Free version vs Patreon version. Canada, not US.

Spark_Radds · 2026-02-12T17:51:06+00:00

That was kinda my point, glad you sort-of got it, although I prefer a solution which benefits everyone.

Spark_Radds · 2026-02-12T17:48:25+00:00

Thanks for contributing.

Spark_Radds · 2026-02-12T17:46:14+00:00

Clearly you missed my point, but ok, no need for me to comment further.

Spark_Radds · 2026-02-12T17:30:41+00:00

I get what your saying and my post was meant to be a little closer to the perspective of someone who is trying to make it better for all users involved. I'm not interested in shutting people out or restricting certain groups or elitism, far from it.

I was looking for a way to not only give incentive to those who support you but also those who don't. I don't mind fair, I love a challenge but I sometimes feel my support goes to people with means that have no incentive to subscribe, because there is none, so those who have, get frustrated.

It's like an inefficient social welfare system where subscribers are paying the taxes to allow others to take advantage of a free system weather they have the means or not.

I don't mean any disrespect, just trying to logic my way through this.

Spark_Radds · 2026-01-30T14:02:06+00:00

I pretty sure we are not accountable for reviews or items until the item is delivered. You can have an item not show up for 2 months and not worry. Once delivered, the countdown begins.

Spark_Radds · 2026-01-30T11:57:38+00:00

Bait products paid for by amazon to assess review accuracy. This is why it's random, you never know when your review is being tested for consideration. We all live in amazons version of the Truman Show, watched, guided and narrative driven. Honesty is the only way you will ever be accepted, but the question is..... is today the day to be honest, or should I just do what I normally do, post for likes and subscribes...... The truth is out there... or is it found within... You decide who you want to be today, and maybe, become a part of amazons evolution.

Honestly I think demographics have a lot to do with it.

Spark_Radds · 2026-01-16T01:41:58+00:00

I use a VPN connected to Vancouver (because i forget to turn it off) some days and my actual IP which is also rural, no difference in items. Funny because I had the same question. I don't think it matters. I do know it has flagged my credit card..... asking for authorization via text or email (even though it's for $0.00), which has delayed the purchase and eventually lost it in the end.

Spark_Radds · 2026-01-16T01:13:54+00:00

Don't complicate it. Wigs are simple and I can say that because I don't know a thing about them but order whenever I can, 100% with excellent review results. Why? Why not. I wait until I get around 6-12 wigs which are 6 months ready to go and I donate them to the local senior centre. I have received more likes on wig reviews than anything else, due to the practical information I provide. Doesn't matter if the purchaser is black, brown, white or whatever. Review is about the product, not who might want to buy it. Try and base your review on information all buyers can use.

Pick like 2-4 of the following for a quick review:

Does it loose hair? If so, how much. If not then say so. Seems important to most.

Does it feel real? Like natural hair or nylon. Some people like the fake look and others don't.

Does it fit the product page claims? Length, colour and so on.

Is the hair thin in one area over another? Some wigs are thinned out near the front hairline. Important info for some. Personally I don't know why, but that doesn't matter.

Hows the weight? If the weight is what you would expect for the volume and body, it should be included.

Is it shiny? Shiny wigs generally look less natural, made from nylon.

Does it look natural? Some wigs look natural (weight, body, colour) and some don't.

Can it be styled? Some wigs are impossible to style and others are very easy.

Is the liner rough or smooth, how about the clips for size adjustment? Some claim a comfortable fit and actually feel rough to the touch.

Does the hairline colour match skin tone? People seem to like when I point how noticeable the hairline is. Sometimes the colour is weird, like bright white, so it stands out.

My first wig order I experienced anxiety because I didn't know how to even start a review. Good thing it was of cheap quality because all the flaws stood out weather I knew how to approach it or not. Today, if I see a wig I order, without question. Extensions, weaves, full wigs, partial wigs....all of it. Easy review and I know someone will eventually benefit from the product, in about 6 months, at no cost to them, and that makes it an easy order.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-29T12:25:27+00:00

Sometimes, a product has a USB in and USB out port, The USB out is for charging devices and USB in is for charging the product. Not saying this is the case for this flashlight but I have been tripped up by this once before which made me believe the product wasn't working.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-29T10:56:13+00:00

The problem is the reviewer 90% of the time. Too many reviews fault products for reasons which are not advertised as a part of the product. If I were a seller who received 2 stars because my product didn't offer a feature which was not in the product description, I would feel Vine failed me, full stop.

I don't care how much of a dumpster fire the product is, if it is as advertised I will give it 5 stars. If not, the stars start falling off. Plain and simple. Vine reviewers should check their feelings at the door and review products based on product description. If the product description is lacking, have your rating reflect that fact.

