no longer welcome Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 For the last 3 years there has been a flood of videos on youtube regardinghookah products. You’ve all seen them. I am starting to have an issue with themand think that there should be some definition to what constitutes a review. Allof the reviews I see are called just that, reviews. Many people do exactly theright thing, they [b]buy[/b] a product and share with us their opinion, whichthey are entitled to have. Then you have others who are “claiming” to “review”products when in fact it is nothing more than a “commercial”. This is wherethey should be separated. If you bought a product and are thoughtful enough toshare and take the time to give a review with your unbiased opinion I feel thatyou should show your invoice to prove legitimacy. Wouldn't that be a greatstandard? Thiswill stop others who are given product for free to do reviews. Now,a lot of us have been guilty of this in the past, it’s ok, it seemed reasonableenough. And if you are doing a video for a product or vendor that you wereasked to do in exchange for something free why not just say it? Here’s anexample, XYZ hookah vendor gave me this FREE abc product so that I could reviewfor you. Now, we’ve separated reviews from commercials. And in fact what willhappen is that bias will be easier to spot. You can always call the reviewerout on youtube by commenting. Conclusion:Show your invoice so we know you are legit and not being bought out. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I tend to agree. If you are being given a product to review then state you were given the product. If you paid for it yourself or got it in a trade of some sort with another private person, state that. Reminds me of a time years ago when Mathazar started posting these awsome reviews for a new tobacco he was getting from a now defunct vendor. Then he actually GOT the tobacco from the guy and smoked it and posted new reviews telling how crappy it was. So I back up HJ on this one. If you are gonna do reviews, include a statement about how you got the product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvtaco17 Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I´m fine with this completely. Credibility is first build on honesty and sharing how you acquired the product should be no problem for those of us who are doing honest reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeags777 Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Agreed John..... I'm sure there are people getting hooked up with tobacco and just pumping it up for the vendor. Have some balls people, show your receipt!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuie Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I will say this. There are people out there, I know that they are just freebie whores and will give anything a good review if it's given to them for free. Some out there that actively hand out bad reviews of stuff they are unable to get for free. I will say this to those that care. I have gotten free stuff, before and I cop to it. Does it influence me in the least? Nope. I value integrity over free stuff. That's why all my reviews have "purchased from" in them. I note stuff I got in trades, gifts, freebies, etc. I feel I will give you my honest opinion, If you disagree, awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boludo Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 [quote name='Stuie' date='24 March 2010 - 12:01 PM' timestamp='1269446517' post='459278'] I will say this. There are people out there, I know that they are just freebie whores and will give anything a good review if it's given to them for free. Some out there that actively hand out bad reviews of stuff they are unable to get for free. I will say this to those that care. I have gotten free stuff, before and I cop to it. Does it influence me in the least? Nope. I value integrity over free stuff. That's why all my reviews have "purchased from" in them. I note stuff I got in trades, gifts, freebies, etc. I feel I will give you my honest opinion, If you disagree, awesome. [/quote] Could we be talking about the person mentioned in another forum in the tread "Are Those Pubes On Your Chin?"[b] [/b]He is a douche Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuie Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 [quote name='boludo' date='24 March 2010 - 11:16 AM' timestamp='1269447364' post='459279'] [quote name='Stuie' date='24 March 2010 - 12:01 PM' timestamp='1269446517' post='459278'] I will say this. There are people out there, I know that they are just freebie whores and will give anything a good review if it's given to them for free. Some out there that actively hand out bad reviews of stuff they are unable to get for free. I will say this to those that care. I have gotten free stuff, before and I cop to it. Does it influence me in the least? Nope. I value integrity over free stuff. That's why all my reviews have "purchased from" in them. I note stuff I got in trades, gifts, freebies, etc. I feel I will give you my honest opinion, If you disagree, awesome. [/quote] Could we be talking about the person mentioned in another forum in the tread "Are Those Pubes On Your Chin?"[b] [/b]He is a douche [/quote] He's one of them. There a few others out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom1 Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I give this thread an 11/10 with the hope that john will send me free hookah-hookah to review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no longer welcome Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 now, don't get me wrong, i have participated in this activity a tiny bit in the past, nothing major, i just think it should end and start fresh with these definitions. I don't want to talk about myself but since I am bringing this up maybe I should. 