‘Buyers should be wary of online reviews’

Poor quality products are being boosted by inflated reviews on the websites of some of the UK’S biggest retailers, potentially misleading consumers, an investigation has claimed. Consumer watchdog Which? looked at 15 products it had rated as “Don’t Buys” – given to products that fail to meet the standards of its rigorous, independent tests.

Although “Don’t Buy” status means a product should be avoided, researchers found many of the items scored four stars or higher based on online customer reviews at Amazon, Argos, Currys PC World and John Lewis.

Natalie Hitchins of Which? said: “Our research suggests you should take online customer reviews with a pinch of salt.”