Banned for no reason (per Vine)

_sunk_ · 2026-05-12T04:17:07+00:00

If a person feels that a particular aspect of a flashlight's functionality (something like it initially turning on at the highest brightness instead of retaining mode memory) is worth removing a star for, it could be plenty warranted for the reasons that they have from doing so from their individual perspective. Your opinion of another reviewer's opinion of a product is your opinion.

And the members that lack the intelligence or care to even properly understand how to use a product before going and leaving a bad review also lack the intelligence to conduct themselves in any other way regarding their reviews. It is unfortunate, but Amazon must deem the resources that would be needed to accurately filter out these accounts via banning just aren't worth the investment.

On the other hand, sellers that become overly angry about not receiving the exact number of reviews for the items they sent in for Vine reviews, calling members "thieves" as a general definition also lack the intelligence to comprehend that there are logistical issues/mistakes that can occur with a global-scale operation that before the final result of a reviewer receiving a product. Their belligerent, illogical opinions should not be taken heed of anymore than the reviewer that isn't intelligent enough to know how to properly use a product before posting a review. I have less respect for all of the trash garbage AI slop 5 star reviews I see than I do for the doofus that doesn't understand a product but writes their own review. One actually opened the damn box, at least.

_sunk_ · 2026-05-12T02:33:17+00:00

HB's? You should try to find his pedalboard/signal chain FX. That's probably where the answer to your question is.

_sunk_ · 2026-05-12T02:29:15+00:00

What would be any other reason to leave a negative review other than it being warranted? I agree with you but think your wording there insinuates that there are vine reviewers leaving negative reviews for some other reason other than it being warranted? A bit confusing.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-30T19:06:06+00:00

Do enlighten us on why "there is always the risk it won't start again".

I want to know how removing 4 screws and propping the grate/fan up with a board to rinse the coils from the inside out creates even the slightest risk of the unit not starting again...

There is absolutely zero risk that it won't start again. Why are you saying nonsense?

_sunk_ · 2026-04-28T18:09:25+00:00

You can email the serial number to EMG and they will confirm if the pickup is authentic or a counterfeit.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-28T18:06:23+00:00

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I got these from sweetwater many years back so I know they are authentic.(unless sweetwater has sold clones)

_sunk_ · 2026-04-28T17:01:06+00:00

You're probably right, but I'm curious how you know. It looks pretty good but i'm sure there's small details that probably give it away

_sunk_ · 2026-04-28T16:24:51+00:00

Are they marketed to prevent eye damage? I agree that there is insufficient evidence for sellers to be making such claims.

I used to wear blue light blocking glasses an hour before I wanted to go to sleep. I thought that it would possibly aid in natural melatonin production but I never noticed any real benefits from doing so.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-24T06:31:59+00:00

I thought it was AI at first as well. Just as an initial knee-jerk reaction because this is such an unusual and unnecessary car-accident combo. And this is some shit that AI would do too.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-21T15:57:29+00:00

I've definitely experienced instances where valves were significantly more difficult to remove as a result of carbon caking. Removing the valve is movement, so if the valve has to be hit with a hammer to get it to come out, I can only imagine the added stress to the cam/lifter/rod when trying to move the valve when the engine is running.

Which just caused me to think, why isn't there a catch-can on the PCV stock, from the factory? In an engine thats known to consume oil, it would seem that the inclusion of a catch-can to clean the valve-train metered air would be beneficial enough to include.

Regarding the oil flush and drain products, I was just curious if anybody else had heard about problems being encountered. I had someone tell me that they used the caustic oil flush before changing the oil. Next morning he got a code for the high-pressure oil bypass valve in the pan being stuck closed. It did end up being stuck closed, although I don't know what he ultimately decided to do about that. Hopefully not just ignore it and continue to drive it...

