Reviews raise mixed feelings for UAE consumers

Dubai: How much credibility do you give a salesperson who tells you their product is excellent?

Consumers these days are turning to the internet to read about products' performance through end-user reviews, which seem to be surfing up the popularity network.

Gulf News readers give mixed reactions on the effectiveness of this not-so-new phenomenon.

Mona Syed-Mirza, a British director of a clinic, depends on patients' reviews to predict whether the products needed for the clinic are worthy.

She said: "I look for feedback on the internet from people who have used a certain medical machine or a treatment and see if they were satisfied with it or whether it lives up to its expectations."

Arish Ehsan, a financial planning consultant residing in Dubai, also posts reviews but only if the product or service performs poorly.

Ehsan, an Indian, said: "I post such comments to make other people aware that this product does not function well. It is more of a warning for potential buyers."

Asma Abdul Rahman Bahassan, an Emirati senior operations manager, also reads reviews to get the basic idea regarding a product or a service. She said: "When I go abroad I like to know as much information as possible about the area that I am staying in."

Executive assistant Priti MacKinnon also believes that reviews should not be taken wholeheartedly.

She said: "Many of these reviews are personal opinions and my taste and experience would probably differ from theirs."

MacKinnon, an Indian residing in Dubai, only reads reviews.

She said: "End-user reviews do not affect my buying because I need to physically try a product before buying it."

While these reviews might not affect MacKinnon's decisions, they have helped Haluk Camcigil, a Turkish transport planner, change his mind about buying a stereo system after reading reviews claiming that the product was faulty.

Camcigil, a Dubai resident, said: "Reading such reviews helps me in deciding whether to buy the product or not because it tells me the pros and cons of what I am buying. To me it is like a safety precaution."