When looking through reviews for a product on Amazon, you might run across one labeled “Vine Voices.” It’s a program Amazon launched a few years ago to solicit honest, in-depth reviews of products.
Here’s how it works: Customers receive free products from Amazon in exchange for a well-written and helpful review. Companies provide items free of charge and shipped by Amazon.
When the product arrives, the Vine review tries it out and submits their review. Amazon says the reviews are not required to be positive and neither Amazon nor the manufacturer has any input with the customer. One Vine reviewer has received and reviewed hundreds of items, like a cordless battery powered weed eater. His review is clearly marked as a Vine Voice, so other customers know he received it for a review.
So who wouldn’t want to be a Vine reviewer if you get free stuff like that? The process of being chosen is complicated. Customers can’t sign up, but Amazon browses through reviews and when it sees a customer leaving lots of in-depth and helpful reviews, Amazon will invite that person to the Vine Voices program.
So if you want to be part of the program, go back and write in-depth, helpful and well written reviews of things you’ve purchased on Amazon and hope you are selected. By the way, Walmart and a few other online retailers have similar programs.