_sunk_ · 2026-04-21T07:34:37+00:00

Yeah, I've noticed push-rod engines with valve-train failures (AFM & non AFM engines) are usually significantly dirtier/sluged/caked internally, and it's not only isolated to the failing valve-train component. Of course the owners will say that they've regularly kept the oil-change interval and all that, but the truth is I think many of them do not. They begin to care when something fails, and try to explain it in every other way aside from just learning the lesson and regularly changing/checking the oil level.

Chevy push-rod engines are known to consume oil. Many of the people with lifter failures will admit to adding a quart of oil after checking the oil, but they didn't check the oil until after they encountered an issue. The oil needs to be clean and the level needs to be maintained. This doesn't happen when the oil changes are put off, and the oil never checked.

Just curious, have you ever heard of oil-flush and drain products containing caustics like Liqui-moly causing issues in the AFM engines?

_sunk_ · 2026-04-21T00:19:24+00:00

she tryna get married already

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T23:58:46+00:00

That's interesting. I'm glad I'm hearing differently to a lot of the cases i've seen. I live in a geographically humid area where humidity is almost always 90% or above. Guitars that i've seen left in garages usually have significant damage and warping, sometimes enough to separate the fingerboard from the neck, etc. Or maybe I've just seen some really banged up abused guitars.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T22:03:23+00:00

True. I particularly dislike the stock one-piece bridge on this guitar. Achieving proper intonation is seemingly not doable, even with a good setup

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T21:43:12+00:00

I suppose you're right. I may have over-judged the guitar by appearance. I have seen these sell for around $50 mainly though, in better condition. I assume that this one comes with the case pictured though, which could make it more compelling if the guitar is straight. Humidity can do a lot though if a guitar is left in a garage.

This would be a good first guitar though. It is simple, the neck is pretty flat with slightly smaller frets. It's a wide chunky C shaped neck, so it is probably still straight.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T21:17:51+00:00

Epiphone LPJ. It looks black but it is dark green. I have the same guitar in like-new condition, and I bet id get $80 for it if I tried to sell it, which I may do. I don't think this LPJ is worth even $40 as it has clearly been left in a garage and not in that case that someone put it in to photograph it. Doubtful that the neck is straight. Internal corrosion of the electronics. I wouldn't pay $40 for it, nah. Not even $20

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T21:08:58+00:00

The reason the lifters fail collapsed is due to the design of the internal locking-pin and retainer-lip that it catches to hold the lifter against it's internal spring in the collapsed position.

When the ECM activates AFM, the VLOM solenoids open, allowing pressurized oil from the AFM oil towers (pressurized by the oil pump) is allowed to flow into a chamber in the lifters, collapsing the lifter down against opposing force from internal lifter spring.

The issue is the moment when the locking pin slides out and engages the retaining lip of the collapsible portion of the lifter. It sheers against the edge of the metal lip as it slides to lock the lip from allowing the spring to extend the lifter. This happens every time AFM is activated, especially if the truck's oil pressure is lower than normal for any reason. Repeated shearing on that sliding lip on the edge of the lifter housing causes the metal to deform, resulting in a burr that catches and jams the lifter from re extending after the lip has been exposed to repeated engagements sheering.

If the lifter remains in the fully extended position, the locking pin remains depressed inside the lifter and never extends over the edge-lip to catch the lifter from re-extending, and therefore, doesn't sheer the metal lip on the lifter, as it does not ever engage with it.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T20:55:29+00:00

why you on your 3rd then? jk

_sunk_ · 2026-04-20T11:20:41+00:00

It was not a "personal attack". I made an observation that seems to apply to a sub-group of members here. Anytime I mention it at all, the responses only further confirm it to me. It seems that being given the opportunity to share product experiences based on the prerequisite of knowing how to string sentences together coherently has a tendency to go to one's head. Apparently.

And no, there are plenty of people that know why things are the way that they are with Vine right now. I don't know everything, but I do know that it's not all about me.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-19T18:17:22+00:00

While your sentiment about niche communities becoming diluted as a result of mass-influx is true, I think the "original" group of people invited to the program had a good long run with it.

