Why are Aurabuy Shills so common?

I think it just proves we are loyal customers when you treat us right .Shill and spam and you're going to get flogged here on BLF . One thing is for sure . An Avoid on BLF is seriously hard to get rid of .

I knew they were desperate if they had to ask me to do a review for them, but I didn’t realize they were that bad.

dx asked me to do a review. i agreed, but they would not let me pick the light. they told me it shipped, and a month later almost told me it had not been shipped. that was last week and still do not know if it has shipped or not.

the light was a TF A8 clone, and it was going to be compared to the BLF A8.

im really not too worried about it because if it didnt measure up to the a8 build quality, it probably would have been my last review with dx

im not sure why these dealers want people to do reviews for them? most of these lights are available at other stores also.

Well most reviews make you want to buy the light, and many will use the link in the review. Plus it shows up in search results.

Since no one asked, I'll tell you what I find weak and a complete sellout;

There are reviewers, elsewhere and more disturbing, here on our own BLF and not excluding among the top few that first come to mind, that in tone and actual word are obviously something more than objective reporters of fact and/or a reflection of what they honestly feel the truth to be.

More than a few sellers have reached out to me initially only to inexplicably fade away upon discovering, either through reading something I wrote or from me simply spelling it out for them, that the "generosity" of providing Foy a product to review will by necessity, be unceremoniously sacrificed on the alter of truth, facts, my credibility and my sincere desire for objectivity and an honest reporting of my actual feelings.

So far it seems, most sellers are more interested in the large number of people here they know will read a Foyreview, than they are in what Foy thinks of their product. And to be sure, there is nothing new or even wrong using a review to get the word out on their wares. As long as, A) their participation is resolutely limited to providing the light and B) the reviewer never rewards receiving a "free" light with an insincerely motivated review, a review that differs from their actual feelings or, as I see all to damn often, a review that so obviously panders, I lose interest as well as respect.

The few to whom this applies uncomfortably squirms, so much the better. Stop parlaying your popularity by cautiously unoffending the seller.

Foy

well said foy, with the one light I received foc for review, I tried to be as subjective and clinical as I could be, but tried to write it in an amusing way, net result….well as I say, its the one light I received foc for review.

It is difficult to be subjective, but for your own integrity its vital, lets be honest, your not going to receive many lights for review that you actually want or need, you have to buy them, the freebies, well at best its a nice gesture but not really worth whoring yourself out over let’s be honest.

Exactly

I have actually had sellers do the same. If you send me crap… I’m gonna say it’s crap. The whole ‘shill’ deal really isn’t problematic to me. I don’t read reviews by anyone other than a few in here.

the chance would be a fine thing, I like your reviews spas and definitely bravo on the lights you get hold of, I just find its too much effort for the whole review thing, my time is limited and precious so I tend to just give my opinions on a light that arrives in whatever thread I discussed it, then get on with ripping it apart and fitting what I feel it should have been sold with or assembling the host as I see fit, its why most of my recent builds have been hosts rather than modified lights, I’m a bit disillusioned with what tends to turn up in my price range, reviews would suffer a similar bias - its a nice light, but it needs this this this and this….

I do keep harbouring a desire to ship a couple of builds off to foy to let him cast his critical eye over, see if I’m blowing smoke or if they are as acceptable as I think they are.

mmmf, where did spas’ s post go?

I had second thoughts and decided it's probably best to not get embroiled in the debate. Sorry Graham :D

A man with your modding talent... there isn't going to be much to pass the gords appreciation factor LOL :P

Btw how has the feedback been on the gords special worklight ?

I sincerely hope none of my reviews come across as shilling. Most of my reviews are positive because I refuse to review just any light and choose only those that I am interested in and I can spot a crappy light a mile away before I ever lay hands on it. I always strive to offer just the facts and take as many pics as i do so readers can see exactly what I see, warts and all, and judge for themselves. I do, of course, interject my opinions as well based on my experience with lights. Most are what I expected, a few are stinkers, and some blow me away with how they surpass my expectations. I do have a tendency to be very enthusiastic when I really like a light but if that is a fault then sue me. I value my credibility and reputation above all else and have rejected many offers because I just know when a light is a turd. For those who think of getting lights sent to them for review is a great way to get free lights they are dead wrong. Reviewing (properly reviewing) is extremely time consuming and rarely worth the time involved. I spend at least 10-15 hours when I review a light, sometimes more, and its a real PITA but is a labor of love. I see many reviews lately that appear to be slapped together in an hour or less and it really pisses me off as someone who takes it very seriously.

12 mintues 53 seconds here…

I bet it took me a similar amount of time on my review, by the time I’d done strip downs, taken measurements, taken crappy cell phone pics, run a temp monitoring test (carried out as I composed the review), made notes on thoughts and observations. It’s not a walk in the park that’s for sure, and I didn’t do the runtime/regulation graphs and the like that some reviewers do. I guess thats the point, its fairly obvious when someone puts the effort in to do the job properly.

not much feedback as yet, other than the obligatory ooh when first powered up, their tools and treated as such.

As for modding skills, meh, I just assemble, its not so hard, you’ll have to have a holiday up here when the gords cave is acquired, you’ll get an idea how little effort gets put in compared to doing a review :wink:

Beer, Flashlights, Emitters, Drivers, Soldering irons, Stacking 7135's, More beer, More soldering, More beer.... I can't wait! it's going to be like Laurel & Hardy does flashlights :D

gords -

Would be a privilege to spend some time with one of your projects.

A couple of years ago, lancjl sent me his Yezl zoomie with a similar request. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/2221 It was a horrible torch and I had great fun roasting it. It was rated IPX-8 so I dunked it the bathroom sink and it immediately flooded. I was near ready to have a new one sent to him but it dried out and he used it for another year or so before it finally took a dive for good. He swears I don't owe him a new light but Foy still wonders . . .

Another time, trooplewis sent me his brand spanking new Fenix TK41 with pre-paid return postage. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/2505 Loved that light so much I prolonged the resending as long as possible. Don't know why I still have not bought one.

dreadeddepthsinkFoy

foy, I might just ship out my convoy l2 return postage then, see what you make of it.

<a href=Photo Storage | Photobucket target=_blank><img src=http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x48/gords1001/20130523_185120_zpsa9fcdb1d.jpg border=0 alt=>

<a href=Photo Storage | Photobucket target=_blank><img src=http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x48/gords1001/20130523_185210_zps6445df59.jpg border=0 alt=>

its the one on the right in both photo’s :cowboy_hat_face:

That reflector has to be like, 90mm?

(gone looking for a caaahnnvoy)

thatsabigtenfourgoodbudyFoy