Are There Things That Should Never Go In A Review?

We have something kind of like what you're suggesting, in the works. It's a Mentor Program. I don't want to spoil the surprise - but I will say that the suggestions for newer reviewers on how to improve and more actual involvement will be met. This will not be mandatory but will be available to anyone who wants to be a reviewer. Stay tuned less

One thing that bothers me is people asking to be advanced and then abusing reviewers who critique their reviews. I kinda feel like you are asking for a critique and it's kind of a no win scenario. If I don't post what I feel is missing or incorrect in a review of this type I get a personal email asking why I didn't...if I do I get called a condom nazi (and that was the nice one) or told that I am asking too much. It put me off for a long while but thankfully the current grops of people seem to genuinely want to improve their reviews.

One other thing that bothers me is when people are hard selling a product they only rate at 3 stars. If a product is only average in your estimation they why should EVERYONE own one? Why would a product you say is small, inferior quality and/or high maintenance be great for beginners? If you are excited about a product then hell yes I want to know that! I still base most of my purchases on reviews the product received but if it's mediocre then be as complimentary as you can and leave it at that.

Calling a jelly product safe and easy to keep clean and sanitary is flat out wrong in my book. I got the worst chemical burn on my cervix from a jelly toy I was assured was safe to use for everyone. All it needed was to be wiped down with a damp cloth...I could have permanently damaged my cervix! I know this is an extreme example but I really would like to see people taking the time to read the product rating guides before making suggestions.

I am a grammar monster intentionally using a colloquialism to make a point is one thing, but using slang excessively just looks sloppy.

My friend is a paramedic and is thinking of writing an article about the many sex toys that have been found in the "anal storage facility" as she laughingly calls it. I know people think we are being overly cautious and repetative but that's because it DOES happen. Toys are the greatest escape artists of all time, if it ain't meant to be used in the butt it should be used everywhere but! less

I agree with Sundae on the chat speak: no LOL's, OMG's, And no emoticons.

Also, please PLEASE proofread! Call me a snob, but if the first sentence in your review is a run-on, then I don't even want to finish reading it. It's not that hard: just copy and paste it into Word (or write it in there first, then copy it to the template). Word would pick up a lot of those mistakes. For other stuff, like 'to' instead of 'too', here's my suggestion. Write your review, give it a once-over, then leave it alone for a day. Come back to it a day later, and mistakes will be more noticeable. Then submit it.

Don't have Microsoft Office? Use Office Live online. It's free. less

I add as condensed a version as I can of the other sizing charts just so that if somebody who isn't the same size as me is interested in the set they can see the sizing right there without having to go look, because even though it's simple enough to find, some people might not be able to find it. less

I didn't mention you and I don't know if you have done this in excess. But if that's why you have done it or do it, I would provide a link instead.
I want more info I can't find on here. Just a personal preference.

I know some reviewers here feel that sometimes too much info makes the review less useful because it is not easy to find the info you want.

Guessing is never good either. I think someone mentioned this too though.

I think for the most part the present group of reviews always does a great job at writing reviews so they are useful. less

I find it a little disappointing when a review starts out with "well, there are already tons of reviews about this product already, so I don't know what more I can say..." Just say all of it--describe the product, how you feel about it, what you like about it and what you don't. I understand that no one wants to be repetitive, but if I am considering purchasing a product and the first review I read says "well, all the other reviews have already said this, so I'm not gonna say it again", that review is pretty much useless to me.

My advice is to imagine that your review is the one and only review for this product. You want your review to be the one-stop shop for a legit opinion and a solid description of the toy. You don't have to shove measurements up your reader's nose, but you definitely need to comment on the size, shape, texture... Just because someone else has already said it in another review doesn't mean it isn't useful for you to say it in yours, in your own words. less

Never make a blanket statement about people. I read a review recently that mildly offended me with the term usage and I would hate for others to be turned off from the product as well as the review because of what someone believes is alright to say.

If you want to say that something made you feel "like a dirty whore" or other terms, that's fine to put in the experience section about you. Don't make it a blanket statement for the toy. Some people may not want to associate using a product with that term.

Just my .02 less

I find it a little disappointing when a review starts out with "well, there are already tons of reviews about this product already, so I don't know what more I can say..." Just say all of it--describe the product, how you feel about it, what you like about it and what you don't. I understand that no one wants to be repetitive, but if I am considering purchasing a product and the first review I read says "well, all the other reviews have already said this, so I'm not gonna say it again", that review is pretty much useless to me.

My advice is to imagine that your review is the one and only review for this product. You want your review to be the one-stop shop for a legit opinion and a solid description of the toy. You don't have to shove measurements up your reader's nose, but you definitely need to comment on the size, shape, texture... Just because someone else has already said it in another review doesn't mean it isn't useful for you to say it in yours, in your own words. less

I like this. You're right, Miss Cinnamon, I agree.

But I will say, I've seen people vote on others' reviews badly simply because they were "repetitive," when other reviews said the same thing. Which should be discouraged, because consistency with reviews means that the product is either consistently good or bad. less

I agree and I want to add to your thought. I recently did a review on lubricant that had 67 reviews, 68 now with mine added. Yes, that's a lot of reviews, but they're all unique in their own right. Reviewing something a lot of other people have reviewed isn't a bad thing at all. It's nice to have different opinions and points of view. It gives variation and several different perspectives for buyers to approach a product from. less

I find it a little disappointing when a review starts out with "well, there are already tons of reviews about this product already, so I don't know what more I can say..." Just say all of it--describe the product, how you feel about it, what you like about it and what you don't. I understand that no one wants to be repetitive, but if I am considering purchasing a product and the first review I read says "well, all the other reviews have already said this, so I'm not gonna say it again", that review is pretty much useless to me.

My advice is to imagine that your review is the one and only review for this product. You want your review to be the one-stop shop for a legit opinion and a solid description of the toy. You don't have to shove measurements up your reader's nose, but you definitely need to comment on the size, shape, texture... Just because someone else has already said it in another review doesn't mean it isn't useful for you to say it in yours, in your own words. less

I like this. You're right, Miss Cinnamon, I agree.

But I will say, I've seen people vote on others' reviews badly simply because they were "repetitive," when other reviews said the same thing. Which should be discouraged, because consistency with reviews means that the product is either consistently good or bad. less

Absolutely! Often when I am torn between two toys I will read the reviews specifically looking for the overlap of experience so repetitive works for me! Sometimes the reviews are wildly different and that can indicate that the product isn't uniform in function, something that is necessary for more expensive toys. less