How to write an effective negative review in 4 easy steps that will get results

• Learning how to write an effective negative review isn’t that hard—when you know how
  • Step 1 of how to write an effective negative review—Determine your goal
  • Step 2 of how to write an effective negative review—Give some (brief) context
  • Step 3 of how to write an effective negative review—Explain what didn’t live up to your expectations
  • Step 4 of how to write an effective negative review—Give credit where it’s due
  • Bonus Tip—Write your negative review when you’re calm
• My water rowing machine odyssey
• There’s always some risk involved when buying second-hand
• Now that you know the story, here’s my (hopefully) effective negative review
• This rowing machine isn’t for me, but it might suit you!
• Here’s how you could win this water rowing machine (Contest closed)

When you receive poor service or buy a product that doesn’t meet your expectations, you get upset. It’s natural to want to rant to anyone who’ll listen about how you’ve been wronged. You want to stick it to the business that wronged you and see them go under. Writing an expletive-filled online review might feel good. But it likely won’t get the desired effect you seek. Let’s look at how to write an effective negative review. 

But why won’t your raw, unfiltered attack on the company that wronged you work? Because you’ll come away looking like an unstable, raving lunatic. As such, no one will take your review seriously. They’ll perceive your attack as emotional and angry. But it won’t convince them to avoid the company you’re going after. So, how do you achieve your goal?

Learning how to write an effective negative review isn’t that hard—when you know how

It’s actually not that hard. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fully trust positive reviews. It’s getting harder to determine which ones are real and which have been paid for or written by AI. I tend to look at the negative reviews to see if

• The same complaints surface again and again.
• The complaints seem legitimate (or whether they could be attributed to “user error”).
• I’d actually be bothered by the complaints in the negative reviews.

As I said, I don’t trust all those positive reviews. But I don’t take every negative review at face value either. I look for the ones that make a good point, are logical, and don’t seem like a rant.

Follow these steps, and you’ll write an effective negative review that will be believed. Your negative review will carry more weight and show you have a legitimate complaint. Readers will use your review to assess whether to use that service or buy that product.

Step 1 of how to write an effective negative review—Determine your goal

Why do you feel compelled to write this negative review? Are you angry that you were wronged? Do you want to see the company suffer? Are you looking for revenge?

These may be legitimate reactions, but they won’t lead to an effective negative review. More than likely, people reading your review will see it for the emotional rant that it is. But they won’t find it credible.

An effective negative review can achieve several things. An effective negative review could:

• Rectify the situation (see this post on writing a complaint letter).
• Result in the company reaching out to you to offer a solution.
• Result in some form of compensation (i.e. store credit or a gift card).
• Warn other consumers to avoid the product/service based on your negative experience. 

Once you’ve determined your goal, you have to figure out how to achieve it.

Step 2 of how to write an effective negative review—Give some (brief) context

In as few words as possible, give enough context so readers will understand what happened. When/where did you buy the product (or receive the service)? Were there any exceptional circumstances involved? Don’t write a 5-page story. Keep it short and simple. But provide enough detail so anyone unfamiliar with the situation will understand what happened.

Step 3 of how to write an effective negative review—Explain what didn’t live up to your expectations

Again, keeping it brief, explain why you are dissatisfied. The key here is to stick to the facts. Avoid emotional, judgmental language here. State how the product or service let you down. And be realistic with your expectations. No one will give your review any credit if you’re complaining about the $2 Ginsu knife that broke after three weeks of use. 

Another crucial part of this step is to provide evidence where possible. Not all platforms allow the posting of pictures or videos. If they do, include a few to show that your complaint is legitimate and that you aren’t embellishing the facts.

Step 4 of how to write an effective negative review—Give credit where it’s due

This may seem counterintuitive. But if you acknowledge the positive, it will make your negative review more credible. If you ever have to write a reference for a friend or colleague, it’s always good to include a couple of minor negative things the person can work on. Whoever reads your recommendation will believe you wrote the reference after careful consideration. The same goes for a review.

Maybe customer service contacted you quickly and politely, but they ultimately didn’t resolve the issue. Acknowledge that. “A sympathetic support agent contacted me the following day about my complaint.”

Mentioning positive experiences will make your negative review seem more credible. It will show that you aren’t blinded by rage and are just looking for faults. It may seem contradictory, but acknowledging the positive will make your mentions of the negative more effective.

