No More Fake Reviews - So Who’s Gonna Tell Us What To Buy?


Very interesting and with a fairly profound impact on our audiophile community:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-rule-banning-fake-reviews-testimonials

Some strong language in the ruling. How are some of our YouTubers going to be able to sustain their channels without gifted products?

 

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Look at my Subscriber count in over 5 years of YT "fame". I get "some" free stuff but I ALWAYS declare that I am an unpaid Schill for certain brands. And when I'm given "an offer I cannot refuse". I disclose it in my Videos but never the price I paid.

https://www.youtube.com/@joeygsaudiochannel3972/videos

I’m not into fake reviews but the FTC can barely do its day job. How about let’s make sure that we have competition in grocery stores before we worry about what freebie someone gets for posting their whatever online.

Sorry... I just haven’t been a fan of the recent FTC. What with wading into employment law and now nanny-ing consumers.

When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. 

PLEASE,FAKE NEWS & REVIEWS PERMEATE our society..From hamburgers to Presidential elections,lobbyist & big $ corporations manipulate,CENSOR & LIE to the world every single day!!!
This will change NOTHING!!!

@oddiofyl

If I can’t see it and hear it in person I am generally not interested. Lack of in home demo or decent return policy is usually a deal breaker for me.

 

Same here. 

Maybe 90% of the time reviews are just promoting a product advertised in the publication or website running the review.
Rarely is there anything negative said about the product. Occasionally there’s a rave review where you can sense it’s more than just a plug.

On the rare occasion when the product is not advertised and there’s no financial incentive to praise it, you might find a sincere review. (Absolute Sound was like that many years ago, when the late, great Harry Pearson was the publisher.)

And if that reviewer thinks highly enough of the product to actually buy it - at the retail price, you can be reasonably sure there’s some genuine value in his opinion.

Here are some examples of that sort of review:
https://silversolids.com/frames/revbuys-2.html