Yelp

[sweetana3]

That is why you have to read many of the reviews, look at the pictures, and make your own decisions. Same on Amazon. But I will err on the side of believing specific content when there are choices.

[ApatheticNoMore]

yelp is so gamed, companies totally manipulate the reviews in their favor.

[Simplemind]

I like to read reviews before I buy something. On Amazon I will click on reviewers to see their other reviews. I like to see somebody with a range of experiences and likes in their reviews. I used to write a lot for Amazon but rarely do anymore. I use TripAdvisor frequently and have many reviews with them.

[SteveinMN]

I like to read reviews, too, especially since they often will highlight aspects of the item (good or bad) which are important to me but not visible in the pictures or mentioned in the Product Description. I'm just wary of the hidden axes present in some reviews.

[JaneV2.0]

yelp is so gamed, companies totally manipulate the reviews in their favor.

I wrote a few Yelp reviews--both positive and not so--but they were soon relegated to Yelp purgatory, where you had to go out of your way to read them--and I have no idea why. For that reason, I'm not a fan.

[heatmiser]

I like to read reviews, too, especially since they often will highlight aspects of the item (good or bad) which are important to me but not visible in the pictures or mentioned in the Product Description. I'm just wary of the hidden axes present in some reviews.

--I know what you mean...in my experience the more pure "service" providers like restaurants or motels can be subject to whatever
idiosyncracies or violent mood swings are associated with the viewer, so I never trust restaurant or motel reviews from Yelp.

The more non-emotional services like plumbers or repairmen or electricians are a completely different matter,
the Yelp reviewers are far less emotional or spiteful, and concentrate on the specific details of the service.
THOSE reviews have been very helpful to me.