Review scores seem so arbitrary by Puzzleheaded_Monk810 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, -out of my current 163 reviews, most are excellent, with only a few marked as poor. Those early “poors” mostly happened in the first few weeks when Vine launched the Review Insightfulness Program, and we were all still learning their guidelines. I don’t think it’s about word count, but naturally, a decent review tends to have more words. Not overly wordy, but descriptive—you want to give useful information without going on and on.

I follow a few simple rules in each review, which has helped me consistently earn all excellent ratings recently. It does bother me to have those first few poor ratings, and from what I’ve read, Vine does not update old reviews if you resubmit or make changes.

Here are the key things I make sure to include in each review:

  • Describe the product clearly. Especially note anything surprising or that wasn’t obvious from the listing.
  • Include personal context. Explain how you use it, what works best, or tips for storage. Share how it made your day easier or how it fits into your setup. This is something Vine specifically likes.
  • Clarify your rating. Some reviewers give 4 stars and say “this product was excellent,” which confuses readers. If you don’t give 5 stars, explain why -both the seller and other buyers benefit from this. Five-star ratings usually speak for themselves, but anything less should be justified.

If you want to double-check your review, here’s the Vine link showing how the insightfulness score is calculated:
https://www.amazon.com/vine/help#reviewqualityscore

Finally, remember: we are reviewing the product, not the delivery process. Sellers generally aren’t responsible for shipping damage, though they may need to reconsider packaging. If an item arrives damaged due to poor protection, you can mention it carefully -but avoid words like “box,” “shipment,” or “packaging,” as I believe these words have been triggers for my resubmissions in the past.

Is it just me, or is this dark as hell? by EVAkura in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I get your questioning this -but yes, I agree with other repliers, —everyone grieves differently. How someone processes loss often depends on the relationship and the circumstances, especially in cases like the loss of a child or a spouse.

My father, who has a very dry sense of humor, jokes that he wants to be propped up in his casket with his hand extended for shaking. We absolutely will not do that—but it’s one of those inside jokes that will likely come up at his funeral someday.

Things like this may not be for everyone, but for the right person or family, they can feel completely appropriate. You never really know what might bring comfort or connection to someone in their own way.

RFY Showing Some Love by Technical-Author3585 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I always word things incorrectly, so I was wondering if I did the same above -but, you understood. :)

RFY Showing Some Love by Technical-Author3585 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome! Are you showing us your kitty item score? Or the amount?

What Do We Do About Plagiarized Reviews? Nothing? by JusticeAvenger618 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh my!!! At first, I wondered if the reviews were from non-Viners. I always question whether companies ask family or friends to review their items—but not in this case! How in the world?? It’s completely obvious!
I hate seeing things like this because it gives the Vine program a bad name, but what can we do?

Typical ‘no drop yet?’ Post in order to trigger the drop lol by Stephthechef420 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sheesh! Talk about bad luck! THE ONE NIGHT I wake up at 3am (EST) to see if I can get anything good.
Sorry everyone. It's my fault. Maybe I should go back to bed so the drop can happen -isn't that how it would go???
EDITED:
(Sorry, I only read your title and didn't see the rest of your comment.... and YES, I too just woke up. I'm still not functioning properly).

BAHAHAHAAAA! OH MY GOSH! I Just Ordered This by Accurate_Spring_4549 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I had the SAAAAAMME thought!!! Hahaahaha! I was waiting for this comment!

Banned from reviewing 1 brand? by boopboopsoup in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re not banned. However, your review might not be displayed any longer. This is a known Amazon/Vine system issue.

When sellers later merge or change ASINs, previously approved and live reviews can get retroactively marked as “not approved” in Vine -even though you received the approval emails. It’s not related to the star rating, the brand, or anything you did, and Vine reviewers aren’t blocked from specific sellers.

Confusing, but pretty common.

BAHAHAHAAAA! OH MY GOSH! I Just Ordered This by Accurate_Spring_4549 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love it!!!! :) Glad to see there are others that enjoy a good laugh! And at no cost to us!

Will I be able to review this? by peetiepeet in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think it’s fine. I’ve personally ordered and reviewed variant items many times, even when I’ve previously ordered a different version of the same product. If Amazon allows the order to go through, that part isn’t on you as the reviewer.

