Allegation that VAVA is using corrupt practice to gain positive Amazon Reviews

bn880

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Please read this user's review for more details: https://www.amazon.com/product-revi...r&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

Taxman Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
This camera does a good job, with great resolution, which are the important considerations. I might have rated it 5 stars, except for the following. It has about the worst instruction manual I have ever seen. First of all, the print is ridiculously small, and certainly is not bold font. And the instructions are very minimal.

Another important thing to remember is that on the many cars now with collision avoidance, generally, placing the camera in the best position on the windshield (middle) is not possible, since that interferes with the car cameras that collision avoidance systems use. Also, in those cases, necessarily placing it to the right or left side, and higher up, puts it behind the sun visors, impeding the rear view. So, I placed mine in the lower right side of the windshield, which works quite well.

Another reason I bought this is because it has built-in GPS capability. However, the screen is far too small to be seen clearly while driving, and is barely visible in daylight.

But one thing troubled me. I was surprised by the 94% rating reviews of 5 stars, with only a few other lower ratings. There were many reviews extolling the "great packaging", which I agree was well done, but hardly to be overly bragged about. This is unheard of in such a new and competitive category, I believe. Many of such devices are rushed out before bugs are eliminated, just to get in the market. Even the "best of the best", in any category of newer electronic devices, comes with the usual share of low ratings, especially when there are a high number of reviews.

I wondered about this, until I saw the card enclosed in the packaging that stated "You've won a FREE gift", which was a $40 Amazon.com gift card. And what must you do to get this free gift? "Share your experience by leaving a positive review". Then it lists an e-mail address to which you can send the review. "Good grief", I thought when I saw that, "Of course I will get the gift card, who wouldn't?". But then I had second thoughts about posting a review that might embellish the good points, but ignore any other objective comments, just to get the $40.

Of course, I can't speak for those who posted all the great reviews, nor can I accuse the company of unethical conduct. But I will add this overworked statement: "Just Sayin'."

So that might explain why most people on this forum are not getting this cam, yet it has nearly perfect reviews on Amazon. I haven't personally seen this card, but this definitely sounds plausible given the circumstances.

It seems it's true, under the Q&A section another buyer said this:

2020-08-14_08h38_43.png
 
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Wow, that just sucks bigtime. Paying in any form for a positive review is as unethical as it gets. While I don't inherently wish ill on anyone making dashcams (especially those which are substantially different) I do hope that Amazon sees this and investigates, and if they find this to be true they would do well to suspend or ban the product until this is corrected.

Knowledgeable people know better than to place much credence on Amazon reviews, but not everyone understands this so a lot of good people get burned there for trusting an untrustworthy system, which I wish Amazon would fix :cautious:

Phil
 
Just found this to confirm this is true from a 2nd buyer, by typing "gift" into the Q & A section:

2020-08-14_08h38_43-png.52998


Updated first post.
 
This is why I normally disregard the 5 star reviews. I concentrate more on the one and two star reviews as those will be more critical of the item. I also look at the ratio of the bad versus the good.
 
I scan the recent reviews first, then go to the lowest ones to see if there's a problem with the product which is widespread, and not a one-off problem or user-error. Only after passing that "test" will I take the time to look deeper. And I'm going to look elsewhere for more info too. Many 5-star reviews are like: "Just got it and plugged it in and it works great" as if that has meaning or value :(

But a lot of people buy based on those stars. I know a girl who bought a cam based on that and that it was one of the most popular sellers without consulting me first. I only found out when she wanted help doing the install, and then she discovered that it wasn't a great cam or a great value, and it couldn't do parking mode without a HWK which she didn't get not could it (or any cam) simply run constantly without draining the car battery eventually. She didn't even know it needed an SD card :rolleyes: The world is full of people like that and while they should do more research first, they shouldn't have to first sort through lies and deceit to learn about something :cautious:

Phil
 
Many 5-star reviews are like: "Just got it and plugged it in and it works great" as if that has meaning or value :(
My favorite 5-star reviews are the "Haven't used it yet but it arrived fast and looks good." :rolleyes:

Just like my favorite 1-star are the "Ordered the wrong product and had to send it back." :banghead: (I often leave a really snide comment on those.)
 
I think the real issue here is this camera or at least these reviews should be taken down. It's just a matter of how one brings this to the attention of Amazon, and if they even give a damn about their reputation anymore.
 
They don't have very much of a reputation to lose as I see it, and they certainly do not act when and where it is clearly called for which hurts the very people who they are supposed to be serving :( Amazon doesn't give a rat's backside about anything except corporate profits anymore, and that's a real shame.

Phil
 
Well if there is an Amazon seller here, which I assume there are many, they can report that easily. Here is the Amazon link that lists the seller policies https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/gp/...uage=en_CA&ref=efph_200386250_cont_G200444420 and there is a link there to file a report against a seller and this:

Misuse of ratings, feedback or reviews:

Any attempt to manipulate ratings, feedback or reviews is prohibited.

  • Ratings and feedback: The rating and feedback features allow buyers to evaluate the overall performance of a seller, which helps sellers to develop a reputation within the Amazon Marketplace. You may not post abusive or inappropriate feedback or include personal information about a transaction partner. This also includes posting ratings or feedback to your own account. You may request feedback from a buyer, however you may not pay or offer any incentive to a buyer for either providing or removing feedback.
  • Reviews: Reviews are important to the Amazon Marketplace, providing a forum for feedback about product and service details and reviewers' experiences with products and services—positive or negative. You may not write reviews for products or services that you have a financial interest in, including reviews for products or services that you or your competitors sell. Additionally, you may not provide compensation (including free or discounted products) for a review. Review solicitations that ask for only positive reviews or that offer compensation are prohibited. You may not ask buyers to modify or remove reviews.
 
