How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4˜… or above with 70% being 5˜…, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2˜… - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1˜… - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

On 3/11/2017 10:18 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4˜… or above with 70% being 5˜…, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2˜… - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1˜… - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

I look at them all, unless there are thousands, then I just sample, and
consider the average as most important.

On 3/11/2017 10:18 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4˜… or above with 70% being 5˜…, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2˜… - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1˜… - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?


If it has more than about 10% one star I am cautious but more than 20% I
will pass. You can give people a stack of $100 bills and there will be
those few that will complain about something.

I just ordered a Toslink cable. I looked at four of them, Three had 1
star reviews with the same complaint about the fit. 10%, 4%, 4%. Then
another brand that cost a dollar more had no bad reviews out of 966.
I'll spend another buck to eliminate the potential for problems.

I've been fortunate as nothing I bought on line had to be returned. I
do some research though. Amazon has been a major source of "stuff" for
me but I have bought elsewhere. If I can buy the same item locally at
close to the same price I will as it give me a chance to touch the item
too.

Per DerbyDad03:
But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

Mainly gut feel, but for big stuff I resort to a system where I write
down the objective followed by "Musts" and "Wants".

The "Musts" become go-no-go's.

Each "Want" is assigned a weight and for each proposed solution, I add a
value as to how well is satisfies the "Want".... then I multiply and
add....

If nothing else, it becomes a good communication device to smoke out
where somebody really is in the decision-making process.

I think it goes by the name "Kepner-Trego Decision Analysis".
--
Pete Cresswell

On Sat, 11 Mar 2017 07:18:56 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote:

How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4? or above with 70% being 5?, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2? - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1? - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

Depends on the item. I canceled my subscription to Consumers Reports
many years ago because their car surveys were far from my reality.
They used circles instead of stars.
In general if the item is on Amazon I look for a 3 star minimum.
Having hundreds of reviews simplifies the winnowing process.
Occasionally, if there aren't enough reviews, I'll go as low as
2 1/2 stars. Did that with a washing machine and a motherboard, and
had no problems with either. But felt compelled to buy a replacement
warranty for the washer, which added a couple hundred to the price.

Per DerbyDad03:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4? or above with 70% being 5?, or
something like that?

I missed the point of the OP first time around....

I look at the Amazon reviews a couple different ways.

First thing, I look for 4-5 stars average.

then I select the low reviews (1 and 2 stars) and read through some of
them - trying so spot some quality or basic design issue.

Then I select all reviews and look for situations where shills are
posting fake positive reviews - there's a certain feel to the
descriptive language that will make me conclude it's a fake review.
--
Pete Cresswell

On 3/11/2017 1:39 PM, Vic Smith wrote:
On Sat, 11 Mar 2017 07:18:56 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote:

How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4? or above with 70% being 5?, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2? - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1? - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

Depends on the item. I canceled my subscription to Consumers Reports
many years ago because their car surveys were far from my reality.
They used circles instead of stars.
In general if the item is on Amazon I look for a 3 star minimum.
Having hundreds of reviews simplifies the winnowing process.
Occasionally, if there aren't enough reviews, I'll go as low as
2 1/2 stars. Did that with a washing machine and a motherboard, and
had no problems with either. But felt compelled to buy a replacement
warranty for the washer, which added a couple hundred to the price.


My caveat with Amazon reviews is that Amazon will request you doing them
when you have not yet even opened the package or just opened it. When
the purchase is time tested, your opinion of it could change considerably.

On 3/11/2017 1:39 PM, Vic Smith wrote:


Depends on the item. I canceled my subscription to Consumers Reports
many years ago because their car surveys were far from my reality.
They used circles instead of stars.

Cancelled many years ago for the same reason. What they considered a
fault on an appliance I thought was one of the best features. They
definitely have a bias.

On 2017-03-11, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

They definitely have a bias.

This became blatantly apparent when CR rated a Toyota vehicle as being
superior to a similar GM branded vehicle. Turns out both vehicles
were the exact same vehicle produced on the exact same factory
assembly line (Fremont, CA, NUMMI plant).

IOW, zero difference, other than the biased reviews.

nb

On 2017-03-11, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

Then I select all reviews and look for situations where shills are
posting fake positive reviews - there's a certain feel to the
descriptive language that will make me conclude it's a fake review.

I've been caught in that exact same situation, only I lost.

Amazon had 100+ five-star reviews, witha nary a single negative.
Turns out the item was junk and I re-evaluated those positive reviews
and finally noticed they all used similar terms to describe the item.
This after being a Prime member fer a couple yrs. Fortunately, I
spent less than $20 on this particular Amazon scam.

nb

On 03/11/2017 12:39 PM, Vic Smith wrote:

[snip]

Depends on the item. I canceled my subscription to Consumers Reports
many years ago because their car surveys were far from my reality.
They used circles instead of stars.

They changed that. Now its:

2 up arrows (much better than average)
up arrow (better than average)
vertical line (average)
down arrow (worse than average)
2 down arrows (much worse than average)

Supposed to be more understandable than the old way (with the filled red
or black circles)

[snip]

In article ,
says...

