to wonder whether customer reviews are helpful?

[Bogeyface]

Because it seems to most people dont bother to leave a review unless there is a problem!

I am after a summerhouse, have some money in the bank and am looking around. The problem is that no matter where I look, the vast majority of reviews are negative. If I took them all on face value then I would never ever get one! I had the same problem when I was buying my new carpet from a very reputable manufacturer and reseller, 90% of the reviews were negative.

As it is, I have no idea where to go, at least with the carpet I knew what I was looking at, but not with Summerhouses!

AIBU to think that only pissed off people leave reviews?

Oops Buzzard, that is the one that I decided not to order from! The prices seem too good to be true and the reviews were either awful or far too perfect iykwim!

Oh god, sorry. They were recommended to me as I was looking at some in a sales room. Thanks for letting me know though, they may be well priced but would still have been an expensive mistake

I work.in a Hotel and like to read the TA reviews for our place. In all fairness, some points are reasonable (comments if the lift breaks down or a kid poops in the pool so it closes for cleaning), but some are just plain daft! One customer complained that "not even a bottle of champagne in the room on arrival - shocking considering the price" - £99.00 b&b in a 4star country club! Bloody bargain id say!

I am a ardent user of Tripadvisor, I contribute as well as use it to research any possible holidays. I think you can tell the ones to ignore and the ones to take seriously.
I think if I am researching a hotel in another country I tend not to take any notice of contributors from the same country in case they are competition. I also take more notice of senior contributors as they have a more rounded experience in my opinion.
I would be lost without these review websites.

I am now a little suspicious if reviews are on the website of the company concerned. I bought a product from Firebox and once I received it, discovered it did not do what it said on the tin. It had been badly decribed and was (and is) still badly represented on the web page. i emailed with a complaint and withouht question, they sent me a return postage label and refunded me.

I wrote a review simply stating the facts, in order to tell people who may be thinking of buying the item that it would not do as it said it would. My review was not particularly scathing and to the point. Despite sending it twice in a week it has never been on the site. I would be loath to take any of their reviews seriously.

One company I would totally trust with reviews, good and bad is QVC. They also have an excellent customer service ethic and returns policy.

Agree about QVC.