99% of the reviews you have seen on me are real. People are paying customers, they weren't asked to do this and they were kind enough to share with the rest of us, and with nothing expected in return. It's a great plug for me because it doesn't get more real than that. I have probably given out a couple of freebies with the agreement that the receiver post a vid on it. I can claim that I want them to be as honest and unbiased as they can but we all know that's bs. at this point i get asked on a weekly basis if i can participate in this activity and i just ignore them now. thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make real reviews for me, and totally free of charge to me. with all that said, i don't blame vendors for participating in this, it's not wrong, it's just advertising, so let's just call it a commercial and not a review. i'm thinking the best way is to show your invoice in the beginning and emphasizing that you are making a genuine review. if your being a products spokesperson or marketing tool then simply state it and stop misleading people. i could could go on and on about this but then i get called a "vendor" in a negative tone. remember, vendors are who bring you this stuff and most of them are regular folks like yourself, and i should add that this "vendor" is also a hookah enthusiast , not just a salesman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchard Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 [quote name='Tom16689' date='24 March 2010 - 09:40 AM' timestamp='1269448821' post='459284'] I give this thread an 11/10 with the hope that john will send me free hookah-hookah to review. [/quote] Haha. I was going to say something about HH. I did a HH sample thing, and the flavors I got were so gross, I didnt even want to smoke them again to make a review video. However, I did let people know. Just because they were free was no excuse for me to lie about how awesome the sample was, which I have a feeling is what often occurs when people get free stuff. They feel like they need to say its great because they got hooked up, with side hopes of getting more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amn_sinclair Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 who do i have to get a hold of to start doing these commercials????? lol jk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codename067 Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 This happens all the time with Hookahs and non-hookah related items. What I don't seem to understand is why "it seemed reasonable enough back then" and why it does not today? Times have not changed, people still buy/sell/trade like they have been doing for many years. And no, this does not mean that I am supporting the fact that people shouldn't mention that they got any items for free. A review is still a review! My .2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Hm, who does this remind me of.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcane Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 i don't do many reviews, however...the fact that i get something for free won't make me think crap tobacco is good. i don't really understand it either. Consumer A buys tobacco from Vendor B. Tobacco is good. Consumer A posts good review. Consumer A buys more tobacco because its good. --Makes sense. Consumer A receives free tobacco from Vendor C. Tobacco is crap. "A" posts bad review. "C" refuses to send free crap tobacco to "A". "A" is happy. --Makes sense. Consumer A receives free crap tobacco from Vendor C. "A" posts good review because it's free. "C" sends more free crap tobacco to "A". "A" is bummed. --wait...wut? I would rather pay money and get something good, than receive free junk. There is absolutely no incentive in promoting bad shisha, unless you would smoke bird shit and be content. I, for one, would be more than willing to tear apart a brand/flavor if it's junk...maybe that's why vendors don't want me to review their wares. haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 The certain person I'm thinking about promotes the SHIT out of HH, yet smokes Tangiers when the cam's not running... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I agree with this post, John. I have gotten a some freebies in the past and will state in the review that they are free items for commercial/review purposes. I don't think I have bias in reviews I get for free because to me it doesn't matter if I get freebies. I have spent thousands and thousands on this hobby and am a hookah enthusiast. I do reviews because I enjoy doing them, and watching reviews has led me to purchase some shishas that I was questioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 [quote name='INCUBUSRATM' date='24 March 2010 - 04:33 PM' timestamp='1269462789' post='459327'] The certain person I'm thinking about promotes the SHIT out of HH, yet smokes Tangiers when the cam's not running... [/quote] who are we talking about??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonethere Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 This is a god idea. As awesome it would be to get free tobacco, I don't think I could stomach getting free tobacco that tastes gross just so I could lie to them. This results in getting more free nastiness. Who would want that??