Here’s how you can turn to reviews before buying luxury goods

When you purchase an expensive luxury product, you don’t want to find out afterward that the brand that designed it spent more effort marketing the product than creating it. If you do a Google search for product reviews, you may end up reading something from an affiliate marketer or a sponsored product reviewer. To get the real scoop from honest users, you’ve got to dig smarter.

Here are three unique but simple ways to find authentic reviews of top-of-the-line luxury products:

1. Look for the “Verified Purchase” stamp on Amazon Reviews

This one only works if your product is available on Amazon. Whether you’re buying the product from Amazon, at a storefront or from the brand’s website, you can find honest reviews on Amazon from verified buyers. Whereas some brands may pay for Amazon reviews from people with Amazon accounts, only those with the “verified purchase” label on the review are reviews from people who bought the product for themselves. If it’s a 5-star review without the “verified purchase” stamp, don’t bother reading it.

2. See what people are saying on social media

Social media platforms give real people the chance to interact with brands they purchase from, so they’re a great place to find out what people really think about products. If someone has uploaded a picture of a product they love using to Instagram, and they don’t seem to be affiliated with the brand, you can get a sense for what real users think, and you can even leave a comment asking them a question.

You can also look at what users are saying in the comment sections of brand accounts on social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For example, before you were to invest in a luxury product from Amway, you might check the company’s Instagram page to see what real customers are saying about the product you have in mind.

3. Check YouTube for product reviews

Seeing someone’s review of a product on video is a great way to tell if they’re authentic, and typically they’ll tell you off the bat whether they’re affiliated with the product. When people are passionate enough about a product they love, they may post a video about it. On the other hand, you might find a “horror story” video exposing a brand’s false marketing claims when someone is profoundly disappointed with their purchase. Either type of video is insightful for a prospective buyer, so it’s worth seeing what comes up on a YouTube search.

Sometimes you can only find product reviews that are sponsored by or affiliated with the brand. When that’s the case, you can still gain some insight scrolling through the comment sections of these videos. You’re bound to see authentic opinions from real users of the product either validating or contradicting what was said in the video.

Beyond the marketing hype

Before you splurge on a luxury item, you want to find information on a product that isn’t coming straight from a marketing campaign. To see what real users are saying, you have to look beyond what’s right in front of you. It’s worth the time it takes to get creative and find out whether real owners of these items are happy with their purchase.

(Featured image by DepositPhotos)

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.