Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere

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Sat 23 Sep 2017 11:17
Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere - oldroverboy.

I hope Avant will leave this for a bit of discussion as it applies to Motoring as well.

Most reviews i read, and questions are based on the owners/users experience of the product concerned.

This week for example there has been a lot in the papers about an airline cncelling flights, No need to name and shame there then.. And i use them a lot.(about 16 flights each this year for myself and YRG..)

There have been my and others reviews of Kia's Chevrolets and other cars.

But one thing tickled me this week, and this is my question.

I tried to Book a Hotel for 2 nights in one location and 4 nights in another via Trivago, itself a good bargain finder and which gives a list of suppliers and their various prices, from names we are all familiar with and others less known..

One of the suppliers was interesting and so i partly filled in details to get a final price, but did not purchase, as i used vouchercodes.uk to look for any codes i could use, but also had other suppliers showing and looking for other vouchercodes.

i was phoned on multiple occasions within 20 minutes by an operator from one company who i asked not to call, but did call repeatedly so i curtly replied DO NOT CALL ME and hung up.

The company concerned are not happy because i gave "poor " review of their services.

What do the bR's think

Edited by oldroverboy. on 23/09/2017 at 11:38

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Sat 23 Sep 2017 12:23
Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere - argybargy

On reviews in general, double-edged sword. Its been stated many times, and worth saying again that most people who are happy with a product don't bother to review it, and it tends to be only those who are unhappy who make the effort. Weebay has comments in the negative feedback sections from people who obviously need to be spoon fed the most basic of information about the items they buy. However, if something is REALLY bad, as in the airline you mention, ORB, then it is likely to be accurately reflected in reviews.

Some suppliers of electrical appliances and DIY products weed out bad reviews; I know this because I've given them in the past and they've not been published. I bought a garden bench from one retailer; when I got the thing home, it turned out to have some woodworm damage and the holes for the assembling bolts didn't line up. I didn't take it back, mainly because I couldn't be bothered putting the bits back in the box and driving ten miles there and back. Instead, I bypassed the bolt situation by drilling extra holes and treated it with woodworm killer just in case. To be fair, it was dirt cheap.

However, I did post a bad review because I really didn't think they should be selling stuff in that condition. Of course, it didn't appear.

Bit easier with cars because we have sites like this one, with a general culture of honesty and openness.

Edited by argybargy on 23/09/2017 at 12:23

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Sat 23 Sep 2017 12:51
Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere - oldroverboy.

No need to mention the cheap airline concerned, but they are dirt cheap, so no inconvenience to us.

Stansted to Dinard £9.99 each way? Nuremberg £12.99? Verona £18.99? Porto £9.99?

it's cheap. I expect nothing other than to be got there and have (touch wood) been on time for 14 trips so far this year.

I too have found reviews deleted or got the glib answer... "we are sorry to hear of your experience" and nothing changes.

went to a reccommended pub in Cambridge a few months back swmbo's salad black with mould. sent bck both meals, asked for refund (given) but when i posted a review it got an apology, but disappeared shirtly afterwards.

Hmmmm!

Edited by oldroverboy. on 23/09/2017 at 12:54

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Sat 23 Sep 2017 13:51
Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere - gordonbennet

I think you have to read between the lines a bit on reviews.

Overegged puddings and too many glowing similarly worded reviews in short time frames are one thing i look for, and if a negative review then at the very least it wants to be literate to be taken seriously.

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Sat 23 Sep 2017 16:21
Review comments - Reviews here and elsewhere - argybargy

Just lately I've been idly browsing dealer reviews on Facebook, some of which tend to follow a particular pattern. Conferring sainthood on the salesperson, insisting that he or she couldn't have done more for the customer, even if they'd paid for the car themselves, and then expressing boundless enthusiasm for returning to buy another car as soon as possible.

"Steve from xxxxx (company) couldn't have been more helpful, even if he'd managed to arrange world peace while he was selling me the car. He put me at my ease, explained all the financial options ( particularly the expensive ones) blinded me with his pearly white teeth and even arranged for a little voice to repeat incessantly whilst I was under hypnosis that the part ex he offered on my old car was extremely generous. The deal was clinched when he threw in an advertising sticker for his garage to go on my new number plate and a free air freshener. I'll certainly use xxxx again!"

Of course, they could be genuine and I'm just a cynic.

Edited by argybargy on 23/09/2017 at 16:23

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