is Vine program a hoax?
I think we all are used to things not functioning at Amazon, even when you pay for them. Vine program sadly is no exception.
Enrolled my new ASIN in Vine program - 30 units, paid full price.
28 units were claimed immediately within 24h which demonstrates there is a demand.
2 units out of 30 available were not claimed. This means it is simply poor Vine program execution by Amazon. Ok, fine 28 out of 30 it is.
Out of 28 units claimed I have received 22 reviews. I am 8 reviews (!!!) short having been charged FULL PRICE for Vine. 8 reviews short!!!! Not 1-2! It is 8 reviews!!!
1 of the reviews was a 3 star review which stated only one thing - AMAZON NEVER DELIVERED THE ITEM!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME????
I have since opened cases, chased Seller Support in order to remove this review and ship the item to the customer.
NOTHING. It does not violate product review polices, so here you go!
My questions:
1) Does Amazon have a proper selection process in place when choosing Vine program members? There are so many that never even leave a review after they receive/buy a product!
2) Does Amazon have a proper monitoring process in place to make sure the max amount of reviews are actually delivered as a part of the Vine program (remind you - it is a PAID program for sellers!).
3) Does Amazon take ANY accountability for service on their part when executing the program (ie items never delivered??)
4) when do you plan to remove reviews that are clearly not product reviews, but reviews about amazon poor fulfilment - no shows, damaged products etc?
Mods, what do I do in order to have my case properly addressed??
At this point I want my money back! This is not a campaign I signed up for!
5 replies
Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx
Did you read the FAQ for the Vine program? They don't guarantee that you will get reviews. Which sucks after you've spent all this money on the program. 22 reviews out of 28 "sales" is a pretty good ratio though. Hopefully the last few will trickle in soon.
If a Vine Voice does not review their Vine unit, can I get the unit back?
No, we cannot guarantee reviews will be posted for all enrolled units and cannot return any product to you.
Tatiana_Amazon
Hi @Seller_c91BI5XHXtLQo,
Thanks for posting about this topic on the forums. I'm going to do my best to provide some clarification on the Vine program.
It's important to remember that Vine Voices are choosing which products they would like to review entirely on their own. The Vine team does not send them out at random because they want reviewers to be choosing products that align with their needs. Although 2 units have not yet been claimed, they may still be claimed if a Vine Voice decides it is a product they wish to review.
We encourage Vine Voices to use products as intended and leave accurate and authentic reviews. For this reason, the Vine team does not place a deadline on when a review must be received. However, Vine Voice participation is being monitored and if any fail to meet participation guidelines, they may be removed from the program. This topic is covered in the Vine FAQs page that @Seller_0rXAME9V4LQSx mentioned.
Vine enrollments are charged on a unit enrollment basis, not a review basis. While the Vine fee is charged once the first review is received, the fee is based on the number of units enrolled from the start. You can read more about the Vine fee schedule and current rate card at this help page.
For this review, if you could provide me with the ASIN in question, a screenshot of the review, and the associated support case IDs you opened I'll escalate to the customer reviews team to see if they will take a look at this. I cannot guarantee removal, but I would like them to take a look at it.
Now to answer your questions:
- Vine Voices are vetted and as stated above, their participation is monitored. We also monitor for any abuse of the program. Any Vine Voice in violation of our participation guidelines will be removed from the program.
- We do understand that the fee involved for this program is an investment for the sellers. However, we want to ensure the products being reviewed are being reviewed authentically and accurately which is why Vine Voices choose the products they wish to review. If a product is lacking in claims, we do suggest sellers review the quality of the listing (e.g. quality images, clear and concise bullet points, keywords that make sense for the product)
For questions 3 and 4, as stated above, I will reach out to the customer reviews team regarding this review on non-delivery.
I hope this information helps clarify things. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Tatiana
