Monday, April 25, 2011

I'm Really Not EVER going to pay to write reviews.

I got an email invitation today, and I'm slightly annoyed about it. First off, I didn't sign up to be on this email list. I'm guessing the site is owned by a blog I subscribed to, you know, to help out a fellow blogger, who then took my email and published it in the CC column to everyone she's ever met EVER.

Yeah, thanks for that, by the way. Not the most annoying thing about it though.

Whoever this random person is, I'm not sure, wants ME to pay THEM for the OPPORTUNITY to do reviews. They want to charge the BLOGGERS since the COMPANY is providing THEM a service.

Really? My free ad copy on my web page and my time, and the companies are providing ME a service? No, they're providing me a sample, so I can then use my time and my circle of influence to promote their product if I like it. I take this pretty seriously. If I love something, I'll tweet about it and talk to people about it. I don't sign up for every opportunity that comes my way, because I don't want my blog to become some kind of giant tchotchke ad.

So now I'm supposed to PAY for the opportunity to write ads.

Yeah. About that? No. And I'm really exercising some restraint here, since my gut reaction was to copy and paste the email along with links to the site in question to give you all a warning, but I'm going to keep in neutral.

Don't pay to write reviews. If any money is changing hands, it should be going TO the blogger, not FROM the blogger.

Public service announcement over. I'll be blog hopping later, so see you all then!

Photobucket
OurfamilyworldThe Adventures of My Family of 8 Tuesday Blog Hop

32 comments:

Suze said...

Wow! The Nerve on those people...YOU pay them so YOU can tell everyone how great their product is...What kind of marketing is this!

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for this. I was on that list as well and it was NOT appreciated to see 20 mails in my inbox. And then when I saw that they wanted ME to pay THEM --- OMG I was furious. I do fine on my own without a middle man getting involved, thanks very much.
And it's not over yet - I'm still getting emails from EVERYONE else that are replying to ALL.
I wonder how they got our info..

lovinangels said...

I'm wondering why the original sender didn't at least apologize for her poor etiquette in publishing all our email addresses! My blog email goes to my phone so I can return visits in a timely fashion, (and they make me smile a lot) so the buzzing in my pocket today was really irritating me.

Angela said...

So glad you posted this...I couldn't have said it better! My blackberry kept going of for hours! What an annoying email, especially since they think I'd be dumb enough to pay them to review products and I bet there's not even a guarantee they'll send you something!

Anyway...rant over! LOL! Thanks for joining the hop and for following Mommy Time Out:)

XLMIC said...

Ugh. I think I got that email, too.

Aimee said...

I think it is a hoax- I got something like that too! It's like paying to go to work- seriously!

Unknown said...

That is ridiculous!!
I would never pay to write a review.
EVER.
The company should pay YOU to write a review instead! The nerve of some people.
>.>

Avalon Cat Cartoons said...

These days people try to charge you for everything. Anyway, I found you through a blog hop and am now following. If you want to follow my cat cartoon blog; it'll cost you $65. Ok, for you it'll be free, but don't tell anyone :-)
http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com

Shawna said...

OMG! I can not believe that they actually had the nerve to ask you to pay them to do a review. What we do is a service to the companies not the other way around. I am new to this and my first review is coming soon on my blog, but I'd NEVER pay to do a review! NEVER!
Your newest follower from Tuesday Blog Hop. Please stop by my blog and follow me back when you have a chance. I'll never publish your info, or anyone's for that matter. Thanks! I Love Your Blog!! http://mommywholovesgiveaways.blogspot.com/

Karen F said...

New follower from Mommy Time Out Tuesday Blog Hop!

Karen
Mommy's Moments
http://www.avonbykaren.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/mommysmoments
http://www.twitter.com/MommysMoments

Unknown said...

That is absolutely ridiculous! That blogger should know better than to broach blogging trusts to do that. I stay far away from such scams. New follower from the Tuesday Blog Hop!

Miriam
http://productjunkiemama.blogspot.com

Madeline said...

Thanks for joining in on the Fun Tuesday Hop!

I am now following you
Hope you have a great week, and hope to see you next week!

~ The professionally insane m

Ann Summerville said...

I admire you for not stooping to their unprofessional level and deciding not to post who these people are. How frustrating to use your e-mail address to send this kind of e-mail. Smacks of arrogance. I've been working on a blog tour this month for a new cozy mystery and I'm very appreciative of all the bloggers who kindly posted interviews and reviews for me - it's a great community.
Ann

Unknown said...

That is nuts! I completely agree. I don't even write reviews for nothing...let alone pay them to do it. How full of yourself do they have to be to think that's OK and bloggers are just going to go along with it and give them our hard-earned money. Geesh!

I'm stopping by from the Alexa Hop. I'm a new follower.

PS Mom Reviews

Unknown said...

I am also glad to see you posted this. I was another on that list and was getting annoying everytime my yahoo alert would pop up saying I have a new email and then I would see who it was from. I didn't think it was ever going to end. I thought it was a pretty (dumb) idea to sign up for something like that too.. I mean come on, there are plenty of sites out there similar to the one they were offering for FREE. But those sites also allow you to enter your email for companies to email you for pitches, so maybe they signed up as a company on one of theses sites and just start taking emails.

