Is reviewer made RDA/RTA's a good idea or not?

  • Yes, it is a great idea
  • No, it is a terrible idea
  • I’m not sure
  • Meh! I never watch youtube reviews anyway, and only trust the recommendation of my fellow forumites.

0 voters

The recent alterations between “Vaping With Vic” and Phil busardo over Vic’s review of Phil’s new Ares RTA, and Vic’s subsequent decision to completely stop reviewing other reviewers products, got me thinking.

Is it really a good idea for reviewers to be making their own products, or does it just taint the whole review scene and makes the reviews and reviewers completely untrustworthy?

On one hand, you would think that they are in a perfect position to make some good products. Even if they don’t know or understand the theory behind airflow etc, then they have tested thousand of different tanks and drippers, and they know what works in praxis and what they personally want and don’t want from a RTA/RDA.

On the other hand, how can we trust that they will review another reviewers product objectively?

They all know each other and many of them are friends. Much worse is that they pretty much all have their own line of products, either already on the market or in the pipeline for release during the next months. All of them of course hope to get good reviews, and it would not be hard to imagine an unspoken (or spoken) agreement between them, that if I give you a good review you give me a good review.

It might not have been a huge issue when it was only a few reviewers that had their own products, but now that everybody and their dog has at least one RDA with their name on it, it is a question that needs to be asked imo.

Personally I’m leaning towards: A terrible idea, that will completely destroy the credibility of the reviewers!

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I am selective on what I hear / see when it comes to video reviews, I know what I want from a product and the videos give you very clear shots of the products and audible specs (beats reading eh).

Whether the reviewer likes the product or not is irrelevant if the product fills the criteria I’m looking for.

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I don’t think that a product designed by a reviewer is a bad idea, my first thought was that its actually a great idea! These big time reviewers know their shit for the most part and I would assume that many would have some killer ideas of what would make a great product. But I can see what you’re saying about buddy buddy reviewers over exaggerating the awesomeness of something that their friend came up with. BUT if something really is shit, its gonna come out eventually (which is why I never buy the newest gadgets, I’d rather wait and hear about it from lots of people). So…I guess I’m on the fence.

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Funny! I think ‘big time reviewers’ are a lot like popular recipes; popular for being popular. We’ve all found a few ‘popular’ juices to be either meh or rubbish. I think the popular reviewers are mostly popular for being, well, popular.

Example- I think I pretty much know my shit too. But, I know my shit based on what I like, and what fits my style. I have a hard time believing that reviewers who review all sorts of mods and attys can make a review based on anything but their own experience, and based off their own styles. The Big Baby comes to mind. It’s highly popular and a lot of people love it. But I would review it as a miss because it doesn’t fit my style.

Looking back at this, it may not read as I intend. My point is, I suppose, that for me vaping is too personal and objective for me to ‘trust’ reviews, especially from big names that review everything from MTL squonkers to 200w octocoil numbus makers. What is awesome to you may suck for me, and vise versa. I’ll stick with hearing the thoughts of forumites and trusted sources.

That’s what confounds me about DIY mixing. Everyone tastes things a bit differently. How can anyone make a recipe that appeals to a lot of people? I dunno, but it happens all the time!

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That’s what a review is… :confused:

Who is buying a product based on someone else saying “This is great”… You do your own research but other peoples “experiences” are a helpful resource when making a decision.

Same way a “premium” e-liquid becomes popular, people enjoy vaping it?

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That’s my point. I mean, how do you trust someone who reviews everything across the vaping spectrum? How can one person be such an authority? Meh, it’s all good. Opinions are like, well, we know.

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Whats trust, got to do, got to do with it?

Its just a person giving their opinion on a product, I don’t see them as authoritarians, your reading into it too much, maybe?

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I don’t read them, I guess I’m not reading anything into it, Tina! :sunglasses: Oh, and thanks for putting that damn song in my head.

