Plus, some recipients seem to think the email was meant just for them, so they feel they must reply. Some of them respond with a careful, useful note. Others respond with whatever pops into their head at eleven at night. The system is built to be helpful, and the internet is built to be the internet.
There’s even some research on whether funny reviews change what people buy. In an article for The Conversation, Temple University professor Sunil Wattal explained that funny reviews can make shoppers more interested in a product, but they can also leave people less certain, especially with complex items like flat screen TVs. That makes sense. A joke is great entertainment, but it can’t tell you whether a television has enough ports.
If you genuinely need a real answer, a few tricks help. Reviews with photos usually say more than the questions section, the product description often buries the details you want near the bottom, and the seller can answer direct questions about sizes and materials. For anything that really matters, such as a gift, double check before you hit the buy button. Treat the joke answers as a bonus and not as a source.
So brace yourself, because the replies ahead wander wherever they like. The Amazon Answers subreddit has plenty more where these came from, and sellers have even pointed to it on their own forum as the home of funny and silly answers. Scroll slowly, because the best replies are often hiding in the second comment. Consider yourself warned, and maybe keep your drink away from the keyboard.
