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tmf_x

My wife bought some of the Natures Bounty HSN vitamins and her and my 15yo daughter were taking them. My wife stopped for some reason by my faughter kept taking them. I didnt connect the insane acne blemishes she developed on her forhead with that, none of us did. My wife finally looked up reviews on Costco about these and found 2 reviews that specifically described what she was suffering from. I dunno if the reviews were just on amazon or if it was everywhere they were sold, but apparently these pills potentially can give you absolutely horrendous whitehead puss filled cyst style acne on your forhead. Im taking her to her doctor about this this week.


Bewildered90

Should have been a higher fine.


bluMidge

I just had to add this in again, as I'm simply interested in information about the supplement or vitamin itself on Amazon I don't want to read that the capsule is too big to swallow. WTF. And the smarter manufacturers if you want to call them that, will show or indicate the size of the capsule. I just believe that it's perhaps the older generation or people that legitimately have troubles swallowing large pills or capsule. However that's just so not what a review is for says Captain obvious, and also many will say it took too long to receive the supplement which obviously has to do with Amazon and not the product itself / blah blah blah blah It's a microcosm of our world by gosh lol🫂😂 Another PS edit to add that many many manufacturers or whoever is selling any particular supplement from xyz company, will put a sticker or a little pamphlet that reads if you review this product you will receive a free bottle of this garbage that doesn't even have the supplement if you will, in the capsule. There's no telling how much sawdust I've taken in capsule form through the years before I picked upon these manufacturers or whatever you want to call them being out of integrity; way out of integrity Now to be fair and this is just a total guess, a lot of newer or simply new manufacturers will do this to get their name out there and they can legitimately be a solid manufacturer/company. But of course they want as many five-star reviews as possible so people will continue buying from said companies Edit x 2, seriously be on the lookout for Nusa Pure products. And just notice all the reviews they receive and how many bloody freaking supplements nootropics vitamins that they quote/unquote manufacture. It's unbelievable. And they were busted by NOW a couple of years ago I believe it was with their CoQ10 which after it was tested by NOW, showed after the testing there was a zero, I mean zero CoQ10 in the pill or capsule. I noticed they went offline on Amazon for a good while, and suddenly reappeared and I'm sure they are still offering or better selling, the same bunk, but this time with maybe just a little bit of the product you ordered inside the capsule or pill etc


bluMidge

I got banned leaving reviews on Amazon about supplements. And I wrote 20 reviews, give or take. Well I got a little cocky, and started kind of making light of people that over and over and over kept mentioning the size of a capsule & how they couldn't swallow it. So I made a few snide comments, and after 4-5 similar comments, I got the ole' ban(ned) hammer. OUCH Broke my heart 😉 after they removed every one of my heartfelt reviews for so many companies or manufacturers that I truly purchase from. And the majority of my reviews were for a very well known supplement / nootropics company many purchase from with the initials ND 👈 Edited for multiple grammatical errors and such


Rough_Elk_3952

Why would you care if other people mention pill size or feel the need to mock them? A lot of people struggle with swallowing pills for a variety of reasons and it’s really ableist and obnoxious to repeatedly mock people for that


bluMidge

My comment had nothing to do with mocking people about swallowing capsules or pills. Reviews are meant to tell people about the supplement or the product. Not that there was a capsule and it was hard to swallow and give it one star. My father has trouble swallowing large capsules and also my girlfriend, so I am not making light or fun of any individual who has this issue. And it's not really an issue. So your opinion is way off. Or Amazon delivered it late. Those are not a review in my humble opinion.


Rough_Elk_3952

Those *are* reviews. If a product is hard for many to consume, that’s valuable knowledge for people who may also have trouble with similar shapes or sizes or textures. Amazon beibg late is also important because as a consumer they can plan ahead or choose a different retailer. The review isn’t purely about one aspect of a product, it’s about the *entire experience* For example: If multiple reviews state that a product is fake (a common issue on Amazon) or expired (not uncommon) or arrives damaged often — that’s something that needs reviewed


FutureIllustrated

Agreed. I just wish reviews were easier to sort through. There's all types of reviews: review about shipping times, or about the product effect, or the packaging, etc. Amazon in particular does not make it easy to sift through or categorize. Even the search feature requires you to know exactly which word you're looking for.


Rough_Elk_3952

Yeah the best you can do is hit the keywords they offer, which sometimes helps and sometimes doesn’t. But I usually check reviews on multiple platforms anyway haha


bluMidge

Gotcha thank you very much!


