Reading reviews on products can be a very beneficial thing for any shopper out there. After all, with a website like products.org, of course we are going to encourage as much research as possible for any type of product out there.
The problem is, reviews can sometimes be a bit skewed, especially if there are motives behind writing certain reviews. For example, a person who receives a free product for writing a review is much more likely to be a little easy on the product. This can be detrimental for shoppers who read the review, because the reviewer is not being very truthful.
While this is not always the case, it is becoming more and more of a problem on the Internet. Can reviews on free products be honest? The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that it is complicated.
Why More and More Free Products are Being Sent to Reviewers
Many companies are motivated to provide free products to people who can do a thorough review and therefore, provide exposure. Most companies will go after a website that generates a lot of traffic, because a positive review can lead to quite a few sales.
For the review were, it is obviously very cool to get anything for free. It shows a sense of accomplishment for a lot of reviewer‘s as well, because companies usually don’t reach out to people who are not having at least a little bit of success doing reviews.
Legality and Ethics Involved
There is nothing illegal about sending out a free product, as long as the reviewer is not forced to write a positive review in exchange for the product. What ends up happening though, is that although not forced, many feel obligated to be a little bit less harsh.
Youngest of four children. Owner of three degrees. Mother of two dogs. One love.
