Finding art in 1-star product reviews

Now that Black Friday has devolved from a single day of bargain-driven mayhem into a month long slog of fake deals and annoying marketing, Cyber Monday has its chance to shine. Last year, shoppers spent an estimated $7.9 billion on Cyber Monday, which was a nearly 20 percent increase from 2017. And judging solely by the number of deal emails I’ve already received in my inbox this morning, that volume is only going to increase.

Once the buying frenzy is over, then comes the onslaught of packages. And while some of these new purchases will live up to your expectations, others will prove disappointing, underwhelming, or just plain crappy. That’s when the 1-star reviews start flowing and that’s where this week’s bonus episode of Techathlon comes in. (Listen on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and Spotify.)

This week, the Techathlon crew spent some time sifting through the wilderness of 1-star product reviews left by customers unhappy with their purchases. The 1-stars can actually be useful when you’re making a purchasing decision. Sometimes they demonstrate a pattern that indicates an inherent flaw in a product.

Sometimes, however, they’re simply a convenient place for customers to vent their frustrations and annoyances. Some of them use caps lock. Others sound like accidental poetry. It’s a beautiful, natural consequence of the annual retail frenzy that spans from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.

So, fire up your favorite podcast platform, put on the latest episode, and head off into the mines to dig out the best deals. Or, just head over to our ever-updating list of Cyber Monday deals. They’re hand-picked by our commerce team, so you won’t find yourself wallowing in buyer’s remorse later this month when Credit Card Bill Wednesday rolls around.

Techathlon will be back in your feeds with a full episode next week. Until then, tweet us with your best Black Friday and Cyber Monday scores so we can be jealous of your treasure hunting skills.