I think that the aim of product trial sites is more word of mouth than reviews or accuracy. The "reviews" on sites like Smiley360 and Buzz Agent go up the same day the people received their product. Many are incomplete sentences, full of spelling and grammar mistakes. They 99% of the time gush about it and make sure to say that they love it and will continue to buy it, and that they will replace something they used to buy with it. It is clear from most of these reviews, that these people believe that they must post gushing happy positive product reviews in order to keep getting free stuff. That is not helpful, it is not accurate, and it is not ETHICAL.
For something like a snack bar or a box of cereal, it's fine to review after you try it once. Try it, look up the ingredients if it claims to be healthy and is marketed on that fact, and you are unsure of some of the ingredients. Then review. Most people don't even do that. I tried a box of cereal that claimed to be full of fiber and very healthy. if you look up the ingredients, it was full of sugar, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients. It was not as bad as a box of Lucky Charms, but it was NOT "healthy". Review after review parroted what they read on the box, saying it was (AGAIN!) "tasty" and "sooo good for you/ great for your body/ a great healthy choice" etc etc and so on. When something claims to be healthy and is marketed on that fact, it is irresponsible to NOT even look at the ingredients or look up what they actually are if you are unsure. You get a pack of a new Oreo flavor that has no claims except "new flavor!" Go right ahead and eat it and then say how "yummy" it is.
But for something like a razor to be reviewed after one use? The one I tried for a trial was amazing the first day. But by Day 4, it was more average, and all of the claims were based on the 4 uses before that feature stopped working. I read some of the reviews of people using it Day 1 and gushing about it. But I waited until Day 5 because I wanted to post a honest review. For something like vitamins, it is not ethical to post a review same day. I received a bottle of Skin, Hair, Nail Gummies and am giving it at least one month. But same day, reviews are going up of people saying how happy they are to get them, how "yummy" and "tasty" they are. You are not reviewing a $2 bag of candy, you are reviewing a $20+ bottle of vitamin gummies. Saying they are "yummy" or "tasty" is useless. I would not pay $20 for a bottle of candy. Would you??
I also take issue with "yummy". Ok, that means you like the taste. But would I? What does it taste like? Berry? Mint? Is it sweet? Sour? Smooth? Any aftertaste?
I take issue with "tasty". Oh, it's full of...taste? What kind?
But most of all, I take issue with people saying how much they love something for absolutely no reason. People saying something works great after using it only once. People saying they love something that they aren't really sure if it works or not, not sure if it does what it says. People saying something is healthy without even looking. I can get all of that information from the commercials and ads where people or actors are being paid to say all that. if you are going to review something, you should be honest and ethical. Not say what you think the company wants you to say or parrot what it says on the box.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Survey Site Review: Toluna Grade: D
Toluna.
It tries to be a Facebook with profiles and statuses and ads polls and discussions.
But it can take eons to make enough points to cash out.
I have 11,000 points. Which you would think would be $11. No. I need 30,000 points to get a $10 gift card. The average survey offers 1,000 to 2,000 points, but I always get midway through and magically do not qualify (which should be the first 2 minutes!) or they decide they have enough responders. Most survey sites do this.
But my BIGGEST issue is that you only get ONE YEAR to reach enough points to cash out. If you don't? They delete all of your points. Most survey companies will hold on to points. Not this one.
I somehow managed to make enough to cash out in that one year. $20. In a year.
It's just not worth it.
The only pros I can find: you can choose a type of gift card or paypal and if you choose paypal they cover the fees unlike cheap IPoll.
It tries to be a Facebook with profiles and statuses and ads polls and discussions.
But it can take eons to make enough points to cash out.
I have 11,000 points. Which you would think would be $11. No. I need 30,000 points to get a $10 gift card. The average survey offers 1,000 to 2,000 points, but I always get midway through and magically do not qualify (which should be the first 2 minutes!) or they decide they have enough responders. Most survey sites do this.
But my BIGGEST issue is that you only get ONE YEAR to reach enough points to cash out. If you don't? They delete all of your points. Most survey companies will hold on to points. Not this one.
I somehow managed to make enough to cash out in that one year. $20. In a year.
It's just not worth it.
The only pros I can find: you can choose a type of gift card or paypal and if you choose paypal they cover the fees unlike cheap IPoll.
Survey Site Review: IPoll. Grade: B
I have been using IPoll (formerly SurveyHead) for over a year and it IS possible to make as much as $100 in one year if you spend several hours doing it, and don't mind spending as much as 36 minutes for just $1.
