Consumer Product Reviews on Electronics?

[ummboutthat]

Sorry I have a lot to say so I'll break this up into sections:

main question: Does a Consumer product review affect your decision to purchase something electronic (TV, Cell phone, computer, etc.)?

normally I would answer no. what I want is what I get. other people have problems with a certain product but I don't have those issues. example: AT&T came out with a flip phone with a keyboard on both sides. it was in production for 8 to 10 months before they stopped making it. TONS of complaint's and people sending the phone back for repairs because the keyboard kept breaking! I had the phone for 5 to 6 years! NO PROBLEMS!.

Currently I'm in the market to upgrade from my AT&T HCT Tilt had for 6 or 7 years. it is bulky, making a call has become more difficult even when full bars are showing, sending text is more difficult, and phone freezes!. call has ended...but the screen reads in call and the minutes continue to count. I continuously press end button and nothing..pull the battery.

went looking for another phone to purchase HCT Tilt 2, which has everything I'm looking for. But at purchase I'm not able to put it on my bill. that's when I stopped the transaction and decided to read the consumer product reviews. WOW they are horrible!! don't buy this phone and worst phone I've ever had. only 2 reviews are good of the 17 total I've read - the phone freezes, bulky, and short battery life, and keep sending the phone back for repairs, are the most complaints.
So now I may not purchase the phone...
But usually I don't have problems like everyone else? are these people multi-tasking web, making purchases, several windows open, multiple apps open, while playing a game - then freeze and low battery life? of course you'll have these problems!!

but my issue is the freezing...cause my current phone will freeze just from a call.

so do I still get the phone and try it out during the trial period of 30 days? then of course after 60 or 90 days the issues start happening and I'm stuck! (which has already happened 33 days after purchase-I tried to get used to that Samsung Impression BUT couldn't and ended selling it on Gezille for half the price I paid-fully functional WITH Accessories) or do I just go with another phone entirely?

[fairlycrazy23]

Yes, it does effect my decision somewhat. I may look on Amazon to read the reviews and will normally pick the 'bad' reviews to read, and it is true that a lot of times the reason they rank something low is not something that would even be relevant to me, but sometimes there reviews show something I didn't even think about.

Remember a lot of times people will only post when it is bad, and not when it is good or ok, so it may be skewed, On your specific product HCT Tilt2 with 17 total reviews and only 2 positive, I probably wouldn't purchase it, without finding some more positive information.

[ineedaplan]

I have become addicted to amazon reviews. I will look at the most recent, a few of the worst, and a few of the best. It has influenced my purchases many times, both in purchasing and not purchasing. I will not ignore a largely negative set of reviews on a product, no matter how familiar I might be with a previous model of the same product. One of the few items I purchased "in a pinch" without looking at reviews was the samsung impression, and geez, was it ever a POS product.

[schildi]

Yes, I look at the reviews and ratings. As fairlycrazy, I am reading through a few bad ones to see if there is a pattern (same complaint), and if I think it would apply to me.
If there are only a handful of reviews, you need to be careful with the results, positive or negative. But if a product has been reviewed 2,000 times, and 1,800 of those are negative, I think twice.

[TD2K]

I look at the reviews. When I was looking at Blu-ray players the Samsung would stream Netflix. Their on-line reviews were not good and they only offered a 30 day warranty on labor. I bought a Panasonic.

I use Consumer Reports for their reliability ratings and to some extent their reviews (depending what I'm buying and how specific I know what I want for features). Granted, you can have zip problems with a product in spite of other people's experience but I would likely shy away from a product with apparently quality problems as I tend to keep my stuff for years.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

When I bought my cell phone, I looked at the complaints of why people DIDN'T like the phone and figured out if they were relevent to my lifestyle. I was interested in a phone that had a decent battery life that could be beat up. When I looked at the reviews, many complained that texting was difficult. I don't text, so wasn't relevent. Some said it was ugly. Yeah, it's ugly but I don't care. It has done everything I've wanted to do and I've not had any complaints - other than just needing to replace the 3+ year old battery.

[ummboutthat]

Excellent and thanks everyone - by end of business today everyone Karma +1
ineedaplan first =1
schildi=4 / fairlycrazy23=6/mich1=10/ YO TD2K =67
Reader79= 2

your reviews make since to me
I agree people will post first of bad experience rather than a good one.
in this case of the only 2 good reviews they do mention the phone freezes.

[MN-Investor]

Check out www.consumersearch.com/. They collect reviews from various sites and analyze the reviews to come up with a recommendation. They'll include sites like Amazon and NewEgg, along with sites like Consumer Reports. For stereo equipment, they'll look at reviews from stereo magazines, for small kitchen appliances, they'll include reviews from Cook's Illustrated.

[reader79]

I find that consumer reviews are gaining in importance to me, such that I will rarely purchase an electronic item without visiting several different sites to read them. I rely on Amazon, Crutchfield and Newegg the most.

Before I purchased my phone, I read that battery life was short. But I wanted an android with a touchscreen that could handle my data usage. So I bought two extra chargers. Life is good.

[The Virginian]

I have become addicted to amazon reviews

Me too! I trust these more than any paid professional reviewer. I always check out the Amazon reviews even if I don't buy from Amazon.