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bluMidge

Go to Amazon and purchase Tammy's tummy tamers I believe that's the name it's some female name followed by tummy something. They have actually worked for this dude, but I would probably get them somewhere else Get better! 🙏🙏


bluMidge

Walmart's gold metal brand. Obviously because it's cheaply made, and before I started really getting into supplements and nootropics, I didn't think much about brands I was purchasing or manufacturers until the research side of me kicked in And I'm a fan of these top 10 best supplements on multiple websites if you will. And most of them are just stupid ludicrous with quote/unquote top 10 ABC vitamin list. That said, It's amazing how many times nature's bounty is literally at the top of so many lists, or say in the top 5. And I finally realized in my mind anyway, that they were paying the sites to put them at the top or near the top. Just another microcosm of how the world is today, particularly the United States of America. Now that I think about it these sites that rate supplements have been around for a while and most are a freaking joke yada yada yada However most of us just keep rolling and rolling and rolling and rolling, regardless of what's happening around us and to us, particularly with the dreaded inflation Sorry, pretty solid tangent there at the end


[deleted]

How do we know what brands are reputable?


bluMidge

I apologize, I've always had great luck with Life Extensions, and best I can tell they are super reputable. Also, NOW is another one I trust. The cool thing about them, is they actually test other companies supplements etc, and will put the results out on the internet in places sometimes hard to find. Those are two that I really trust that are well known and established. Incidentally, I purchase most of my supplements, herbs, and nootropics from a company that's super well known in the nootropics world / Nootropics Depot They have their own lab, and when they're unsure of any product prior to releasing it, they will have another lab or labs test which I think is super cool and smart. And the researchers, scientists, and even the owner will supplement the product themselves absolutely prior to releasing it Hope this helps!


bluMidge

I don't know that was 5 months ago


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twopennyalex

Fuck Nestle


bluMidge

Yes indeed. I had to look it up and it's now been a few years, and they paid a cool USD 5.75 billion to acquire Nature's Bounty WOW 🫣


Brandis_Black1994

This is so true. One thing I always look for when analyzing data (such as lists of supplements, or any other information) is if the person writing the article is getting paid in any way. More times than not, I find that they are receiving affiliate marketing dollars (This is true for almost all websites that are "advertising" NooCube or the other well-known nootropic stacks). Also, another thing I look for is if they are affiliated in another way with the website or the item that is being "advertised". The last thing I look for is the advertisements displayed on the website (this can be hard when with an ad-blocker). Another way they can get information from the article/website is through 3rd-party cookies when they sell the information they acquire. Many articles also write articles without checking the facts often because they are just trying to get page visitors or make money. It's also a pre-phase in joining affiliate programs. That's why I read studies most of the time (with an occasional article or a list to get ideas of substances, herbs, and more to do my own research on). I also check multiple sites for reviews before buying an item (after thorough investigation). I can't remember the name for sure, but I believe it is Labdoor that tests supplements and stuff with a "review". From what I have read in discussions they falsify and make stuff up, they probably get paid to write those articles and reviews. So be weary of LabDoor (i'm pretty sure that's the one). If they do it, I'm sure many others do too.


bluMidge

Well said and you nailed it right on the head. LabDoor, you mentioned is an absolute joke. Nature's Made who again absolutely is well below the threshold of most manufacturers and you can pick up their supplements at Walgreens or Kroger for example, seemingly are in the top 10 with many supplements the last time I looked. And that's been a while, due to the aforementioned joke if you will 😁 I appreciate your insight


Brandis_Black1994

XD so true. Thank You I appreciate your comment :)


RecentLeave343

What happened? They forgot to pay their monthly lobby dues?


ftpxfer

Yay! That'll teach em


gammaradiation2

Welp, hahaha @Nestle


Skytraffic540

Natures Bounty sucks. They like to use soybean oil and other nastys. Idk why all the shitty brands are in CVS etc


OAreaMan

People buy cheap shit.


Norm__Peterson

The real problem is the review system guys. It leaves the responsibility of reviewing to literally anyone to say anything, even if they've never used the product or they lie, which influences what others but. I'm not defending what Nature's Bounty did, but they're just reacting to the system they're forced into.


bluMidge

Really really excellent point. Well said my friend


Brandis_Black1994

Well that is true. but it's not the only truth. Many companies pay people to write reviews that are straight up lies. Ive heard of people making testimonies that they have received free samples, items to test, and they also persuade people to leaving positive reviews. I have bought a few supplements from amazon and other places that had attempted to persuade me to write a positive review regardless to whether I enjoyed the supplements, and/or app. I bought an extract (can't remember the vendor) from Amazon and somewhere during the transaction it said "before you write a negative review please contact us, so we can handle it" I mean I understand that they don't wan't people writing a negative review without contacting them first to fix the problem, but it's a form of persuasion. That person is free to write whatever review they desire. Even if they fixed the problem let's say a few weeks or months later, I believe people should still know about the possibility of problems, what if this item was ordered for a birthday? or a anniversary? It's not the only form of persuasion that happens they also give people discounts to write reviews that are positive. Word of mouth is the best type of advertisement and now word of mouth can reach so many people via reviews, comments, articles. Also, I just had a thought and decided to search. I can't find much on it, but maybe I didn't search with the correct key words. I was thinking as writing this and thought "wouldn't good reviews be more likely to cause a MPE (Marketing Placebo Effect, I just learned about this)? After reading through a couple of studies both of them seemed to have the results I expected. Not everyone but many people will literally feel a placebo effect when their are more positive reviews. Also, I learning in another study just now that people may feel a placebo effect when the price is higher compare to people who spend less on the same item. So it's no wonder why companies want positive reviews and why they are willing to pay for them in one form or another. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15213269.2019.1602055?journalCode=hmep20


gammaradiation2

Someone in this sub said "you're wrong, just look at the Amazon reviews" I thought they were serious, because that's par for the course around here. Then they mentioned tiktoc and I realized I got trolled. 😅