How it works: You register and fill out the personal info and personal surveys. Then, each time you log in, there will be a list of surveys you can take. Sometimes there are more than 10, sometimes one or two, sometimes none. It depends on how often you log in and how many surveys you take. Some are sweepstakes entries which IMO are useless. I skip those. Often you will be 10 minutes into a survey or even almost done and it will tell you that you don't qualify or that they have enough responses. :( If you do finish it, it will take days to weeks to credit you and it will show up in your Rewards. Once you reach $10, you can cash out for a gift card. A newer option is Paypal, IF you are a verified member with a bank account attached. I would prefer not to use Paypal as they are owned by Ebay who is a pretty shady company and they take fees for everything. BUT it depends on the survey company. Some cover that fee and you get the whole amount you earned. IPoll passes that fee onto YOU. For example, if you cash out $50, you will only receive $48 due to fees. (If you get an Amazon gift card, it's all yours.) Since you may have spent a total of an hour making that $2 you just had taken by Paypal, this option is one I am not a fan of unless you need money in your bank account and are willing to wait the few weeks it takes credit.
The only big issues I have had are having surveys that say you completed it, and then don't credit you or take you back to the page. Then you have to contact customer support, who will tell you to wait and see, then contact them again. Sometimes they honor it, sometimes they don't.
When you take a survey ALWAYS copy and paste the info- how much it's worth and the survey number. If it glitches and you don't have that info, you are SOL.
Pros:
+Almost always a survey available
+Pay in a dollar system instead of points.
+Most surveys are worth at least $1 instead of .50
+Surveys state ahead of time how much and how long
+Several gift card options
Cons:
-It can take a year of spending a few hours a night on surveys to reach $100
-Spending 30 minutes for $1 you may or may not get.
-Paypal payments have a fee taken out ($2 of $50)
-Payments and gift cards can take as long as 3-4 weeks to be credited.
-Surveys can take days or weeks to be credited in your balance.
-Often you all be kicked out mid-survey and receive no credit.
-Sometimes you complete a survey and are not credited due to a glitch.
-Companies that are offered as donations options are not all respectable, ethical companies (PETA)
Summary: The problems they have are ones that the majority of survey companies have as well (minus the paypal fees), but they do reward in dollars instead of points (where you can have thousands of points and still not enough for a gift card!) and tell you how much you will get- if it lets you finish and you qualify- and how long it will take. It is the survey company i make the most doing hands down. It's not perfect, but it is the best.
How it works: You register and fill out the personal info and personal surveys. Then, each time you log in, there will be a list of surveys you can take. Sometimes there are more than 10, sometimes one or two, sometimes none. It depends on how often you log in and how many surveys you take. Some are sweepstakes entries which IMO are useless. I skip those. Often you will be 10 minutes into a survey or even almost done and it will tell you that you don't qualify or that they have enough responses. :( If you do finish it, it will take days to weeks to credit you and it will show up in your Rewards. Once you reach $10, you can cash out for a gift card. A newer option is Paypal, IF you are a verified member with a bank account attached. I would prefer not to use Paypal as they are owned by Ebay who is a pretty shady company and they take fees for everything. BUT it depends on the survey company. Some cover that fee and you get the whole amount you earned. IPoll passes that fee onto YOU. For example, if you cash out $50, you will only receive $48 due to fees. (If you get an Amazon gift card, it's all yours.) Since you may have spent a total of an hour making that $2 you just had taken by Paypal, this option is one I am not a fan of unless you need money in your bank account and are willing to wait the few weeks it takes credit.
The only big issues I have had are having surveys that say you completed it, and then don't credit you or take you back to the page. Then you have to contact customer support, who will tell you to wait and see, then contact them again. Sometimes they honor it, sometimes they don't.
When you take a survey ALWAYS copy and paste the info- how much it's worth and the survey number. If it glitches and you don't have that info, you are SOL.
Pros:
+Almost always a survey available
+Pay in a dollar system instead of points.
+Most surveys are worth at least $1 instead of .50
+Surveys state ahead of time how much and how long
+Several gift card options
Cons:
-It can take a year of spending a few hours a night on surveys to reach $100
-Spending 30 minutes for $1 you may or may not get.
-Paypal payments have a fee taken out ($2 of $50)
-Payments and gift cards can take as long as 3-4 weeks to be credited.
-Surveys can take days or weeks to be credited in your balance.
-Often you all be kicked out mid-survey and receive no credit.
-Sometimes you complete a survey and are not credited due to a glitch.
