Follow Up Reviews

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Follow Up Reviews

 
 
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Carrie Ann Carrie Ann
(EdenFantasys)
EF offers, at the bottom of the review template, to send us a reminder to do a follow up 2 months after our initial review of a product publishes. I've always assumed this was because this is considered a good time frame; time enough to see if the toy has held up, etc.

I've noticed a lot of really fast follow up reviews lately, though. Follow ups done 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, after the original review.

Which would seem okay to me if there was something significant being reported but a lot of them are just... I dunno... reiterations of what was initially said.

And so I'm curious.

What do YOU feel is a good, solid follow up time? Are follow ups necessary if nothing about your opinion has changed? (Other than to say it's held up well but that's not something that can really be claimed after a week or two, is it?)

Am I just too finicky?
11/16/2009
Liz NuMe Liz NuMe
Quote:
Originally posted by Carrie Ann
EF offers, at the bottom of the review template, to send us a reminder to do a follow up 2 months after our initial review of a product publishes. I've always assumed this was because this is considered a good time frame; time enough to see if the ... More
I have an answer and another question.

My answer is that I assume when someone does a follow up rather quickly, and yes some are the next day, that the reviewer has actually owned the product for a while and is just now reviewing it. At least I hope so.

My question is this. Are follow ups expected?

Because many of them will be reiterations if you've owned if for a while and did a thorough review. Also there's the whole one time use only, or if it broke before the original review, or if you threw it out. As is the case with the item I just reviewed.
11/16/2009
Sir Sir
I feel that any amount of time is. Generally, for how long a thing has held up, two months is WAY too short. More like five months is sufficient to me. I've done follow-ups recently, actually, about a vibe and a collar, and both were fairly reasonable with the information I gave. (My vibe, I was talking about the bad scent that it first had when I got it and how it had gone away - that's generally something nice to know that, after only a week or so, it goes away!) I do not, however, feel that follow-ups are necessary if nothing in your review, no opinions or otherwise, have changed over time.

Though they are nice sometimes, I do not feel that they're really necessary. I feel that the initial review is what needs to be known, and that, if a follow-up is done, it should come BEFORE the review, so that people know what the thoughts are after the product has been owned for a while.
11/16/2009
Rockin' Rockin'
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
I feel that any amount of time is. Generally, for how long a thing has held up, two months is WAY too short. More like five months is sufficient to me. I've done follow-ups recently, actually, about a vibe and a collar, and both were fairly ... More
When you say "it should come BEFORE the review" do you mean it should appear above the review (first) when the review is viewed?
11/16/2009
Rockin' Rockin'
I don't think there's a set length of time that's "sufficient." If I use a toy once a month and then report after four or five months, that could be the same report someone else gave who used the toy every other day for two weeks. The wear on the toy should be the deciding factor as to "when" to post a follow up review, and that's not something that can just be set as a standard. So, I feel like it's up to each individual reviewer to decide when, if ever, their toy is worthy of a follow up review.

Personally I want to know if a toy breaks, decreases in power/use for some reason, or is otherwise problematic. I don't really care if a toy is the same as it was in the original review; I read that already. If the reviewer discovered something new or interesting ("I didn't like the taste of the strawberry lube alone, but combined with this other lube I had, it's pretty tasty") to share, cool, that's useful. But in general I feel like I gain much more from the initial review of a toy than from follow-up commentary (and this is especially the case when the follow up comes < 1 week after the original review).
11/16/2009
Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Hmm. It's hard to say. I sometimes wonder about those immediate follow ups, too. I can see why two months may seem like too short of a time as well, especially if you're talking about how well it has held up. Of course, I don't expect everyone to return every time a toy finally gives out. I still have my first from 5 years ago. d=

