Advanced Reviewer Voting: Do you actually read the reviews?

Also, personally, I think if you're just randomly clicking just because, you're just as guilty as the people who didn't buy a single thing yet. Haha.


And don't get me wrong, I don't mean badly towards them. I just don't think they are advanced reviewer status like. :/ Know what I mean or is this coming off all wrong?

I don't vote on reviewer advancement. I feel that a majority of people can gain way more from the mentor program instead. I know there are some people that definitely don't need it at all, but the majority tends to need the extra help. I don't think a measly two reviews is enough for becoming an advanced reviewer in both aspects; the amount of reviews required to become advanced should be increased.

As for the whole thing about the products not coming from Eden, I do recall somewhere that it was mentioned that you can indeed review a product that EF sales but you've bought from somewhere else, because there's no requirement asking you where you got the product from anyway. I just hope that those people will actually buy something from this wonderful company in the near future.

It happens, I think the staff has said something about sprucing up the voting in system but don't quote me on that. I don't think anyone has ever gone up for vote and not been voted up before the time frame was up.

I get what you are saying, but someone people with sensitive feelings might feel offended by it. To be honest, when I came here, I put myself up for vote and I got it. My first handful of reviews aren't anything like they are now. I've always been one that loves to write (as long as I have a topic) and did well in school/college so I thought "I got this", when in reality, reviewing sex items is SO much different from writing an essay for a class. I looked back at my first 2 to 3 pages of reviews and I only got a few "somewhat useful" votes. No one mentioned the mentor program to me and besides seeing it on the dashboard, I really had no idea what it was. I think maybe a better explanation of the mentor program on the program dashboard page would be a MAJOR help in promoting the program.

Many people are new and haven't looked all over the site (like I didn't catch it) and aren't aware of it, though now it seems many users are suggesting it in comments of reviews from new users. I probably would have joined if someone suggested it to me and gave me a brief run down on what it is.

Now, to actually acknowledge your question of do I read the reviews of the people on the community page that are up for vote? Yes, if I have time to read them all. Or say I see their review was featured on the community page (I'm talking about with the photo of the item). If that item interests me, I will read it and if I thought it was good and they happen to be up for vote then I will check out their other review(s). If I think they are ready for advanced status then I sure will vote for them and I have voted for people.

I have seen people apply for advanced status via voting and they got EV or U votes and didn't seem to need much guidance.

But even if someone makes it and you feel they really should have had a mentor, you can suggest it OR leave a NICE FRIENDLY comment with tips on what to add to their review to help them get better votes. People didn't suggest the mentor program to me, but many did ask questions about something I left out which prompted me to answer and then remember to add that in my future reviews. Some people will take your suggestions to heart and will improve like I did.

Plus we have to remember, not everyone writes/reviews the same or feels the same information is important. Some people like to stick to the minimum, others want to put in as much info possible. We can't force people to change their ways, even if they took the mentor program and failed, they could then go up for vote on the community page when it comes down to it.

I honestly think there needs to be something more done to promote the mentor program because unless a contributor mentions it to someone and explains it to them, if they don't check out the forum (or know to), the information isn't easily found nor is it explained much in detail.

I think if the review is well written, it should not matter where the item was purchased as it will promote the item for for EF. I do however, think it should be required to go through the mentor program at least once before applying to the advanced reviewer program. I wish I had, as I am embarrassed by many of my first reviews.

But in reality, it is alot of work to be an advanced reviewer here, and not too many will actually go past the acceptance process. It isn't as if you are an advanced reviewer and POOF you get a free toy, which is what I feel many people think.

When you really examine the reviewers who actively contribute, it kind of equals out, I think.

Oh, and as far as reviewing items goes. EF has made it clear that everyone is allowed to review an item, no matter where it came from, AS LONG AS IT IS THE EXACT SAME ITEM. Some people, like I was, are excited to get started and don't want to wait for a package to arrive or don't have the extra money to purchase anything yet so they find things they already have that Eden sells and review it. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It isn't doing Eden any harm, it is actually HELPING them.

Besides, when I was still new here, my fiance and I purchased the We-Vibe 2 at a local store because we were so intrigued by it and by what the employee told us and let us see it out of the box. We just HAD to have it. I wish we would have waited because Eden would have saved us a good bit of money. But I was so happy with my experience that I wanted to share it and I think I had a right to since Eden allows us to. My review may have helped someone decide to purchase the toy from Eden, so why not post it? Or there has been a time when I got a toy somewhere else and then Eden got it, that made me excited so I wanted to share my experience with it. Plus, if someone is reviewing something on Eden that they got elsewhere, odds are that they are probably now almost always going to buy from Eden because they offer THE BEST prices that I have seen compared to major chains like Adam and Eve as well as The Lion's Den. Eden doesn't rip customers off like those places do. EF usually has better prices than the actual manufacturers website. You're only hurting your wallet by knowing the deals, sales, and great prices at Eden if you do go buy from someone else.