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nars2k Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I have heard of many vendors doing this. There is a fine line between false advertisement vs promotion. I believe there are products which some are hesitant to try due to bad previous experiences. Yet these products ( Different Manufacturer) could be good quality products, in this instance its perfectly fine to give "samples" of these products so the community as a whole gets exposure it. As long as you do not ask the person to write a "good" review but instead one which holds the persons honest opinion and thoughts on the product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeags777 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 John is very gracious regardless. How many times have you gotten an extra box of CH coals, or the AF pocket Knife, or the playing cards, or samples?? I've never asked for any of that, but he goes the extra mile every time. I've asked him for one thing in my life and that was a sample of SB Pomberry.... he didn't hesitate to throw a little in a baggie for me and it was delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartercdad Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 well i figure i should chime in on this as being a person who has done a bunch of reviews. first i would like to say i have gotten free items to review and i have also reviewed items that i have paid for. i do try to be as honest as i can be. if it is shit then i say it. if it is good then i say it. how is a specific maker of a said product going to make it better if it is not told that it is garbage. i try to be fair and do my reviews the same every time. i do not make a biased opinion and if i think it is shit then i do try to visit the product again down the road and get a new package of it and review it again just to see if it was bad. i am currently in the process of going through my reivews and looking for the omg this is crap and cannot finish it. and reviewing it again. possibly seeing if it was me or actually the product. i totally get the if it is free then say it was free, but most of what i review is shisha, and it is from a vendor that does not make any. so well i guess that is my 2 cents. but i do know what you are all talking about i have seen some reviews and bought stuff based upon it gotten it and was like WTF was this person thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj_skillz Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I feel as if the Izundu Electronic Hookah review was pretty awful. One review said it was a very good Hookah and then a few days later, it was deleted and now said it was horrible. My mind wonders into space.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magick777 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I agree with the [b]principle[/b] of what John is saying, but not the literal conclusion of "therefore, show your invoice". This insults both the integrity of the majority and the intelligence of the reader / viewer. If I choose to review something, I will disclose any financial affiliation or bias I might have. If I don't have anything to declare and you choose to doubt my integrity, well, you can go and do your own research. You seem to be arguing for treating everyone as guilty until proven innocent, with which I strongly disagree. Further, the fact that someone has paid good money for a product does not make them impartial, not by any means. My second point about insulting the intelligence of the viewer is the more important one; if you go out of your way to tell me how impartial you are, I won't believe you, and I can tell the difference between a fact-based review that tels me infer what I need to about the suitability of a given product for my situation and one that rambles on about how great a product is. A case in point, the most useful reviews I have watched in the last month have all been in languages I do not speak, predominantly German. From these, I have gleaned a lot of information about a bowl I'm planning to buy that cannot be found from manufacturers' websites, retailers, or even subjective opinions. Rather than explain at length, try researching a Saphire [sic] Power Bowl. From the German-language reviews, I got an idea of the shape and size of the bowl (relative to human hand), a good look at how the holes are arranged (broadly a Super Chief design, but a wider bowl around it), the fact that it has a LOT of BIG holes and you can stick the bowl in your mouth and breathe through it, etc. This was the information I needed. I don't know or care what the reviewer thought of the bowl, its suitability for his particular choice of tobacco, his subjective opinion on value for money, etc. Those variables aren't the same between Germany and the UK anyway. My interest in looking at the reviews was to determine whether I felt that it would be better for me, subjectively, than a Vortex (what I use now) or a Phunnel (the other expensive option). And my questions have been fully answered, by a couple of reviews in a language I do not speak - which tells you how important all the evaluation and rambling is. And no, I don't believe that a new bowl will fix all my problems or bring about world peace, but, I make inferences about the effect of 8 x 4mm holes versus the 4 x 4mm holes in my Vortex, likewise about the impact of less depth and more surface area (given that I usually scorch the top of a Vortex before the bottom third gets used), and I have a fair idea of the sheer size of the thing. If I now decide to buy it and don't like it, can I really blame it on a bunch of biased Germans pushing their product? In other words, be honest, be open, be up front, and trust in others to be. Anyone who relies on sales patter that isn't backed up by good hard factual review deserves everything they get, I'm afraid, therefore, I don't see a need to protect people from their own stupidity. Caveat emptor, and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainUM Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 is it wrong if i find this somewhat amusing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokingShaolin Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I missed the first review... Only saw the second.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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