How I appraise
The touchstone, written down. This is the method behind every page, and the rules I hold myself to.
What an appraisal is
A Saraf Bazar appraisal is a research-based buying guide. I collect specifications, dated prices, price history, expert reviews, owner complaints, recalls and rules, and weigh them against each other. Every guide answers four questions: who should buy, who should skip, what it costs as of a date, and where to buy.
I don’t claim hands-on testing unless I did it. If a page ever includes my own use of a product, it will say so plainly, describe what I did, and say how I got the product. When another publication tested something, I name it: “Vacuum Wars says it bought and tested one”, never “I found”.
The call
Each product page ends its appraisal with one of four calls:
- Buy. The evidence supports it for most people it suits.
- Buy if it fits. A good buy for a specific kind of buyer, named on the page.
- Wait. Promising, but the price history is too short, or a better time is likely.
- Watch list. Too early to call. Usually a product nobody independent has tested yet.
Prices
- Every price has a date and a source link. An undated price is a rumour.
- When sources disagree, I show both figures and say which is which.
- I judge deals against price history, not list prices. My basic test, borrowed from NBC Select: the lowest price in about three months, or clearly below the 90- and 180-day averages. A record low with a month of history is promising, not proven.
- Prices older than 14 days carry a plain line saying the price may have changed. So do prices from a deal whose stated end time has passed.
- For subscriptions I list renewal prices next to introductory ones, and for trials I list the exit costs next to the trial length.
Sources
- Primary sources first: manufacturer pages, press releases, retailer listings and regulator notices (CPSC, FAA, FCC).
- Expert reviews from publications with a stated method, attributed by name.
- Owner reports from communities and retailer reviews, used to find recurring problems. I link the threads and don’t quote posts I couldn’t verify.
- Manufacturer claims are labelled as claims: battery life “per the maker’s test”, suction “brand figure”.
- When a source is sponsored or carries affiliate links that bear on a claim, I say so next to the citation.
Independence and money
Saraf Bazar may earn affiliate commission on links marked “Paid link”. Commission never sets a verdict. I don’t accept payment for coverage, and if I ever publish sponsored content it will be labelled at the top and won’t be an appraisal. If I receive a sample or a loan, the page will say so. See the disclosure.
People
No fake people. Bylines are real people. Today that is Sahil, who runs the site. I don’t invent reviewers, testers, customer stories, testimonials or star ratings, and I don’t present AI-generated experiences as if a person had them.
Safety, recalls and the law
I check for CPSC recalls on products where it matters (e-bikes, batteries, power stations) and put warnings at the top of the page. For drones I note FAA and FCC rules. These notes don’t replace official guidance; I link to it.
Software
I use software, including AI tools, to organise research, check arithmetic and edit drafts. People are responsible for every claim, and every fact and price traces back to a linked source.
Corrections
Email hello@sarafbazar.com with the page, the problem and, if you can, a source. I correct factual errors and note significant corrections at the end of the page.