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Language: en

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Before you buy anything online, it’s always
a good idea to do a little research first.

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That’s where online reviews really come
in handy.

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But since anyone, anywhere, can write whatever
they want about a product, how can you tell

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which reviews to trust?

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Well, there’s no sure fire way to tell if
a review is honest or fake 100% of the time,

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but if you’re aware of some of the trends
in reviews, you should have an easier time

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deciding which ones to trust and which ones
to discount.

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Generally when you’re looking through reviews,
it’s a good idea to read through at least

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a dozen, and from multiple websites if you
can.

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It may sound like a lot, but it’s worth
it.

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You better your chances of reading more of
the genuine ones.

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This way too, it’ll be easier to spot trends
in reviews.

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For example, if you’re looking at reviews
for a restaurant and see that several reviewers

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have said that the food is great but the service
is slow, that could be a good tip off.

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When comparing reviews, it’s also a good
idea to make a note of the date the reviewer

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posted their comment.

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A review from a couple years ago with a specific
complaint may not be relevant anymore.

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Round out your search by making sure you’re
looking at recent reviews as well.

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Take star ratings with a grain of salt.

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Someone could have been paid to give that
hotel a five-star rating… or maybe someone

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gave that restaurant three stars – not because
anything was bad, but just because it didn’t

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totally blow them away.

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Just remember to look at the details in the
comments as well.

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Speaking of details in the comments, you’ll
probably see a range when it comes to the

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sort of language people use in their reviews.

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Some may seem rather vague… while others
note every detail...

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Some may seem glowingly positive… while
others will give scathing reviews…

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If you read enough, you’ll see it all.

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And if all else fails, skip the user reviews
and look to qualified, third-party reviews

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written by experts if you can.

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Whatever you decide to do, when you do visit
that restaurant, buy that product, or use

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that service, make sure to come back to give
your honest take on the experience.