Reviewing services on a blog without using the service?

I often come across blogs that review products both hardware and digital, and also blogs that review services offered online.

Do you review basically by what you can find out from the website of each product/service?

I imagine that would be the case, as say for example if you reviwed a web hosting service or a mobile phone each day, theres no way you could use or own each one you review, so im guessing you review by what you can personally learn and find out about the product or service, either from the website or from people who have actually used something.

And then put that together as the review in your blog?

 

I only review products that I buy (since I am too shy and lazy to ask for for products). I will pay attention to reviews if the reviewer has used the product/service but I tend to shy away from reviews that are only published for money. A guy named hank reviewing Tampons is an extreme example.

 

I recently reviewed tutorial directories. I submitted my own tutorial to a bunch of sites and then reviewed only those accepted my tutorial. This way I could share real pending times and traffic numbers.

 

You could end up with some freebies if you ask maybe
Totally understandable that your more interested in reading a review if the reviewer has used the procust or service.

Hank reviewing Tampons, lol

Good idea, your able to give genuine and accurate information.