On 2017-03-11, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

Then I select all reviews and look for situations where shills are
posting fake positive reviews - there's a certain feel to the
descriptive language that will make me conclude it's a fake review.

I've been caught in that exact same situation, only I lost.

Amazon had 100+ five-star reviews, witha nary a single negative.
Turns out the item was junk and I re-evaluated those positive reviews
and finally noticed they all used similar terms to describe the item.
This after being a Prime member fer a couple yrs. Fortunately, I
spent less than $20 on this particular Amazon scam.

nb

I always get suspicious of anything that has all positive reviews. As
someone mentioned it people were given $ 100 bills someone would
complain about the color, or not being fresh enough, or some other
equally negative review.

Unless I know someone whose opinion I value has one I try not to buy
that item.

On Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 1:50:04 PM UTC-5, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per DerbyDad03:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4? or above with 70% being 5?, or
something like that?

I missed the point of the OP first time around....

I look at the Amazon reviews a couple different ways.

First thing, I look for 4-5 stars average.

then I select the low reviews (1 and 2 stars) and read through some of
them - trying so spot some quality or basic design issue.

Then I select all reviews and look for situations where shills are
posting fake positive reviews - there's a certain feel to the
descriptive language that will make me conclude it's a fake review.
--
Pete Cresswell

I can't find it right now, but I read a detailed 1˜… review for a product
where the author included 4 bullet points labeled 1-4. It was a well written
review and clearly explained what the author didn't like.

Further down was another 1˜… review, written by a (supposedly) different
author and dated 2 years later. It was a detailed 1˜… review where the author
include 2 bullet points labeled 1-2. Those 2 bullet points were word for word
the same as bullet points 3 & 4 of the earlier review.

In addition, while not 100% word for word, the opening paragraphs in both
reviews were probably 85-90% word for word.

Either the later reviewer was too lazy to write his own review and just
use copy/paste from the earlier review or the first reviewer decided to
come back and slam the product again, 2 years later.

Then again, maybe the first reviewer forgot that he hated the product and
bought it again 2 years later. ;-)

Per notbob:
Fortunately, I
spent less than $20 on this particular Amazon scam.

I am totally hooked on Amazon Prime: free shipping, and returns are
about as painless as they can be.

I want to return something:

- Click on the "Return" option

- Print out the FedEx (or is it UPS?)
label.

- Box the item, stick on the label

- Either find a UPS/FedEx truck or drop
it off at the nearby facility.

No shipping costs on the return, no if's-and's-or-but's... a beautiful
thing.... unless, of course, you are brick-and-mortar merchant.
--
Pete Cresswell

On Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 5:20:43 PM UTC-5, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per notbob:
Fortunately, I
spent less than $20 on this particular Amazon scam.

I am totally hooked on Amazon Prime: free shipping, and returns are
about as painless as they can be.

I want to return something:

- Click on the "Return" option

- Print out the FedEx (or is it UPS?)
label.

- Box the item, stick on the label

- Either find a UPS/FedEx truck or drop
it off at the nearby facility.

No shipping costs on the return, no if's-and's-or-but's... a beautiful
thing.... unless, of course, you are brick-and-mortar merchant.
--
Pete Cresswell

I'll agree with the painless returns, but don't be fooled by the "free
shipping".

Less than a minute ago I ordered an new clock movement for my classic
"circular saw blade shop clock".

$11.99 Prime, arrives by March 14.

$10.99 with free shipping from a different seller, arrives March 14-17.
If things go as they typically do, it'll be here no later than the 15th,
but even the 17th is fine.

The other day I was looking at LED bulbs for my trailer. $12.98 Prime,
$9.99 + $2.99 shipping ($12.98) from a different seller. So maybe they
show up a day or 2 later. Rarely is the shipping time that critical,
at least not for me.

What some folks call "free shipping" with Prime, I usually describe as
"free guaranteed 2 day delivery". That's what you actually get with Prime,
but it's often built into the price and subsidized by your membership fee.

Now, one thing I am impressed with as far as Amazon goes is their phone-based
customer service. I don't think I've ever been on-hold for even a minute
waiting for a rep. I don't know how many call centers they have or how big
they are, but for a company with as many customers as Amazon to have
virtually no wait time for a live person is pretty amazing.

On Sat, 11 Mar 2017 13:52:28 -0500, Frank "frank wrote:

My caveat with Amazon reviews is that Amazon will request you doing them
when you have not yet even opened the package or just opened it. When
the purchase is time tested, your opinion of it could change considerably.

I just bought a product on Amazon I saw on Youtube. The person using
it was fair in his review. Before it arrived I got an email that if I
gave it a 5 star on Amazon. screen capture my review, they would send
me a wrist band, Oh Boy. The package had not even been delivered yet.

Maybe next week I'll use the burger press and make a stuffed hamburger
with some cheese, onion and bacon :-)

Tom's video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHipRgg-0no

I find a lot a product reviews on Youtude by BBQ guys and have bought
a number of them.

