Do Bad Reviews Kill Companies?

[Panzer Platform]

MKBHD just released a video about bad products getting deservedly bad reviews that applies to dash cams;

In addition to testing & reviewing the best dash cams on the market, maybe we should start reviewing the hundreds of fake, counterfeit, junk sold on Amazon as a type of “PSA”.
I think these bad actors are holding back the dash cam industry, and making it harder for the “good companies”.
Since I started testing dash cams in 2020 I have declined / ignored requests from manufacturers / retailers of these fake, junk quality units.
Whenever I decline / ignore a request to review these junk units, about two weeks later I see a glowing 5-Star rave review from the folks I refer to as QVC / Home Shopping Network / Lifestyle Vlogger / Vanlife Influencer.

AKEEYO offered me $625 via PayPal to review this dash cam;

Here’s some other units I declined;

I doubt anything will come of this, but I’m fed up with all the junk people are tricked into buying, and wanted to rant a bit.

@Vortex Radar
@rcg530
@safedrivesolutions
@DrekiTech
@BlackboxMyCar
@evad
@USDashCamera

 

[Nigel]

"All publicity is good publicity"

 

[Nigel]

Most dashcam reviewers completely fail to deliver the basics:

A review is when someone uses a product and then just delivers their impressions on whether they think it is any good or not.

If that was what the proper dashcam reviewers were aiming to put into their dashcam reviews, instead of aiming for documented testing with no documentation of impressions, then maybe they wouldn't be reluctant to review the "all the junk people are tricked into buying". Might result in some short reviews, but if something is fake 8K then the review doesn't need to go much further than looking at the output and stating your impression that it is probably only poor quality 2K that has been upscaled, and definitely fake 8K, or that 7Mb/s 25fps does not qualify as 8K video. You should be able to judge the dashcam by the length of the review.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Most dashcam reviewers completely fail to deliver the basics:

What are the basics?
Can you provide a short list?
Have you ever made a video review?

You just gave me an idea.
We have a Sub Forum called; “Dash Cam Reviews”.
Why not have a Sub Forum called; “Rate the Reviewer”?
I’m give you an example;

This is the worst dash cam review I’ve ever seen.
Too long, boring, talks too slow, low energy, personality of a limp dish rag, poor editing, poor production value, reads off paper diagrams, not entertaining, doesn’t show his face, messy garage, bad lighting, bad video quality.
Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars

 

[Nigel]

This is the worst dash cam review I’ve ever seen.

Must be a good dashcam though, the review is 41 minutes and 32 seconds long!

What are the basics?
Can you provide a short list?

The basics were in the quote from the video you linked in post #1:

A review is when someone uses a product and then just delivers their impressions on whether they think it is any good or not.

Have you ever made a video review?

I prefer text and photos, there are always plenty of video reviews, and from most of them you don't learn very much, with a few exceptions of course.

 

[Vortex Radar]

IMO bad reviews are important too. There's certainly incentives for good reviews, whether it's because a company is sponsoring you to do a video, or you want to encourage affiliate sales, because you spent money and want to justify your purchase, or just because you like the thing and want others to like it too, but IMO its also important to share videos of product that people should avoid in order that they are properly informed and don't wind up wasting their money on junk products. I've done reviews like this from time to time and while it's not my main focus, I do them when I think it's needed.

In the past I used to be more aggressive about all this. For example, I'd do a bunch of testing showing the product not performing as advertised:

Then I'd do some technical deep dives as well as product teardowns showing why the product can't do what they claim:

and sometimes even call up the company to ask them directly why their product can't do what they claim:

Nowadays I focus more on the manufacturer claims, tech specs, and performance in testing, without devoting as much time and energy into debunking their lies, especially after having done videos on many of their products over the years.

 

[Panzer Platform]

IMO bad reviews are important too. There's certainly incentives for good reviews, whether it's because a company is sponsoring you to do a video, or you want to encourage affiliate sales, because you spent money and want to justify your purchase, or just because you like the thing and want others to like it too, but IMO its also important to share videos of product that people should avoid in order that they are properly informed and don't wind up wasting their money on junk products. I've done reviews like this from time to time and while it's not my main focus, I do them when I think it's needed.

In the past I've even done product teardowns alongside the realworld testing to show technical details of what's under the hood and then called up scamming companies to ask them why their products don't work and done videos on that too, lol, but today I no longer go that far.