-Companies that are offered as donations options are not all respectable, ethical companies (PETA)
Summary: The problems they have are ones that the majority of survey companies have as well (minus the paypal fees), but they do reward in dollars instead of points (where you can have thousands of points and still not enough for a gift card!) and tell you how much you will get- if it lets you finish and you qualify- and how long it will take. It is the survey company i make the most doing hands down. It's not perfect, but it is the best.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
REVIEW: Nature's Bounty® Hair, Skin, & Nail Gummies
Nature's Bounty® Hair, Skin, & Nail Gummies <-----click this link for more info!
I received a bottle of 80 Nature's Bounty Hair Skin & Nails gummies via Smiley360 to review and share information on.
Smile360 periodically gives panelists an opportunity to qualify for "challenges" to try out products. After being declined for the Oxiclean challenge (weird because i use cleaning products a lot..) and a dentures one, this is my first challenge.
The box arrived 3-26-14 and contained the Gummies, a somewhat flimsy plastic purple compact mirror, a somewhat flimsy plastic bright pink dual side foldable nail sander, 2 elastic pieces of fabric that I think are suppose to be...hair ties according to Smiley360, and 5 sample packs that include 2 gummies and a $1 off coupon. All the accessory items have the logo on them.
I do take Vitamin D gummies on occasion, but i don't think that hair/skin/nails gummies would be something i would pick up on my own. Why not? #1. I didn't know they existed, and #2. i would not know if they would even work just looking at the bottle. But my nails are pretty rough, especially with a stressful labor intensive job that reduces freshly painted nails to mere flecks of color in under 2 hours. 15 minutes in, there are large chips. My hair i also kind of a thick tangly wreck. So we will see if I have any hair or nail improvements.
I took 2 gummies last night and 2 this morning.
The gummies are little pink circles that are strawberry flavored. There is no bad taste or after-taste, and they do taste like berry.
I went to the website and they have a wide range of products- some of which are super fruit diet pills. This concerns me as I know the majority of them are scams as they contain a very tiny percent of he product advertised- not enough to make a difference.
I have visited the Smiley360 page and like at BzzAgent, the "reviews" already up are of people lacking punctuation and spelling checkers, who haven't tried it yet, are just happy to get it, or have used it once and are gushing about how happy they are to have received it. Some are saying they think it might be working already after a use or two. Some talk about how "yummy" or "tasty" they are and at least one person says it's a great product even though they have not been taking them long enough to tell if they work yet. Those are NOT reviews. Those are people who are very happy to get free products and they seem to think that if they give a positive review to everything they try, they will keep getting more free things to try. "Reviewing" a health product, a vitamin by just saying how "yummy" it is is useless and unethical. You are not reviewing candy that is sold on taste for much less. You are reviewing a vitamin, I would not pay $20 for a bottle of candy. Would you?
I will wait until I have an opinion, and then post mine. I think the aim of these sites is less honest reviews and more word of mouth. They want you to share on your Twitter or your Facebook. I find that when people post about things like this, it is regarded as spam, and those people are removed from updates and feeds etc. I don't wish to spam people who couldn't care less, but I will share with family and friends, and write honest reviews online.
Hair ties: These are too small to loop twice- they can't hold my thick hair. :( I am using them anyways.
Mirror: Keeping it in my coffee table drawer.
Nail file/buffer: Have not used.
Here are the basics:
cost: $5.79 at Walmart, while Amazon wants about $16. unable to find a cost on website.
claims:
ingredients:
Corn Syrup, Sugar, Dicalcium Phosphate, Grape Juice Color Concentrate, Gelatin (red flag), Modified Food Starch, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Natural Strawberry Flavor, Black Carrot Juice Color Concentrate, Maltodextrin, Fractionated Coconut Oil (Contains one or more of the following: Carnauba Wax, Beeswax), Silica.
No Artificial Flavor, No Milk, No Lactose, No Soy, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Yeast, No Fish. Sodium Free.
Calories=15
Total Carbohydrate= 4g (1%)
Sugars=2g
Vitamin C (as Asorbic Acid)=15 mg (25%)
Biotin (as d-Biotin)=2,500 mcg or 2.5 mg (833%)
Statement:
I will update regularly any changes!
Day 2 (3/27/14): No change. Nails are still short and easily crackable. Hair still he same thick tangly mess with hairs constantly shedding. I hope it doesn't get thicker!
April 3rd- no change
April 7th (11 days in) - no change. two nails broke last night.
Note: This product has been provided to me at no cost to myself by Smile360 on behalf of Nature's Bounty.
I received a bottle of 80 Nature's Bounty Hair Skin & Nails gummies via Smiley360 to review and share information on.
Smile360 periodically gives panelists an opportunity to qualify for "challenges" to try out products. After being declined for the Oxiclean challenge (weird because i use cleaning products a lot..) and a dentures one, this is my first challenge.
