It’s not the star that matters: Hungarian customers want to see negative reviews too

Hungarians do not believe in flawless products, and when researching before making a purchase, they specifically look for detailed reviews that even reveal negative aspects. According to seven out of ten customers (70%), the most useful reviews are those that also present the less good features of the product – according to a recent, nationally representative study commissioned by MediaMarkt.

Healthy skepticism is coupled with an enthusiastic creative spirit: in addition to the fact that customers enjoy reading these reviews, most of them would also actively participate in creating them. According to the study, more than three-quarters of Hungarians (75.7%) are open to testing a technical product before its official release. The possibility of testing would be “very interesting” to 42.6% of those surveyed, which represents an extremely massive and committed base.

The demand is not accidental, as consumer decisions are now clearly dominated by social experiences. According to the research, the four most important sources of information before purchasing a technical item are all based on the opinions of others: most people get their information from customer reviews of online stores (47.8%), general customer reviews (44.1%), recommendations from acquaintances and friends (41.4%), and online product test sites (40.5%).

Huge differences can be observed by age group, half of the youngest (16-29) are basically very curious about the opinions of YouTubers and vloggers, but this is not at all typical of their parents’ age group, of whom only a fifth trust these types of sources.

Authenticity lies in the details

The survey highlights that the key to authenticity for consumers is detail and objectivity. While 70% of respondents consider reviews that also reveal the product’s weaker features to be the most useful, “detailed, substantiated” reviews come in second place with 57.9%. In stark contrast, “short, star-rated reviews” are of real help in the decision-making process for only 16.4%. This conscious attitude is particularly strong among those with a degree (76.7%) and those living in the capital (71.8%), who demand critical, honest reviews above average.

“We have recognized that customers are increasingly aware, and in the online noise, authentic, reliable information is the greatest value for them. Our research has clearly confirmed that Hungarians are not looking for marketing slogans, but for expert advice and real, tangible experiences”

– said Fanni Karczub-Lehoczky, Marketing Director of MediaMarkt

“It is precisely for this need for honesty and the obvious openness to testing that we created the TestGuru program, which is connected to our myMediaMarkt loyalty program. Our goal is to build a community knowledge base where customers help each other with honest, detailed and real-experience-based reviews so that they can make the best decisions before making a purchase.”

Hungarians would also test a smartphone and a robot vacuum cleaner

The research also addressed what products Hungarians would most like to test if they could. Communication devices topped the list, but home appliances also proved to be extremely popular.

The most desired testing categories:

Communication devices (smartphone, smartwatch, tablet): 66.7%

Entertainment electronics (TV, gaming devices): 53.2%

Kitchen appliances (blender, air fryer): 52.4%

Cleaning appliances (robot vacuum cleaner): 48.6%

The research also revealed that most people currently only share their experiences informally, with friends or family (31.1%). MediaMarkt’s new TestGuru program provides a structured, widely accessible platform to make this valuable, word-of-mouth knowledge available to everyone.