Before you open your wallet and spend your hard earned money on that spiffy new gadget, gizmo, or device you've had your eye on for some time, it is very important to know what you're buying, and ensure it's the right product for you.

This is true irrespective of where you are shopping ( online or off ), but in the case of buying something online, it becomes all the more vital, because you can't really sit right down and test / play with the item in query to make sure. Therefore, all you have to go on are the technical specifications of the machine its sales description, and whatever reviews you might be able to find.

At this point, most folks will be content to rely on whatever customer reviews are available right there on the site that the product can be ordered from, but I usually counsel taking a rather more cautious approach. Not to say that customer reveiews aren't helpful, and they can certainly be seen as "supporting materials," but there are 1 or 2 issues with purchaser reviews.

First, given that you don't know the individuals that wrote the reviews you're reading, you do not know if they could have some other axe to grind. Perhaps their sister's cousin's boyfriend worked at the company making the product and got fired two months back. In a case like that, the review may have less to do about the standard of the product, and more to do about venting against the company in general.

Or, it could be that some enterprising soul got paid a couple of dollars to write a glowing review for the product by the company ( it occurs, and more often than you might think ). Maybe that person has really utilised the product in query, but rather more likely he has not. They just took the money, spit out a review, and moved onto the following topic.

Of course, some reviews are penned by real, well meaning people, so I'm definitely not suggesting that all client reviews are bad. They have their place, but in the overall scheme of deciding if a product is best for you, don't rely on strangers you know nothing about!

That's where professional review sites become active. An enthusiastic review site will have tons of in depth product reviews, offer up details on the pros and cons of the product, highlight the good, while not skimping on the details about potential lacks, and similarly, the majority of these sites are either public ( you can do a "whois" and figure out who the owner of the site is ), or, they've a way of contacting the owners with further questions.

When you first start visiting a pro review web site, if you are not sure, or not completely snug, don't hesitate to get in contact with the owners and raise questions! As the owner of many web sites myself, I'm able to make it plain that I'm always thrilled to hear from folks who have found me on the internet, and more than a few great friendships have started in just that way.

The point is, that by doing this, you'll quickly come to trust the site in question , and once you do, you'll have a solid, trusty place you can turn to when doing product research before purchasing. Given the quantity of swindle artists operating on the internet today, that is absolutely useful!

Consumer Reviews