michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 19, 2020 13:56:48 GMT
HOw to separate the wheat from the chaff? This set of reviews prompted me to ask this. The first at least 5 or 6 reviews (only got that far) all mention a person they like at the company. Surely at the very least they've been compensated or given discounts to write a review and name someone ? Its so formulaic. uk.trustpilot.com/review/purplebricks.co.ukMind you unlike say L who probably tried to manipulate their review their overall rating seems sky high.
|
|
benaj
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,911
Likes: 1,612
|
Post by benaj on Jun 19, 2020 14:30:04 GMT
Give Nested a try if you are selling a property in London. Their service is data driven.
|
|
Nomad
Member of DD Central
Posts: 729
Likes: 497
|
Post by Nomad on Jun 19, 2020 14:52:50 GMT
HOw to separate the wheat from the chaff? This set of reviews prompted me to ask this. The first at least 5 or 6 reviews (only got that far) all mention a person they like at the company. Surely at the very least they've been compensated or given discounts to write a review and name someone ? Its so formulaic. uk.trustpilot.com/review/purplebricks.co.ukMind you unlike say L who probably tried to manipulate their review their overall rating seems sky high. Score of 4.7 looks impressive until you start reading a few of the 2000+ "bad" ratings. A lot of seemingly genuine and strongly-felt tales of woe...
|
|
r00lish67
Member of DD Central
Posts: 2,691
Likes: 4,048
|
Post by r00lish67 on Jun 19, 2020 15:03:34 GMT
HOw to separate the wheat from the chaff? This set of reviews prompted me to ask this. The first at least 5 or 6 reviews (only got that far) all mention a person they like at the company. Surely at the very least they've been compensated or given discounts to write a review and name someone ? Its so formulaic. uk.trustpilot.com/review/purplebricks.co.ukMind you unlike say L who probably tried to manipulate their review their overall rating seems sky high. That firm in particular have courted controversy several times in the past with allegations of fake/manufactured/very selective reviews (e.g. 1 / 2) Trustpilot does have its uses though. I was struggling (as with everyone else) to get a travel-related refund recently, so did a bog-standard moan on trustpilot. They contacted me pretty swiftly to expedite my request and (of course) to encourage me strongly to change my review...
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 19, 2020 15:15:40 GMT
Thanks I had no idea about their reputation or issues with fake reviews. Just the first several I read seemed implausibly similar.
Edit:
Ahhhh.....Seems I'm not the only one to have noticed. From the wired article Roolers links to:
Emmins said that KwikChex had spoken to Purplebricks customers who confirmed that the firm strongly encouraged them to leave reviews before they had even sold their homes. “They were asked for reviews long before completion,” says Emmins. “Both [agents and customers] also confirmed that there was a method of asking for specific review content – mentioning the agent’s name being a prime factor and specifically praising the individual.”
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 19, 2020 15:16:35 GMT
Give Nested a try if you are selling a property in London. Their service is data driven. Interesting thanks but not selling. PB offer other services I was looking at.
|
|
|
Post by martin44 on Jun 20, 2020 19:49:13 GMT
Give Nested a try if you are selling a property in London. Their service is data driven. Interesting thanks but not selling. PB offer other services I was looking at. Moving reviews away slightly from p2p.... car insurance is bad... as you say, not if you tend to look at the reviews as they are listed, but look on the negs only... its depressingly bad.
|
|
Greenwood2
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,252
Likes: 2,695
|
Post by Greenwood2 on Jun 20, 2020 20:18:59 GMT
HOw to separate the wheat from the chaff? This set of reviews prompted me to ask this. The first at least 5 or 6 reviews (only got that far) all mention a person they like at the company. Surely at the very least they've been compensated or given discounts to write a review and name someone ? Its so formulaic. uk.trustpilot.com/review/purplebricks.co.ukMind you unlike say L who probably tried to manipulate their review their overall rating seems sky high. PB get some bad comments in other places, mainly saying you have to pay anyway once you sign up so they don't care (you pay their fee whether they sell your house or not). And overvaluing so you do sign up. I haven't used them, so have no personal experience. Edit: If you are talking Landlord services they have been criticised for that too. But I guess you will have googled that!
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 20, 2020 21:39:59 GMT
HOw to separate the wheat from the chaff? This set of reviews prompted me to ask this. The first at least 5 or 6 reviews (only got that far) all mention a person they like at the company. Surely at the very least they've been compensated or given discounts to write a review and name someone ? Its so formulaic. uk.trustpilot.com/review/purplebricks.co.ukMind you unlike say L who probably tried to manipulate their review their overall rating seems sky high. PB get some bad comments in other places, mainly saying you have to pay anyway once you sign up so they don't care (you pay their fee whether they sell your house or not). And overvaluing so you do sign up. I haven't used them, so have no personal experience. Edit: If you are talking Landlord services they have been criticised for that too. But I guess you will have googled that!Have now! Howsy.com looks better.
