Review moderation - trials

First review for a trial product since things changed so not sure what I've missed, but I posted my review expecting it to be moderated and it went straight on - do these get retrospectively moderated now? There's definitely a couple I can see that might benefit from a bit of care (like spelling the product name correctly, for a start) - just wondering what the arrangement is for these?

This happens to me too. I notice when I write reviews from trial products it goes straight through. But when I write one that isn't apart of a trial it gets moderated.

I'm relatively new to reviewing, but all the BR trials I've participated in they have gone straight through like you say...  I try to proof mine in word and then copy and paste - but you can edit the review once you've posted it if you need to change it. The last one I did my line spaces got a little messed up and I could go back and fix it. The problem I have is that I worry I don't write enough, and then worry I wrote too much haha!

Yeah I am a bit shocked at some of the reviews. I have seen a couple that are only a couple of lines long and some that were posted a day or two after the products were sent out.

Afternoon!

To answer your question - yes the reviews for trials are automatically added due to campaign time sensitivity.

It's worth remembering that people have different literary levels, and we also have members for who English is a second language, and we take that into account as we'd hate to alienate reviewers due to a spelling mistake or a grammatical error. (Heck, I write for a living and I make them all oooooover the place.)

As for the length of the reviews - some people prefer concise reviews, others prefer long reviews. And if people can get the facts across in a few sentences then our moderators let the review through.

Of course, if you see a review that you don't think is up to standard you can hit the 'report review' button and it will be reviewed.

Hope that clears things up :)

Kell x

 

absolutely Kellie ( i work in foreign languages!) I was just a bit surprised at the product name being incorrect when it's literally right there above where you're typing.

Agreed re the length thing, as long as something of value is said in those 2 sentences.

I'm def guilty of the odd typo, but I do go back and fix them (usually - I make a point of it in reviews though!)

This wasn't intended as a witchhunt in that respect, more just curiosity because it's so long since I've reviewed a trial product; thanks for clarifying.

(and yes, I've utilised the 'report' feature today)

That’s good to know too . I’ve had a few typos before. I love reading reviews before buying products.

I certainly wasn't criticising anyone's literacy skills either (raising literacy standards is a HUGE part of my job). It's just disappointing when you take time to fairly trial a product and follow the guidelines to see reviews that tell me nothing about the product or have obviously only been used once or twice. 

My understanding is that the expert review panel and moderation process were both set up to improve the quality of trial reviews in particular. I guess there will always be some that fall through the cracks so I'm happy to do my bit to assist by reporting them. Also I noticed that not all reviewers for this trial are on the expert review panel. Is that no longer a requirement for getting on a trial? 

While I don't mind misspelling (not everyone is a touch typist) I still get annoyed when I see reviews that aren't paragraphed.

Paragraphs are important to help break up a wall of text and to give readers a pause. 

How do you know when to use a paragraph?  When you have a new point or idea to make and get across.

lol Imoshen, sometimes the forum gets like that, a big ol mass of words that makes no sense and forces my eyes to glaze over, much like homer with donuts but less drool. now when i see comments like that i just scroll past - i have no time to read incessant babbling for the sake of babbling.

i don't mind spelling errors, i'd prefer not to see them, or i will double take and wonder if it's really me who is spelling the word wrong (in comes google, i have to check i'm not the crazy one). i don't mind lower case either (as you can tell) but with all of my reviews i try to use proper punctuation. 

quite strange the reviews don't get moderated but i can understand why cos of the time constraints, sometimes i forget reviews have deadlines! and i do love the report button. >:) 

thanks Pixie :-) 

 

Hi everyone

Just to clarify. 

The team moderates all reviews. Trial team reviews get moderated after posting, other  organic reviews before. The time stamp on moderation varies depending on the work load of the moderation team, however generally will be done within a week. 

Although every loves to see perfect grammar, spelling and formatting Pixie's point regarding various levels of literacy of our members is valid, and reviews will not be penalised if they are not perfectly formated and gramatically correct.  What is important is that the review is informative be it long or short and gives other readers a sense of an honest users experience of the product. 

Feedback from our members indicates a variety of appetite for information. Some people just want to get a quck overview and a 'theme' about a product others like more detail. 