The box arrived 3-26-14 and contained the Gummies, a somewhat flimsy plastic purple compact mirror, a somewhat flimsy plastic bright pink dual side foldable nail sander, 2 elastic pieces of fabric that I think are suppose to be...hair ties according to Smiley360, and 5 sample packs that include 2 gummies and a $1 off coupon. All the accessory items have the logo on them.
I do take Vitamin D gummies on occasion, but i don't think that hair/skin/nails gummies would be something i would pick up on my own. Why not? #1. I didn't know they existed, and #2. i would not know if they would even work just looking at the bottle. But my nails are pretty rough, especially with a stressful labor intensive job that reduces freshly painted nails to mere flecks of color in under 2 hours. 15 minutes in, there are large chips. My hair i also kind of a thick tangly wreck. So we will see if I have any hair or nail improvements.
I took 2 gummies last night and 2 this morning.
The gummies are little pink circles that are strawberry flavored. There is no bad taste or after-taste, and they do taste like berry.
I went to the website and they have a wide range of products- some of which are super fruit diet pills. This concerns me as I know the majority of them are scams as they contain a very tiny percent of he product advertised- not enough to make a difference.
I have visited the Smiley360 page and like at BzzAgent, the "reviews" already up are of people lacking punctuation and spelling checkers, who haven't tried it yet, are just happy to get it, or have used it once and are gushing about how happy they are to have received it. Some are saying they think it might be working already after a use or two. Some talk about how "yummy" or "tasty" they are and at least one person says it's a great product even though they have not been taking them long enough to tell if they work yet. Those are NOT reviews. Those are people who are very happy to get free products and they seem to think that if they give a positive review to everything they try, they will keep getting more free things to try. "Reviewing" a health product, a vitamin by just saying how "yummy" it is is useless and unethical. You are not reviewing candy that is sold on taste for much less. You are reviewing a vitamin, I would not pay $20 for a bottle of candy. Would you?
I will wait until I have an opinion, and then post mine. I think the aim of these sites is less honest reviews and more word of mouth. They want you to share on your Twitter or your Facebook. I find that when people post about things like this, it is regarded as spam, and those people are removed from updates and feeds etc. I don't wish to spam people who couldn't care less, but I will share with family and friends, and write honest reviews online.
Hair ties: These are too small to loop twice- they can't hold my thick hair. :( I am using them anyways.
Mirror: Keeping it in my coffee table drawer.
Nail file/buffer: Have not used.
Here are the basics:
cost: $5.79 at Walmart, while Amazon wants about $16. unable to find a cost on website.
claims:
ingredients:
Corn Syrup, Sugar, Dicalcium Phosphate, Grape Juice Color Concentrate, Gelatin (red flag), Modified Food Starch, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Natural Strawberry Flavor, Black Carrot Juice Color Concentrate, Maltodextrin, Fractionated Coconut Oil (Contains one or more of the following: Carnauba Wax, Beeswax), Silica.
No Artificial Flavor, No Milk, No Lactose, No Soy, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Yeast, No Fish. Sodium Free.
Calories=15
Total Carbohydrate= 4g (1%)
Sugars=2g
Vitamin C (as Asorbic Acid)=15 mg (25%)
Biotin (as d-Biotin)=2,500 mcg or 2.5 mg (833%)
Statement:
I will update regularly any changes!
Day 2 (3/27/14): No change. Nails are still short and easily crackable. Hair still he same thick tangly mess with hairs constantly shedding. I hope it doesn't get thicker!
April 3rd- no change
April 7th (11 days in) - no change. two nails broke last night.
Note: This product has been provided to me at no cost to myself by Smile360 on behalf of Nature's Bounty.
REVIEW: Schick Hydro Silk- Doesn't Do What It Says, But Still Performs Blade Wise: Grade: C
I received this razor, a coupon for free shaving cream, and 4 coupons for $3 off the razor via BzzAgent.
First, let me state that prices range for this razor and what is included. Buy only the set that comes with 3 extras, because the price is the same! Although that ranges depending where you buy. CVS is one of the most expensive at over $12, and Walgreen is around that price as well. Walmart seems to have one of the lowest prices at around $8.
Claims:
The BzzAgent guide advertises it as a razor made to prevent nicks, cuts, razor burn, redness, and sensitivity. Specifically for people with sensitive skin that is easily irritated and red afterwards. The moisture strip along with the 5 blades is supposed to be the source behind it.
