Spiegel — purchase likelihood PEAKS at 4.0-4.7 stars and DECLINES toward 5.0 (too-good-to-be-true)

Claim: The same Spiegel study found purchase likelihood typically peaks at ratings in the ~4.0-4.7 range and declines as ratings approach a perfect 5.0 — "products with an average star rating in the 4.7-5.0 range are less likely to be purchased than those in the 4.2-4.7 range... shoppers see ratings at the far end of the spectrum as 'too good to be true.'"

Consistent with the finding that many shoppers actively seek out negative reviews to gauge credibility.

Source: Spiegel 2017 / PowerReviews.

Confidence: Verified.

Caveat: Primary PDF uses both "4.0-4.7" in main text and "4.2-4.5" in its summary table — minor internal discrepancy.

Why this matters for Candid: A business with a 4.5 rating outperforms one with a 5.0 rating. The widget should not treat 5.0 as the "best" target — and any advice it gives should reflect this counterintuitive ceiling.