My opinion, photos are more important than written reviews. Being able to examine photos will help you make the best decision on the quality of work, compared to basing it off a written review. Written reviews help select a contractor's character (service): nice, rude, on-time, late, competent, etc..

You would need to take a close look at their most current projects (photos). Examine it up close and look for flaws. That will help weed out a lot of bad or amateur refinishers. Get reference from their previous jobs. Ask those clients to share photos for you to examine. You can then make the best choice on which contractor to hire based on quality, service and price.

Why would you pay for substandard work? Guys that only got half their money have huge incentive to make things right. Maybe you'll get lucky.