Rewarding Marketplace Reviews

[Pamela Galli]

As usual, my comments are about how things are and not how I wish they were.

To be clear: I would prefer that LL say it is against TOS to offer any reward for a review, good or bad. But they don't. 

 

@ Toy -- Well of COURSE I would expect the reviews to be positive. That is not the same as offering payment only for a positive review. I wish it was built-in to the system -- do a review and get a small reward automatically. The merchant could be billed by LL. But that is pie in the sky, and not how things are.

 

@ Luna, yes I agree that asking friend-customers to review is a different matter entirely; it would be an insult to offer to compensate a friend, altho of course afterwards you could give them a gift in appreciation (not the same as compensation).

 

 

[Rya Nitely]

Rya Nitely wrote:

One scenario you didn't use in your response is this - what happens if a customer you contact says

 'Well, actually I wasn't happy with that item. I won't be using it...waste of money......poor quality blah blah'.

Would you or other gamers then say

' Could you please write a review saying that, and I will give you a reward'.

This may never have happened to you, but what would you do? I'm pretty sure that such a customer would no longer be encouraged to write a review.

Not only that, but most people would feel crappy taking a reward to write a negative review.

So rewarding negative reviews is something that is unlikely to happen either because the customer wouldn't want to do it or because the merchant will bypass this one.

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I am quoting above from my own response because people who pay for reviews, or those who agree with them, always seem to avoid this point.

Although 'Reward for Reviews' say otherwise, what would happen in practice is that negative reviews would be sifted out. Mainly because most customers would feel awkward leaving a negative review after being asked so nicely and given a reward for it. Also because no merchant would encourage an unhappy customer to leave a review.

And it isn't a level playing field when so many of us would not pay for reviews as our ethics don't allow us to do it. I find it sleazy. I even find it uncomfortable to ask friends to review, because they also would give a 5 star review, simply because they are friends. And I don't impose of my friendships that way - another ethical thing.

Now in taking all of this into account - paying for reviews, asking for them, getting friends to review etc., the outcome would be significantly skewed towards positive 5 star reviews. And so it gives a false impression.

And just because it's within TOS doesn't make it right. We all know LL often don't get it right. Xstreet had it right, Why, because the creators actually lived inworld, had experience of it and knew about gaming.

[Darrius Gothly]

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Pamela Galli wrote:

Yes every listing has two glowing reviews, both on the same day!  That just screams: My stuff is crap!

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Really Pamela! Such cynicism. Tsk tsk!

[FakeModerator One: I have personally reviewed the above post and found it to be the most excellently written and well reasoned post of today. I therefore apply my seal of magnificence to everything Darrius writes!]

[AltModerator Two: I have also read not only the above post but even Darrius' magnificently written blogs and even snuck into his bedroom and read his diary and I can therefore attest he is the best writer and author the world has ever seen.]

[Rya Nitely]

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Pamela Galli wrote:

I wish it was built-in to the system -- do a review and get a small reward automatically.

The merchant could be billed by LL. But that is pie in the sky, and not how things are.

 

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Now, I can see how something like this might work. A feature whereby the buyer gets a discount if they leave a review.

But only if every rewarded review is marked as such, so that future customers can make an informed choice.

If this was an MP feature, customers would be more likely to give honest reviews as it wouldn't be a personal interaction with the merchant. It might increase the amount of reviews too, so that it would more likely show the real value.

And of course, merchants would need the option to turn the feature on and off at anytime. BUT the rewarded reviews should remain marked with something like 'the reviewer received a reward'.

Pamela, You gave monetary rewards for your two reviews but you could delete the offer in your description at anytime, and nobody would know those customers were paid for their compliments.

 

 

[Rya Nitely]

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Luna Bliss wrote:

Rya your creations are really good, and you should be making more money (I remember you saying awhile back that you weren't).

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Thank you

[phaedra Exonar]

I find the best time to ask for reviews is right after good customer service, people really appreciate it when you take time to help them out.  With all the marketplace problems good customer service reviews are as important as the item review. 

 

[GuyverxCobalt]

Thats not a very bad idea. Its a good way to bump your items up in the marketplace depending on what your selling. The 1 problem is whatever this reward thing is for reviews if its in-world, you'll have to find someplace to keep it if its server based.

[Lexxy Pawpad]

People on SL may have some morals, but scruples no, I've had idiots leave a poor review because they were too stupid to try the demo