Opening & Warm-up

Q1: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I'm Surya, 28, working in marketing at a startup in Mumbai. I understand how brands work, so I'm probably more skeptical than average when it comes to online reviews.

Q2: How often do you shop online?

Very frequently — 5–6 times a month easily. Clothes, gadgets, home stuff, everything.

Q3: Which platforms do you use most for online shopping?

Amazon is my primary. Myntra for fashion. Flipkart occasionally. I've also used Croma online for electronics.

Review Reading Behavior

Q4: Do you read reviews before buying a product? Why or why not?

Always. It's the only unfiltered source of information. Product descriptions are marketing copy — I write those for a living, so I know how they work.

Q5: Walk me through how you read reviews — what do you look at first?

I filter by "Critical reviews" first. I want to see the worst-case scenario. If I can live with those problems, I buy. If not, I skip.

Q6: How do you decide which reviews to trust?