topic Re: Bogus reviews in Suggestion Box

Bogus reviews

Bjobrit — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:34:38 GMT

I've read 3 reviews now, all by the same person. She didn't purchase any of the items but feels she can give it one star because it's either "unhealthy" or "too expensive" in her eyes. Why do these reviews get posted? If someone doesn't read it but it affects the overall rating of an item it's not really valid.

Re: Bogus reviews

Kachina624 — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:42:35 GMT

QVC's review system is badly flawed. Unfortunately nobody but us customers seems to care. The best thing potential buyers can do is read the reviews and ignore inappropriate comments. There are many that are helpful.

Re: Bogus reviews

Lisa now in AZ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:52:57 GMT

I agree and have reported several of them for just those reasons. They either haven't purchased/used the product but they don't like the sizes offered, or wanted a different color, so they trash the product.

Or, on the other hand, for instance David's cookbooks, are given nothing but 5 stars before the book has even been printed and they let those stay, too.

I usually sort by low ratings, see if there is a trend in the product, or with stupid reviewers, and make my decision.

Re: Bogus reviews

IMW — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 23:36:32 GMT

@Bjobrit I totally agree. I write honest reviews after purchase and they don’t get posted. Strange system.

Re: Bogus reviews

Caaareful Shopper — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 11:33:03 GMT

@Bjobrit I 100% agree with you. Unfortunately, this issue is ages old, and QVC is, at the very least, unwilling to invest in a more accurate Review system.

However, I feel it’s much more than that.

QVC benefits greatly from that sales pitch, “Customer Top Rated.” So for every low rating from people who have never purchased the product, they probably have just as many or more 5-star ratings from people who have never purchased the product! But QVC will use all the 5-star ratings to sell, sell, sell. I bet if we could see the metrics, sales from stating Customer Top Rated greatly outweigh any adverse impact of 1-star bogus reviews.

I truly believe QVC uses the Reviews for their own benefit only, not for customers. It’s a shame.

Re: Bogus reviews

staciesmom — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 12:05:48 GMT

People giving a product 1 star because the shipment arrived damaged is a common problem.

Re: Bogus reviews

KentuckyWoman — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 13:15:08 GMT

I wrote a review on my mobile device and wasn't given the option to indicate that I had actually purchased the item. When the review finally did show up, it was marked as "no" I did not purchase. The review system is flawed. I have also made a mistake on my lap top and clicked no instead of yes. It happens but I never review an item I haven't purchased. Why bother?

Re: Bogus reviews

Caaareful Shopper — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:45:01 GMT

@KentuckyWoman wrote:
I wrote a review on my mobile device and wasn't given the option to indicate that I had actually purchased the item. When the review finally did show up, it was marked as "no" I did not purchase. The review system is flawed. I have also made a mistake on my lap top and clicked no instead of yes. It happens but I never review an item I haven't purchased. Why bother?

@KentuckyWoman I have done that also, clicked No, when I should have clicked, Yes. The screen jumps so much that it's bound to happen sometimes. But I'm sure your review, like mine, clearly stated an actual review of having purchased and used the item. Mine talked about what I keep in the specific pockets, the ease of the zipper pulls, cleanly wiping out a spill inside -- clearly a review based on me actually having the item. Noting like the ones that say, "why doesn't it come in narrow?!" = 1-star review. Or, "this brand is back?? Yay!" = 5-star review.

Re: Bogus reviews

mimomof4 — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:47:39 GMT

@staciesmom wrote:
People giving a product 1 star because the shipment arrived damaged is a common problem.

Yes it or or they didn't like the color choices offered.

Re: Bogus reviews

Gorgf — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:54:24 GMT

@mimomof4 or how about I never received the item I ordered I have tried to review on HSN but if the item is the same but under a different configuration it is not even allowed or if I bought that item on Q not allowed. They do a better job in that respect.

Re: Bogus reviews

CalminHeart — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:35:02 GMT

I've never had trouble identifying and ignoring bogus reviews. We can't control others but we can control how we react. The older I get the more I wish I'd known long ago to not sweat the small stuff. jmo.

