Online reviews – what should you believe and not believe?

THE advent of the worldwide web changed the way we buy and sell. It is full of offers to buy this, that and the other.

Sometimes it’s great – it allows us to purchase goods from Glasgow, London or Australia. There are bargains to be had. It can also be a place to get ripped off. Claire Bateman, of Carlisle, wanted to sell her old phone. There are many companies who will take a used mobile off your hands. Claire looked at a few online and opted for Phone Recyclers, based in Birmingham.

It offered the best price, £270, so Claire sent her device. It took such a long time for the money to be deposited into her account that Claire ended up contacting Raw Deal. We quickly solved the problem, of course. Phone Recyclers told us there had been a problem in its finance department but it swiftly got Claire’s cash paid into her account.

There are many review sites where people tell of their experiences with companies.

Now not all such “reviews” should be believed, though. Some may be mischievous, or there may be another side to the story.

On the other hand, there are dark rumours of fake reviews that praise goods and services far beyond what they deserve – and there have been newspaper reports of the Government bringing in fines to combat this.

If you Google “reviews” and the name of a shop, hotel or company – and see dozens of negative comments, perhaps you should think twice about becoming a customer.

You’d be more likely to hire a builder if your neighbour recommended him, and you would think twice about someone turning up at your door offering to tarmac your drive there and then. It’s the same sort of caution.