Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

According to the experts who research and follow such matters, 80 percent of on-line buyers read on-line user reviews.  The Federal Trade Commission [FTC] will issue new guidelines for on-line posters/reviewers.  FTC warns that many of the user reviews are company employees and paid advertisers who post as personal users.  Always positive reviews, of course.  Surprise surprise!  Paid users and persons with a vested interest [read employees] will have to disclose their relationship with the company and its products.  Fines for infractions can be hefty.  As much as $300,000 and more for first time offenders.  Ouch! 

FTC advises that shoppers and buyers use more than on-line reviews to research the products [read industry experts]. 

Carmine D.

Carmine,

   You are right about the on line user reviews. To many sound like a salesman advertising their product. When I read one that has criticism ,you can tell it is by a competitor because they use language of a salesman to put their point across, sometimes almost laughable. But only to another  salesman. When looking up reviews about cleaners I see the words unbiased opinion. When I look at the sight,  what are they selling and giving their opinion about? Usally products they want you to buy. Not unbiased. When I give my opinion I like to be honest. I also won't tell you something that misrepresents me or any one company. Some people say this product is bad and they don't always look at the big picture of why it is good. That is why there are so many brands out there.

                                                                                                                                  Procare 

Did the mention manufacturers that only post the positive reviews.  Oreck must delete all the negative ones.

That is as bad as any other.

Hello Procare:

Like me, most who read and post regularly here, know that you are a vacuum industry professional with over half a century experience.  It's a testament to you and the company whose products you sell that you are a loyal and faithful advocate for the same brand after all these years.  More importantly all the while not impugning the competition in the process but being an honest broker for your brand.  Contrast yours with other self-proclaimed industry pros who in a quarter of the time have jumped from one brand to another and every time they do proclaim that the latest is the best.  Casts doubt and credibility on their sincerity.  I value your posts.  Thank you.

WRT the FTC's research/findings.  Apparently one of the areas where it is cracking down is the practice of giving away new products to users during product launches and marketing blitzes.  The companies veil the freebies under the umbrella of "market testing."  Not true according to the FTC.  These exchanges, according to the FTC, are in actuality quid pro quo exchanges.  Give us good product reviews and you get the products for free.  The FTC considers this form of endorsement as a form of paid advertising.  Under the new FTC rules, the users who get these products and post reviews, positive/negative, have to disclose the product exchanges that they have with the companies.  An excellent idea to maintain an even playing field.

Carmine D.

Actually I concur! Not all online review companies have such systems in place where members have to write a review only stating the good and leaving out the bad. I write for many online review companies, least not Epinions in the U.S, Helium and Dooyoo.co.uk (infact I have about 100 reviews on vacuums on Dooyoo!) However I've also been asked if my reviews could appear on marketing websites such as www.foreverbetter.co.uk which is a European outfit website that deals specifically with Miele products since Miele own them and I agree what has been said about reviews that only show up the positives here - Miele UK promised me a trial of their S7 in 2007 but the delay of the model to the UK meant I never got to trial it and if it wasn't for a neighbour down the road who actually bought one and swapped for a Sebo Felix in the end, I wouldn't have been able to test it out. Even now Miele's sponsored website will not show that particular review about the S7 of which I wrote on Dooyoo.co.uk and put a condensed version on here.

CarmineD wrote:

You are the perfect example. HOOVER HOOVER HOOVER, FLIP ORECK, FLOP ORECK

FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP

HS:

Your lips are still flapping but as usual nothing intelligent is coming out of your mouth.

Here is a simple, statement of factual opinion, that I and others have preached and posted here for years.   

"The HOOVER Windtunnel is the gold standard for rug cleaning and grooming and the ORECK upright is the industry icon for lightweight uprights."   

I have concluded that the HOOVER and ORECK brands are so stuck in your craw, even your fave bagless vacuum brand can't do anything about it.

Carmine D.

vacmanuk wrote:

The issues and concerns, as I read and understand the FTC [which by law dictates the USA rules and regs for product advertisements], are that the posters who appear to be average every day buyers and users are really company employees and/or paid endorsers/advertisers of the company.  These category of "posters" have to disclose any relationships with the company/products when posting about them else risk hefty fines.  This levels the playing field for readers who rely on the reviews for decision making.

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

I provided a very positive review about my XL Classic to ORECK.  It didn't use mine either.  So I posted it here on this site:

http://www.abbysguide.com/vacuum/reviews/305-0-1.html

Since this was imported from a previous site, the poster name is 'admin.'  But it's me.  If you read it, you see much of the same verbage I've posted here about my ORECK experience so even you and DIB can make the connection accurately and be correct. 

Did you actually post/message a negative review after using your ORECK free in your home and returning?  I looked here on this page and didn't find one by you.  In fact, I don't see any reviews by you even for your fave dyson bagless.  Why not post your ORECK review here instead of complaining that ORECK deletes all the negative ones. 

Carmine D.

Carmine and friends,

                                    I am a a salesman that over the years has had an opportunity to sell other brands that I have competed against. A State Sales Manager job for Rainbow income $150,000 a year , Selling for Kirby, TriStar, Eureka, Dirt Devil, Royal,and Dyson. No one could give me a product loyalty, Fewer services, customer satsfaction and overall good product that I sell. If money was all I was after Rainbow would have had me years ago.

            A 39 page canned speech to the consumer that was filled with half truths was not for me. I went for 90% sales made in the home. 99.97% of customers are satisfied. 98% of my customers are willing to buy non floor care products. Even in this weak economy sales are up.

                                                                        Procare

HARDSELL wrote:

ID say online reviews are very helpful....but this forum and the people in it are actually the real deal.  Hundredes of years of knowledge...just a question away.......will weed out the hype and send you in the right direction. Knowledge based beyond that of the average ....collector/groupie/manufacturer.....cant get any better than the people who work/worked on them...thousands and thousands of them..and love doing it ....no how no way youll ever get that at a bbx store or review site....

A review site used also with this forum.....and a good vac shop is a winner...youll come out ahead of the rest because youve bought the best from the best.

turtle1