eva666•4mo ago

Remember when Amazon reviews actually told you if a product was good?

I was scrolling through a listing for a cheap desk lamp last night and noticed the top reviews were all from 2012 or earlier. Back then people would write paragraphs about how the hinge held up after 3 years or if the bulb flickered. Now you get 2 word reviews like "works great" from people who probably used it once. What happened to the detailed stuff we used to lean on for buying decisions? Anybody else scroll back to old reviews on purpose now?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

susansingh4mo ago

OH please, I actually PREFER the short reviews! Who has TIME to read a novel about a desk lamp when I can scroll through 50 people saying "works great" in under a minute and know it's probably fine?

8

wadeg924mo ago

I get what you're saying @susansingh, but I have to disagree. Those short reviews don't tell me anything about the lamp other than it turns on. I want to know if the light is warm or cold, if the base is heavy enough to stay put, if the cord is long enough to reach my desk. A guy who just says "works great" could be reviewing a lamp that flickers after two weeks and he just hasn't noticed yet. I'd rather read one detailed review that mentions the weird hum it makes after an hour than scan fifty people who got paid for a free product. Speed is nice, but I need real info to make a purchase decision.

4