Why the stars on the shop's own site are not enough

Checking shop reviews starts with not stopping at the figure a shop shows on its own homepage. A retailer decides for itself which reviews appear on its site, in what order and whether all of them are visible at all. That does not mean the figure is wrong, but by its nature it shows a selection put together by the shop itself rather than an independently collected overview.

Bringing in a second source outside the shop often takes just a few minutes and gives you a much more complete picture.

Where to find independent reviews

Independent review sites collect experiences without the shop being reviewed directly controlling what is selected or shown. Some only let people leave a review if they can show they actually ordered there, while others are more open. Looking at several reviews with a date and specific wording usually tells you more than a single overall score, especially when the reviews describe in detail how long a delivery took or how a complaint was resolved.

Look at the number of reviews against the time period

A shop with 200 reviews from the last three years tells you less about its current state than one with 200 reviews from the last six months. A sudden drop in how often reviews appear, or the opposite, a sharp jump within a few days, can point to a change in how the business is running or, in rare cases, to bought reviews. How to spot such bought or fake reviews is explained in detail in the article Spotting fake and paid-for reviews.

What matters more than the star rating in negative reviews

• Whether the shop has responded publicly to criticism, with an explanation that makes sense rather than a stock reply.
• Whether several negative reviews revolve around the same problem, such as long refund times or customer service that is hard to reach.
• Whether the criticism is recent or dates back some time and may have been resolved since.

A single bad review among many good ones is normal and no reason to avoid a shop altogether. Several reviews describing the same recurring problem, on the other hand, deserve more attention.

Company details and other information

Besides review sites, it is worth looking at the shop's legal notice or company details, which should include the company name, address and a way to get in touch. If these details are missing or seem incomplete, that is an extra warning sign, whatever the review score. What complete company details should contain and what to look out for in particular is explained in the article Checking a shop's company details: what counts. Other warning signs that together point to an untrustworthy shop are summed up in the article Spotting fake online shops: seven hard signs.

Forums, social networks and personal accounts

Besides the usual review sites, it can also be worth looking at a forum on the relevant topic or searching for the shop's name on social networks. There you often find more detailed accounts than a plain star rating, such as an exact description of how long a refund actually took or how a complaint went step by step. The drawback is that these accounts are harder to verify and cannot be sorted by date or frequency as easily as a structured review site. As an extra source alongside a review site, though, they often provide exactly the details a bare number does not show.

A single very negative forum post without a date or verifiable details carries less weight than several independent accounts describing the same problem over a longer period.

An example comparing two shops

Say you are planning a purchase of 180.00 euros and find two shops with a similar price. Shop A shows 4.9 out of 5 stars on its own site, while an independent review site shows 3.6 out of 5 stars for the same shop from more than 800 reviews, with repeated criticism of long refund times. Shop B shows no rating on its own site, but an independent review site gives it 4.4 out of 5 stars from 150 reviews, with mostly positive, detailed comments. Without the independent source, Shop A would have looked better at first glance, but the fuller picture here points more towards Shop B.

How much checking is worth it

For a small amount of a few tens of euros, a quick look at one independent review site is usually enough. For a bigger order, especially from a shop you did not know before, it is worth also checking the company details and, where available, a second review site. Five minutes of research before an order of a few hundred euros is time well spent. You can also find an overview of many shops in the shop overview on daily-coupons.info.

What the customer service response time tells you

Some independent review sites also record how quickly a shop responds to a query or complaint, separately from the star rating itself. A shop that responds to public criticism within a few days with a concrete solution is clearly different from one that leaves it unanswered for weeks or only replies with a standard message. This figure is less eye-catching at first glance than the overall rating, but it often says more about how problems are actually handled, should something ever go wrong with your own order.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't the rating on the shop's own site enough?

It is a first indication, but it shows a selection put together by the shop itself. An independent source outside the shop often gives a more complete and sometimes quite different picture.

How can I tell whether a shop's many reviews are genuine?

Look for details such as specific comments on delivery time or customer service rather than general enthusiasm, for dates that fit what you would expect, and for a natural spread across several star levels rather than top ratings only.

What does it mean if a shop has hardly any independent reviews?

It may mean the shop is still new or sells in a smaller niche, so it is not automatically a warning sign. In that case, it is worth taking a closer look at the company details and business information, since there are no reviews to compare against.

Should I rely on a single review source when buying?

Better not for a bigger order. Combining the rating on the shop's own site, an independent review site and a look at the company details gives a much more reliable picture than any single source alone.