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Post by The Curmudgeon on Dec 11, 2008 19:39:01 GMT 2
The Curmudgeon's Amazon rating has taken a huge pounding over the last couple of weeks, and it's not down to some hateful X Factor zealot trying to get me back for slating some of their beloved garbage. It's actually from Amazon themselves.
Any helpful marks that I've received from anyone on here has been removed, as has any marks from my seemingly number one fan on there (you know, that girl that leaves me comments on almost every review I've ever written). It was actually that girl that brought it to my attention.
So has this sort of thing happened to anyone else? And why is it happening at all? If people WANT to give me helpful votes why can't they? I've even looked for a "complaints" section and can't find anything where I can send an e-mail.
Help?
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Post by trashcanman on Dec 12, 2008 13:10:38 GMT 2
I'm surprised you haven't noticed sooner as you are the type of reviewer hit hardest; the ones with actual FANS. After a few positive votes received from a given Amazon denizen, their votes stop being counted on your reviews. Not only that, but past votes are revoked as well. Bull-fucking-shit. Some friends of mine have quit the site over this. But as far as I know, voting attacks are still A-okay. So basically if your Amazon friends stop by once a week or whatever and have a good laugh and drop you some (in their opinion) well-earned votes then they don't count. But if some asshole gets offended because you dissed their favorite singer of the moment whose name they'll have forgotten within 2 years and spends all day going to every one of your reviews and voting "no" and then emails all his asshole buddies to do the same, tough luck. We've emailed Amazon with our complaints and got the usual stock-response crap. I had 50+ votes wiped from a comic review and only a few were "fan votes" so the Amazon powers-that-be obviously don't have a fucking clue what it is they're doing. They are lucky I do it for fun and no other reason or I'd stop peddling their wares altogether like the others. Actually, my rating shot way up due to a few reviews that have received monster traffic, but I'd wipe my new rating away in a second to have some of my lost regulars back.
Amazon is about exchanging ideas for me so the votes don't matter much, but when one of my reviews has clawed it's way to the top of the pile and it gets kicked down to the bottom and stripped of all it's hard-earned votes for no reason, I get less traffic and less of the input I crave and Amazon becomes less fun for me. If you hadn't wandered across one of my ravings, I would not be here, Curmudgeon. Case and point.
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Post by pauless on Dec 12, 2008 15:11:01 GMT 2
I just been embroiled in a particularly unpleasant skirmish with Ammie over the 'Rhydian' reviews. I got both re-instated, but had to slightly edit the UK one. (I had to change 'Welsh whelk' to 'peroxide Valleys' screecher', which is a worse insult in my opinion. Go figure.) I got an apology fom a guy named Farooq at the US site, which I didn't expect, but the UK site has a bigger quota of PC twats, so it was much tougher getting justice. In a rare moment of defiance and rebellion, I quoted what I'd cut out in the 'comments' section, so any one reading will see two insults now, instead of just the one!
I went from 35,000 to 5,100,000 on the rankings - big fucking deal. I'm with Trashie, it's much better getting comments, even if they are calling you all the cunts in creation. It is a bit irritating when you see some no-mark with 15 reviews and 20 pozzies, 3,000,000 ahead of you on the chart, but votes are not why I review.
I haven't heard of any suicide attempts by distraught little three-line review meisters knocked down a few thousand places, but I wouldn't be surprised. (!)
You need to click the 'Help' icon on the top right hand corner of your profile page, then follow the instuctions. Or click on the 'Contact Us' wherever you see it. That'll eventually get you to the complaints dept. Have fun - they rarely take a blind bit of notice. Threaten them with Play.Com....
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Post by trashcanman on Dec 12, 2008 23:49:05 GMT 2
Who'da thunk the UK would be touchier than America ab out sich things? I guess since trash talk is our national passtime (baseball ain't shit) more is allowed. I'l try to stop by and have a look at more of your stuff, Paul. I don;t know whether or not I qualify as a "fan" yet so a few of my votes may even be counted. You never know.....
Seriously, nobody knows what the hell Aunt Ammie is up to.
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Dec 13, 2008 16:26:47 GMT 2
On the subject of UK Amazon, Paul - is the situation any better there yet? Back when I first started my reviews, I decided to put them on both the UK and US sites. My reviews went up no problem at all on the US site, but the reviews often took several days to appear, if they appeared at all.
Apparantly it's a common problem with the Brit site. Has there been improvements over the years?
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Post by pauless on Dec 16, 2008 5:06:09 GMT 2
The UK site got a bit more interesting since they introduced the 'comments', but it's a cemetery compared to the US, which is far busier and therefore more interesting. The UK site is full of thick-as-shit nasty bastards who can be quite rude on occasion. They don't seem to float to the top of the US site the same, probably because of the sheer numbers.
I don't know how they decide the votes T-Man, it seems random and more than a bit silly. I voted once or twice on Mackshere lately and they all counted, if I cared that much it'd be baffling.
Fucking hell that Van Halen cover's cool.....
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Dec 16, 2008 21:25:54 GMT 2
Thick as shit and rude I can handle. So do they actually print the reviews as soon as you submit them, or do they still take about a week to show up?
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Post by pauless on Dec 19, 2008 4:33:20 GMT 2
It varies but with the emphasis on stuttering. I think they're checking mine a bit more carefully after the Rhydian row, and how that David Essex one hasn't been pulled I'll never know. I'd have to let that go I think. Un-PC or not, I couldn't argue that one.
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Post by trashcanman on Dec 20, 2008 7:52:56 GMT 2
I just joined a website, lunch.com, which is a non-commercial site that offers all the love and hate of Amazon and none of the bullshit. It's uncensored and you can post pics and vids on your reviews just like here. Have a look, Curmudgeon; you could earn some new followers and flame bait. I'm in the process of setting up shop and transferring my Amazon stuff. www.lunch.com/m/trashcanman.html |
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Dec 20, 2008 18:57:16 GMT 2
Ohh.. nice find, Trashy. I think I'll take a look at that this weekend. Some new blood/enemies is always a good idea.
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