Re: Bogus reviews

Ketra — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 12:47:18 GMT

@Bjobrit wrote:
I've read 3 reviews now, all by the same person. She didn't purchase any of the items but feels she can give it one star because it's either "unhealthy" or "too expensive" in her eyes. Why do these reviews get posted? If someone doesn't read it but it affects the overall rating of an item it's not really valid.

@Bjobrit You are stating that these reviews are bogus, however, they are legitimate reviews. QVC has this option for a reason. People are reviewing the product they purchased and also providing a review as to why they would not purchase the product. Both types of reviews should give some factual knowledge about the product, This provides QVC valuable information as to why some customers are not purchasing the product. The review also specifies that the customer did not purchase the product and why. Some food items contain harmful ingredients such as aluminum, propylene glycol (used in antfreeze), etc.... If I see ingredients like that in food that I’m interested in buying, I will rate it with 1 star and explain why I would never buy the product. I also recommend that the manufacturer make their products without known toxic ingredients. If enough people do this maybe some manufacturers will remove unhealthy ingredients from their products. Also, if a product is twice to three times as much at QVC as other stores I will give it 1 star and state my reason. Obviously I understand QVC’s rating system as they still have the option to review even if the product is not purchased. I also give 5 star reviews for items that I really like. Some people only give 1 star reviews to complain, but never give positive reviews. I may not like that, but they are free to do it. This complaint has been brought to QVC’s attention many times and they still have the option to review without purchasing so I guess they have their reasons.

Re: Bogus reviews

Ketra — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 13:07:34 GMT

@Lisa now in AZ wrote:
I agree and have reported several of them for just those reasons. They either haven't purchased/used the product but they don't like the sizes offered, or wanted a different color, so they trash the product.

Or, on the other hand, for instance David's cookbooks, are given nothing but 5 stars before the book has even been printed and they let those stay, too.

I usually sort by low ratings, see if there is a trend in the product, or with stupid reviewers, and make my decision.

@Lisa now in AZ Reviews are not just utilized by the customers, but by QVC as well. Reviews are subjective opinions, and some may be useful to you and some not. Calling people “stupid reviewers” and getting personal because they don’t share your opinions is just a little over-the-top. People are not writing a formula for a new energy source here. These are opinions, even if they don’t make sense to you they have a right to express them. God gave you a good mind to look through these reviews and discern which ones are helpful to you.

Re: Bogus reviews

Caaareful Shopper — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:30:23 GMT

@Ketra wrote:
@Bjobrit wrote:
I've read 3 reviews now, all by the same person. She didn't purchase any of the items but feels she can give it one star because it's either "unhealthy" or "too expensive" in her eyes. Why do these reviews get posted? If someone doesn't read it but it affects the overall rating of an item it's not really valid.
@Bjobrit You are stating that these reviews are bogus, however, they are legitimate reviews. QVC has this option for a reason. People are reviewing the product they purchased and also providing a review as to why they would not purchase the product. Both types of reviews should give some factual knowledge about the product, This provides QVC valuable information as to why some customers are not purchasing the product. The review also specifies that the customer did not purchase the product and why. Some food items contain harmful ingredients such as aluminum, propylene glycol (used in antfreeze), etc.... If I see ingredients like that in food that I’m interested in buying, I will rate it with 1 star and explain why I would never buy the product. I also recommend that the manufacturer make their products without known toxic ingredients. If enough people do this maybe some manufacturers will remove unhealthy ingredients from their products. Also, if a product is twice to three times as much at QVC as other stores I will give it 1 star and state my reason. Obviously I understand QVC’s rating system as they still have the option to review even if the product is not purchased. I also give 5 star reviews for items that I really like. Some people only give 1 star reviews to complain, but never give positive reviews. I may not like that, but they are free to do it. This complaint has been brought to QVC’s attention many times and they still have the option to review without purchasing so I guess they have their reasons.

@Ketra I totally disagree.