Hi all, sorry for resurrecting this thread, but this is definitely true. Honestly, there are a lot of brands you see on Amazon which are out there essentially giving this product out for free with the promise the user will give 5 stars. VAVA, Vantrue, and Aukey are the biggest ones in this. Haven't really seen any from the other bigger players, but it's pretty well known.
 
Hi all, sorry for resurrecting this thread, but this is definitely true. Honestly, there are a lot of brands you see on Amazon which are out there essentially giving this product out for free with the promise the user will give 5 stars. VAVA, Vantrue, and Aukey are the biggest ones in this. Haven't really seen any from the other bigger players, but it's pretty well known.
it's not news to any of the regulars here unfortunately, has been going on forever, happens in every category too, nature of the beast with Amazon
 
it's not news to any of the regulars here unfortunately, has been going on forever, happens in every category too, nature of the beast with Amazon

Gotcha, and yes - though admittedly some of the companies that do participate make some pretty good products as well (Ravpower, etc.) I suppose this is how modern day marketing is!
 
Yep- nearly nobody wants to play by the rules and it's equally sad that Amazon does nothing about it. By now most people should know about the unreliability of Amazon reviews and star count, but it's clear that many don't know :( 100 years ago PT Barnum figured out how gullible the general population was and he built his business around that. Nothing seems to have changed except the means of communication, the product sold, and the outlets for purchase. People are still as stupid as ever :eek:

Phil
 
People are still as stupid as ever

That is what bother me, CUZ in today's world you have all the tools and options to be smarter,,,,,,, but somehow people seem reluctant to use those.
So i argue people are actually more stupid now than ever.
 
in today's world you have all the tools and options to be smarter,,,,,,,

Yes, but instead of using those things to increase their knowledge, people now use those things both to hold the knowledge they should be holding themselves in their brain, and as something to do their thinking for them. So not only do they not know much, they cannot think, which leaves them open to manipulation such as happens with these 'reviews'. I feel sorry for them but it is of their own doing and they deserve the results they achieve from being like this :eek:

Phil
 
Well my brain could do with some aid, but that will not be coming from my phone, CUZ i am a little apprehensive about appearing google smart, at least i would rather appear misinformed or wrong than that.
Dont get me wrong it is very nice to have all that information at your fingertips, but just CUZ you can find a answer online that dont give you the right to pose as a know it all.
 
So that might explain why most people on this forum are not getting this cam, yet it has nearly perfect reviews on Amazon. I haven't personally seen this card, but this definitely sounds plausible given the circumstances.

Here is a pic of the card. Not really ethical but it seems like a common theme with all the Amazon best sellers.

VAVA $40 Gift Card.jpg
 
Based on the reviews below, I wonder if this is a case of an overzealous marketing department not trusting the quality of the product. It's a shame that companies still feel that the need to resort to these kinds of tactics to generate positive reviews when they could just send YouTubers and online sites a demo and trust in their product.

The reason why I was looking at this one (first time purchasing one):
  • Didn't want to pay $300-$400+
  • Wanted the suction cup option
  • Liked the fact that it's USB (can play with it in the house before installing)
  • Wanted inside & out recording
  • Parking feature w/ battery vs connected to battery
  • Removable

Since the reviews on this one I've seen on Youtube are mostly positive I decided to give it a shot. Again, I'm hoping this is a situation where the product is good despite the bad practices of the marketing department.

VAVA Dash Cam Review - Bing video
VAVA 2K DUAL Dash Cam Review - Bing video
VAVA 2K, Dual Dash Cam - Unboxing, Overview, and Review! - Bing video

Note: I'd originally gotten the Type S Dash Cam from Costco. That was an almost immediate nogo when I pulled it from the box.
 
Welcome to DCT @Dash1stTimer :)

All but one requirement you list can be found in many dashcams, and with that one exception comes a reason for it's scarcity in the market. Cams which are self-powered for parking do not have the capacity to record for very long; most of us want longer duration protection. As the battery wears that duration will lessen, and at some point will not work in this manner anymore. Shortly after that the battery will fail completely and the cam may cease to work at all. Battery replacement usually involves soldering which many people will not have the ability to do. Sourcing the correct battery for replacement may not be easy either. Plus these LiPo batteries do now withstand heat well; the user-life will diminish quickly in hot climates which is why almost all of the better dashcams now use supercaps instead of a LiPo battery, as these can endure heat much better. There are solutions for powering a dashcam while parked without usuing the car battery that are relatively easy to implement, and those are commonly used for this purpose. And most cams can use a hardwire kit, most of which have a low-voltage-cutoff which will prevent your car battery from being overly discharged. All these methods are much superior to having a cam self-power for parking protection, and that is why almost no cams are made this way ;)

As to reviews, none mean anything if the reviewer is not knowledgeable about dashcams, how they are supposed to work, what makes the difference between good and not-so-good cams, plus almost no reviews give you a long-term or in-depth assessment either :oops: Vava isn't the only cam brand who actively try to manipulate the reviews they get; in fact it would be much easier to list those who do not do it :eek: Again these things are not apparent to those without a deeper knowledge of dashcams such as is found with most of the long-term members here on DCT.

The Vava isn't necessarily a bad cam but it is now outdated and there are many better cams available for a similar price. There are plenty of worse choices which can be made with many of those having equally good reviews posted all over the internet from people who simply do not know any better. Here on DCT we aim for honest and in-depth assessments of the cams we speak about, and the knowledge base here is massive and with much experience. You'll find some bias anywhere but it's not allowed to get out-of-hand here; someone will call it out and point out any discrepancies. I do hope you like your cam but should you find it doesn't suit you, we're here to help you get what you want and need in a good cam that will do what you expect of it.

Phil
 
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