I've always been on the skeptical side when it comes to any on-site reviews hosted by the same company who makes the product. I mean they have 100% control over the reviews which appear, and can even spin them from whole cloth without ever having to answer for it. 
 
The Waves site is a classic example. I look through the product reviews and it's all glowing 5-star reports across the board. And a lot of them don't even sound believable - for instance, who leaves a review like "Love you guys, can't live without my Waves plugins, everything you make adds life and sparkle to my tracks"? Even though you can't quite put your finger on why that sounds fake, there's no denying that it does. 
 
Just wondering if anyone actually buys these write-ups. 

I personally ignore them in the same way I ignore other advertising hype. Yes, they have control over the reviews and can remove bad ones, so it is a marketing tool. I shouldn't think they are all fake though.

I usually make my own mind up. The reviews, the videos are pure promotion however you can learn a few things from some of them as well. There is a couple of reviews I left which passes the quality test.

Yes, they do. Not using paid employees, though, AFAIK. Instead, they recruit users to be "ambassadors" who get discounts in exchange for spreading positive reviews on forums and retailers' sites.

i think waves is like plugin alliance and boz digital etc :the 1-5 star reviews are from people who have bought the plugin. probably most waves reviewers had even demoed the plugs before purchase and presumably thought was value for money
 
the magazine reviews are the worst: they have the 1-4 or 1-5 star system and no one ever gets lower than 3

Magazines do prefer positive reviews, but it's not necessarily insidious, deceptive or advertising-driven. They simply ignore the bad products. 

I ignore those reviews.

bitflipper
Yes, they do. Not using paid employees, though, AFAIK. Instead, they recruit users to be "ambassadors" who get discounts in exchange for spreading positive reviews on forums and retailers' sites.

ambassador=shill

bitflipper
Yes, they do. Not using paid employees, though, AFAIK. Instead, they recruit users to be "ambassadors" who get discounts in exchange for spreading positive reviews on forums and retailers' sites.

So it sounds much like the situation on Amazon when half the reviews you read include the disclaimer "I posted this impartial (ha!) review in exchange for a discount." In other words, a complete load of bollocks. 

bitflipper
Magazines do prefer positive reviews, but it's not necessarily insidious, deceptive or advertising-driven. They simply ignore the bad products. 

 I agree. Also, in a magazine review the writer usually elaborately describes the features and qualities of the product, and tries to justify his opinion. That way putting his own (and that of the magazine) credibility at steak.