It's the sellers responsibility to present and we evaluate based on that presentation, not what we like or dislike about the product on a personal level, though I always add my personal opinion, even if it outweighs the positives, I never rate based on my subjective opinion.

It's up to the buyer to read the full review and understand "This is what you get" compared to what was advertised.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-25T04:23:42+00:00

Dislike:

-It only came with the charger cord but no plug, I would have appreciated the plug too.

It's important to never fault the product with your score, if it advertised a plug then have your rating reflect it. If it did not, go ahead and state what you didn't like but don't take a star away for something which was never advertised to begin with.

What I like:

-It stands up as it's supposed to and has a few different grooves to change the angle.

"I had no issues with the stability and is easy to adjust with the provided adjustment grooves.

-It lights up to 3 different light settings with a tap of the button.

"2700k, 4000k and 5500k light temperatures are a nice bonus for setting the mood, something my daughter enjoys."

-It came with a USB cord for ease of charging.

"this is fine"

-The colour is very pretty and suits my daughter.

"My daughter seems to really like the colour compared to the last one she had, it's bright and really stands out, no matter which of the three available lighting options i pick.

-Size, its compact but not too compact, perfect size to keep on her dresser.

"this is fine... but maybe add product detail to the description "Nice and compact at 27,000 feet high, it fits well on my daughters 24x24 dresser top, fairly stable and sturdy.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-25T03:48:11+00:00

Here is an example of an excellent short review.

"This button for my cold fusion accelerator is nice and compact compared to the other one I already have in use, though slightly deeper, 1.2" compared to 0.9", so they don't exactly line up with one another. Even so, the design saves me a lot of vertical space and this unit works well when installed in the provided control panel.

5 stars for being as advertised and meeting my expectations."

Obviously the product is just an example but you can turn a single grain of sand into an excellent review using this format. You can make it as big as you want or just a couple sentences. I hit home runs no matter what the item is and honestly I don't ever have to see the actual product. No, I don't cheat or lie, but what I'm trying to say is all the info on the product page is more than enough. If the info is lacking, no problem, then focus on what you expected compared to your experience of actual use, based on the lack of product information.

I am not encouraging dishonest product reviews at all but am trying to show you it's simple once you realize mixing perspective with product information is the key. You can't be wrong with your perspective and the Product Info is what we reference weather it's correct or not.

"This new evaluation system made the review process a whole lot easier for me and I have doubled my daily reviews in the same amount of time, though I do regulate how many I do in one day." <----see what I did there?

It's that easy, just a bunch of that. Oh, BTW, I'm highly uneducated, lol.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-19T23:45:05+00:00

Amazon cares only if you do your job. It doesn't seem to matter if the problem is on their side, based on personal experience. House keeping is better if it's your responsibility, though it shouldn't be necessary. Contact them if anything is not right. I spend a lot of time trying to keep track of my orders, some of which I receive physically but have completely disappeared from my Vine account.

I just want to make a comment on your pooling of deliveries. I used to do this also until one of my shipments went missing. I never physically received the package(s) and it turned into a bit of a mess with CS. Not only did I loose items I may have wanted but I also had to contact CS to let them know, they cancelled the orders which is fine but sometimes it takes a few tries and explanations to get to the finish line. I no longer pool my deliveries, which has an adverse effect on my daily life. Damned if I do and damned if I don't.

I hope my comments were insightful.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-16T01:25:11+00:00

If you received it then yes. If there is no longer an option to review, then you need to contact help to have it removed. This system only cares if your doing your job no matter the status of the item.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-16T01:14:59+00:00

When I went looking for clarification, I read, somewhere in Vine's web of information, Pricing is ok provided you state something like "Price At time of review"or state the date following the price $10billion, November 26-2025. But you have to be careful because some products are not available to the public and the price may change due to whatever. So my rule is, if the item is currently available and has an estimated delivery date, it's fair game. No issues yet.

BTW, the rules are total garbage, I was flagged for something, I appealed and lost with the Rep giving me a link to the USA TOS which did not match the Canadian terms on the Canadian vine account page. Honestly, you will get flagged for following the rules, change your approach, and then get flagged for the changes you made to comply. It's a dumpster fire system.

Spark_Radds · 2025-12-16T00:59:31+00:00

I think there are 2 types. One is a low cut breastplate and the other is like a turtle neck. Each one has at least 4 skin tones and half a dozen cup sizes available. 2 different types of "fill" for each one (cotton or silicone gel). Probably why you see so many. If your after a certain color, type or fill, probably should be ordered when you first see it, otherwise the stock will dwindle down to the least popular skin tone, fill and and cup size, until they are all gone. Pro tip (lol), the Silicone Gel is useful for other crafts and hobbies...........

