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Bought a highly-rated camp stove that almost caused a fire last weekend.
Honestly, I got this camp stove based on glowing reviews saying it was safe and efficient. But during a trip, it flared up and nearly lit my picnic table on fire. Now I'm torn between thinking reviews can be misleading or that I just got a bad unit. What do you all think, do you trust online ratings or prefer hands-on testing?
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lee5827mo ago
Actually online ratings are STILL the best bet for most people. Hands on testing is great if you have endless time and money to buy every product, but who really does that. Those reviews come from hundreds of people, so you get a bigger picture than just your own luck. Maybe you DID get a bad unit, which happens with anything mass made. The fact it's highly rated means most folks got a good, safe stove. Gotta trust the crowd over just your own scary one off experience.
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williams.drew7mo ago
That's how superstitions start, @lee582.
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margaretr767mo ago
Ugh, I totally get where you're coming from with the ratings thing, but a scary one off experience really sticks with you. It makes you lose all trust, even if the numbers say you were just unlucky. You can't un-see a faulty product almost burning your house down. The ratings might help someone else, but they don't fix the fear it causes you. It feels like your own reality matters more than the crowd's opinion in that moment.
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gibson.troy7mo ago
Totally get that paranoia after one bad scare. @lee582 makes a fair point about stats but man, that FEAR just rewires your brain. I still side-eye my coffee maker after one weird spark years ago.
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