Of course it did, that was going to be a given
There’s ulterior rewards to say it did, and nothing to reap if it didn’t.
Total fail. The only "reward" is credibility. If Frank does a good job describing what he hears then others will hear it too and over time Frank will gain credibility. But if Frank gets it wrong then it is only a matter of time before others figure this out and there goes his reputation. No one will care what he has to say one way or the other. This includes the manufacturer. Who in their right mind is gonna give expensive stuff away to someone with zero credibility? They only do this when you are credible. With people like Frank.
If Frank does his job well then it is the manufacturer who takes all the risk. Frank can say good or bad, he wins either way when everyone finds out he was true and honest.
This is where we separate the men from the boys. Blather all you want boys, while Frank steps up and shows us the way.
Once you understand what is really going on then it also is plain as day it does not matter whether Frank got this stuff for free, or paid dearly, or anywhere in between. Doesn't even matter what he paid for any of it. All that matters is he accurately evaluate the differences between the choices. So we know how one performs relative to another. All that matters.
In other words then not only are the criticism and name-calling undeserved, they show a deep misunderstanding of what it is to evaluate, or review, and indeed what it is to make choices. We all must make choices of one kind or another in building our systems. If one cannot understand even this much, what chance do they have?
Somewhere between slim, and none.