Do you post your opinions/rate the products you buy on sites like Amazon?

I used the user reviews when I bought a bluetooth Mighty Mouse from the Apple store. They all said not to buy it but I still did, so I suppose I really didn’t use them. I’m going to write one after I have used it for a few months. I think the ratings and comments are a good thing to use because you can actually find out how good something will work when you buy it.

I do sometimes, but should make a point to do so every time because I base my choice on who to purchase from based on their ratings, usually.

No. I use consistent review sites such as DPreview.com or Ars Technica or similar sites. When it comes to spending my money, I prefer hearing from a reliable source versus the random mumblings of the Internet.

Plus, there are cases where people use the Amazon rating system to “punish” a company, such as what happened to Spore. So while it’s a good way to see the general opinion of something, I’d rather use facts to decide what tech I purchase. (I cannot recommend enough that site linked above if you’re buying a digital camera. Being able to compare very similar set-up pictures from different camera models is the best way for me to pick my final model.)

I usually do. I find other people’s reviews to be helpful when shopping online, so I feel I should contribute. I’d like to steer people away from crappy products, and I’m always excited to share cool and awesome stuff I’ve found. It’s also oddly satisfying for me to review a product, since I tend to notice the pros, cons, and design flaws of things.

I’ve posted two reviews. One was for a book by an author that I know from here (among other places) who asked me to write one as a favor. The other was just a CD that I had a strong opinion about and felt like sharing.

I put effort into the reviews, though, and will only write them again if I feel it is worth that effort. Also, if I’m like the 97th person to write a review, I probably won’t, either. Enough has already been said.

I have posted several reviews, possibly 5 of them.

Basically if something is really great, or really bad, then I typically want to express my opinion. However, if a number of other folks have already said what needs to be said then I don’t write a review. If the reviews are bad unilaterally then I usually have no way to review the product because odds are I haven’t bought it.

It is generally fairly easy to tell which reviewers actually have the product in hand as well as which reviewers just have an axe to grind. In a few cases where a reviewer obviously didn’t understand what they were reviewing (typically a case of a student buying a high-level technical book when what they wanted was a junior-high level text with pictures) and where I have seen a copy of the book, I will post an opposing review.

I do evaluate sellers, however, as folks who get accurately-described items out on time, in good packaging, deserve kudos, while those that delay or simply dump something in a box need to know that their methods are not acceptable.

No, but I frequently refer to other people’s opinions when making an online purchasing decision. I very much appreciate people who rate products on Amazon. One day, I’ll set up an account and do so, too.

I use reviews but seldom contribute. The reason is I never buy anything blind so I rarely buy anything bad enough to write a warning.

I rate things if a product was especially good or especially bad. If I wouldn’t give it the lowest or the highest rating, I don’t bother.

I write a lot of Amazon reviews—I’m a top reviewer (seriously).

I write detailed reviews pointing out the pros and cons of the product. I also update my reviews about every year or so letting people know how the product fared in the long run. I found some of reviews posted on other web sites.

Some of my reviews are down voted if I give a negative review to some popular product such as Apple or Nikon. Fan boys are extremely attached to a brand and a negative remark is akin to insulting their mother or kicking their dog.