If you haven’t yet visited Amazon’s mobile site, it makes for a very convenient way to find reviews on consumer products while you’re on the go. Just hit amazon.com from your mobile device to give it a try. I use my Verizon XV6800 Windows Mobile phone to slyly find reviews when I’m about to make an impulse purchase.
Here’s an example. This summer, I purchased an on-demand coffee maker from Wał-Mart on a whim. While I was in the coffee maker aisle, I whipped out my phone and easily found said item using the search feature on the home page. I saw Amazon’s price, which happened to be higher than Wal-Mart’s, and then saw the average review score and a list of the actual reviews by consumers like myself. After reading a
few pages of the reviews, I made the decision to purchase the coffee maker, and the reviews were spot-on.
Please keep in mind that Amazon makes it relatively easy to “game” their reviews. This means that companies who manufacture the product might make some reviews about their own product. A competitor might also write a fake bad review and suggest their product instead. Generally, you should mentally filter out one-sided reviews that don’t have any legitimate pros or cons about the product. Few consumer products are perfect these days, and you should keep that in mind. Also, you should be especially wary of a review which turns a bad point into a good point (i.e. “My only complaint about this product is that it is so beautiful that it takes the attention away from my new granite countertops”).
Let’s analyze some real Amazon reviews for fun. We’ll use a product that I own, the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset. This happens to be an pretty good product, so we’ll take a look at a good and a bad review.
Review 1: 5 Stars
I have had this headset for over six months now, and have only good things to say about it. The chat is clear, and the controls are well placed. I often run up a floor to grab a mid-game snack and can still participate in the voice chat with my comrades. If you are serious about taking your chat to the next level, I suggest you buy this. Its battery life runs for about eight hours, which is more than enough for all but the most serious (and socially deprived) gamers. It has a rechargeable battery which I have found recharges in about 3-4 hours. It is fairly well made, and has withstood numerous drops and even a game induced frusturated throw or two.
This reviewer seems to be honest in his review, but there is a lack of any bad points in this review. In my experience, a walk just slightly out of range from the console produces an awful buzzing noise which is only audible to the people in my party, resulting in them screaming at me to reset my mic. If this guy is going down a floor, he has probably experienced this phenomenon at least once, as it is a very common problem with this headset. I’m not saying this is a fraudulent review, but I would probably filter it out if I didn’t know more about the product.
Review 2: 1 Star
Do no buy this product from the same seller. Product was advertised as new and came in just “as is”. Not in original package and does not have an instruction book. Not happy with sale at all. A annoying beep also happens when the headset is turned on and happens even minute. You are better off keeping your original headset.
This unhappy reviewer rated the product based on his dismal transaction with what is probably one of Amazon’s partners. The “annoying beep” he’s referring to is the sound that happens when his headset is muted. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t know this because the manual wasn’t included. This review is unfortunate because he rated the product poorly based on his transaction, which unfairly dragged down the product’s average review score.
So, those are some examples of some reviews that would at least take with a grain of salt. Here is an example of a good review that you should consider most highly
Review 3: 4 Stars
I’ve had my 360 since Christmas 2007 and just went Live earlier this week. My corded headset crapped out the FIRST time I used it so I went out and bought this wireless unit.
The unit I purchased is one of the newer models that come with the USB charger. Not a bad feature, but I’d prefer an AC charger. Charge time is pretty slow, taking up to 6 hours for a complete charge. Fortunately I tend to play at night so if my headset dies, I just plug it in before I go to bed and it’s ready to go when I get up.
The sound quality is pretty good. I hear everyone clearly and have had no complaints from other players about me sounding strange or about static over the connection. I would like to see future models add a quick mute function. I liked that feature in the wired headset.
My other little complaint is that the earpiece(s) don’t fit my ears well. This could be user error, or it may be because my ears are a bit larger than average. The unit never seems to fit securely, but has yet to fall off so can I really dock it points?
All in all, despite a couple small complaints, this headset does what it sets out to do; give gamers the ability to communicate with others clearly, without the hastles of being wired to the controler. I would recommend this to any 360 Live users.
This review features valid good and bad points, so this is an example of what I consider to be a good Amazon review.
One more advantage of using Amazon’s mobile site is that you can often find better information than asking a clueless retail sales representative. Even if the rep isn’t clueless, he might suggest a higher-priced item in hopes of getting a higher commission, depending on where you shop.
Save some money or change your mind about a purchase from using this site? Let me know by commenting below.