I couldn’t remember seeing this mentioned anywhere else, but I could be wrong.
I’m just wondering whether people who wrote reviews think it is better to have read other reviews for an item or not before writing their own review.
I can see pros and cons in both:
If I read other people’s reviews it could influence my own opinions (whether conscious or sub-conscious), or it could lead me to offer what I consider corrections or at least a different opinion. Sometimes it would make me see that something isn’t generally covered which I can make sure to include, or prompt me on things I hadn’t thought about but could give an opinion on.
If I haven’t read any other reviews everything is just my own (and OH’s) thoughts, but we might miss some things or just be repeating things that have already been mentioned before.
I tend to read more reviews if it is a product I am purchasing myself (because it helps me decide on the purchase), and with testers I’m more likely to avoid reviews (even if there are any).
I read reviews before I buy it and then when I’ve decided I’m buying it I’ll read the reviews and see if I have any unanswered questions. I’ll make notes for my review of what I want to know but reviews don’t sway my review.
For me it really depends on the product and why I’m reviewing it.
For testers, sometimes I do read review of similar products if I’m in need of a little inspiration while writing the review.
But if I’m reviewing something I’ve purchased then normally it’s because there is something I really want to say about the product so anything I forget to mention, just wasn’t important to me for the narrative of my review. The only time I’d possibly read them before submitting the review, is if I loved the product but the vast majority of reviews were negative and then I might see if there is a common reason and if I’ve addressed it in my review and whether I need to.
If I have a product that I don’t feel there is something I desperately want to say about it or an interesting angle to review it from, then I will scan through the reviews to see if there are recent ones and well written ones and if there are I might not review it or, at least, push it to the back of the queue.
When it comes to testers, I’m often going in blind to begin with, so that there’s no outside influence in my thoughts, and if I feel the need, I might read some reviews if they’re available, but only after I’ve got a draft down for mine. This can help in cases of user error, as sometimes the instructions aren’t clear, and a reviewer can clear it up for you.
For purchasing, I’m usually reading reviews before I even buy an item, just to see if it would be right for me. When it comes to actually writing my own review, I’ve usually forgotten about everyone else’s, and usually just focus on writing my own experience, even if it wasn’t great, because I feel that’s what the industry lacks, honest reviews, especially negative ones.
I got my hands on a Satisfyer Pro 2 after reading the overwhelmingly raving reviews. I’d never read a bad review on it, so I figured ‘it must work for everyone’. Wrong. Absolutely wrong. It was okay for a little bit, but honestly, I haven’t reached for it in almost a year. I’ve had better experiences with the Lovehoney Thrill tester I received, but I still feel so annoyed that I couldn’t find a negative Satisfyer Pro 2 review before purchasing.
So when it comes to all the toys I get, I will review them whether they’re good or not, because having those negative reviews are just as important as the glowing ones.
I usually write my whole review, then I’ll skim through the other reviews to see if there’s a feature or something about the toy or lingerie that I forgot I wanted to mention
Personally I always read reviews before I buy anything, so I tend to read a lot of reviews.
Although I’d say when I’m writing a review I don’t really take any influence from other peoples reviews. Also if I’m writing for tester stuff, mainly because I want to make sure I’m not getting any outside influences.
But generally, I have my own format for writing them so while I enjoy reading other people’s to get informed on a product, I’m not going to worry too much about it when I have to write them myself.
If im testing something i wont read other reviews about it. Id rather give my personal experience of something, even if it was completely different to other peoples. Ive written plenty of lingerie reviews where everyone else loved it and it just didn’t work for me. And thats fine, not everyone has to feel the same about a thing. Often negative reviews where someone has stated things like body shape, dress size, vibe preferences or sensitivities can be really useful.
(Im a bigger size top than bottom and have wide shoulders with B cup breasts. I have to read alot of lingerie reviews before buying something to see if it will even fit properly .)
If I’m buying something for myself, i always read my way through quite a few reviews. But afterward, if i want to write a review, its more something i will do without having reread anyone else’s opinions on an item.
Personally I don’t reference other reviews, usually I’ll bullet point the key things I want to talk about and then build out the review from each individual point.
Occasionally if I’m struggling with the structure/wording I will have a read over some other reviews but this is more to help with giving the review a good flow.
I always read reviews before buying an item but if I’m writing a review for a product I find it’s better to not look as I want to try stay honest to my own experience
I always read reviews on items I’m thinking of buying but I don’t read reviews on items I’m testing and reviewing as I want my review to be based solely on my own findings.
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