I'm already a follow but I'm stopping by from the Alexa Hop. Stop by my page if you get a chance. www.adeliciousobsession.com

Six in the Nest said...

I totally agree. I have paid for shipping before, but I will NEVER....NEVER do that again. It just doesn't make sense...but once the last person took my shipping money (sure, only $5, but still) and ran I will no longer review for any item that asks for any payment of any sort from me.

Jenilee from Six in the Nest visiting from the Alexa Hop. :)

Chase said...

yep- got the same email. DELETED! haha!

already following you, but found this post from the alexa blog hop! :)

Unknown said...

AMEN! I'm all about everyone helping each other out, but I don't blog because I'm independently wealthy, here.

And some of these bloggers have gotten straight up scandalous! I saw TWO this week that had a link to something "Go join this program, you could really benefit from them." and the link was some spammy garbage "You've won a free IPad!" and my mal/spyware was going crazy. I think it's horrible they would throw fellow bloggers under the bus like that.
~K
bigklittlea.com

Unknown said...

OMG that is nuts!
YOU are providing THEM with your time to do the review, sometimes the product they send for 'free' really isnt even payment enough!

Mama Chocolate said...

Seriously. The hours we spend on reviews and publicity for their company compared to the value of whatever they send us rarely add up to even minimum wage for us.
Get real, people. :-P

Stopping by with my Alexa toolbar! ;-)
Johanna at Mama Chocolate
Family life, tips for mom, reviews, giveaways and more!

Laura-A Goddess of Frugality said...

I have noticed since my Alexa score has dropped I get more of these emails. I am not looking to get rich, but no way am I doing it for free or paying to do it! It takes time and effort. I would like to think we bloggers give honest and detailed reviews. Our time is worth something, a free product or a payment. A great post-thanks for sharing.

Laura
www.agoddessoffrugality.com

Anonymous said...

Wow! I have never heard of this before! Absolutely do not pay to write a review, we are the one's that are providing the service! It takes time and a lot of effort, to write a review. Time that is being taken away from our families, and other things we have in our lives!

Danielle said...

Newest Follower from the lower your Alexa Hop. You can find me at Ms. Danielle Designs and at The Mommy Chronicles.

Heather S said...

I'm a review blogger and I've never been contacted by someone like that. That's terrible!
Yeah okay so let's pay you so you can BOAST about our product that you may not even like in the first place? How is that true marketing?

Stopping by from the Alexa Hop

Nikki said...

That's just crazy! But then, I thought people were crazy during the Tommy Hilfiger craze, paying out the wazoo to advertise for some designer since his name was splashed all over everything. But expecting a blogger to pay THEM for providing a service to THEM is beyond absurd, it's just plain rude!

I'm here from the Alexa hop.

Brooke Anna @ Mommy Does... said...

Really? I mean, Really... That's never a good thing since I learned this long ago to not pay to do anything. I've yet to pay for "preferred anything" through PR/Review companies since I'm not looking to be rolling in the big bucks. I like to get by with what I have and what opportunities come from blogging.
I'd love for you to check me out at my post...
School Lunch- Worth it or Not?

heidi said...

I got an email like that too! I subscribe to plenty of sites who offer me products to review for free... all of which I have gotten multiple items from and all are working quite well for me. Why would I then want to turn around and have to pay for opportunities?

And the fact that it was CCed and not BCCed reallllly got me angry!

(Stopping by from the alexa hop http://blog.concertkatie.com)

Cherished Handmade Treasures said...

Wow, that's crazy. Who in their right mind would ever pay someone to write an ad for them. Stopping by from the Alexa hop.


Sandy- Cherished Handmade Treasures

Matter of Cents said...

Thanks for posting this. That is so sad, but not suprising. I think the state of our economy is causing havoc on everyone's level of common sense...assuming they ever had any in the first place. I had the same issue when I was a mystery shopper. It's completely free to be one, but people feel they have the right to charge others a fee for something they can do themselves for free.

Yours Faithfully said...

Interesting. I always have the opposite problem. As I own a gift store, I get a number of requests every week for people wanting my free products in exchange for a review. Whilst I am happy to provide the odd item, I am selective to who I give them too.

Just stopping by from the Alexa Blog Hop. Have a great weekend.

Unknown said...

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! This is obsurd!! The sad thing is I am sure there are people that do it or else they wouldn't send out the email! Ya know? And whom ever took had the brilliant idea to share your email is just dumb! I am sorry but that is plain rude!!
Following from the Alexa Hop! Hope you will come visit and return the follow!! I liked your blog as well! :)
Stacie
www.loveyoualwaysgiveaways.com

Keenly Kristin said...

That is beyond outrageous!! I've had companies offer product for review and request that I then return the product after I reviewed it. I was like, whoa...you want me to check out ____ and then write about it and promote it...and then PAY to ship it back to you? Um, yeah...don't think so.

New follower from the Alexa hop! Would love if you could visit:
http://www.keenlykristin.com/2011/04/american-idol-nearing-finale.html

Thanks!
Kristin :)