I've already budgeted £80 for burgers at Inters
going by last years prices that will get you half a squashed cold veggie burger and no chips.......
on a more serious note though, and as a trader reading this thread its getting very clouded to read. Things are trying to be said between the lines, and i all thats happening is that tensions are occurring as people have got some very different stand points on views and ethos's regarding products and the way they are marketed, and then ultimately reviewed - rather than discussing how the actual review should be managed.
On a personally note i dont advertise on any forums, my products speak quite clearly for themselves and although theyre never really subject to a review because of the type of product they are,
reputation is key to maintain a good customer base. When there is competition on a forum for a product that is retailed in form by more than one entity then there will always be comparisons made and people will always favour the popular 9 times out of 10.
I am guilty of giving freebies, theres plenty of people on here that will vouch for that including some of the moderators, its a choice i make. Do i do it for recognition? nope, i do it based on relationships i build over time with individuals... fully aware that i am not the sole person that they use for the same products.
Now if a freebie was a "loss leader" for the sole purpose of getting a review onto a forum that doesnt allow direct advertising then it could be deemed as a little sneaky, and almost guilt the recipient into feeling they need to acknowledge and thank the seller somehow, wether that be in a thread about their car or a review thread knowing the exposure it would receive and potential customers that could be gained from it. I dont think thats something you can ever 'moderate' successfully to any degree without knowing the full story and the people involved.
Now i dont really want to weigh into an argument when the argument doesn't really need to occur, this is about reviews and shouldn't be turning into what its is. People will always have favourites and strong opinions toward them no doubt, and at times this naturally will cause defensive reactions, as said often its to affirm theyve made a good purchase, sometimes it can be a tip of the cap towards the company as an acknowledgment.
I regularly get asked for freebies from teams for race cars in return for exposure on track, its exactly the same principle.
I can see the flaws with the reviews, RR and Dave make some excellent points, ultimately though i dont believe you can police/moderate a review section as it is always loaded with bias in one direction, rarely negative. I've done reviews, normally after research before purchase so that the review becomes a "this is what i bought, this is a review" i wouldnt have bought it if i hadnt done the groundwork beforehand and that is all a review section can ever be... a groundwork area for people to make an decision based on others opinions, and thats all they are, opinions.
So when youre in the market for something, listen to opinions, discover the + and the - and then make an informed choice at the point of sale. If a forum review was as concrete in its information as some might suggest then if the results you gain after sale dont match the review then who's to blame? the reviewer? no...
Review sections to have guidelines and disclaimers would achieve a more balanced approach, ie stating that the reviews are experiences based on individuals choice and experiences and not endorsed by the forum etc etc rather than trying to pin each review into the same format.