I don't usually feel the need to write a follow up all the time, honestly. I like to think I've covered most of it in the original. Most of mine are along the lines of whether or not the toy was awesome enough to still be pulled out despite the increase in my collection. I usually just go over whether or not I still use it frequently or whether a different toy serves the same purpose better. I've only ever had one toy break, though.
11/16/2009
Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Rockin'
When you say "it should come BEFORE the review" do you mean it should appear above the review (first) when the review is viewed?
Yes, that is exactly what I meant. I should have clarified that, it almost sounded like I was saying that the follow-up should be written before the review! HAHA!
11/16/2009
Owl Identified Owl Identified
I think follow-ups are the sort of thing that is assuring to buyers (or useful if it's something maybe to avoid) in terms of what to expect in the long term. Sometimes they're pointless if it's a product you've already owned for quite some time before writing a review, but if they're new then it never hurts to pop in and say what's up. Generally my follow-ups have been short and done 2 months later when prompted to. There's usually not a lot to tell. If something breaks or functions improperly, etc. these are things worth mentioning. If something starts to work better or make more sense over time, these are also worth mentioning. However, I don't think there's always something that's worth updating about.
11/16/2009
Laurel Laurel
(EdenFantasys)
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz NuMe
I have an answer and another question.

My answer is that I assume when someone does a follow up rather quickly, and yes some are the next day, that the reviewer has actually owned the product for a while and is just now reviewing it. At ... More
Follow-up reviews are not required, however, according to the breakdown of Contributor Ranking 4% of your ranking is determined by writing follow-up reviews. Keep in mind, however, that while writing follow-ups can help your ranking, a one sentence blurb offering no new information likely won't do you much good.

On the time frame: I think 2 months is a good average and the more important factor is do you have new information of value and when do you have it. If you have had the toy for several months already and have just done a review, hopefully all the relevant info went into the review. But, if not, I don't think it's necessary to wait another two months before doing a follow-up. Also, if you've had the toy for 2 weeks, just written your review, and the toy falls apart on you, it's appropriate to write the review before the 2 month mark.

I would suggest that anyone who does a follow-up immediately after a review have a good reason and offer the reason in the follow-up.

Other wise, chill out, try out the toy for a few more weeks and see what happens.
11/16/2009
Sleeping Dreamer Sleeping Dreamer
Quote:
Originally posted by Carrie Ann
EF offers, at the bottom of the review template, to send us a reminder to do a follow up 2 months after our initial review of a product publishes. I've always assumed this was because this is considered a good time frame; time enough to see if the ... More
If the toy breaks a week after their initial review, I wanna know about it!

I generally wait a month to several months to write my review, just to let everyone know it's still a favorite, how the material has held up, or if it's survived the test of time.

I remember when follow-ups weren't even an option so I generally forget to do them and then come back to them months later.

And you're too finicky, some people purely do the follow-ups for the rating boosts and not to be actually helpful.
11/16/2009
Sleeping Dreamer Sleeping Dreamer
Quote:
Originally posted by Sleeping Dreamer
If the toy breaks a week after their initial review, I wanna know about it!

I generally wait a month to several months to write my review, just to let everyone know it's still a favorite, how the material has held up, or if it's survived the ... More
you're NOT too finicky...this is why I shouldn't post before my morning coffee.
11/16/2009
Liz2 Liz2
I usually wait until the reminder and then sometimes wait longer. Sometimes it is 'cuz I haven't used a toy all that much and would not have that much to add.
I assumed the the immed. follow-ups are things the author forgot to add the first time and didn't take the time to edit the orig. review.
Most of my reviews are on toys that I have had for a time so when I write these reviews I feel I know the toy.
11/16/2009
Miss Cinnamon Miss Cinnamon
I've only just started adding follow-ups to my reviews. The way I see it, if there's a glitch in the product that becomes apparent after the original review is published, such as the product breaking, oozing, etc., then a follow-up should be posted about that problem as soon as is convenient. However, if the product experiences no problems and continues to perform well, then a follow-up of the review reporting longevity success should be posted four or five months later.