|
|
|
Post by martin44 on Jun 21, 2020 20:58:48 GMT
Over the last 4 or 5 days, ive been trying to find some insurance for my camper van come converted vw crafter... i have on my database record a "notification" someone tried to get into my car in a popular supermarket car park, the cops caught them.. why they were in that car park I've no idea... i didn't even know it had happened, a few days later, phone call from the police about what had happened, and was advised to inform my insurance.. this was July 2018.. while scanning the comparison websites for insurance, it comes to claims, no provision for a notification, only claims, so i accept a quote and call the insurers.. Swintons.. they advise all is ok, i take out the insurance. 24hrs later the premium has gone up £124.. because of the notification, i cancelled... £75.00 cancellation cost.. same again next day with auto net... this time £79.95... swinton own autonet.. which i did not know at the time.. ... i eventually sorted it at directline 20% cheaper than the clowns were charging, cost me £150 in cancellation fees............................. Now the point.... both swinton and autonet score 4.4 out of 5 on trustpilot, but look at what the negatives have to say...
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 22, 2020 14:04:39 GMT
Over the last 4 or 5 days, ive been trying to find some insurance for my camper van come converted vw crafter... i have on my database record a "notification" someone tried to get into my car in a popular supermarket car park, the cops caught them.. why they were in that car park I've no idea... i didn't even know it had happened, a few days later, phone call from the police about what had happened, and was advised to inform my insurance.. this was July 2018.. while scanning the comparison websites for insurance, it comes to claims, no provision for a notification, only claims, so i accept a quote and call the insurers.. Swintons.. they advise all is ok, i take out the insurance. 24hrs later the premium has gone up £124.. because of the notification, i cancelled... £75.00 cancellation cost.. same again next day with auto net... this time £79.95... swinton own autonet.. which i did not know at the time.. ... i eventually sorted it at directline 20% cheaper than the clowns were charging, cost me £150 in cancellation fees............................. Now the point.... both swinton and autonet score 4.4 out of 5 on trustpilot, but look at what the negatives have to say... I can almost feel your annoyance. I'd be livid ! I'll have a read in a second but I have to thank you for that piece of motoring information I had never heard of before. It seems that if it happens to you, don't follow the police advice although maybe they share the info with the insurance people anyway? I can't see why though. I don't see why it increases your risk. I suppose maybe the actuarial stats might show if you've had an attempted break-in you maybe at more risk than others e.g. because you didn't lock the car or left stuff on display.
|
|
|
Post by martin44 on Jun 22, 2020 20:38:13 GMT
Over the last 4 or 5 days, ive been trying to find some insurance for my camper van come converted vw crafter... i have on my database record a "notification" someone tried to get into my car in a popular supermarket car park, the cops caught them.. why they were in that car park I've no idea... i didn't even know it had happened, a few days later, phone call from the police about what had happened, and was advised to inform my insurance.. this was July 2018.. while scanning the comparison websites for insurance, it comes to claims, no provision for a notification, only claims, so i accept a quote and call the insurers.. Swintons.. they advise all is ok, i take out the insurance. 24hrs later the premium has gone up £124.. because of the notification, i cancelled... £75.00 cancellation cost.. same again next day with auto net... this time £79.95... swinton own autonet.. which i did not know at the time.. ... i eventually sorted it at directline 20% cheaper than the clowns were charging, cost me £150 in cancellation fees............................. Now the point.... both swinton and autonet score 4.4 out of 5 on trustpilot, but look at what the negatives have to say... I can almost feel your annoyance. I'd be livid ! I'll have a read in a second but I have to thank you for that piece of motoring information I had never heard of before. It seems that if it happens to you, don't follow the police advice although maybe they share the info with the insurance people anyway? I can't see why though. I don't see why it increases your risk. I suppose maybe the actuarial stats might show if you've had an attempted break-in you maybe at more risk than others e.g. because you didn't lock the car or left stuff on display. Quick follow up.. contacted both insurance companies today about the cancellation fees... Swinton waived it... but autonet would not waive it.. and told me it was my fault for accepting their advisers information over the phone.. Couldn't make it up.
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 23, 2020 11:26:05 GMT
Just got an email from p2p Blend Network which I joined a couple of years back but probably won't invest. It said "Check out our 5 star review on Trust Pilot !". That was the title, subject and large graphics proclaiming the fact but interestingly no link to TrustPilot.
So I headed over there and sure enough - 5 stars. Every single one of 63 reviews were all 5. Its incredible isn't it?
Maybe one day, someone will lose a lot of money on a platform due to fake reviews and sue. That might stop it.
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 2,774
|
Post by michaelc on Jun 23, 2020 12:22:13 GMT
Just got an email from p2p Blend Network which I joined a couple of years back but probably won't invest. It said "Check out our 5 star review on Trust Pilot !". That was the title, subject and large graphics proclaiming the fact but interestingly no link to TrustPilot. So I headed over there and sure enough - 5 stars. Every single one of 63 reviews were all 5. Its incredible isn't it? Maybe one day, someone will lose a lot of money on a platform due to fake reviews and sue. That might stop it.You could report your concerns to the CMA. Fake online reviews under investigation by competition authorityDone.
|
|