Bonus Tip—Write your negative review when you’re calm

In the heat of the moment, when you’re seeing red, it’s hard to remain neutral and factual and to avoid emotionally charged language. I’m not suggesting you wait two weeks to write your review. But if you can wait a few hours until you’ve calmed down, you’ll likely write a more effective negative review. Or, you could write an initial draft when you’re angry to help release some of your frustration—but don’t hit “send”! Return to it later to remove the ranting sections and revise your negative review when you’re calmer.

If you follow these tips, your next negative review will carry more weight. Readers will attach more credibility to your negative review.

My water rowing machine odyssey

Let’s look at an example of how to write an effective negative review—the story of my water rowing machine. Before I get into the actual review, let me give you some context—it’s a bit complicated. 

I decided I wanted to upgrade to a water rowing machine. I found a brand new one on a popular second-hand selling app. The seller stated they’d received the rowing machine as a gift but decided it wasn’t for them. The owner had opened the box but had never assembled the rower. Since it was a gift, he was willing to let it go at half the retail price. I checked some online reviews of the model, didn’t see any red flags, and decided to buy it.

For about six weeks, it worked great—no complaints. But around that 6-week mark, I started hearing strange noises, and things didn’t feel right. One day, the plug that holds the water in popped out while rowing, spraying water everywhere. That happened a few more times. Looking at the water tank, something didn’t seem right. I decided to empty the tank to get a better look. When I did, there were several pieces of broken plastic. The flywheel had cracked and was falling apart.

There’s always some risk involved when buying second-hand

I contacted the seller to see if they would consider “doing the right thing”, but they blew me off. The website promised a 2-year warranty. Since I had a picture of the original purchase/delivery date (4 months earlier), I contacted the company. They claimed they’d never heard of my issue but agreed to send a replacement. The second machine lasted for a week. 

That’s right. Seven days. This time, the failure happened in one day, and I knew exactly what had happened. I saw cracks in the flywheel and chunks of broken plastic in the water tank. I contacted the company again, but not for a replacement. This time, I wanted a refund. I had no reason to believe a third machine would yield different results.

But there was a catch. When the person who sold it to me said the rowing machine was a “gift,” he hadn’t been 100% upfront. It was a promotional gift from the company. He was supposed to use it and write a positive review (a practice I believe is illegal). I don’t know how he could sell it to me without writing a review of the rowing machine. Or maybe he wrote a fictional review without ever using it. I don’t know. 

Since no one had purchased the rower, the company refused to refund my money (even 50% of the retail price I requested). I contacted the seller again, but he claimed he’d been upfront (he hadn’t). He felt he bore no responsibility.

The company said they’d send me one more replacement, but that would be it. I wasn’t satisfied. I had no reason to believe the third one would be more durable. They sent it to me, but it remains unopened with the packing straps still on it.

Now that you know the story, here’s my (hopefully) effective negative review

I bought a new, unused Bodyster water rowing machine second-hand for 250,000 won in June 2023. Despite being second-hand, the rowing machine was in the box and had never been assembled. I used the rowing machine daily for 30 minutes for about two and a half months. At this point, the plastic flywheel cracked (see images), rendering the machine unusable. Upon emptying the water tank, I found several pieces of broken plastic from the flywheel.

I contacted Bodyster with proof the rower had been purchased a few months ago (the shipping label from the original owner). They agreed to send me a replacement, which arrived within a few days. I assembled the new machine, but it failed in the same manner after only a week’s use. 

I then requested a refund from Bodyster. They informed me they’d sent the first rowing machine to the original owner as a promotional item. As such, they refused to refund the 250,000 won I’d paid the original owner (who declined to offer any resolution). Bodyster agreed to send one more replacement. But they were clear it would be the last one despite promising two years of after-service online.

The plastic flywheel is not able to withstand the pressures of vigorous rowing. I would not recommend this water rowing machine to anyone looking for a vigorous workout. I’m very disappointed that Bodyster refused to resolve the situation satisfactorily. Though Bodyster sent two replacements quickly, the third machine is useless to me. I have no reason to trust it won’t fail in the same manner.

This rowing machine isn’t for me, but it might suit you!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to write an effective negative review. This is the review I would’ve posted—if I could have. I can’t post a review since I didn’t buy the item from the online site. But my loss is your gain. You learned how to write an effective negative review. And that’s not all…

I’ve since bought a more robust water rowing machine. I still have the unopened replacement Bodyster sent me. While this is not the rowing machine for me, it may be right for you! Originally priced at 799,000 won, it now retails for around 400,000 won (it was 499,000 when I bought it second-hand for 250,000). And now it could be yours—for FREE! (This contest is now closed.)