The most important thing about a review is that it is honest and gives a reader user information about a product that they may find useful.

I hope this helps.

Queenie x

I just had a thought, if you change your review before it goes live on the site, which review goes up? The first one you wrote or the edited version?

Thanks, Queenie - certainly wasn't intending to be laying judgement out for those with different literacy abilities and standards, and it definitely takes all types of reviews to appeal to all types of consumers. It was more stream of consciousness thinking out loud than anything!

Great to have clarification of the process, so thank you for that.

Is spell-check/autocorrect in the review box a feature that's possible on the platform BR is built on? I know I'd appreciate the extra set of eyes on my own reviews!

There's something else I've noticed with trials lately ... there's one particular BR user who seems to have gotten on almost every trial team in the past year (based on the little note that pops up under the reviews).  I don't find her reviews very helpful or well written, but they've been moderated and passed, so that's beside the point, maybe her profile just fits the product and she's having a lucky streak - good for her.

BUT, this is the part that really bugs me ... the reviews seem to be written on the day that she receives the product, or as quickly as she possibly can, before it even reaches the deadline.

I'm not trying to cause issues here, but I thought the whole thing about BR trials is that you're supposed to actually use the product multiple times (over a period of time) before writing an honest review, not just be on the trial teams to score free stuff and find loopholes to abuse.  

I hate to complain, but this is really rubbing me up the wrong way, as I've seen this happen with more than one trial team lately.  I like to read the trial team reviews of the products that I'm keen to trial, but don’t get invites for, and her name just keeps popping up again and again and again.  I'm not trying to point fingers but, unfortuately, I just keep seeing it happen, so it's stuck in my mind. 

If she happens to work for BR and has had the product way longer than the rest of us on the same trial team, and has actually used the product multiples times before reviewing it, then great.  I have no issue with that, but being "randomly picked" for that many trial teams in one year, and posting average reviews as soon as she possibly can ... it just seems a little strange.

oh what! thats a bit stink! there's nothing worse that a person not only getting every trial but then writing a terrible review to go along with it!
if i had more energy to be a stalker i'd go a'huntin for useless reviews :-D

i start writing trials immediately in my head but don't commit them to the site until i can write a good review that meets guidelines and is useful (well i think they are anyway).

I, too, fail to understand how one day is enough to trial anything!

I hope BR knows that by asking we're not stirring up trouble, just raising points of query, concern or interest that other people are also keen to know - it's all for the betterment of the experience for everyone <3

I like to try the products for a good 2 weeks to a month before i submit a review.

   That is kinda annoying especially, considering there's a lot of other members that would test the trial product throughly and write a decent discriptive review. I haven't been on a trial team since the Lakoko balm trial two years ago.
   I often volunteer to sit out trials since I know there are limited spots and I feel someone else might enjoy the foundation or hair dye or shampoo way more than me, just because I leave things for other people when I think they would enjoy them more in general. But I do hope, especially on the trials that I would've liked an invite for that the recipients would write good descriptive reviews and test the product other than giving a first impression review.

is it just me or was there a second round of the MMM That's nice trial sent out? This is the one that was stolen from my mailbox so I'm hyper aware of it and there are a bunch of March reviews marked 'trial'

Yes there was. I got a surprise invite to trial it. 

argh would have been nice if i got one - not BR's fault that it was stolen but still....

I start formulating the review in my head as soon as I get hold of the items too! I have a little whiteboard which I would jot down memos and I'd write a list of things about the trial then when I feel like I've enough on that list I'd write the trial on BR.

Can't imagine anyone being able to formulate a proper opinion on something in one day though! Heck allergic reactions sometimes don't even happen in a day. How would you even know if it was compatible with your skin?

I have not seen any bad reviews yet but I used to write longer ones and noted packaging etc until I saw critisim regarding doing this so I have taken some of this to heart and reduced what I would have written . I notice spelling mistakes all the time in places like the Herald etc and find that annoying but have been told spelling is not regarded as a major at schools these days so what can you expect.

Julieal, why did they criticise reviews that talk about packaging? I still talk about packaging in my reviews. I thought it was helpful.