In the first case, it warns readers that the toy is short-lived, or has other problems. In the second case, it lets readers know that this toy is still chugging.

Of course, if the original review is dedicated to all the things you didn't like about the toy, and nothing changes to make you like it more, I don't see a significant reason to post a follow-up.
11/16/2009
Saraid Saraid
I either wait until I have something to say or until 2 months. I always wait at least 1 month.
11/16/2009
LikeSunshineDust LikeSunshineDust
Quote:
Originally posted by Laurel
Follow-up reviews are not required, however, according to the breakdown of Contributor Ranking 4% of your ranking is determined by writing follow-up reviews. Keep in mind, however, that while writing follow-ups can help your ranking, a one sentence ... More
"Follow-up reviews are not required, however, according to the breakdown of Contributor Ranking 4% of your ranking is determined by writing follow-up reviews."
That was my thought when I first started reading this thread - Do you think people are writing quick, short follow-ups just to boost their ranking? Maybe writing a follow-up shouldn't be an option until at least a month or 2 after the original review.

To answer the original question, I think 4-8 months is a good time frame for writing a follow-up. Then again, if a toy dies 3 years down the road, I think that should go in there too. Maybe we can have an option for multiple follow-ups?
11/16/2009
Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by LikeSunshineDust
"Follow-up reviews are not required, however, according to the breakdown of Contributor Ranking 4% of your ranking is determined by writing follow-up reviews."
That was my thought when I first started reading this thread - Do you think people are ... More
I was going to suggest multiple follow-ups, too.
11/16/2009
JR JR
(EdenFantasys)
that is a good idea. I like multiples!
11/16/2009
Alan & Michele Alan & Michele
I think follow ups are best done some months after the review so people can learn how the item held up, but it's understandable that if it a problem with the toy arises before then the reviewer would want to write one sooner to alert buyers to potential problems.

The "I still like it" follow-ups that are showing up 1 and 2 days after the review was written seem silly, almost as if the reviewer wanted to let folks know that after they sobered up from the weekend the toy was still cool.
11/16/2009
Gary Gary
(EdenFantasys)
Just to reiterate... Follow up reviews are not mandatory. But they can be very useful to the consumer reading your review, and considering the purchase of this product.

Also, 2 months is merely a suggested time frame, and of course there are exception to everything. How an item is cared for, stored, or how often it is used can all be factors in a toys longevity. Hopefully with average use and abuse the toy is still working fine in a month or two, but by 6-8 months... so many outside things can contribute to an items ability to function at this point. There is no single best way to approach this.

I would think that a silicone dildo should last years, but even the best vibe can only take so many falls down the stairs. You just have to use your best judgement and think about what is going to most effectively represent the product, and help communicate its strengths and weaknesses to consumers.

I have recently submitted a bunch of reviews that had quick follow ups. Most of these have been items I have owned for months or even years. I simply included how the item has held up over time in the follow up.

Just think about why you are writing a follow up, and then use your best judgement!
11/16/2009
Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
Quote:
Originally posted by Carrie Ann
EF offers, at the bottom of the review template, to send us a reminder to do a follow up 2 months after our initial review of a product publishes. I've always assumed this was because this is considered a good time frame; time enough to see if the ... More
You make some good points. Follow up reviews should have something new to say. I'll admit that sometimes for me something new may occur relatively quickly. However, when you experiment as much as some of us do - a follow up in a couple of months is too long, often I've moved on to some other new and exciting alternative and don't have anything new to offer.

Other times I'll pull out an old favorite and have an experience worth relaying and will go add some new information - far beyond the normal time frame.

There's no right answer - it's just the dynamics of people and relationships. You've put together a group of very ethical and open individuals - go with the flow!
11/16/2009
Liz NuMe Liz NuMe
Quote:
Originally posted by Alan & Michele
I think follow ups are best done some months after the review so people can learn how the item held up, but it's understandable that if it a problem with the toy arises before then the reviewer would want to write one sooner to alert buyers to ... More
"almost as if the reviewer wanted to let folks know that after they sobered up from the weekend the toy was still cool."