That’s right! I’m giving this rowing machine away for free. I’ll even pay for shipping (only within Korea). So why would you want this water rowing machine after two of them broke on me? This machine has a 4.5-star rating with only two 1-star reviews, one 2-star review, and four 3-star reviews. Most of the negative reviews seem to center on the assembly (which I didn’t have a problem with). There is one review that seems to have the same issue as I did, but the other 41 reviews are positive. But you know how I feel about positive reviews. 😉

Who would I recommend this rowing machine for? I think this rowing machine would be well-suited to people who:

• Are under 80 kgs.
• Don’t need to fill the tank up to the maximum level to get a good workout.
• Plan on doing lower-intensity workouts rather than hard, intense workouts.

Here’s how you could win this water rowing machine

• One entry per person, per platform.
• People entering this contest via Instagram and Facebook will receive two draw entries, but you must tag/invite different people.
• People you invite/tag may enter this contest by following the same steps below, provided they do so before the closing date.

To be entered in a draw to win this rowing machine, you must: 

Instagram:

1. Comment on this post by copying and pasting “I (Instagram ID) have read this review of the Bodyster water rowing machine.” (Comments will remain hidden to prevent spammers from getting your info). 이 포스트에 댓글을 남겨 주시되 (다른 사이트로 이동합니다) 다음 문장을 복사한 후 붙여 주세요. (저(인스타그램 ID)는 바디스터 워터 로잉머신에 대한 리뷰를 읽었습니다.” (개인 정보 보호를 위해 댓글은 표시되지 않습니다.)
2. Follow DCCopyPro on Instagram (You can skip this step if you already follow me). / 인스타그램에서 DC카피프로를 팔로우해 주세요.(기존 팔로워라면 이 단계는 건너뛰셔도 됩니다.
3. Like this post on Instagram. / 이 포스팅에 ‘좋아요’를 눌러 주세요.
4. Tag someone who you think should follow me on Instagram in the comments of this post with the hashtag #DCCopyProContest. / 이 포스팅을 인스타그램에서 팔로우할 사람을 태그하시고 ’DCCopyProContest’를 해시태그해 주세요(#’DCCopyProContest’).

Facebook:

1. Comment on this post by copying and pasting “I (Facebook name) have read this review of the Bodyster water rowing machine.” (Comments will remain hidden to prevent spammers from getting your info). 이 포스트에 댓글을 남겨 주시되 (다른 사이트로 이동합니다) 다음 문장을 복사한 후 붙여 주세요. (저(인스타그램 ID)는 바디스터 워터 로잉머신에 대한 리뷰를 읽었습니다.” (개인 정보 보호를 위해 댓글은 표시되지 않습니다.)
2. Follow DCCopyPro on Facebook (You can skip this step if you already follow me). / 페이스북에서 DC카피프로를 팔로우해 주세요.(기존 팔로워라면 이 단계는 건너뛰셔도 됩니다.)
3. Like this post on Facebook. / 이 포스팅에 ‘좋아요’를 눌러 주세요.
4. Tag someone who you think should follow me on Facebook in the comments of this post with the hashtag #DCCopyProContest. / 이 포스팅을 페이스북에서 팔로우할 사람을 태그하시고 ’DCCopyProContest’를 해시태그해 주세요.

Miscellaneous

• You must complete all 4 steps to be entered in the draw—incomplete entries will not be counted. / ⁠이 네 가지를 빠짐 없이 모두 완료해야 추첨에 참여할 수 있습니다.
• Winners can reside outside Korea but must provide a Korean shipping address—absolutely no international shipping. You may gift this rowing machine to a friend or family member living in Korea. / 당첨자가 외국에 거주한다고 해도 반드시 한국 내 배송 주소가 있어야 하며 국제 배송은 불가합니다. 한국에 사는 가족이나 친구한테 선물로 주셔도 됩니다.
• Contest Dates: 8 pm (KST) 26 November 2023 to 11:59 pm (KST) December 10 2023 / 행사 기간: 2023년 11월 26일 저녁 8시에서 2023년 11월 12월 10일 밤 11:59분(한국 시간 기준).
• Prize draw/announcement: Friday, December 15, 2023 / 당첨자 발표: 2023년 12월 15일 금요일
• No returns/substitutions.

Good luck!

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