Thanks for the explanation about this, I also had that doubt!! :+1:
Oh, absolutely agree. Anytime a seller/vender or manufacturer comments like that, posting a link to a purchase site, or even if they don’t and they simply solicit a sale by asking for purchase, that is NOT OK. Their comments should be limited to thanking the reviewer and answering any direct inquiries with regards to the technical aspects of the product, so long as things don’t cross into sales territory.
I really felt compelled to post here because I did not want to be seen as contributing to spam posts because of free review samples sent by manufacturers, mainly the aforementioned Sofirn. They have sent a lot of product out to us recently, thus an influx of posted reviews. Full disclosure, the original PM from them to me asking if I’d like to review the light said nothing about being required to post a review at all, just whether I’d like to evaluate the light in my free time.
I think that manufacturer or seller never must talk in the review that we make.
Reviews with aff link must go to the site of negociated deal, review without aff link is fine in the normal section.
Right, I understand your point too. I was just trying to say that these are really two completely different issues. There are currently no rules about how reviews of free products should be handled, and specifically nothing about those “blitz” style review campaigns where they send the same product to 20 reviewers at once. So that discussion definitely has its place (preferably in a different thread), but I’m not in any way trying to condemn as spammers our BLF members who review free products, because they’re not doing anything wrong and are not violating any written BLF rules. As a matter of fact I occasionally review free samples myself here. This thread is to raise awareness about the cut-and-dried issue of commercial employees posting blatant spam on BLF that clearly violates the written rules, which we all need to be more vigilant about eliminating via the SPAM button.
@ JasonJ (and all interested)
There is/was an ongoing thread discussing some issues about affiliate links in reviews and other issues about reviews!
I for one am done doing any reviews and for that matter, will not enter for any free give-aways.
Let the new members have the shot at new free product for a slice of their dignity.
The repetition and clone reviews get old right quick and of no fault of the reviewer’s, as they all hit the shores at the same time and all manufacturer’s demand a quick review on multiple platforms.
How thorough your review really is, does not matter to the “Shotgun Blast” of reviews intended solely to up Google searches and flood Amazon with reviews.
It is “over the top” total effing BS anymore.
Sign me the h out.
Keith
I think that is sensible unless the manufacturer is addressing an issue identified in a review.
Interestingly most of the multiple reviewed lights recently have actually been quite decent lights that could sell themselves with much fewer reviews. The first few reviews will get much higher views and google ranking than later reviews. Thus too many reviews can be counter productive for the vendor, and under appreciated effort for the hard working reviewer.
Too many reviews ?
Not sure about that ! I have no issue with information .
Sometimes it can be difficult to cut through fact and opinion ( one mans rubbish is another mans treasure ) .
But more reviews = a better chance at the product getting seen from more than one perspective .
Sometimes its good to see a review through another’s eyes and experience , even if its the first time some one has done a review .
If they make mistakes , that’s great because it also becomes a learning experience .
The waters fine - come on in !
Or as we in general suffer from information overload, more reviews (especially poor ones) are not value added.
They made three almost identical spam posts in less than ten minutes.
(I'm thinking they're a spambot.)
It looks like they have no respect for BLF.
I deleted three posts from the "Hall of Shame" discussion thread...
and twenty-four posts from the "Hall of Shame" - flashlight vendors that spam or shill on BLF thread.
I basically got rid of any post about a company that isn't about flashlights or other lighting. 
Really disappointing that olightstore.com is resorting to these desperate tactics of spamming and shilling recently. How far they’ve fallen…
Also, I updated the first post in the Hall of Shame thread to explain more clearly what information should be listed there. Remember, discussions are not allowed in the Hall of Shame, but here in this thread discussion in open.
I also find the case of Olight disappointing. I don’t own any other lights and it appears it will stay so.
On a separate topic, time I have mixed feelings about those vendors that spammed for some time but later recovered and turned to useful members. I believe Vapcell is such vendor.
On one hand they deserve a mention. On the other I feel that the mention should be somehow down-ranked.
I'm really surprised that olightstore.com is up to no good.
I thought they were smart enough to avoid doing that.
I’ve seen Olight asking other people to post their stuff on reddit for years. The rules on /r/flashlight allow three marketing posts per month, and the solution to this problem was to count obvious shill posts toward the total.
I don’t know, but at this rate, all known vendors will eventually appear on the HoS list.
It only take one desperate dude from a company (or one desperate attempt to gain customers) to bring their company on this sort of list.
Yep, although the rules of BLF are fairly easy to follow, they're even easier to break.
It’s actually quite a tough choice.
It will look draconian if we never retire companies from the list after long period.
Yet, it will look too lenient if we do retire someone from the list after certian periods.
I’m definitely open to removing companies from this list after they establish a track record of honest business with us. Thus far, I’ve had a grand total of zero requests to do so, which I guess proves the point that companies stoop to this level when they simply don’t care anymore.
Are they even aware of being enlisted?
Some learned to be good members eventually (Vapcell is on my mind) and I would be surprised if they didn’t care.