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I think if you wanna watch reviews on YouTube most people find someone with similar tastes as them, I like vaping with Vic cause he is a dork lol doesn’t take himself to seriously but also doesn’t ham it up for the camera, like that riptripper dude. Everything I own that Vic has reviewed I agree with him for the most part, on the good and the bad, but I don’t buy anything based off of anyone’s advice, but more like everyone’s advice. If you look across the forum here and check other reviews too you can find consistency of good vs bad, but in the end it’s just like opinions on flavors, some people have similar taste as you and some don’t, so vibe with the people who do:)

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I’ll quote Grubby…

A good reviewer should be able to tell you what you need to know, regardless of their personal vaping style.

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And be entertaining as all hell, aka @Steampugs lol

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In short a rda or rta by a reviewer can be good. From what I see they try to bring the best of all worlds and design into one product.

The reviews though are opinions so I still take them with a grain of salt. I don’t reallly rush out to go and get it just because it was designed by xyz person.

Personallly I have 6 goons so why buy another rda when I have enough and they fit my vape style. And for rta’s, it’s the same thing, I have enough to last.

What I don’t have enough of are flavors. Lol

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This ^ …at the end of the day a reviewer can only give his or her experience with said product…BUT…they have to be generally correct in what they are saying, purely because a reviewer is only a successful reviewer if the vast majority of their audience agrees with what they said once they have bought the product, if you slate a product for no other reason than to put down your fellow competition…purely personal vindictive reasons…then you will lose your audience…lose your audience and you lose your credibility as a reviewer, you have to tell the truth whether your sponsor/supplier likes it or not…because thats your job. I actually do think its a good idea for ‘celebrity’ reviewers to bring out products because they try so damn many they are better prepared to know what works and what doesn’t (in most cases) therefore more often than not design some pretty fucking good gear…but all this back slapping, arse licking and back stabbing in certain circles should be an unwritten rule of review etiquette, .
Thanks for the shout out @Fishaddict420 btw :wink:🖒 …

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Most probably a few of these reviewers were delighted or flattered to have been chosen to help design an atty. Had they given it more thought they might have realized that if it had not been them chosen, then someone else. These are calculated moves by a manufacturer, to align a future product with a popular reviewer. Increase your views, your sales and your popularity. Win Win. As well, the reviewer is now, whether they realize it or not, a company spokesman for your atty. An unpaid spokesman, who is always on youtube and who really doesn’t want to say anything bad about any future releases. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. So that reviewer is now bought, in effect. So are the reviewers who pimp for retail sites. I can remember one popular reviewer who let slip that he gets a commision off of sales of an atty from a certain site. Can’t be all that uncommon.

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I get commision from all the gear I sell on my site, but i’ll still give a bad review on something if its shit even if its from Gearbest which 95% of my shop is. But then if something is shit…i dont list it in my shop.

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i will agree with @Grubby
since you know what you want from a product and specially when you have tried similar ones in the past you can see if this is for you or not… on the other hand i don’t find it a bad idea but at the same time pharaoh rta by rip trippers (i love that one), or THAT project by someone else could just be a marketing trick for a company at the same time to sell… i don’t mean anything about the reviewers, and in average the most products coming out are in good quality compared with the prices they come… but still i will i would say that i am selective on what i hear/read about these products :slight_smile:

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Not all reviewers and that is why it is important to do your homework / look around / be intelligent.

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VERY interesting post. Thought about it for a little bit, and think I’m firmly in the YES camp. Unless you are a shady reviewer hehe, you get to review a LOT of equipment, good and bad. Unless you’re pulling punches, you’re calling the crap, CRAP, and the good the GOOD. My take on it, is that since they (the reviewers) are subjected to so much more equipment than the average vaper, they might really be able to see where devices are great, or failed. I would think if you saw enough that were bad, maybe you could indeed just do one yourself, that gets rid of the bad aspects, and more of the good. Just my .02.

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Honestly , I feel a reviewer or critic. Shouldn’t make products.

If they do then they become a producer and forever more their reviews are tainted by the fact they have their own product to promote.

I just don’t see someone saying hey this tank is awesome
If you have a choice between buying my tank or this new awesome tank save you money and buy the awesome tank.

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Pugs, I wasn’t speaking of you, hope you don’t think that, I was speaking of the big youtube reviewers

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