Essay writing service reviews can be a fantastic way to qualify writing services. But, not all reviews are neutral, trustworthy, or unbiased. So, it is important to know exactly what to look for.
Use this guide to learn how to qualify essay services by reading reviews. Use these 5 red flags of reviews to help you learn which essay writing services to steer clear of and which to choose.
First, we will review the value of writing service reviews. Next, we will cover 5 keys to watch out for. Finally, we will re-cap and provide some suggestions of how and where to find essay writing services with credible reviews. By the end of this blog, you will know how to avoid online writing scams.
How can essay writing service reviews help?
- First-hand feedback. Reviews are a fantastic source of first hand feedback from peers and students writing about their specific experiences, whether it is the quality of the essay they received, or the level of support that was provided.
- Unbiased insight. Unlike marketing and promotional content, reviews can offer unbiased opinions and insight about the quality of an essay writing service. This can be extremely helpful when looking for an honest opinion about a service.
- A look at specifics. Not only do reviews provide honest, firsthand feedback, but also, they can offer a glimpse into fellow peers’ specific experiences with a service. For instance, perhaps you are looking for an essay writing service that specializes in graduate-level nursing essays. Searching reviews can provide clarity about the nature of services offered.
5 red flags of reviews to watch out for
Learn more about the value of paper writing service reviews and how to use essay writing service reviews to choose a writing service.
1. No reviews
This one speaks for itself. Clearly, an essay writing service with no reviews is not a good sign. It suggests a few things:
- Clients have not been satisfied enough to leave reviews (and therefore may be unsatisfied)
- The company has not even been in business long enough to get reviews
- Not many people have used the service (the company is small)
No matter which is the case above, a credible, well-established, trustworthy writing service will not only post customer reviews (because the company knows the value of doing so), but will also serve enough clients that customers will post reviews on third party sites. Obvious and simple as it may sound, make sure the service you choose showcases a handful customer reviews!
2. 100% perfect reviews
Perfect reviews may look tempting at first, but think about it: any service business that involves people serving others is not going to be perfect. We are all human, and along with being human comes imperfection and differences. Plus, the sheer fact that each student’s needs and expectations are vastly different means that the quality of services experienced by each client will differ.
Exceptional, top online essay writing services will be able to earn great, and even outstanding reviews. But, any site that has 100% 5 out of 5 star reviews is likely fabricating their reviews and is not a trustworthy company. When looking for a top quality essay writing service, look for mostly great and outstanding reviews: reviews ranking between 4 and 5 starts is a great range to shoot for.
3. Lack of reviews on third party sites
Most essay writing services will make a point to publish reviews on their own site. But, it is also in the best interest of a writing service for the company to omit terrible reviews from being posted on their site. So, make sure to check reviews on third party review sites such as the BBB and Quora. If reviews are great on a company’s site but mostly poor on a third party site, this discrepancy is a red flag. And, if you simply cannot find any reviews on third party sites, be cautious and think twice before trusting the writing site’s claims. Ultius reviews span from Facebook and Google to SiteJabber and Reviews.io.
4. Reviews that all sound the same
Just as people have different writing styles, authentic reviews will be written differently. Some will be short and sweet, while others will be long and detailed. If the reviews on a site are all written in the same length, with the same voice or tone, and tell the same “generalized success story,” watch out. They may be altered or biased. Also, if most reviews emphasize the same basic benefits a site provides, they may be company-created in an attempt to make the site’s services sound more appealing.
However, that is not to say that authentic reviews will not mention similar site-wide benefits. In fact, they usually will. For instance, if an essay writing service is known for providing amazing client support or delivering orders on time, many client reviews will probably mention that. But likely, they will do so with variety in terms of writing style and length. In summary, look out if your gut tells you all of a site’s reviews sound a bit too similar.
5. Poor reviews
Obvious as this may be, it is worth mentioning. Often, it can be easy to not even take the time to look at reviews, especially if a site’s home page sounds convincing and you are in a bind to get an essay ordered. However, reviews are an incredibly quick and effective tool to use. And they can help ensure you will end up happy with your order. Watch out for an essay writing service that has poor reviews, especially when it comes to these areas:
- Poor customer service. The last thing you want to have to face when you are investing in an essay service is poor client service. Chances are, especially if you are placing a large order, questions will come up, and special assistance may be needed. It is critical to work with a service that has well-organized, prompt customer service. Also, notice whether reviews comment on how convenient customer service is. For example, if the site claims that customer service agents are available by phone, but reviews seem to suggest customer service call wait times are excessively long, or phone calls frequently disconnect, consider another service site. Basically, make sure reviews align with the site’s positive claims.
- Delayed order delivery. If you are ordering an example essay, editing assistance, or another essay-related product, you are probably doing so to save time and help you put your best foot forward. So, the last thing you need is delayed order delivery. If reviews frequently complain about slow or delayed delivery times, this is a red flag.
- Inability to request revisions. Even top quality writing service sites from which revisions are rarely needed should offer revisions. Ironically, usually top sites from which you are less likely to need a revision will offer free revisions more often than sites providing marginal quality essays. This is because top sites realize two things:
- offering revisions improves their client’s satisfaction and business, and
- revisions are likely to be needed less frequently if the site’s services are exceptional
- Lack of writer communication. Be aware of reviews in which clients complain about not being able to communicate with their writers. Being able to communicate directly with writers is critical when you are ordering essay assistance, in order to make sure your writer clearly understands your instructions.
- Lack of instructions being followed. If a site’s reviews commonly mention that writers fail to follow instructions, be warned. Many writing sites compensate their writers minimally, which means writers are writing as fast as possible and may overlook important instructions. But, top sites like Ultius hire writers that are well-trained to follow undergraduate and graduate-level instructions, and compensate writers for the time it takes to produce top quality writing.
- Poor quality papers with lots of grammatical mistakes. Again, inexpensive and especially free writing sites often produce content as quickly as possible. As a result, these sites frequently fail to take the time to proofread papers, which results in negative quality reviews.
Again, while even the best essay writing services are likely to receive a poor review now and then, avoid sites with overwhelmingly negative reviews. A good rule of thumb is to steer clear of sites with more than 3 out of 10 negative reviews.
How and where to find essay writing services with credible reviews
When looking for top tier essay services, make sure a site’s reviews:
- Align with what you need (for instance, do reviews reveal whether or not the site provides graduate level content, or specializes in your subject?)
- Are posted on non-company, third-party sites like Quora
If you know you know you need to hire a writing service, choose an essay writing service with authentic, exceptional reviews.