Rant: If you write Amazon reviews (or anywhere else)

[Muse]

Most reviewers on Amazon don't make it clear what they are reviewing. Amazon often lumps different products' reviews into a single set of reviews. Your title or review should mention the brand, model, size, etc. Could be the website's error, could be the reviewer, whatever, when the product reviewed differs from the product featured on the page. Make it clear exactly what it is you're reviewing. It's a bit of extra work. You can usually just copy/paste. If you're conscientious, you will do it!

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Thanks for the heads up!

I just went and updated my review for the 10" black mamba as I wouldn't want to confuse anyone who was looking to purchase the 6" or 8" version.

 

[Muse]

Thanks for the heads up!

I just went and updated my review for the 10" black mamba as I wouldn't want to confuse anyone who was looking to purchase the 6" or 8" version.

Well done!

 

[Brainonska511]

Yes, but Amazon's systems sometimes filter things out. I tried to leave a review for some humidifier filters, but it refused to post. I purchased these cylindrical wicking filters, but they sent me flat ones, twice - they had the wrong Amazon barcodes on the packaging, hence the snafu (so the packaging said Model XX, but the barcode Amazon added for their inventory was for Model YY; and I needed Model YY). Of course, pointing that out in the review is verboten.

 

[Muse]

Yeah, I've had a few reviews deep-sixed.

I loved the way Amazon used to be where people could and did start threads off of other people's reviews. Those comment threads could go on and on. It was a terrific feature. Then one day without warning around a dozen years ago all the comments to others' reviews disappeared.

 

[nakedfrog]

In many instances, if you click on the "See more reviews" button at the bottom of the initial reviews, it will expose a dropdown box allowing you to select the variant.
Obviously, if Amazon wasn't shite you'd be able to do that from the initial page, but Amazon is shite so we can get fucked, it's eminently clear the consumer's satisfaction is no longer their focus.

 

[Muse]

In many instances, if you click on the "See more reviews" button at the bottom of the initial reviews, it will expose a dropdown box allowing you to select the variant.
Obviously, if Amazon wasn't shite you'd be able to do that from the initial page, but Amazon is shite so we can get fucked, it's eminently clear the consumer's satisfaction is no longer their focus.

I don't accept even a free month of Prime anymore. I would if I thought I'd be doing much business there for the next month, but that's not me usually. I have grudges against Jeff Bezos that won't quit, just pile up.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

It's amazing how amazon went from a book store to an everything store to an enshittified frontend to extract tributes from random third party sellers.

 

[BoomerD]

Most reviewers on Amazon don't make it clear what they are reviewing. Amazon often lumps different products' reviews into a single set of reviews. Your title or review should mention the brand, model, size, etc. Could be the website's error, could be the reviewer, whatever, when the product reviewed differs from the product featured on the page. Make it clear exactly what it is you're reviewing. It's a bit of extra work. You can usually just copy/paste. If you're conscientious, you will do it!

Where the hell is the fun in that? I LOVE posting misleading and deceptive Amazon reviews...even more fun when Amazon approves them.

 

[mikeymikec]

My 'favourite' kind of Amazon review is the 1-star that says that their item arrived broken.

 

[Muse]

My 'favourite' kind of Amazon review is the 1-star that says that their item arrived broken.

Amazon has a program where if you're approved for it, you get items in exchange for your review. I was approved but I haven't followed up and been a part of it. Obviously, people who do this would have a tendency to assess favorably. I don't want my personal impartiality challenged. I figure that integrity is priceless.

 

[mikeymikec]

Amazon has a program where if you're approved for it, you get items in exchange for your review. I was approved but I haven't followed up and been a part of it. Obviously, people who do this would have a tendency to assess favorably. I don't want my personal impartiality challenged. I figure that integrity is priceless.

I'd bet that the complimentary item is crap anyway. I've written probably about 30 reviews for Amazon UK, I don't recall ever getting an offer like that (probably region specific).

 

[nakedfrog]

Amazon has a program where if you're approved for it, you get items in exchange for your review. I was approved but I haven't followed up and been a part of it. Obviously, people who do this would have a tendency to assess favorably. I don't want my personal impartiality challenged. I figure that integrity is priceless.

I've been a part of it for a while (and you do have to report the retail value of the item as income on taxes), and it has not impacted my assessment of items.

I'd bet that the complimentary item is crap anyway. I've written probably about 30 reviews for Amazon UK, I don't recall ever getting an offer like that (probably region specific).

I mean, I've literally used some of the items on stage at gigs, the wireless guitar system in particular has been nice to have. But I have occasionally gotten some items that were crap, like a Kodak photo printer, huge piece of shit (I did not use the word shit in my review but I was not kind to it, and I gave Kodak customer service a chance to address the situation first).

 

[Muse]

My 'favourite' kind of Amazon review is the 1-star that says that their item arrived broken.

Yeah, I figure if you had a bad experience because of some glitch like didn't come on time for your circumstance or you were unhappy for some reason that the manufacturer or supplier had nothing to do with you should not dock your rating of the product. People can be so self centered they don't understand that.

 

[nakedfrog]

My 'favourite' kind of Amazon review is the 1-star that says that their item arrived broken.

Right up there with "I ordered the wrong item" or "I clearly can't read the product description and I'm mad" or "shipping took too long"

 

[lxskllr]

They wanted me to be a part of their product shill program, but I didn't feel like getting random crap in the mail, then having to review it. That's like a job. There isn't much I want, and I doubt they'd send anything I could really use.

Longest I've had Prime was a couple hours, where I guess I accidentally clicked the wrong thing on checkout, and only noticed when I was reviewing my order. I cancelled it as soon as I saw it.

 

[nakedfrog]

They wanted me to be a part of their product shill program, but I didn't feel like getting random crap in the mail, then having to review it. That's like a job. There isn't much I want, and I doubt they'd send anything I could really use.

Longest I've had Prime was a couple hours, where I guess I accidentally clicked the wrong thing on checkout, and only noticed when I was reviewing my order. I cancelled it as soon as I saw it.

They don't just mail you random shit, you pick the items you want, and the reviews don't have to be detailed (mine are usually 3-4 sentences, like if it's a power supply or a MIDI cable there's not much to say other than "it's not a shitty cable and it works" sort of thing, and I'll typically mention what I'm using it for). My son actually got on it before I did, and he's gotten automotive parts, I got an electric leafblower and a pole saw, there's a pretty wide variety of stuff. Just an FYI, not trying to convince you to join, but seems like you might have an inaccurate perception of it. That said, unsurprisingly there's been less products available since the whole tariff shitshow kicked off.