Product Reviews in Exchange for Free Product

[anonomom]

Just got my Itzy Ritzy order from the 50% off sale a week or so ago. Along with it came a card saying that if I submit product reviews to two of a list of websites and email Itzy Ritzy with the links, they'll send me a free snack bag.

On the one hand, I really love their products. The snack bags are the ones I reach for over and over. And while I probably wouldn't be moved to write a review on my own, I would honestly write a very positive review.

OTOH, it feels a little ooky to me that they're exchanging products for reviews. Am I being overly fastidious?

I think I'll probably write the reviews, but also disclose in them that I'll be claiming a free product for writing them. That has a nice "I'm a free-product whore but at least I'm honest about it" vibe.

[MamaMolly]

I get where you are coming from. If you write something very much like what you put here I don't see any problem with it. If the free bag would entice you to give a more favorable review than you would otherwise THEN I think something hinkey was going on.

[wellyes]

That is dishonest - basically paying for good reviews.

[vonfirmath]

Is it really any different than Sonic offering a free 44 oz drink if you fill out their survey?

[Green_Tea]

That is dishonest - basically paying for good reviews.

But does it say it has to be a good review? Or just a review?

[anonomom]

Is it really any different than Sonic offering a free 44 oz drink if you fill out their survey?

Arguably, yes. For a survey, Sonic is paying you to give Sonic your opinion, presumably so that they can change their business in response to customer feedback.

Itzy Ritzy is paying customers to give other potential customers their opinions.

FWIW, IR also regularly offers its customers free products in exchange for voting for them in "best of the web" type contests, as well. I'll admit that's how I got my first snack bag, even though I knew it was wrong.

[secchick]

Is it really any different than Sonic offering a free 44 oz drink if you fill out their survey?

I think it's very different because reviews are posted for viewing by other consumers in evaluating their purchasing decisions. No one sees your Sonic survey responses when they are picking out what flavor Rt 44 to order and those surveys, I presume are for internal purposes. There the free drink is the inducement for your time in providing them a data point about the quality of food/service.

[sunshine873]

Is it really any different than Sonic offering a free 44 oz drink if you fill out their survey?

I think it is different. A survey is strictly for internal "how are we performing" type info. A review is telling potential customers your opinion on the product, potentially leading to more sales for the company.

[wellyes]

But does it say it has to be a good review? Or just a review?
I'm sure they don't say it has to be a good review, but there is a a built-in selection bias. You are getting more of their product and you want to think you own good stuff. Plus, they're giving you a free product, which is likely to make you think more rosily of them. . I think it's a little like when the pharmaceutical companies give doctors freebies, so doctors pass them to their patients and recommend those products.

I'm not saying call the Better Business Bureau, just that it is a little unsavory. When I go to amazon.com, if a product only has 2-3 reviews, I tend to disregard them, because they are as likely to be fake as not (from someone connected to the company, for example). But I like to think most online reviews are simple and straightforward.

I do like the OP's workaround of mentioning the freebie! Smart. I do take those reviews seriously, especially when they offer both some pros and cons.

[ciw]

Last year, Ozeri did something similar. Their "safe" non-stick pans were on sale on Amazon (the deal was posted here) and then after many of us purchased the pans, we received emails from Ozeri promising free kitchen scales if we reviewed their products on Amazon. I refused to review b/c nonstick pans tend to get worse with age and I felt like Ozeri was trying to push people to write reviews while the reviews would be favorable (before any potential problems with the product would begin). My pan has actually held up fairly well so I'd give them a decent review if I was to do it now but I didn't feel like it was fair to review the product when I'd only had it a few weeks. I don't know if anyone who gave them a negative review still got their kitchen scale.

I don't think you can put much stock in online reviews. I think many companies probably employ similar practices.

[justlearning]

Last year, Ozeri did something similar. Their "safe" non-stick pans were on sale on Amazon (the deal was posted here) and then after many of us purchased the pans, we received emails from Ozeri promising free kitchen scales if we reviewed their products on Amazon. I refused to review b/c nonstick pans tend to get worse with age and I felt like Ozeri was trying to push people to write reviews while the reviews would be favorable (before any potential problems with the product would begin). My pan has actually held up fairly well so I'd give them a decent review if I was to do it now but I didn't feel like it was fair to review the product when I'd only had it a few weeks. I don't know if anyone who gave them a negative review still got their kitchen scale.

I don't think you can put much stock in online reviews. I think many companies probably employ similar practices.

Yes, I got that pan from Ozeri and offer. I waited for a few weeks to review it (and said in my review that I had only used it for that period of time). I gave a good review but did note that the measurement was not accurate for the bottom of the pan. They still sent me the scale, which I have REALLY liked using, plus I still like the pan too, so I don't feel badly writing the review. But I would not have lied in my review just to get a free product. It does make me question the validity of reviews more now, though.

[smiles33]

This makes me think of the many awesome bloggers who get free stuff and review them. I wonder if they just choose not to review something free if it's bad. There is an incentive to share a good review if you're a blogger because then other vendors may give you free stuff, right?

Anyhow, OP, if you disclose that it was free and give your unvarnished opinion (which seems to be positive anyway), I think that's more than fair/ethical.