Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Anyone an Amazon Reviewer?
- Thread starter Zmanbaseball2
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I noticed that as well.
I thought I was an easy reviewer.
I think I'd find a way to word that disclaimer differently then.
Somebody here can surely wordsmith it better than I can, but something along the lines of ...
This product was given to me in exchange for a review. All products are reviewed honestly regardless of them being provided to me at no cost.
A high school student with questionable reading/writing/vocabulary skills, receiving free items and not always noting it as such in his reviews, handing out 5 star reviews on the regular, is a "trusted Amazon reviewer". This gives me slightly less confidence in the Amazon review system.
My thoughts exactly. That's why I think that 4 or 5 star ratings on Amazon are mostly useless. I am really more interested in the 1-3 star reviews.
And he's only using a product for a few hours before giving his stars. If I was buying off of Amazon, I would want to read the opinion of a real consumer who have used the product for at least a full week, if not a month, in order to give an fully informed opinion about a product's flaws or durability. As it is, this is sketchy.
I think this is a really good point.
I've read a number of reviews that were updated to reflect the durability or lack thereof in a product, which is one of the most important aspects of a good product.
That's a big difference between an authentic customer experience vs. someone who's just testing something out of the box.
Yes. My thoughts exactly.
I have actually taken the trouble to read the entire through and confess to having been flabbergasted at the OP's cavalier attitude to a number of things: These include matters such as, firstly, language, or writing skills. This is a pet peeve of mine, and not normally something I'd quibble about online, but when one is writing for publication, it is nice if some care is taken in what one writes and how one writes it.
Secondly, I have major concerns about anyone receiving items for free which are not declared as such in a subsequent review. This brings all of the usual conflict of interest arguments to mind. Put simply, if you receive something for free, there is often an implied assumption that you will reciprocate by writing something nice about the product. In other words, I have questions about possible conflicts of interest and doubts about the bona fides and objectivity of any review written in such circumstances.
Thirdly, well, others have already commented on this aspect of the discussion. This is the somewhat disturbing matter of awarding a string of 'perfect fives', in circumstances where the product may not have been scrutinised, tested, or examined for a sufficiently long period of time.
This whole thread would serve to make me a little more - reserved - about some aspects of the Amazon review system.
Amazon should only allow buyers to log in reviews, and retroactively eliminate all reviews from non-buyers.
non buyers should be allowed to comment on others reviews, but not to put in a new review.
I actually thought that is the way it worked.
it would be interesting to know what fraction of reviews are fake.
Is this something common? a cursory look shows that the majority of reviews appear to be indeed "Amazon Verified Purchase", so probably fake reviews might not affect the star rating much.
I use amazon a lot and rely on reviews quite a bit, although i typically read more of the low end ones to try to understand what is possibly wrong with the product. It is quite surprising how many of the bad reviews are also somehow 'fake', meaning by people who for example ordered the wrong product because they can't read and then retaliate by giving out one star.
but i digress. Anyways, i'll make sure i only read/trust review from "Amazon Verified Purchase" reviewers.
as far as the OP, i think the disclaimer is fair.
it's clear he is reviewing the items in exchange for the items themselves, so if i were reading his reviews i would take his evaluation with a grain or four of salt.
i just think they shouldn't count in the star average.
non buyers should be allowed to comment on others reviews, but not to put in a new review.
I actually thought that is the way it worked.
it would be interesting to know what fraction of reviews are fake.
Is this something common? a cursory look shows that the majority of reviews appear to be indeed "Amazon Verified Purchase", so probably fake reviews might not affect the star rating much.
I use amazon a lot and rely on reviews quite a bit, although i typically read more of the low end ones to try to understand what is possibly wrong with the product. It is quite surprising how many of the bad reviews are also somehow 'fake', meaning by people who for example ordered the wrong product because they can't read and then retaliate by giving out one star.
but i digress. Anyways, i'll make sure i only read/trust review from "Amazon Verified Purchase" reviewers.
as far as the OP, i think the disclaimer is fair.
it's clear he is reviewing the items in exchange for the items themselves, so if i were reading his reviews i would take his evaluation with a grain or four of salt.
i just think they shouldn't count in the star average.
Last edited:
Some companies give me promo codes to buy the product at 100% off or a gift card. Defeats the purpose of only buyers can review.