Your examples are valid reasons for people not purchasing (or purchasing) a product, but don't place them in the review system. That's not the place for that information. QVC has the Q&A section online for the item, the Forum Board here, and their FB pages where customers frequently post their "concerns" about a product.

Would you want someone to review a movie or a book based on the artwork on the cover, or the personality of the director, having never seen the movie or read the book?

I don't need to know that "customer A" won't buy the item because the shipping is too high. That is a subjective opinion, and has no bearing on the product itself. I have my own opinion about shipping costs.

Re: Bogus reviews

Ketra — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:59:18 GMT

@Caaareful Shopper wrote:
@Ketra wrote:
@Bjobrit wrote:
I've read 3 reviews now, all by the same person. She didn't purchase any of the items but feels she can give it one star because it's either "unhealthy" or "too expensive" in her eyes. Why do these reviews get posted? If someone doesn't read it but it affects the overall rating of an item it's not really valid.
@Bjobrit You are stating that these reviews are bogus, however, they are legitimate reviews. QVC has this option for a reason. People are reviewing the product they purchased and also providing a review as to why they would not purchase the product. Both types of reviews should give some factual knowledge about the product, This provides QVC valuable information as to why some customers are not purchasing the product. The review also specifies that the customer did not purchase the product and why. Some food items contain harmful ingredients such as aluminum, propylene glycol (used in antfreeze), etc.... If I see ingredients like that in food that I’m interested in buying, I will rate it with 1 star and explain why I would never buy the product. I also recommend that the manufacturer make their products without known toxic ingredients. If enough people do this maybe some manufacturers will remove unhealthy ingredients from their products. Also, if a product is twice to three times as much at QVC as other stores I will give it 1 star and state my reason. Obviously I understand QVC’s rating system as they still have the option to review even if the product is not purchased. I also give 5 star reviews for items that I really like. Some people only give 1 star reviews to complain, but never give positive reviews. I may not like that, but they are free to do it. This complaint has been brought to QVC’s attention many times and they still have the option to review without purchasing so I guess they have their reasons.

@Ketra I totally disagree.

Your examples are valid reasons for people not purchasing (or purchasing) a product, but don't place them in the review system. That's not the place for that information. QVC has the Q&A section online for the item, the Forum Board here, and their FB pages where customers frequently post their "concerns" about a product.

Would you want someone to review a movie or a book based on the artwork on the cover, or the personality of the director, having never seen the movie or read the book?

I don't need to know that "customer A" won't buy the item because the shipping is too high. That is a subjective opinion, and has no bearing on the product itself. I have my own opinion about shipping costs.

@Caaareful Shopper These reviews are not just for you the customer, they are for QVC too. Q&A is for asking questions to fellow customers, and other customers will answer them. Those weren’t the examples given in my post that you just answered. Also, QVC has a reason they have the selection “did you purchase the item yes or no” when posting the review. QVC wants to know the reason customers decided not to purchase the item. It’s not all about you, the customer, QVC gleans data from these reviews too. If QVC doesn’t think your review is appropriate they won’t post it. If you don’t like the questions QVC asks when entering reviews, ask them to change it. Until then, deal with it.

By the way, reviews are subjective.

Re: Bogus reviews

depglass — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 15:53:01 GMT

Put whoever "fixed" the boards on the task of "fixing" the reviews. It is possible. I no longer read many Amazon reviews after having a couple issues with them.

Re: Bogus reviews

Caaareful Shopper — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 16:28:47 GMT

@Ketra First of all, we can disagree and still maintain some semblance of consideration for the other. "Until then, deal with it" was rude and uncalled for.

I wasn't just responding to the examples in your post, I was expressing my reasoning for disagreeing with you. You did not give any response to my example of movie or book reviews either, so I guess that means we can make our own points accordingly..

Of course QVC gleans data from the reviews, real reviews: "Size down, according to customers who have already purchased this sweater;" "you may need to go a half size up on this boot," "some said last time this humidifier refill was troublesome to lift out, so now we've placed this version's refill at the top," etc.

