With the Internet, its easy to find reviews for anything, whether it’s a hair dresser or a car mechanic. At Cash Express, we know that customers want to get the best bang for their buck. We also know that many people rely on online reviews to decide whether or not they’ll patronize a particular business. While reviews can often be helpful, it’s easy to have your opinion swayed by negative reviews that might not necessarily be accurate. 

    According to research, it’s estimated that around 82% of people read online reviews to help them make a decision about purchasing a particular product or service. Most people read reviews because they believe they are accurate and truthful. Unfortunately, negative reviews can have a powerful hold on many people when they shouldn’t. The question, then, is: How do we know if a review is accurate?

     The truth is, we don’t really know if a review is accurate. In this day and age, it’s possible for someone to leave a negative review on just about anything. A quick Google search, even on a famous destination resort, will land you on a review page that often has less than glowing comments. 

    Remember that reviews are often circumstantial. Experiences with a product or service might differ depending on who the person is leaving the review. In addition, people can leave reviews when they are in less than pleasant moods. This will always have an effect on their rating. Because people have such differing opinions, you’ll be hard-pressed finding a particular product, destination or service that has only positive, 5-star reviews. That being said, it is wise to read user-reviews with a grain of salt and proceed with caution when making your decision. 

    The good news is that there are usually more positive reviews than negative reviews. Yet because there are fewer negative reviews, these become more valuable to the reader or potential buyer. Negative reviews also provide people with a sense of security because they indicate what might go wrong with a particular item. For example, a pair of shoes might receive a negative review if they didn’t cushion the buyer’s feet as expected. 

    Keep in mind that many 5-star reviews are also fake. If you’re going to put all of your trust in the comments from reviews, then it’s wise to take a good look at both the negative as well as the positive ones. It’s always a good idea to check out multiple reviews from the same user to see if that person leaves balanced reviews as opposed to many negative ones.