About

Negative Reviews is an independent consumer publication. We investigate the products people regret buying, the problems buyers complain about, and the alternatives worth considering, so you can make a better decision before you spend.

Why we focus on the negative

Five-star reviews tell you what a product is like on a good day. The one-, two- and three-star reviews tell you how it fails, how often, and how the company responds when it does. That is usually the information a buyer needs most, and it is the hardest to find quickly. We read it so you do not have to start from scratch.

That does not mean we set out to trash products. A fair account of what goes wrong has to sit next to what goes right, so every review we publish also sets out what buyers like and who the product still suits.

What we do

• Research products. We read owner reviews, retailer questions and answers, manuals, warranty terms and official recall records.
• Analyse consumer feedback. We look for the same complaint appearing again and again from unrelated buyers.
• Identify patterns. We separate one-off bad luck from recurring problems, and say how confident we are.
• Compare alternatives. When a product has a recurring weakness, we look for options that avoid it, and we report their drawbacks too.
• Help you avoid a poor purchase. Each review ends with a plain answer: who the product suits, who should skip it, and what to consider instead.

Who writes Negative Reviews

Articles are published under a shared byline, the Negative Reviews Editorial Team, and not under individual names. Our work is research into public sources, so what matters is whether you can check it. Each article says what it is based on and lists its sources, and How We Review sets out the process step by step.

We do not claim credentials we cannot show you. We are not engineers, doctors, lawyers or a testing laboratory, and nothing on this site is professional advice. If we publish a piece by a named specialist, their name and relevant background will appear on that article.

What we are not

We are not a testing laboratory. Unless an article says otherwise, our work is based on research into publicly available information rather than hands-on testing, and each article states which it is. We are also not a complaints service: we cannot resolve a dispute with a retailer or manufacturer on your behalf, although our guides explain the steps you can take yourself.

How we are funded

Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. We do not accept payment for coverage, and a company cannot buy a better verdict. Read the full affiliate disclosure.

Our standards

How we research and rate products is set out in How We Review. Our editorial policy covers independence, sourcing and the language we use. If we get something wrong, our corrections policy explains how we fix it, and companies can reply to our coverage through the company response process.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections and feedback are welcome through the contact page.