How is it that HSN can handle REAL reviews and QVC cannot? At HSN their system won't even let you submit a review until you've received it at least 5 days prior.

Re: Bogus reviews

Ketra — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 16:52:34 GMT

@Caaareful Shopper wrote:
@Ketra First of all, we can disagree and still maintain some semblance of consideration for the other. "Until then, deal with it" was rude and uncalled for.

I wasn't just responding to the examples in your post, I was expressing my reasoning for disagreeing with you. You did not give any response to my example of movie or book reviews either, so I guess that means we can make our own points accordingly..

Of course QVC gleans data from the reviews, real reviews: "Size down, according to customers who have already purchased this sweater;" "you may need to go a half size up on this boot," "some said last time this humidifier refill was troublesome to lift out, so now we've placed this version's refill at the top," etc.

How is it that HSN can handle REAL reviews and QVC cannot? At HSN their system won't even let you submit a review until you've received it at least 5 days prior.

@Caaareful Shopper I gave examples of how I review using the “no I didn’t purchase” option in a legitimate way.
HSN and QVC have completely different questions when writing a product review. QVC has an option to enter a review if you did not purchase. They want to know what you didn’t like about the product that made the customer decide not to purchase. If this bothers certain people in this thread so much that they call people “stupid reviewers”, they need to take this subject up with Customer Service. Until then, ALL REVIEWS are subjective, based on personal opinions, and none are stupid nor are the posters. I have no problem looking through reviews and finding the ones relevant to me. I’m sure the ones that aren’t relevant to me are helpful to someone else. It’s up to QVC to decide what real reviews are, not you.

Re: Bogus reviews

Caaareful Shopper — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 17:11:55 GMT

@Ketra wrote:
@Caaareful Shopper wrote:
@Ketra First of all, we can disagree and still maintain some semblance of consideration for the other. "Until then, deal with it" was rude and uncalled for.

I wasn't just responding to the examples in your post, I was expressing my reasoning for disagreeing with you. You did not give any response to my example of movie or book reviews either, so I guess that means we can make our own points accordingly..

Of course QVC gleans data from the reviews, real reviews: "Size down, according to customers who have already purchased this sweater;" "you may need to go a half size up on this boot," "some said last time this humidifier refill was troublesome to lift out, so now we've placed this version's refill at the top," etc.

How is it that HSN can handle REAL reviews and QVC cannot? At HSN their system won't even let you submit a review until you've received it at least 5 days prior.

@Caaareful Shopper I gave examples of how I review using the “no I didn’t purchase” option in a legitimate way.
HSN and QVC have completely different questions when writing a product review. QVC has an option to enter a review if you did not purchase. They want to know what you didn’t like about the product that made the customer decide not to purchase. If this bothers certain people in this thread so much that they call people “stupid reviewers”, they need to take this subject up with Customer Service. Until then, ALL REVIEWS are subjective, based on personal opinions, and none are stupid nor are the posters. I have no problem looking through reviews and finding the ones relevant to me. I’m sure the ones that aren’t relevant to me are helpful to someone else. It’s up to QVC to decide what real reviews are, not you.

@Ketra I don't see how someone can give accurate or even fairly good information about the product without having the product. I'm not being sarcastic, I really don't believe that's at all possible.

I cannot speak for those in the thread that may have made personally disparaging remarks. But I can bet they have already contacted customer service with their concerns about Reviews as well. Why wouldn't they? I have as well. But this is a forum and there's nothing wrong with discussing it here too.

Re: Bogus reviews

CalminHeart — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:30:10 GMT

The forums seem to have been flooded with the same complaint about reviews.

While it would be nice to have solid reviews every time, it's not going to happen.

People are people and some like to post reviews if they've seen the product, don't like it as aired or online, or whatever. It is what it is.

We have to be able to think about what we're reading. That's not an insult. It is just that we have to decide if we believe or don't believe a review.

I say let it go. It's easy to to identify those who have held, felt, seen, or purchased a product.

If there are too many demands, a company may just remove the option to review. To me this is so insignificant an issue and it boggles my mind that people are in such an uproar.