On 2017-03-11, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

I am totally hooked on Amazon Prime: free shipping, and returns are
about as painless as they can be.

Sounds like you have mucho practice on returning stuff to Amazon.

When I had Prime, I discovered I tended to order a lotta stuff I
didn't really need. One good thing! Amazon Prime will ship most
anything. I ordered something as cheap as $2.35USD and, by dog, it
was on my doorstep two days later!

nb

On Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 7:28:36 PM UTC-5, notbob wrote:
On 2017-03-11, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

I am totally hooked on Amazon Prime: free shipping, and returns are
about as painless as they can be.

Sounds like you have mucho practice on returning stuff to Amazon.

When I had Prime, I discovered I tended to order a lotta stuff I
didn't really need. One good thing! Amazon Prime will ship most
anything. I ordered something as cheap as $2.35USD and, by dog, it
was on my doorstep two days later!

nb

My computer at work is on a network that causes websites to think that I am in NYC.

Some of the items on Amazon come up as available for *same day* delivery until
I give Amazon the real shipping address. Then I get the Prime 2 Day Guarantee.

On 3/11/2017 10:18 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4˜… or above with 70% being 5˜…, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2˜… - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1˜… - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?


I don't consider anything under 4 unless the qty of reviews are under
10. Then I will read them to determine the irrelevant ones as you stated.

Occasionally there is/are reviews where a person(s) provides very
precise detail which clearly displays they know what they are talking
about. Sometimes I may simply take their word for it and risk a
purchase. Overall, the more reviews the better with a 4+ rating is my
option.

On 3/11/2017 10:18 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
How do you use the 5 Star rating system to make a decision?

Do you have number, such as 80% 4˜… or above with 70% being 5˜…, or
something like that?

Obviously, we have to toss the irrelevant reviews like:

2˜… - I bought this for my daughter and she hates the color.
1˜… - This sink doesn't fit in the hole I have in my counter.

But in general, do you have a "system" or is it just gut feel after
reviewing the reviews?

I've read that it is best to look at the 3 star reviews.
Some of the 5 star people may have an agenda. Some of the
1 star may have a bias, didn't use it properly, got a lemon,
or as you said, didn't like the color.

Those who rate things 3 stars it's said are usually a bit
more critical in their evaluations.

On 3/11/17 1:03 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 3/11/2017 1:39 PM, Vic Smith wrote:


Depends on the item. I canceled my subscription to Consumers
Reports many years ago because their car surveys were far from my
reality. They used circles instead of stars.

Cancelled many years ago for the same reason. What they considered a
fault on an appliance I thought was one of the best features. They
definitely have a bias.

Consumer Reports is handy because it will bring up issues I
wouldn't have thought of on my own. That said, they're tree huggers.
And I get the idea kids would never be able to
run without helmets if CR writers had their way.

If it is on sale and the reviews are 4 plus look at the dates of the reviews.
Batteries included could arrive dead. Both a flashlight from ledlenser and an rca tablet i bought had 4 plus reviews but the items werre old and dead upon arrival. The light was destroyed by an installed leaker and the tab wont hold a charge.

On 03/11/2017 03:31 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:

[snip]

I always get suspicious of anything that has all positive reviews.

I do too. I look for a high percentage (but not 100%) of positive reviews.

As
someone mentioned it people were given $ 100 bills someone would
complain about the color, or not being fresh enough, or some other
equally negative review.

BTW, The last $100 bill I saw looked more blue than green. That is NOT a
complaint.

Unless I know someone whose opinion I value has one I try not to buy
that item.


I recently got a defective product from Amazon. They do make returns easy.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own.
You may both be wrong.

On 3/12/2017 4:17 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:



I recently got a defective product from Amazon. They do make returns easy.


Yes.

On 2017-03-12, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/12/2017 4:17 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:

I recently got a defective product from Amazon. They do make returns easy.

Yes.

So, yer saying Amazon has excellent shipping, but zero quality
assurance?? I can agree with that.

nb

On 3/12/2017 5:11 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2017-03-12, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 3/12/2017 4:17 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:

I recently got a defective product from Amazon. They do make returns easy.

Yes.

So, yer saying Amazon has excellent shipping, but zero quality
assurance?? I can agree with that.

nb


Nope, not at all. I've placed hundreds of orders and only had one
defective item. They replaced it and I did not have to send the defect
back. I placed 56 orders in 2016 and 8 so far this year.

I just bought a Samsung 4K TV, 55". It would be a PITA for me to pick
it up and haul home. Amazon has a scheduled delivery service included
in the price. Two guys delivered it, unpacked, assembled, took away the
packing material. Same price as the competition.

I also watched "The Grand Tour" today in 4K from Prime. They are doing
a lot of programming in 4k. The new season of Bosch starts soon.

Per notbob:
So, yer saying Amazon has excellent shipping, but zero quality
assurance??

I would think that part of their quality assurance is not charging Prime
customers shipping on returns. ... i.e. if somebody's shipping junk, the
return costs come back to bite them.
--
Pete Cresswell