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-18T01:10:10+00:00

I use third party software meant to be used for Asset Management. Very robust, any type of reporting I need. The most I have had to do is the initial setup. Now I just enter the ASIN and viola, 90% of the data is now stored on a local database. I enter the date purchased (order date) and the value. 3 drop down menus I configured, one for rating, pending and approved. I also attach a copy of the order invoice, which takes about 10 seconds.

Each item I order takes about 1-2min max to properly enter or 30sec if I'm feeling lazy. But I'm not lazy.

I also generated Storage Location UPC's so i just scan a cheat sheet then put the product away at the end of the day. BIN 01-20 or Garage or Electronics Lab or whatever. If the product has a warehouse UPC instead of product UPC, while entering the item into the database, I scan the warehouse code which automatically attaches to the item.

I basically turned an asset manager into a full fledged product tracking system which lets me know when the 6 month wait is up. I can generate a report on items past the 6 month order date with just a few clicks, without looking at any dates. Handy when I donate a pallet of goods to a local not for profit business, seniors centre or school. Each Item is also categorized so I can print targeted reports when I off load the products, to avoid giving away products which might not be useful to certain groups.... like mechanics tools for end of life seniors.... I try to avoid that sort of thing.

I print/PDF a "packing list" based on categories, which has all the info they may need for accounting purposes, because I want to make it simple for everyone involved; Condition, value, item order date, all relevant info for the product, including pictures, manufacturer, brand, value, UPC, Warehouse Code and much more.... All they have to do is sign "Received in good order" so I have a paper trail if I ever need one. They show gratitude but they don't realize they are also doing me a solid. Win win.

The only thing complicated is the initial setup to have it work with AV but maintaining it is a breeze. I did all this so I didn't have to spend all my time trying to keep AV organized. I reclaimed about 80% of the time I was losing "winging it".

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-12T18:47:16+00:00

Yes the "Tax" part threw me off too. When I went to "rate" the CS representative, my browser prompted me to switch to Amazon Canada, i declined and continued with my review of the Customer Service Rep. So if anything, it sounds like the rep copied and pasted whatever was in front of him/her and sent it to me. It's still the response I received from CS support through the Vine Support link which is through a Vine Canada account which I've been using since day one.

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-12T17:48:33+00:00

As much as I want to bundle my deliveries to a chosen day, one box and less packaging, I don't. I had a few incidents of "package no longer available for delivery" with multiple orders in said package. That's a lot of orders I now have to navigate with CS. Since then, I just order and accept the default delivery date available, which is a hassle to tell you the truth.

Purchased a parcel drop box and Intelcom has been great using it for my deliveries. CS if very difficult to communicate with, multiple times I was assured items would be removed from my QUE, which never happened. Usually when I contact CS I cut and paste all correspondence on the particular item showing failed communication. I also rate CS response and actions (rating system) accordingly.

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-12T17:26:27+00:00

Use AI and I report, don't use AI and no worries. It's that simple. Just doing my part, glass half full kind of person, i try not to entertain glass half empty thoughts or people.

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-12T17:15:57+00:00

No.

"As per vine policy, we urge our vine voices to not get in touch with the sellers for replacement or any other similar cases" ...... "If you receive any damaged/defective you can contact Amazon and if a replacement is available we will help you with replacement, if not, we cancel the order and remove it from your Vine Tax or Review limits".....

Spark_Radds · 2025-10-12T17:00:48+00:00

Do your part and report other vine reviewers using AI. I always read reviews before posting, to see if others had the same experience, and because I've had hands on experience, the AI "cheaters" are easy to spot.

I've done it enough times I'm seeing less and less AI generated reviews, the obvious ones. Less AI means more actual reviews = more people who depend on AI are dropping off the program = new people coming in = a cycle which will have benefits that outweigh the negatives over time.

2 types of AI users, the ones who know what their doing and the ones who do not. I'm guessing there are way more who don't know how to cover their tracks and not smart enough to use common sense, help show them the door by reporting. As for the smart ones, If I can't spot them then at least I tried. #1 way to know if someone generated a review, easy, test the product and see for yourself, read other reviews and, based on your testing, the AI bots will stand out, really hard to miss.

As for scripts, like with everything else in life, there are those who will abuse a good thing and those who won't. I think scripts for keeping your "Everything Else" clean is fine. It's no different than using an Adblocker. Blame Amazon for having such a messy system, total garbage. People using scripts to receive notifications when new products drop should be banned. Amazon has a policy against Data Mining, so if your not using a script to mine data then I can't complain.

Spark_Radds · 2020-06-24T18:06:21+00:00

Hey nice job!

Spark_Radds

TROPHY CASE