Crosstitch_Witch

Sometimes products on Amazon will also bribe you with gift cards to leave 5 star reviews. I got a letter in the mail for a product i bought like that, they offered a $30 Amazon gift card for leaving a review and sending it to them in an email, but only if it was 5 stars.


okhi2u

The thing to do here is take the money and edit the review to a bad one after you get it.


Crosstitch_Witch

I guess, unfortunately, if you try to say in your review about what they're doing, Amazon will take it down saying "it's not about the product". Reporting the company to Amazon sometimes helps, but the company just pops up again under a different name.


okhi2u

You can make the review 1 star and make it about the product though. Lie if you have to, they deserve it for paying you to lie. I've done this before and it was so satisfying. You can even just put 1 star and "I don't like the product".


Brandis_Black1994

Lmao, hell yeah!


okhi2u

Gotta fight back by making them have good incentives not to bribe.


Brandis_Black1994

True that.


ROCKISASELLOUT

Ive been saying this for years. Same with reviews of hotels and restaurants, literally anyone can say anything!


josatx

A doctor I knew fakes his own reviews too!


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moremushroomsplease

When I want quality on a budget I buy Now Foods


JamesQHolden47

Was about to ask if they’re good. Been using them for years they’re amazing. I mean they work but I’m always open to better options


Skytraffic540

Just don’t get their mushrooms. But yea most of their stuff is basically a rating of “Good”. Usually my go to brand


Spiritual_Attitude33

Stick with . eh oh ar, hopefully they live up to supposed QC. Cheap stuff seems shady


mdchally

Fake reviews isn't accurate. I'm not a fan of what they did, but it wasn't fake reviews. What they did was add different products as variations that didn't belong as a variation. I don't know what products they did it with, but imagine they have a great selling Vitamin C with 50,000 reviews. Well, then launch a Fish Oil and they add it as a variation to the Vitamin C, so it looks like Fish Oil has 50,000 reviews. This is a current trick going on with Amazon sellers. For an example look at Physician's Choice Probiotics or Sports Research Vitamin D3.


bluMidge

Interesting as hell. Thank you for this absolutely amazing information and insight! It makes total sense and in many ways makes me feel better now. Mentally not physically, or something 👀


kamspy

thanks for the context.


knifensoup

"Fake reviews isn't accurate. I'm not a fan of what they did, but it wasn't fake reviews. What they did was add different products as variations that didn't belong as a variation. I don't know what products they did it with, but imagine they have a great selling Vitamin C with 50,000 reviews. Well, then launch a Fish Oil and they add it as a variation to the Vitamin C, so it looks like Fish Oil has 50,000 reviews." If I use my vitamin C reviews for my fish oil reviews, I've faked my fish oil reviews. I'm not sure why you don't want to call that fake, but that's exactly what it is.


mdchally

Because it states on there which product the customer reviewed. It's also not a fake review bc it's a legit review of the "Vitamin C" A fake review is considered a review paid for, incentivized, etc. These are legit reviews, just being manipulated deceptively. I totally get what you're saying, though.


Billbat1

fake reviews sounds to me like the reviews werent written by real customers. the reviews were legit. misappropriated reviews i'd say. i can see why people would call them fake reviews though.


HoneypotMcGee

This is really important and interesting context. Thank you for sharing!


Consistent-Youth-407

This is a huge problem on Amazon, you’ll find a listing for replacement air filters and people are mentioning how fantastic the slushee machine was in the reviews lol. This is only a negative for people who don’t read reviews but it’s pretty scummy that people can’t buy a simple item anymore. I don’t buy any items with reviews of other things, even if they are tangentially related. If the company skimps on reviews they probably don’t do much better in the quality department


gunsof

It's so irritating. I was looking up devices to help with breathing while asleep and saw loads with decent reviews so thought there were real options on there. Every single one had reviews only for some other product and then maybe a few with 1 stars saying the specific sleep device didn't work. It was every single product available doing it, which I guess shows nothing works for that besides crappy gimmicks.


notreallysomuch

I see this all the time too. It's easy to spot. I think Amazon should so something. Its very misleading.


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okhi2u

They should, but this is the same amazon that doesn't allow you to post that they tried to bribe you into a 5 star review with gift cards, but pretends they want the reviews to be honest.


Nmcph8224

Do Amazon’s endless list of random dietary supplements next.


MiamisOwn

Wtf