My conscience bugs me about free review units.

Taking free stuff could bias my gadget opinions.

4 comments

4 Comments

Brand Y gave me a free tablet to review last month. I kept noticing good things and skipping over the bad stuff. It's hard to stay neutral when you didn't pay for it.

kellyw196h ago

Honestly, it's tricky when you get free stuff, but I've seen reviewers stay fair by pretending they paid for it. Like, they'll list out pros and cons just like they would for any other product. If the battery life is bad or the screen glitches, they note that down no matter what. It's all about keeping the regular user in mind, not the freebie. Some even mention the free product upfront so readers know, but still give a balanced take. That way, trust isn't lost over a free tablet.

kevin3315h ago

Pretend you're testing it for a friend!

sandra8983h ago

Ugh, I know what you mean. It's so easy to go soft on a product you didn't pay for. Like, if the camera is fuzzy, you might say it's 'good enough' instead of calling it out, or brush off a bad battery because it was free. But that's not fair to buyers. They need the real downsides. I list every flaw to keep myself honest.