ROFLMAO!!!! Can I use that on my next follow up?
11/16/2009
Carrie Ann Carrie Ann
(EdenFantasys)
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz NuMe
"almost as if the reviewer wanted to let folks know that after they sobered up from the weekend the toy was still cool."

ROFLMAO!!!! Can I use that on my next follow up?
I know! I want to use it, too.

That was one of the funniest things I've read in a week.
11/16/2009
Alan & Michele Alan & Michele
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz NuMe
"almost as if the reviewer wanted to let folks know that after they sobered up from the weekend the toy was still cool."

ROFLMAO!!!! Can I use that on my next follow up?
LOL! Feel free to use it all you'd like... you too CarrieAnn
11/16/2009
Rockin' Rockin'
For people wanting multiple follow ups...you can edit your follow up reviews and just tack on additional stuff. Putting a date at the beginning of each "entry" will help consumers see the time difference between the original review and your follow ups.
11/17/2009
Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Rockin'
For people wanting multiple follow ups...you can edit your follow up reviews and just tack on additional stuff. Putting a date at the beginning of each "entry" will help consumers see the time difference between the original review and your follow ... More
I do know about editing them (we used to not be allowed to), but adding dates is actually really helpful. That was a great idea, thank you! I am going to do that from now on.
11/17/2009
Daddy'sPuppy Daddy'sPuppy
2-months does seem like a long time considering when your toy is new you find out something new and interesting about it for like the first 6 weeks. But because you can edit follow ups it probably wouldn't hurt to do regular follow up updates. Specially considering if you do your review in the first 2 weeks you got your toy. I know if i had done my reviews with the toys i got the day i turned 18 right away i would have left SO MUCH out. I have 4 fleshlights and with every new one i bought i found out new things about the new and old ones alike. Just wish you could also edit your original, I found a typo in one lol
12/02/2009
Sammi Sammi
(EdenFantasys)
Quote:
Originally posted by Daddy'sPuppy
2-months does seem like a long time considering when your toy is new you find out something new and interesting about it for like the first 6 weeks. But because you can edit follow ups it probably wouldn't hurt to do regular follow up updates. ... More
You should be able to edit your review by going into your Account - Review Program - Reviews. Each review should have an Edit link next to it so you can make the correction.
12/02/2009
Daddy'sPuppy Daddy'sPuppy
Quote:
Originally posted by Sammi
You should be able to edit your review by going into your Account - Review Program - Reviews. Each review should have an Edit link next to it so you can make the correction.
OH no way! i cant believe i never noticed that. I always saw edit but i guess it never occurred to me for some reason. I think i always clicked view so that's why i got it in my head it wouldn't be edited. lol
12/03/2009
Jen&Clint Jen&Clint
Most of the reviews that I have done are from toys that I have had for a while. If the toy breaks a few weeks after the review I did I just do the follow up and give the time frame of how long it should last others.

As far as sponsored reviews the only reason I will do one earlier then 2 months is something has changed. Right now I just did one on Mr Grape the itoys UR3 dong, mainly because of the smell which is going away, and the fact that I found something out that really helped me like it more and just had to share.

I guess I should go and edit my first reviews and make them better, now that I have gotten the hang of writing these for the most part. I think I am getting better? Anyway EF rocks!!! you guys are great
12/03/2009
J's Alley J's Alley
I usually do my follow ups 3 months or more later...BUT...my Rock Chick follow up isn't done (it's been like 5 months) because I am still trying to figure out how to work the damn thing!!!

Plus, I did a follow up the day a review posted because about 30 min after I submitted the review...the vibrator when psychotic on me.

So time is all dependent. I do like the idea of (Rockin' With a Cock In) of posting the follow up, I say 2-3 months later, then updating over time.
12/03/2009
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