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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to find this amazon thing so irritating

28 replies

peachesandclean · 08/03/2019 17:34

Been on Amazon a lot recently, for all manner of things, and I always have a good rummage through the item page, and on the "Customer questions and answers", SO MANY PEOPLE have just written "I don't know" or "it wasn't for me so I can't help" or "I can't answer that , I wouldn't know" or something else equally unhelpful and a waste of everyones time

if you don't know........ maybe don't answer the unrequired question with such a pointless answer???

Very minor thing but my goodness it grates my ears

OP posts:

Tensixtysix · 08/03/2019 17:36

True, it is annoying. I always go through the reviews. I trust the BAD reviews more than the good ones.

steff13 · 08/03/2019 17:38

When I was shopping for my daughter's nursery, there was a lamp on there I liked. It only had one review, and it was 1-star. The reviewer said that the box was damaged when they received it. That's it. Nothing about the lamp, whether it worked, whether they tried to replace it if it didn't work. 🙄

ThePants999 · 08/03/2019 18:08

Totally with you. It's like these people think that someone has reached out through the web to ask them, personally, question after question.

DGRossetti · 08/03/2019 18:13

No idea, sorry

why0why · 08/03/2019 18:13

It's because Amazon emails these questions to people, you click on the 'answer the question button' in the email to respond - some people think that they personally have been asked this question, so they reply not realising that it's going on the product page. Those more technically literate don't bother.

minipie · 08/03/2019 18:15

ah that explains it whyohwhy!

I thought maybe people got some kind of reward for answering lots of questions (without anyone checking whether the answer is helpful)

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/03/2019 18:17

"I haven't opened the box yet as it's a present for my Grandson's birthday, but I'm sure he'll love it - 5 stars."

"It works exactly as it should, but what else can you say about it as it's just an ordinary extension lead - 3 stars."

64sNewName · 08/03/2019 18:17

Yeah, I’ve had these emails and I can see why people get confused. It’s a terrible system but at some level it must register as “engagement” in a positive way 🙄

bokkleorandoove · 08/03/2019 18:18

It’s the same with tripadvisor q&as for the same reason why0why has mentioned above.

ChodeofChodeHall · 08/03/2019 18:18

This is like when people write a review saying, "I bought this book but I don't know what it's like because I haven't read it yet".

MirandaWest · 08/03/2019 18:18

It annoys me when people give a review saying something like “present for granddaughter so hope she likes it”. Doesn’t tell me anything about it

Ohnonotuagain · 08/03/2019 18:21

Oooooh the mystery is solved for me as well as I always wondered why people did that and just assumed they had way too much time on their hands.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/03/2019 18:24

Yes. It's probably the same people, bless them, who don't 'get' that algorithms couldn't care less about politeness, so instead of typing "Crawley bus timetable" they type "Could you please help me find out the bus times as I'm visiting my sister Doris in Crawley on Saturday for a coffee and cake and my car's in at the garage being fixed this week. Thank you very much."

OddCat · 08/03/2019 18:27

I saw an M & S review about a pair of shoes. The person was scathing, saying that it was the worse purchase she had ever made because the shoes were too big . She had bought an extra wide pair and they were too wide for her feet

origamiunicorn · 08/03/2019 18:27

OP this reminds me of those Google travel questions where you Google a place and people ask questions such as..."Does this pub allow dogs" and people write "Not sure sorry never been" I even saw one man write "Don't know why you're asking me." Not quite grasping the concept there! 😂

origamiunicorn · 08/03/2019 18:28

@ThePants999 Totally with you. It's like these people think that someone has reached out through the web to ask them, personally, question after question. Yes that's exactly it 😂

Original poster

peachesandclean · 08/03/2019 18:32

@origami exactly! do they not realise that if that is the case, they needn't reply!!

I'm glad it's not just me whose knickers are in a twist about this lol

OP posts:

Justanotherlurker · 08/03/2019 18:35

You sometimes get legendary ones on there, the sugar free gummy bears is one I remember, and the famous Ken M has a few on there as well, but in general it's what why0why says and there are some who do genuine reviews.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/03/2019 18:40

True, it is annoying. I always go through the reviews. I trust the BAD reviews more than the good ones.

You still get the odd person, though, who doesn't understand that 5 stars is excellent/perfect and 1 star is rubbish/avoid: "I'm so impressed by this, it's all I could possibly have wanted and more, have recommended to all of my friends - 1 star."

And a lot of people seem to think that 3 stars is the default, so if it's perfect, they give it that; whereas most people see 3 stars as only 60% perfect/reliable, so all right but not that great. 3 stars means that the product has LOST 2 stars for some specific reason from the target 5 stars.

I do wonder what these people think the 4 or 5 star options could possibly be for and if they're the same sort whose minds it would never even cross to think to say thank you when somebody holds the door for them.

Thegirlwithnousername · 08/03/2019 18:43

I also think the reviewed ones such as haven't used it as it's a present reviews, You get a chance to be entered into a prize draw if you do a review so people just say that to get entered? If I remember correctly I have had that email.

rainbowcakes · 08/03/2019 19:00

I was having this discussion with my mum earlier!! Im pregnant with my first baby and I'm an avid reader of reviews before buying most things..... those ones on amazon Q&A drive me absolutely mad!! I assumed if they've bought the item previously, they receive an automated email inviting them to answer questions other people have asked about it.... not realising its not asking them personally!

And the ones who leave a review about the good (or bad) packaging and fast delivery .... I couldn't care less, tell me what the actual product is like!!!

Kaddm · 08/03/2019 19:06

I think some people feel they are duty bound to reply to the email sent for feedback or questions. If they don’t know, they are simply answering honestly. I don’t mind seeing stuff like this, I think it’s the fault of the companies sending email after email.

DecumusScotti · 08/03/2019 19:07

I spotted this review today: a book given one star, with the pithy review: ‘Not yet downloaded to my library.’

Helpful. 👍

CottonSock · 08/03/2019 19:08

I'm fairly tech savvy and the first time I had one of those emails I thought it was directed at me. It's the way they word them

hdh747 · 08/03/2019 19:16

The other thing is Amazon send the emails about 2 nano seconds after you've had it delivered. It would make way more sense if they sent out a monthly, 'how were your purchases this month, please review' kinds thing so people can remember to review anything they actually have something useful to say about.

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