Plus I trust Eden. I go in stores and they are ready to just take a toy out of the box and show it to you (even put batteries in) and I'm not talking about display items. I'm talking about pulling it off the shelf. Then I'm touching it, they are touching it, my fiance touches it and then they put it back in the package and back on the shelf . Some people don't know to wash their toys before using them so they are putting these toys in their vaginas, butts and on the penises after other people have touched it after those people have touched doors, food, and who knows what else transferring germs to the toy. Atleast I know when I order from EF that everyone and their brother hasn't been fingering my toy! (I do still wash my stuff before hand but I like knowing it hasn't been passed around). I mean don't get me wrong, it's nice to be able to see a toy in action or the feel of it but they should have toy cleaner at the register and spray and wipe the toy down before putting it back in the package or atleast telling customers or having a leaflet to put in the bag with their purchase telling the customer to always wash their toys BEFORE and after use.


I honestly now only go in those stores to check something out that I'm interested in seeing in person. If I like it, I go home and log into Eden. We only buy things at those places if Eden doesn't carry it and that is rare. I try to tell my friends that are open enough to admit to buying sex toys/lubes/massage oils and stuff to come here and stop spending money on Pure Romance. I used to buy from a PR consultant until I came here. I keep getting invites from her but I've found some place SO much better and educational (Eden!). I mean at those parties they don't discuss what their materials are or ingredients and the prices they want for a jelly toy is ridiculous. If the girl wasn't my friend, I'd start a FB conversation with everyone that got invited and promote the heck outta this site but I don't want to piss off and lose a friend by doing that.

Like Z said, the products don't have to be purchased from Eden. I had a couple things that EF carries before I even found Eden. Also, sometimes EF doesn't stock certain items that I am interested in so I purchase them elsewhere. While I'd prefer to purchase from EF, they sometimes just don't carry certain things... then much later on in the future, they do carry it. So as for that, I don't have any issues with someone reviewing something they purchased elsewhere. Even the admins said it is fine.

As for your poll, I voted "other" because I don't vote on advancing reviewers. Regardless of the quality of these reviews, they always seem to get in anyway. I think the mentor program is the best idea to become advanced.

I'm not saying badly against the people who review items not from Eden. That I already stated. Or I thought I did. I guess I'm still kind of new, so to me I see being an advanced reviewer and the benefits, I feel like it's cheating Eden if you only use other stores items to try getting up and getting all the discounted stuff. I'm not saying it's wrong, I guess I just feel like it's cheating out the company. They let it so I guess it's not harming them. But hey, I still feel like I'm cheating somewhere with getting free stuff from points all the time. Haha.

My thing wasn't necessarily against those only reviewing non eden sold items, it was more that I'm seeing all the reviewers upgrading that personally, I think they could use the mentor program.

The whole non eden items part was just more that I think they should get more familiar with the site itself as well if they want to also play a big part in the site. If that makes any sense. Haha.

I also voted other. I rarely vote on upgrades for anyone. I will vote on an upgrade when I see that there is someone who has been around for a long time. I don't even bother reading their reviews because I know who they are.

If there is a great number of the upgrade request on the community page; I will look through the reviews and vote on the ones I feel were good. I do this just so I don't have to look at the upgrade requests anymore. I rarely look at them though. I have never seen anyone not voted up, so there are plenty of others who vote these people in.

I don't think the mentor program is for everyone and everyone shouldn't be subjected to class. There has to be another option for those who work better on their own.

Some people are very confused on what the mentor program even is and the FAQ doesn't explain it well enough, so these people don't want to sign up for class because they don't know what it even is.

I wouldn't have stayed if I would have HAD to join the mentor program right away. I was voted in and didn't deserve to be voted in.

I do think that there needs to be some adjustments to how fast you can put in for an upgrade, because it should take you more than one day. (You can write two 300 word reviews within a few hours and go up for upgrade; this shouldn't be.) However, this is Eden's thing. If they want to change it, it will get changed.

I don't see why it matters if the item was purchased at Eden or not. I also don't understand how you can tell unless the reviewer specifically mentions that they got it elsewhere.

I try and read most of the reviews they have done thus far that way I can get idea about their style and if they're ready to become an advanced reviewer.

I don't vote on all requests, but I do read all the reviews when I vote. I look for a thoughtful review that contributes something personal or additional information that compliments the product description, and I look for a review that looks like someone took it seriously. Other than that, I don't feel that I should judge someone else's approach too harshly. In my opinion, the advantage of a review program is that everyone contributes from their own viewpoint and the review may be especially helpful to a potential customer with a similar way of thinking, even if some of us don't like the style of the review.

Along the same lines, a good review is just as likely to help a potential customer regardless of whether the product was purchased from EF or not, thus increasing sales to EF.

We're still doing that?

I'm so observant that I thought the voting thing had gone away eons ago. I know I got voted in under the old system, and then the whole mentor thing came along not long after, and I assumed the old system went away at some point.

i don't vote in the upgrade requests. i'm in the mentor program and have benefited hugely from it. i suspect very few people could come in cold and write well written, complete, useful reviews. having said that i will go and read some of the reviews posted by newbies trying to get advanced status and see if my theory is valid. but i still won't vote.

i would hope that if people vote that they do actually read the reviews and vote in accordance with the quality of the review

personally i liked the mentor program

I read all their reviews they have showing.

i read 2-3 reviews before voting. we are allowed to review items that were not purchased here. since it's a review of the item and not eden itself, I am ok with that. though sometimes the packaging can be different

personally, I think the mentor program is the best way to beging being a reviewer.

I read reviews.

If I've voted for someone to become an advanced reviewer, I've read (and enjoyed) every review they've written.

I always read all their showing reviews!