I first learned about reviewing Amazon products at discount through a random blog post I read. After doing some research, I decided to take the jump. I signed up for a few free sites and was able to view available products from sellers who provided discount codes in exchange for a customer's honest review. Sellers do this in order to build their brand and in hopes that you like their product. Many of the products are free...others just heavily discounted. I was told by my younger sister a while ago that the reason I loved technology and gadgets is because I am an oldest child. The combination of this trait along with another "oldest child" trait (the quest to research everything before purchasing) made for a perfect fit.
I had reviewed 2-3 products on Amazon before I started this. I kept seeing products that were available for people who had an Amazon ranking of less than 500K. Who knew Amazon even gave ranking to reviewers??? It was a whole other world of which I had yet to learn. My ranking was far from that...900,000something. I was shocked to think that there were that many Amazon reviewers...little did I realize that I have seen since a ranking of 2million something so I was doing pretty well. :) I started small. I reviewed some cell phone car holders. As well as some vitamin supplements. These items are pretty low down on the food chain.
As an oldest child, I can be a very detailed person...perhaps more detail than the average person wants, but... I write reviews that are detailed and as quantifiable as possible. I don't give as much opinion and more facts to allow you to decide for yourself. Both pros and cons. Since I am such a researcher when I purchase items, I knew there is often a dearth of such reviews. Many give two thumbs up but without the details of what the item can/not do. Or how well it works in comparison with other products etc... I must have resounded with the other first born purchasers because my reviews kept being marked as helpful. This in turn dropped my reviewer ranking and allowed me to review more new and exciting products--like bluetooth headphones, bluetooth speakers, colored pencils, kitchen appliances, clothing, bags, cameras, camping gear, household stuff...you name it! I could only justify this non-paying job if I didn't spend any money so almost all the items I reviewed I received free "in exchange for my honest review." The few I paid for were no more than $1-2 and were covered by Amazon gift cards that I had gotten for doing surveys or swagbucks. Once I saw my ranking dip below 5000, I placed a goal on myself to get below the 1000 mark. You earn "badges" from Amazon for being in the top 1000 reviewers and also another one in the top 500 of reviewers. I knew the lower I got, the more competitive it got and the harder it would be to get a top ranking. By this time, I had learned quite a bit more about this subworld of Amazon. It could get nasty and bitter. I determined to stay out of the picture as much as possible and just focus on reviewing.
The day came. I dropped below top 1000 reviewers on Amazon and got my first badge. Now there was the label "top 1000 reviewer" next to my name on Amazon! The goal then moved to being top 500 reviewer. Meanwhile, I was getting to do what I loved! I was being contacted by companies directly to see if I was interested in trying out their latest products for free. I was getting to try the newest items that just hit the market--often about 20-30 items a week. I was one step ahead of the fads. Maybe in some small way, I was helping create or destroy fads. My ranking hit 595. I was getting 10+ positive review feedbacks/day (this is one of the main criteria in ranking). I was only days away from hitting top 500 reviewer status. Then Amazon froze the rankings for a couple of months. I was just waiting for it to unfreeze again...
And then one day, just like that. It was all gone. That morning, I had gone to look at potential items to review, checked my account, pondered what I was going to review that day. By mid afternoon I had received an email from Amazon saying that I had violated my terms of reviewing and my reviewer status was rescinded. "This was a final decision." There was no explanation of what terms were violated. I was quite familiar with the terms of service and had never knowingly violated these terms. There were a few times in the past, I had accidentally left off the required disclosure at the end. These had been addressed and the disclosure added. Since then, I had been ultra careful to include it EVERY SINGLE time. My reviewing days were done. BUT what was far more crushing...ALL my reviews....EVERY SINGLE ONE (of more than 700)...were removed with no warning. No time to copy them for my records (true...one thing this first born did not remember to plan for). Just gone! Hours and hours and hours and hours of time. I have since written two emails to Amazon and tried to appeal. Both with no response. Amazon, the world's mover and shaker is too big to get personal or get any answers.
So many raw emotions swirled through me. There was freedom. No longer was I a responsible slave to writing reviews. My time was my own...and my family's (although I woke early and tried to avoid taking family time to do any of this). I knew if there way any struggle with pride, that too was gone. And yet, I had found something that I loved to do! It was all taken away in a second! So unexplainedly. So completely. I kept coming back to the fact that this was NEVER outside of God's capable hands. How happy I am that my hope does not lie with Amazon but with a good God!
Isaiah 40
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”Addendum:
It has been about a month. I had already started this blog about 3 years ago but had never populated it with posts. I will be posting a few of my favorite review items back onto this blog in the coming days just in case you, like me, are a first born child who likes to research before purchasing. :)
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