Does a website have to use people's reviews?

Deastons

I was looking for a particular brand of chicken food with included medicine. I found it (Heygates Baby Chick Crumb) on Garden Feathers and decided to purchase the 5kg (rather than the 20kg) size.

What turned up was a clear plastic bag which, I assume, was 5kg of food taken from a 20kg sack (the photo on the site shows a branded paper sack). But I couldn't be sure it wasn't just a really cheap, non-organic food without the added medicine.

No mention was made on the website that the smaller size wasn't an official size offered by the manufacturer.

I left a review on the website but, two weeks later, my review still isn't showing.

Can a website only show positive reviews and therefore skew the decisions of potential purchasers?

BoGoF

They can do what they want on their own website

custardy

Deastons wrote: »

I was looking for a particular brand of chicken food with included medicine. I found it (Heygates Baby Chick Crumb) on Garden Feathers and decided to purchase the 5kg (rather than the 20kg) size.

What turned up was a clear plastic bag which, I assume, was 5kg of food taken from a 20kg sack. But I couldn't be sure it wasn't just a really cheap, non-organic food without the added medicine.

No mention was made on the website that the smaller size wasn't an official size offered by the manufacturer.

I left a review on the website but, two weeks later, my review still isn't showing.

Can a website only show positive reviews and therefore skew the decisions of potential purchasers?

of course they can.

Deastons

BoGoF wrote: »

They can do what they want on their own website

I know that's not true. ASA are running ads on the radio at the moment advertising this very fact.

marliepanda

What does your review say?

'5kg is decanted from a larger branded sack' or '5kg sack is not an official size how am I supposed to know this isn't some random dodgy feed' etc etc...

But yes, of course they can choose what to put on their site.

custardy

Deastons wrote: »

I know that's not true. ASA are running ads on the radio at the moment advertising this very fact.

Well you know the answer,so why are you asking here?

Deastons

marliepanda wrote: »

What does your review say?

'5kg is decanted from a larger branded sack' or '5kg sack is not an official size how am I supposed to know this isn't some random dodgy feed' etc etc...

But yes, of course they can choose what to put on their site.

Something like "I was disappointed to see it was just decanted" and "I can't be sure this is medicated food".

Personally I feel I was mis-sold as this wasn't mentioned anywhere. And there could have been hundreds of negative reviews left but, as they don't go onto the site, I couldn't have known.

But to have "Reviews (0)" displaying suggests to me that, whilst there aren't any positive reviews, there are also no negative reviews.

Deastons

custardy wrote: »

Well you know the answer,so why are you asking here?

I know that someone can't simply put whatever they want onto a website as BoGoF stated, but I don't know the intricacies of the rules, hence my question.

Is that ok with you?

marliepanda

Deastons wrote: »

Something like "I was disappointed to see it was just decanted" and "I can't be sure this is medicated food".

Personally I feel I was mis-sold as this wasn't mentioned anywhere. And there could have been hundreds of negative reviews left but, as they don't go onto the site, I couldn't have known.

But to have "Reviews (0)" displaying suggests to me that, whilst there aren't any positive reviews, there are also no negative reviews.

I don't think accusing them of potentially fraudulent activity is a way of getting a review on site.

You were not missold. You were sold 5kg of chick feed and you got 5kg of chick feed. The picture was shown to show you what you were buying. Unless you can get it tested to show is is NOT Brand A Medicated chick feed then you have not been missold.

shaun_from_Africa

Before you complete the purchase, you have to tick a box stating that you have read and have agreed to their terms and conditions.

http://www.gardenfeathers.co.uk/terms_conditions.html

One of which states:

(13) General terms

Images of products on our website are for illustrative purposes; actual products may differ from such images.

k3lvc

Deastons wrote: »

I know that's not true. ASA are running ads on the radio at the moment advertising this very fact.

What exactly do the ads say though ? The ASA are interested in misrepresenting products/claims and couldn't give two !!!!!! whether they publish reviews received or not