Testing:

Closer technical details:

Calling up the company:

Yes, I love that Fake 4K video you made 2 years ago.
I remember it like it was yesterday.
So much good mythbusting info to sift through the BS.
Oh yeah, I think that $50 8K dash cam you bought might even be 1080p upscaled to 2K.
That phone call video was cool, is that guy in jail yet? Lol

 

[Agie]

MKBHD just released a video about bad products getting deservedly bad reviews that applies to dash cams;

In addition to testing & reviewing the best dash cams on the market, maybe we should start reviewing the hundreds of fake, counterfeit, junk sold on Amazon as a type of “PSA”.
I think these bad actors are holding back the dash cam industry, and making it harder for the “good companies”.
Since I started testing dash cams in 2020 I have declined / ignored requests from manufacturers / retailers of these fake, junk quality units.
Whenever I decline / ignore a request to review these junk units, about two weeks later I see a glowing 5-Star rave review from the folks I refer to as QVC / Home Shopping Network / Lifestyle Vlogger / Vanlife Influencer.

AKEEYO offered me $625 via PayPal to review this dash cam;

Here’s some other units I declined;

I doubt anything will come of this, but I’m fed up with all the junk people are tricked into buying, and wanted to rant a bit.

@Vortex Radar
@rcg530
@safedrivesolutions
@DrekiTech
@BlackboxMyCar
@evad
@USDashCamera

I saw that video as well before you posted here, but I doubt anything will move the needle in the dashcam space. Purely because with these companies you kill one, or one dies, then another pops up in its place.

The main reason though is that unlike phones, tablets, PCs, dashcams just haven't garnered the consistently high YouTube views that other tech have, and the mindshare. You have outliers and the great work that @Vortex Radar and the folks here on the forums are doing, but everything else is just company-pleasing videos for their small time tech YouTube channels. No one wants to hold companies accountable for fear of losing out on review units.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Purely because with these companies you kill one, or one dies, then another pops up in its place.

I think that might be the established business model of some companies.
Just keep pumping out trash until warranty claims flood in, or get they get de-listed on Amazon for violations, file brancuptcy, and start a new company.
I suspect that's what happened to Crosstour.
Crosstour became APEMAN, and now APEMAN is some other brand name.

everything else is just company-pleasing videos for their small time tech YouTube channels.

Would you support a Sub Forum on DCT exposing all the “fake” YouTubers making “company-pleasing” videos?
That’s what I’d like to do but, I think it could get real negative, and go south real fast.

In the 80’s we used to have a TV show called “Fight Back! with David Horowitz”
Every week they exposed bad companies, and bad products.
Check out this episode testing the first Action Cam with EIS. lol

 

[Agie]

I think that might be the established business model of some companies.
Just keep pumping out trash until warranty claims flood in, or get they get de-listed on Amazon for violations, file brancuptcy, and start a new company.
I suspect that's what happened to Crosstour.
Crosstour became APEMAN, and now APEMAN is some other brand name.


Would you support a Sub Forum on DCT exposing all the “fake” YouTubers making “company-pleasing” videos?
That’s what I’d like to do but, I think it could get real negative, and go south real fast.

In the 80’s we used to have a TV show called “Fight Back! with David Horowitz”
Every week they exposed bad companies, and bad products.
Check out this episode testing the first Action Cam with EIS. lol

It would be a honest endeavour but I think the main issue is that these creators would threaten defamation. I had that happen before with one YouTuber where I called him out on one of his videos, then he started bugging me privately on twitter saying that he would sue me. Wouldn't have held up anyways because he's in America and I'm in Australia LOL.

Point is, that's the defacto response that online folks are up to these days. It's a losing battle, and as much as we are honest good testing folks here on DCT, we're overshadowed by these larger infomercial-type media outlets

 

[safedrivesolutions]

Yes i try and do fair non biased reviews of other companies that customers ask me about. As we still operate a business full time. Sometimes we do not get to reviews quickly. Ofr instance i have had this Fine Vu GX35 sitting on my bench a while and it just finally went in with a Thinkware Q200, Viofo VS1 and Viofo A229 Plus.

My #1 video has the 70mai A 810HDR which to me I think is a very low grade camera but people buy it. I prefer to show the video quality. present the facts and allow consumers to make the deicion of what they like or dont like.

I recently was confused at why a customer wanted a certain product we did not carry. But I do come to find over and over again everyone has a different lifestyle. Having a dash camera is better than no dash camera at all. Not everyone wants parking mode or even cares about high resolution or license plates.

Somepeople just want it to record while driving to have some sort of proof.

