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Stevia Test 2024 | Stevia: Test & Comparison 2024
Stevia Test 2024 | Fake test results and tests that never existed
Meanwhile, more and more so-called product tests like Stevia Test 2024 are published on many websites on the internet, but mostly with insufficient background information. The internet is teeming with countless alleged product tests on comparison portals. Under these terms "Stevia test & comparison", or "Stevia comparison 2024" are just a few examples.
These tests are called, for example, "The best Stevia products in comparison" and claim to have carefully examined the Stevia products. Most of the providers of these tests claim that they have always conducted their research independently. In very many cases, however, this is not true.
What many consumers do not know is that these are not products tested by Stiftung Warentest or Ökotest. Only these two organisations conduct absolutely independent product tests.
The comparison portals earn money through allegedly tested goods.
In reality, this is so-called "affiliate marketing", an area of online marketing in which website operators and bloggers integrate advertising links from third parties (e.g. Amazon or Ebay) into their platforms and receive commissions.
You can easily recognise this if the product has a link that takes you directly to the product of the online merchants such as Amazon or Ebay. If a visitor clicks on a product link on the comparison portal page, he is then redirected to Amazon or Co.
The online merchant already pays him a lavish commission. Because the comparison portal specifically directs customers to its website. This system is called affiliate marketing. Google also has its own affiliate programme and pays commissions to anyone who links to content in Google's app store "Play".
Commissions in "affiliate marketing”
According to the agreed terms, affiliated companies or persons (website operators and blog authors) receive commissions. If a potential buyer clicks only once on the link to the promotional material/product, the website operator receives a commission. This marketing method is called cost-per-click (CPC for short).
The blogger or website owner therefore merely serves as an interface between the trader/seller and the potential customers.
Example
An example: Ms. Mustermann has integrated some links to various Stevia products in her Stevia Test 2024. For each visit to a linked website, Ms. Mustermann receives a certain commission.
Consumers lose the overview
The problem: Many consumers lose track of the situation because serious and dubious content is so strongly mixed on the internet. Which information is true and which is not?
The confusion is made perfect. Besides pure fake test portals and also websites with affiliate links, "comparisons" are made by "editors" who have never tried a product or ever held one in their hands.
They research the product and evaluate customer reviews according to their own information. Then they choose a so-called comparison winner and create a dubious list of best products.
The number of fake test sites is growing rapidly because the websites can be created quickly and cheaply.
The following indications suggest that it is a site with non-serious tests:
- Only great products
- Clearly marked link to the dealer
- Paraphrased terms
- Test description missing
- No imprint or reference to a distant country
Full transparency and real test results are only available from Stiftung Warentest or Ökotest. Both are independent test organisations.
Öko-Test and Stiftung Warentest stand for independent test results.
Stiftung Warentest has compiled helpful information on how to recognise false tests in an article:
Fake test results and tests that never existed
Fake reviews | False reviews
How suppliers fight for five stars on Amazon
Reviews play a role in the purchase decision
Most people in Germany scroll through customer reviews before buying a product online. What is written there often plays a decisive role in whether someone buys a product or not.
The fake review industry in social networks
In Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp groups, there are countless such deals with sometimes up to 15,000 members. This system is very similar to a rating market. As soon as you have registered, you are bombarded with offers.
The procedure is always the same: first buy the product with your own Amazon account, then write a review and return the money in the end.
What to think of online reviews?
In addition to Amazon and also on most other online portals, the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre found manipulated reviews.
The Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre has compiled interesting information on this: What to think of online reviews?
Recognising fake customer reviews
Many online shops and their customers have to deal with fake customer reviews. We explain how to recognise fake reviews based on ten common signs.
How to recognise dubious customer reviews
Especially for smaller manufacturers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold their own against the competition due to the high number of products. Fake customer reviews are therefore a popular tool used by numerous manufacturers.
Number of reviews
Consumers are rating less and less. This is a problem for many suppliers. Pay attention to the number of reviews of a certain product. If a product has a conspicuously high number of reviews, you should be sceptical if the product has only been available for a very short time.
1-star reviews can also be fake reviews
Negative reviews also count as fake reviews, in which competitor products are recommended in an obtrusive manner. You should also pay attention to the language used in the review.
There is a new trend not only among Amazon merchants. They harm competitors with bad reviews so that they fall in the ranking. You should therefore be critical when reading particularly bad reviews.
Already for 99 euros there are 10 fake reviews
Fake reviews are a lucrative business. Foreign agencies such as Fivestar, Goldstar or Lutendo specialise in selling online customer reviews. For as little as 99 euros, you can get 10 top fake reviews.
Most of the time, even real reviews do not reflect the true quality of an article. As a scientific study by the TU Dortmund University shows. Amazon product reviews were compared with Stiftung Warentest tests.
A large proportion of the products checked had significantly higher ratings on Amazon than on Stiftung Warentest. Products that failed the test have 4 or even more stars on the Marketplace.
Download information: Scientific study by the TU Dortmund University and Stiftung Warentest.
You should not blindly rely on online reviews
Purchased reviews reliably end up on Amazon, Stiftung Warentest recently found out.
You can find the Stiftung Warentest articles here:
How sellers manipulate customers with bought praise
Simply bought five stars
How to recognise dubious customer reviews
Fake reviewers work with these methods
Conclusion
So, for the most part, the aforementioned type of websites do not contain neutral test reports, as they are purely a marketing method.
Only Öko-Test and Stiftung Warentest still stand for reliable and, above all, independent test results, even after many years of existence.
Customers must find out for themselves which criteria are most important for them individually and make their choice solely on that basis.
With this detailed Stevia guide, we would like to help you as a consumer to find the right Stevia product.
In our Stevia guide you will find more answers to frequently asked questions. We have also provided further information and tips for you that you should definitely pay attention to when buying Stevia.