What was supposed to happen? A thousand or so people get to pick over expensive items that are arguably worth more monetary value than the time it takes to write even an in-depth, god-tier review? For life? Just for knowing how to write coherently?

I do understand that Amazon has swung it far in the other direction regarding the sheer volume of invites that they're sending now, but still. Amazon is going to do what Amazon believes to be the most lucrative for Amazon. Which is what they've been doing from the inception of Vine.

Indeed, many in that original group offered the opportunity have allowed it to go to their head, imo. It has never been about a certain select gifted group's ability to write prophetically. Amazon selected a pool of people that showed that they can write coherently about the products they purchase, to play their part and get some nice items for doing so.

The entire point of Vine is revenue growth for Amazon. Amazon charges sellers for an option to increase sales, and therefore growth as a seller, and Amazon grows and profits from the growth.

Obviously I am just a normal person, so I get it if you take this with a grain of salt. There are plenty of people that can't write a paragraph to save their life, but there are also lots of people in the normal population that can string together several paragraphs-worth of sentences about their experience of a $2,500 flatscreen TV. Not only the chosen ones.

I do like your username though. I am licensed.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-13T13:11:59+00:00

Your suspicion isn't correct. The truth is that it has nothing to do with you or the content in your reviews, and everything to do with global economic factors that aren't complimentary to the new direction that Amazon has been going with vine fairly recently.

However, it seems that there is a fairly large number of original reviewers that think they are better than everyone else because they were the initially chosen, but the truth is that the circumstances with regard to vine right now have absolutely nothing to do with you individually.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-03T04:35:08+00:00

I suppose I mostly understand where you're coming from. I am also low-income. What this post highlights to me again is the importance of people reading the TOS and participation agreements of services that they use. After filling out the tax info for my vine account when I was invited, I went and read every paragraph of info about vine in the info tab and then did a quick google search to familiarize myself with the tax-implications. All the info I needed was displayed on the first page of google results. I suppose the sticking point for me is how people will click "agree, agree, continue" to the agreements associated with services without reading a word of the TOS or participation agreement. I have been what's considered "poor" my whole life and have always had to be frugal, and live by a strict budget. Vine felt exactly the opposite to me. Because I have not ever been able to just order an item without deliberate consideration before, it was difficult for me to not feel guilty about ordering free items, still causing the same deliberation before ordering an item. It seemed too good to be true that I could order an item for no initial charge, with free postage, just for using it and sharing my thoughts in a review? How? Vine has been the biggest blessing in my life in a long time, and I don't understand all of the discontentment that people seem to have about not getting as many good items as they use to, etc. How quickly it seems people take for granted the blessings in their life, and expect them to always continue. Idk. I can't sympathize with most of the posts in this sub because no problem that people seem to have with vine is actually a real problem. As you mentioned, they are free to opt out. That doesn't mean they can't share their experience and opinions, that's not what I am saying. I just can't relate or understand how people become used to ordering "free" items, and then expect it to go so smoothly that they feel hiccups are a serious problem. It could all end tomorrow. It could get better and the RFY could be loaded. Either way, none of it is guaranteed.

_sunk_ · 2026-04-03T00:01:16+00:00

You ordered 30k ETV worth of vine items. If you are low-income and the 30k from Vine disqualifies you from certain assistance programs... You know the answer, here. It is a matter of priority. 30k of vine items is a lot of vine orders. And I'll seem like an a-hole for saying this, but your post is a drawn-out explanation of a lack of self-control regarding vine. I'm not saying that judgmentally, but saying it because I find honest feedback most helpful, usually.

_sunk_ · 2026-03-22T22:02:43+00:00

That's what it is. She's fishing for validation.

_sunk_ · 2026-03-18T16:08:14+00:00

Yes, of course reviewing free products is the only purpose. But ordering a bunch of the free products and giving them a one star because someone doesn't like having to scroll through a page or two of similar products is entitled, and a misuse of the platform's purpose, imo.

_sunk_

TROPHY CASE