I also talk about packaging in my reviews, as it's something I want to read about in reviews of products I'm looking to buy, and it used to be on the old BR review guidelines (see below).  I do avoid buying certain products if they're packaged a certain way, and also if people have found fault with the packaging (difficult to use, etc).

When it comes to her reviews, there's no real information provided in the 3-4 line reviews that she does, so I find them unhelpful. It's just a very basic review of how she felt it worked (eg: she quotes a few ingredients and then says that her skin felt nice after use).  I just don't see how someone can honestly trial a product in one or two days (with this last trial, some of us hadn't even received our product yet and her review had already been posted on BR), or how such basic reviews can get someone onto 10+ trial teams in one year by "random selection" when there are loads of Expert Reviewers on BR, all eager to trial product, and write thorough well-written reviews with paragraphs. 

These are the old BR website's review guidelines (things to consider mentioning in your review), which I used to use often when learning to write reviews, many years ago, and still use to some extent.  Maybe these don't apply anymore and anything goes these days?

- packaging (is it pleasing / does it work for the product / size / type of lid / applicator)
- ingredients (fragrance-free, parabens, tested on animals, oils, minerals, vitamins, etc)
- fragrance (is it scented / how long does the smell last on the skin / hair)
- consistency (thick, creamy, watery, light, heavy, liquid, cream, mousse, gel, etc)
- application (is it easy to apply / does it need a special applicator)
- coverage (how much did you need to use / how did it feel on the skin)
- longevity (how long does it last on your skin / hair)
- skin type / hair type (is it suitable for your skin type or all skin types)
- usage (how long does it last / is it economical)
- price (is it worth the money)
- results (did it live up to promises on the packaging / what results did you see / did you like it or dislike it and why)
- would you recommend it (yes, no, maybe and why)
- tip (problem solving / improve usage / other things it could be used for)

- Write like you're talking to a friend or neighbour, and if relevant, include a story or reason why you liked the product (connect with the reader).  
 

yeah i talk about packaging too - overall aesthetic,functionality etc. I think the packaging debate was more over reviews that focused on that and told you nothing useful about anything else

    I used to write a little more about packaging, now I write less. Mainly if the packaging of an item is good for what the item is and stuff I would like to know if I were considering purchasing an item.

    For example, an item that's antixodant enriched and has light and heat sensitive active ingredients should be in packaging that will preserve the actives for as long as possible. Or if I were going to write a review on the current concealor I have I would mention that it needs to be stored upright because it leaks so easily and so quickly, because no one likes to find their concealor leaked all over their other makeup items and stuff. Or if I were considering buying a spray toner I'd like to know if the spray pump works to give a nice fine mist till the end of the bottle. 

    What I consider unnecessary is if someone has a whole paragraph dedicated to the how luxurious the rose gold packaging of the item is, especially if not much else about the product is mentioned. One sentence is plenty.

I talk about packaging too. I'll do what the moderators want. Criticisms from other members are water off a ducks back really.

Ummm this is interesting, I always talk about what I would like to know if I was the one reading the review and packaging for me is always important. No point having a great product but the packaging isn't user friendly, that really puts me off so I would like to know what it is like. 

Glad this matter was noticed by others, thought it was only me feeling off about the state of some reviews .

Short and basic reviews are of no help. I don't care about grammar and spelling if the review is honest. 
I'd rather wait for all reviews to be moderated than see pages of 3 line reviews that say "I really love this product, I'll recommend to others etc etc".... this type of review tells me nothing about the product.  I have sensitive skin and a tight budget, I want too know if it's worth trying or a waste of money.  I want to know if it falls off oily eyelids or smells like a roses or menthol, or if I need a droplet or a cup full. 

What's the point of having to apply to be a reviewer and commit to writing reviews with high quality information if it's not going to be enforced....
I have reported a couple of reviews here and there but I'll be kicked off the site if I reported all the reviews that don't meet the guidelines.

Last grumble - short basic reviews make me feel like the time I spend trying to relate my whole experience has been a waste of energy.  It takes me ages to write my reviews and I write thinking that someone else might want to know some exact point.  I would appreciate consistency in the application of the review guidelines to help this site remain a quality local resource.

cheers .. sorry for the negatives but it's how I feel.