detector up and running.

And one final, most important tip: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” True dat!

 

Here’s that review from Fakespot – I mean what real person would write “comforts your body and helps you to relax for a great night of sleep” ?