Ethics of Selling Review Units

Question Mark · 11-25-2017, 09:22 PM

I wonder about the ethics of selling review models which were presumably received free of charge...

Quote:

The Good e-Reader Store is open for business and it is suitable for all of your e-paper devices and tablet needs. We have dozens of products from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Pocketbook, Tolino and a myriad of others. You can checkout our shop today and pay for items with credit card or PAYPAL. All of the items are at our shipping warehouse and tend to be dispatched within a few days of the order being placed.

All of the products available in our store are review units that we receive from vendors all over the world. They are in perfect condition and have only been used for our unboxing and review videos on our YouTube channel. Instead of them collecting dust in our film studio we decided to just discount them and make them available for our loyal readers. We have been promoting digital reading since 2007 and this is our way of giving back to the community.

The proceeds of the store allow Good e-Reader to maintain the high level of journalistic integrity

https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...-now-available

Giving them away as part of a promotional campaign, I could perhaps understand. But selling them for profit?

I wonder what those who donated them would think...

Cinisajoy · 11-25-2017, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Question Mark

I wonder about the ethics of selling review models which were presumably received free of charge...

Giving them away as part of a promotional campaign, I could perhaps understand. But selling them for profit?

I wonder what those who donated them would think...

I would say buyer beware looking at who is doing this.

If you believe those were donated, do you want to buy some beach property in west Texas?

4691mls · 11-25-2017, 11:15 PM

How would you like to buy this test model?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaiUm-ascU4
(Drop test)

Cinisajoy · 11-26-2017, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4691mls

How would you like to buy this test model?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaiUm-ascU4
(Drop test)

Sure, when Mother's Day is in August.

doubleshuffle · 11-26-2017, 02:26 AM

Quote:

The proceeds of the store allow Good e-Reader to maintain the high level of journalistic integrity

doubleshuffle · 11-26-2017, 02:43 AM

I'm too lazy to compare prices, but their offers do look rather expensive for used merchandise, don't they?

doubleshuffle · 11-26-2017, 03:06 AM

What is also interesting is that if you go straight to their store, there is no notification whatsoever that they are selling test units. If you don't catch the blogpost quoted above you will have no idea what you are buying. I wonder how legal that procedure is.

Dr. Drib · 11-26-2017, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

What is also interesting is that if you go straight to their store, there is no notification whatsoever that they are selling test units. If you don't catch the blogpost quoted above you will have no idea what you are buying. I wonder how legal that procedure is.

Snarky, shady, black-market, dishonest, scam, dodgy.

Please feel free - ANYONE! - to add to this list.

issybird · 11-26-2017, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

I'm too lazy to compare prices, but their offers do look rather expensive for used merchandise, don't they?

That was my reaction. Used merchandise, with no guarantee or recourse that I can see. I can't imagine why someone would buy at those prices.

soulfuldog · 11-26-2017, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

What is also interesting is that if you go straight to their store, there is no notification whatsoever that they are selling test units. If you don't catch the blogpost quoted above you will have no idea what you are buying. I wonder how legal that procedure is.

I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with someone selling review units, unless they are given them on the premise they won't be sold on for profit (I don't think retailers put any conditions on review products they send to people?).

However, selling them without labelling them as used review/test units seems very dodgy. Here in the UK The Trades Descriptions Act states that goods have to be described accurately, not sure if there is anything similar in the US?

It's just yet another in the long list of reasons to not look at that website unless you really, really have no choice!

Deskisamess · 11-26-2017, 09:58 AM

The 7” Fire with 8gb is more on their site than new from from Amazon. I placed that Fire in my cart, just for grins and giggles, to see what disclaimers they would give.

SUBTOTAL $39.99
SHIPPING Flat rate: $39.00

TOTAL $78.99

Yowzer. Look at that shipping cost.

Nate the great · 11-26-2017, 10:14 AM

When i did reviews, I usually* either kept the review units or gave them away. My preferred recipients were teachers in impoverished schools, but it was sometimes hard to find them.

*Well, I did sell one Dasung monitor I got for free, but I had also bought one myself so it balances out.

Nate the great · 11-26-2017, 10:24 AM

Oh, here's something you should know about free review units: they belong to the company, not the reviewer.

Many companies will actually send a return label with the unit, making it clear they want it back. Some will even have you sign an agreement specifying the unit has to be returned before they will ship it.

I returned most of loaner Kindles I got from Amazon (I'm using the one or two I kept) and all Nook hardware lent to me.

This is why i don't think I can sell it.

issybird · 11-26-2017, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The 7” Fire with 8gb is more on their site than new from from Amazon. I placed that Fire in my cart, just for grins and giggles, to see what disclaimers they would give.

SUBTOTAL $39.99
SHIPPING Flat rate: $39.00

TOTAL $78.99

Yowzer. Look at that shipping cost.

That is priceless.

More seriously, it makes you wonder what in heck is going on? He can't possibly expect to sell any of those units with that shipping cost. Doesn't he know, or he is playing another game that's not obvious to me?

Question Mark · 11-26-2017, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

If you believe those were donated, do you want to buy some beach property in west Texas?

Yes, "donated" was a poor choice of words. Should have simply said "provided" instead which neither connotes that they were freely given, nor simply lent.

11-26-2017, 03:06 AM	#7
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,944 Karma: 185432100 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	What is also interesting is that if you go straight to their store, there is no notification whatsoever that they are selling test units. If you don't catch the blogpost quoted above you will have no idea what you are buying. I wonder how legal that procedure is. Last edited by doubleshuffle; 11-26-2017 at 05:05 AM.

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11-25-2017, 11:15 PM	#3
4691mls Wizard Posts: 2,776 Karma: 30081762 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1	How would you like to buy this test model? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaiUm-ascU4 (Drop test)

11-26-2017, 02:43 AM	#6
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,944 Karma: 185432100 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	I'm too lazy to compare prices, but their offers do look rather expensive for used merchandise, don't they?

11-26-2017, 09:58 AM	#11
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,777 Karma: 45827761 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	The 7” Fire with 8gb is more on their site than new from from Amazon. I placed that Fire in my cart, just for grins and giggles, to see what disclaimers they would give. SUBTOTAL $39.99 SHIPPING Flat rate: $39.00 TOTAL $78.99 Yowzer. Look at that shipping cost.

11-26-2017, 10:14 AM	#12
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	When i did reviews, I usually* either kept the review units or gave them away. My preferred recipients were teachers in impoverished schools, but it was sometimes hard to find them. *Well, I did sell one Dasung monitor I got for free, but I had also bought one myself so it balances out.

11-26-2017, 10:24 AM	#13
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Oh, here's something you should know about free review units: they belong to the company, not the reviewer. Many companies will actually send a return label with the unit, making it clear they want it back. Some will even have you sign an agreement specifying the unit has to be returned before they will ship it. I returned most of loaner Kindles I got from Amazon (I'm using the one or two I kept) and all Nook hardware lent to me. This is why i don't think I can sell it.