Should Goods And Service Providers Be Peanalized For False Product Reviews

Discussion in As Seen on TV started by explorerx7 • Apr 5, 2016.

  1. explorerx7

    explorerx7Active Member

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    Almost on a daily basis when goods are being advertised, especially on the television, there are these models who are paid to give glowing recommendations of the product or service. These models sometimes have not previously had contact with the commodity before, and all they are doing is giving false reviews of the product to convince people to buy the stuff. I think that this is fraud and people should be sanctioned when they do it. What do you think?
     
  2. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    I also find some false advertisement of the home shopping on TV. There was this liquid supplement that purportedly would help you to grow inches no matter how old you are. Logically that is impossible and clearly a scam so I wonder why that ad is persisting on tv. I have informed the social media account of the department of trade and industry but I didn't get a response. Maybe there ought to be a law on false advertising.
     
  3. remnant

    remnantActive Member

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    This is especially true because of the issue of mass psychology. Some people assume that products submitted on TV adverts are likely to be worthy but only end up buying them based on superfluous claims. I suppose the relevant regulatory bodies should make sure that the products advertised adhere to standards set by bureaus of standards and an ethical code of conduct.
     
  4. Zyni

    ZyniWell-Known Member

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    It's the same as people getting paid to write up glowing reviews online or give "testimonials" regarding all the millions they have made with a get rich quick scheme. It's all dishonest.

    Just because it's a celebrity advertising a product doesn't mean it's good or that it is a good deal. I bet most of them have never tried the products they endorse. I mean, really, do you think people who can afford all the high-end goodies are buying face cream at the grocery store? Do you think they even go to the grocery store? :p

    Buyer beware is even more important advice today. There is always someone, somewhere ready to separate you from your money.
     
  5. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Though I think companies should be sued for false reviews as there no laws barring anyone from endorsing a product even if there's not much that can be done to punish the offenders. To protect consumers maybe such laws need to be enacted. But even then someone getting paid to endorse a product would simply lie. How will anyone prove they didn't use or at the very least "test" the product?
     
  6. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    How do you define false when it is a matter of opinion? Let's face it many salespeople lie and tell people what they want to hear to make a sale. Are you going to sue and arrest nearly every sales person in the world? No, it's up to the buyer and who they believe.
     
  7. Dilof

    DilofMember

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    Depends on what the product is for me. If there is a health product that can actually do you harm and they are advertising that it is supposed to be some "cure-all" remedy, then yes. However, lying and deceit is part of business and they're not trying to win you over with their honesty, they're trying to get money out of you.
     
  8. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    Well, even if that is an idealistic proposal, I doubt it will happen because it has been a long time already that products are being peddled, and you really don't hear of people getting penalized for giving false reviews. I think that can only happen if the product is life threatening already.
     
  9. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I also think it should be prevented as much as possible so we can better trust reviews we see whether they are on television or online. To be honest, I don't know how they get away with it, but there must be some loophole that has been allowing these companies to do this for decades since it doesn't seem like it's letting up even a bit. The only upside is that by now people are so used to them that it's pretty much accepted as fake by the public, but for some reason sellers still always use it as a tactic.
     
  10. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    I would say yes but then again the burden of proof falls on the person or people making the accusation. How will you prove the providers are giving false product reviews? There are some who do provide authentic testimonials, given by their trusted clients or customers. In the name of fairness and honesty, though, companies should not deceive potential customers. They'd be the one to suffer when the truth comes out - and it does have a way of coming out.
     
  11. steph84

    steph84Active Member

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    I think that they should! I do not like it when you hear how they are paying people for Amazon reviews. That just makes me feel like they are abusing the reviewing system and now I can't believe anything that I read on there. I want an unbiased opinion and they are just faking it to make more money.
     
  12. GenevB

    GenevBActive Member

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    It definitely should be penalized and legally sanctioned, as it is not only false advertisement but also they are directly lying through their teeth in front of million of people. At least, there should be someone to impose them to put a disclaimer somewhere on the monitor, large enough for old people to see that specifies the fact that all the people in the spot are actors and they are being paid for what they say, so we shouldn't take their word for granted.
     
  13. remnant

    remnantActive Member

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    Thats why when purchasing goods whose reviews one is not sure of, one should first request a free sample especially when purchasing in big quantities. In the absence of samples, its good to order a small representative sample and purchase it in order to have an idea of product quality. Some of the reviewers are paid and this poses a challenge as to the authenticity of the claims.
     
  14. sharatharadhya

    sharatharadhyaMember

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    Yes, those who make money promoting fake, fraudulent, false products must be penalised for their misuse of power to mislead people. This conversation was going on here in India last year regarding 'Maggi' a noodles product from Nestle. It was accused of having used more Mercury than what was the recommended level standards. Cases were filed against all those who ever endorsed that product. This conversation had been going for a long time until recently 'Maggi' was cleared of all its alleged accusations. So this is a serious issue and it should be mandatory for Celebrities who endorse products to be very careful over the product they choose to market.
     
  15. AimlessDreamre

    AimlessDreamreNew Member

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    I think they should be punished by making false reviews to benefit their product. It's not fair to the potential customer who's made to believe that the product they're buying is going to be good when it really isn't. It's a waste of their time and money and that's one way on how law suits can start.
     
  16. Jessika

    JessikaActive Member

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    There are already laws against false advertising in many countries, which mean that the companies that make outright false claims can have their adverts removed and be fined. The problem is that the false claims still sell the products. I would like to see a law that says that people purporting to be customers or endorsing the product must have used it, even if they are a celebrity.

    Given that companies will pay for actual false reviews on yelp or amazon (check Fiverr, and you will find people offering them, pretending to be from consumers), it isn't a surprise that some of them would lie or exaggerate in their adverts.
     
  17. Alexandoy

    AlexandoyWell-Known Member

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    Home shopping tv has specialized in such advertisements which are doubtful when it comes to truth in advertising. It is difficult to prove the falsity of their advertisements especially the testimonials by obviously paid actors. What we can do is to be discerning about the product being advertised. You can also search in the internet for impartial reviews of people who have tried the product.
     
  18. Nakitakona

    NakitakonaActive Member

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    I think no for it is too subjective. The one who makes the product review is being hired to do it and it is being exaggerated by the writer unless it is the producer itself that has made the review. And it is against the product authenticity law to write a misrepresentation of any product especially to mislead the consumer and it is punishable by law of course. It is not easy to go after those producer when the review is written by a copy writer. So far in our country, there is no case yet that has been filed against a false product review.
     
  19. Jasmin Cottontail

    Jasmin CottontailActive Member

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    I agree @explorerx7@explorerx7. I really hate it when companies make this false advertisements just to attract people and convince them in buying their products. I've experienced this many times and I totally hate it :mad:. I find it really annoying and unprofessional. These companies should make sure that they serve or provide what they promised and advertised. Whether they offer products or services.
     
  20. Decentlady

    DecentladyActive Member

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    Indeed this kind of scams are prevailing and very misleading.

    Adverts are targeted at vulnerable population who are really in need of such products only to be disappointed and have wasted their cash.

    There should be moderation in glorification and truth be told for every product just like every medicine comes with a leaflet with pros and cons.