We install lots of red tiger. We do not sell them but for the price it is good but it does mislead people into thinking they are gettting a 4k dash camera when they are not.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Yes i try and do fair non biased reviews of other companies that customers ask me about. As we still operate a business full time. Sometimes we do not get to reviews quickly. Ofr instance i have had this Fine Vu GX35 sitting on my bench a while and it just finally went in with a Thinkware Q200, Viofo VS1 and Viofo A229 Plus.

My #1 video has the 70mai A 810HDR which to me I think is a very low grade camera but people buy it. I prefer to show the video quality. present the facts and allow consumers to make the deicion of what they like or dont like.

I recently was confused at why a customer wanted a certain product we did not carry. But I do come to find over and over again everyone has a different lifestyle. Having a dash camera is better than no dash camera at all. Not everyone wants parking mode or even cares about high resolution or license plates.

Somepeople just want it to record while driving to have some sort of proof.

We install lots of red tiger. We do not sell them but for the price it is good but it does mislead people into thinking they are gettting a 4k dash camera when they are not.

You are doing an excellent job being unbiased with your comparison reviews.
Your video’s comment section is full of positive feedback from returning viewers thanking you for behind honest.

 

[DrekiTech]

I have gotten tired receiving poor quality products to review and the expectation from sellers to say good things about them. I only have so much time for this hobby and wasting it on poor quality products is frustrating. I often do have good points on any product even the cheap ones, but I won't ignore negatives just to say the good points.

Long and short, I don't review as much as I used to mostly due to a lack of time, and I'm very picky about the products I review these days because, while I find it easier to write reviews of negative products, I also don't like doing it all the time.

I've burnt bridges with some suppliers at this point by reviewing products negatively or more recently outright refusing to review their products after receiving them because of how bad they were.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Yeah given that there's always going to be some bad products and reviews, I feel like the best thing we can do is to make the information available for people who choose to take the time to research. It's not so much about trying to trash talk other people, companies, or products online, but rather making more helpful info available online for those who want to find it.

Some reviews will be more accurate than others, for sure, and so IMO the more people we have testing and honestly reviewing, the better.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Having a dash camera is better than no dash camera at all.

Back in December 2021 I organized a collaboration with 7 of my YouTuber friends.
I convinced all the guys to spend $20 of their own money to buy a Crosstour CR250, use it for 30 days, and make a YouTube review about it.
The whole point of the collaboration was to;
1.) Have fun
2.) Show potential first time buyers “any dash cam is better than no dash cam”
I chose the CR250 because it was being sold on Amazon for $19.99 under a generic brand name after Crosstour was de-listed for violations, and it’s basic design, and functions are very similar to Viofo.
@DashCamMan gave the CR250 6/10 stars; https://dashcamtalk.com/crosstour-cr250/
For only $20 bucks I would give it 9/10. lol




We had a blast putting this together.
You gotta see the intro from Collazo's Garage, (he’s a Police Officer from Indiana and put his take home patrol cruiser in the review). Lol
This Guy's Garage review was hilarious with all the problems he was having with it, (he’s from Nova Scotia).
WJ Handy Dad installed the unit in his mother in-laws truck after the review, and 10 months later it actually worked capturing collision giving her evidence she had the green light.
It even kept the correct date & time stamp info on the footage.

 

[mentadent]

Sometimes the best 'reviews' are just video quality samples from average people with no motivation to bias the results.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Sometimes the best 'reviews' are just video quality samples

I could not agree more.
Let the test footage speak for itself.
That’s why I put test footage first, and my boring rambling last.

 

[kamkar]

In the 80’s we used to have a TV show called “Fight Back!

We have that too, though here it is called Kontant ( which translate to cash in English )

Lost of scammer BS companies in little do good Denmark.

This seasons programmes the first 2 was on doctors ( GP ) here billing the state ( " free " public healthcare ) for visits by people that never been there or for tests people never got.
Next episode was on chewing tobacco, which apparently is popular, selling to minors issues.
Next one was fraud, apparently if someone get hold of your company VAT number, they can just go shopping on your account / credit, a company got scammed real good / millions.
And last episode was the damn energy drinks, and the massive consumption of those, also by minors,,,,,, if you ask me that BS should be banned,,,,, PERIOD.

If something should get " killed " by bad reviews it should be politicians, but these people are pretty much bullet proof here, at worst they get a so called " nose " which i think is equal to a slap on the wrist, even if they have done pretty bad stuff.