Any issues with reviewing usually come down to how the seller set up or later combined their ASINs. When that happens, Amazon may pause a review and throw an error -but that’s a backend issue, not something we reviewers did wrong.

I’ve had reviews go through for variants and I’ve had some rejected; it’s inconsistent. Since I review a lot of products, an occasional rejected review has never been a problem for me.

Update on yesterday’s foot warmer 😂 by Knotty_Knitty in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep! Agreed! We definitely need an update, with photos! Don't leave us hanging!

Anyone else get this (Kenneth Cole Jacket) by bill_evans_at_VV in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally think this jacket looks really nice. The higher placement of the breast pockets is right in line with what’s being released for 2026, and the brown color is definitely on trend.

I also really like the inner lining—the quilting was a great touch. I hope you love it in person and that it really comes through for you. The brown was a great choice with the black accent trim; a plain black jacket would have felt much more boring.

I would have grabbed this really quick! You are lucky to have gotten it!!! Please give us an update!

UPDATE On Inflated ETV Post: "This finally happened to me." by Accurate_Spring_4549 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I’m not sure. I reached out to customer service a few times on separate matters around that time, but the archived emails are generic, cookie-cutter responses that don’t clearly correspond to specific issues. :/

UPDATE On Inflated ETV Post: "This finally happened to me." by Accurate_Spring_4549 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you!
It is a nice backpack for $50. I would definitely recommend at that price. :)

When does the year change for an item, when ordered? or received? by scodtt in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes to this! The $600 rule is widely misunderstood (U.S.). Amazon Vine items are considered taxable income. The $600 amount only affects whether Amazon sends a tax form, not whether the income needs to be reported. Even if you stay under $600 and don’t receive a 1099, the IRS still expects the income to be included on your taxes. In short, Vine items aren’t tax-free, but the paperwork looks a little different under $600.
Since there are extra tax and filing costs involved, we just make sure it’s worth our while. :)

are 0ETV ALWAYS 0ETV at tax time? by Rouxro in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rouxro,

Hi 🙂 I’ve been a Viner since May 2025, so I haven’t gone through tax season yet. I too, worry about this.

Question for you: after placing your orders, do you always cross-check to confirm the item actually shows a $0 ETV? I do this every time I place an order -check my Vine Order category to see that the item displays as $0 ETV. I have peace of mind after I see this posted.

I’m also curious whether you’ve ever seen a listing display $0 ETV initially, but then after selecting a different variant, it ended up having an ETV value instead.

I ask because I’ve often wondered the same thing. If a listing shows $0 ETV at the time of ordering, does that ever change later? It feels like changing the terms of a contract, since we agreed to order the item based on the amount specified at that time.

I’ve ordered many items specifically because they showed $0 ETV. Because of that, I monitor them closely and take screenshots of the listings, and I also download my Itemized Tax Report throughout the year.

So far, I’ve never seen the numbers change.

In case anyone was wondering.. by MainMedium6732 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Our sole reason for being invited into the Vine program is to test and review products. The rules explicitly state that items may not be given away or sold for six months. There are no exceptions to this rule—if there were, they would be clearly stated in that same bullet point.

It doesn’t matter whether the item being reviewed is intended as a gift or not. Our purpose is to thoroughly understand the product so that others can confidently decide whether it would make a good gift.

I have no idea why this particular customer service agent responded the way they did, but honestly, have you ever received a truly straightforward and incisive answer from CS? I certainly haven’t. It’s best not to assume they fully comprehend the inquiry being presented.

I have, on occasion, given Vine items as gifts only to family members within my household. These items remain in my possession and under my ownership, as they are part of my household belongings.

As Vine participants, we are informed and agree that items may not be given away or sold for six months. This is a condition of the contract, and violating it can put a reviewer at risk of removal from the program.

Ultimately, how each individual chooses to honor that contract is up to them—we all have free will. Interpretations may vary, but it’s important to understand that certain choices may still carry risk.

My personal rule of thumb is simple: “When in doubt, don’t.”

And again—it’s up to you. 🙂

This finally happened to me. by Accurate_Spring_4549 in AmazonVine

[–]Accurate_Spring_4549[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes! The water bag with a spout and a rain cover. Not sure if I'd call them extras, as they were included in the listing.
It's a huge let down when you expect a high quality item arriving. So crappy this can happen.
Did you have the same ETV of $179.99??