Day 1:
The first time i used this it really was the best shave ever. No cuts or nicks on ankles or knees. I did have some redness and sensitivity on underarms as with any razor because it didn't give the close shave there that it promised, and I was required to shave over and over at least 4-5 times. But no leg irritation and a smooth shave. The razor even comes with a little snap case that covers the blades that prevents you from cutting yourself if you put the razor in a bag. It contains 2 replacement cartridges.
Day 2:
Still a good shave, but I discovered the secret behind the "moisture strip" or the "slug strip" as I call it. It's a sticky clear strip on the top and it leaves behind a trail of clear slime where you shave. But since you usually shave in the shower, it gets washed away before you see it. This strip also wears down every use, and becomes less effective.
Day 3:
The moisture strip is deteriorating and almost gone. The shave is not as great, and slightly uneven.
Day 4:
The first day I shaved, I was cautious. Expecting nicks and cuts that never came. By Day 4 caution was out the window and I was shaving like a normal person. That's when I received the cut on my ankle. PICTURED. The slug strip is all gone except for a tiny patch that clings stubbornly to a corner on the top. The 5 blades are still providing a good shave, but it's not moisturizing, it's not nick or cut free, and there is some irritation.
Day 12:
Yes I am still using this razor after 12 days. It is still sharp enough which is why I give this razor a C+ instead of a D or F. I am back to shaving carefully the way I always did; ready for a nick or cut, avoiding ankles and knees, no longer carefree. There is occasional redness as well. The only feature that remains that is working is those 5 blades.
Conclusion:
Well, this moisture slug strip is what's behind the shave that they claim puts an end to nicks, cuts, redness, and sensitivity, and that strip is gone in 3 uses. So on that claim, it's just like any other razor , only with claims that it cannot back up. It reminds me of the razor years ago with the bar of soap attached. It did work better... until the soap dried out and the blade became dull before the soap was gone.
However, the 5 blades do offer a closer shave (everywhere but underarms!) and especially in harder to reach areas, it performs better than others. This may be the blade design combined with the razor shape. If I am still using this blade over a week later before sit gets too dull to use, that's something I didn't get before.
I think that Schick should drop this moisture strip that only works a few times and focus on marketing it on blade and razor design and blade longevity.
I have 2 coupons left and will be buying another set ONLY because of how long this blade set lasted.
Introduction
This blog exists to document and review product trials I receive. And the occasional product i just love.
Like many, before I buy I search the internet to see how others like something, how well it works.
It started about 7 years ago with getting product trials via survey companies- very very rarely.
Food, hairbrushes, lotion...Some were secret trials with no brand name. Nothing local is very available here aside from one company i would hear from every few years. What are the companies I signed up with?
BzzAgent...
Then I signed up wBzzAgent and got a coupon for a free Silk Soymilk and a couple of discount coupons. This was before I read how unhealthy soy is. I have since switched to almond milk by Blue Diamond who I prefer. I didn't hear from BzzAgent for YEARS after getting soy milk, some scrubbing bubbles cleaner, and then a terrible eyelash formula by super icky Loreal. Finally in 2013 I e-mailed them to complain, was put back on the invite list they had taken me off of, and by 2014 was getting invites... The problem with BzzAgent is that they claim to match you up with campaigns that are a good fit for you, and so far they have not invited me to over 10 campaigns that have been a perfect fit. Organic food, organic make-up, breakfast shakes...
I suspect it is actually completely random. But still a great chance to try new things you may end up buying. I use almond milk daily thanks to my experience with BzzAgent and trying soy milk at a time when it was not as popular as it is now.
Like many, before I buy I search the internet to see how others like something, how well it works.
It started about 7 years ago with getting product trials via survey companies- very very rarely.
Food, hairbrushes, lotion...Some were secret trials with no brand name. Nothing local is very available here aside from one company i would hear from every few years. What are the companies I signed up with?
BzzAgent...
Then I signed up wBzzAgent and got a coupon for a free Silk Soymilk and a couple of discount coupons. This was before I read how unhealthy soy is. I have since switched to almond milk by Blue Diamond who I prefer. I didn't hear from BzzAgent for YEARS after getting soy milk, some scrubbing bubbles cleaner, and then a terrible eyelash formula by super icky Loreal. Finally in 2013 I e-mailed them to complain, was put back on the invite list they had taken me off of, and by 2014 was getting invites... The problem with BzzAgent is that they claim to match you up with campaigns that are a good fit for you, and so far they have not invited me to over 10 campaigns that have been a perfect fit. Organic food, organic make-up, breakfast shakes...
I suspect it is actually completely random. But still a great chance to try new things you may end up buying. I use almond milk daily thanks to my experience with BzzAgent and trying soy milk at a time when it was not as popular as it is now.
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