To the thread:
What do guys think about the vine program. They get free products from amazon, not the companies like me.
well, no system is perfect so that would be an obvious loophole, but it would likely still limit the occurrence to some extent, or at least it would ensure that as a minimum the reviewer did in fact get the product.
not you case, clearly, but i imagine some reviews out there could be completely fictitious.
as i said, as long as you continue to include a proper disclaimer, i don't see ethical issues in what you are doing. basically you are performing job and you are getting 'paid' for it. i just don't think your inputs are as valuable as those of actual buyers, from a prospective customer, because of the obvious conflict of interests. for what i saw,, yours is essentially advertisement more than a review
the vine program i think is a little better, because there is a smaller conflict of interest (the reviewers have less incentive to put out a glowing review), and the review is well highlighted as being part of the vine program.
it also depends on how they select people to become part of the program.
still, i think that the 'average stars' should only reflect the actual buyers, not 'professional reviewers'
Last edited:
From the link provided I count:
247 5-star
36 4-star
6 3-star
1 2-star
1 1-star
If I were selling a product, I would absolutely send it to the OP! He doesn't seem to dislike anything!
LOL. VERY satisfied customer! A+++, highly recommend product, would do business with again!
New disclosure quote:
I was supplied a sample, for free that I keep, for test and evaluation, and I promised that my review is fair and honest.
Don't worry, that still counts as "reading". Just reading anything makes you a better writer in general. I get lots and lots of complements on my writing and I only have longform writing and articles to thank for that.
Besides, people that read reviews aren't looking for a Shakespeare, they just want a honest opinion.
In defense of the OP, he seems to be reviewing mostly simple accessory items. The type of items that either work or don't, really nothing else to talk about.
But I do agree, the OP hasn't had enough time before the reviews. Many tech accessories break down after a few months. Especially chargers, which the OP seems to review plenty.
But I do agree, the OP hasn't had enough time before the reviews. Many tech accessories break down after a few months. Especially chargers, which the OP seems to review plenty.
Blocking non-Amazon purchased items would skew reviews more than it solves, Belkin was caught targeting customers who registered their product to write reviews on Amazon/NewEgg/etc along with bribegate. As a consumer you should read some lower ratings to get a good idea of actual product flaws--not all products are "flawless".
As far as the topic goes, I write reviews of items I bought on Amazon and sometimes items I bought locally(tax factor makes Amazon more expensive for more items).
When I was the OP's age my classmate ran a review site, we had to disclose products were "sponsored reviews" and if we cross-posted it onto Amazon the start of the review noted it. The OP needs to learn the rules of being a product reviewer or you'll risk storefronts like Amazon/NewEgg removing or auditing your reviews.
AmazonVine isn't that good either, some companies ship half-arsed tech products out the door making those reviewers "beta/release canidate testers" before they're sold to the public. A friend of mine got a media streaming device via Vine and it was a bag of hurt... company I won't name replaced the "Vine" issued devices for a "new" review.
As far as the topic goes, I write reviews of items I bought on Amazon and sometimes items I bought locally(tax factor makes Amazon more expensive for more items).
When I was the OP's age my classmate ran a review site, we had to disclose products were "sponsored reviews" and if we cross-posted it onto Amazon the start of the review noted it. The OP needs to learn the rules of being a product reviewer or you'll risk storefronts like Amazon/NewEgg removing or auditing your reviews.
AmazonVine isn't that good either, some companies ship half-arsed tech products out the door making those reviewers "beta/release canidate testers" before they're sold to the public. A friend of mine got a media streaming device via Vine and it was a bag of hurt... company I won't name replaced the "Vine" issued devices for a "new" review.
Anyone an Amazon Reviewer?
Why would amazon review my reviews or anyone else's? Many top reviewers get samples like me. I am just sharing my hobby here. I post all my reviews on amazon and sometimes post on here for the products I really like.
Why would amazon review my reviews or anyone else's? Many top reviewers get samples like me. I am just sharing my hobby here. I post all my reviews on amazon and sometimes post on here for the products I really like.
Last edited:
Why are you guys trying to tear the kid apart? He's doing something on his own that is proving towards a good work ethic and shows that he can be responsible.
It's actually pretty cool that people send you things and you're able to review them and keep them.
Keep it up and forget the haters.
It's actually pretty cool that people send you things and you're able to review them and keep them.
Keep it up and forget the haters.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I contacted the company and they as it is fine to say I got it for free. My statement is now false.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I have to admit that I find it odd that you asked for permission to disclose your COI.