Abuse at Ciao... Shame on you!

@marina321 (4556)
March 19, 2009 7:42am CST
I do not always 'read and rate' all Ciao user's reviews (generally due to lack of time on my part...) but on the few occassions that I do, I find some reviews and ratings so ridiculous that I just gotta laugh at them as many users are still gaming the system and this is one of the many that I came across today... Anyone else see anything wrong with this picture? (I should probably also state that the below is one of the reviews on Ciao.com, the user IDs and have been edited out in this post...) [i]'Author's product rating: XXXX Calvin Klein Eternity Moment - rated by... Advantages: Scent evenly Disadvantages: Lack of endurance Recommend to potential buyers: no Full review Calvin Klein at the eve of Christmas Day in 2004 launched a joy from the love of the new mood of female perfume Eternity Moment timeless moment, the fresh flowers into the atmosphere and re-interpretation of the bottle Eternity to extreme mellow and smooth contour shape eternal happiness, and perfume bottle design of tall and slender, like to be revealed overEclisse with crimson floral flavor and scared! Timeless moment against the background of a woman pure love, instantly charming incense income is endless aftertaste. When the world go away, love is still our hearts rapid germination. Between lovers Editor screen dump from each other to fall in love, moments of life the beauty of blooming!This product, used that good ahScent must have the penetrating power of '[/i] Apart from parts of the review not making much sense, it is not even completed but this user has some sort of 'clicking cartel' that will not even read the review or has messaged everyone in their inbox asking them to 'read & rate' their reviews...then there's those that rate and comment for the sake of being rated too.. This review got 9 'very helpful' comments and one 'helpful'...And wait for the comments... [i]'Keep to work hard to let more people know that these useful information. Perfume is always people's favorite. thank you for writing such a nice informative review. I have carefully read your comments, I understand that a lot of the details of this product, Thank you very much, I wish you good luck! thank you for your wonderful comment,i think it is the best review that i have seen. the excellent review .. can be made in reference to the consumer who will be using this product Thanks for sharing your opinion about this great phone. I also have review about this phone, please read and rate my review too I like this product, thank you thank you for your introduction.' [/i] Now this does not bother me in the slightest and I wanted to point it out here as there are many Ciao users here... but when someone posts on myLot that they were banned from Ciao, I shall not be surprised or sorry for them anymore... Not surprisingly, I have seen similar behavior on myLot where people write a few lines of meaningless garble when posting a discussion or in responses to earn more money... What do you myLotters think?
6 people like this
16 responses
MysD
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
19 Mar 09
The users who do that are cheaters and losers and it is them that cuse the downfall of many sites. They should be reported (as they will be by the honest members). They eventually get caught, kicked out and then complain but they must not be left to win anywhere!
3 people like this
MysD
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
20 Mar 09
Don't let it bother you marina! I have also already reported through the contact addy on the Ciao site when I have come across users here who were 'saying things they shouldn't have been saying' about what they were doing on Ciao. You know my thoughts on cheaters I find it very ironic too that among the responses here one is by a user who has been reported for doing exactly the same thing on here
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
There's many of these reviews mysdi! You can't keep up with the reporting or you will not write any reviews yourself.. The only 'report' feature I have seen is the one in 'member center' and it is quite tedious if you compare it to myLot where the report icon is next to the actual post and you write your comment and submit.. there you're looking for IDs of user, of review etc.. major effort if you have not got much time to spend on the site.. Did not want to paste that here but hope it made the point clear about the abuse going on on the site.. Think I saw one other user try to do that here..adding loads of sentences that did not make sense to their posts and discussions..and now here are the cheaters rating me minus in this discussion but what the heck, it's the truth. Let themm minus away..
1 person likes this
divinchris
@divinchris (2449)
• India
19 Mar 09
Sounds really funny.I have a friend at Ciao who writes review about recipes and she normally use to get 35 or more Very helpful response.Now I'm wondering how those recipes will taste like.Is she writing them with experience or just like that! Someone should try out those recipes and find it out whether they taste good or not.
3 people like this
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
19 Mar 09
That one about the recipes is so funny! Maybe they have used the same recipe already..
3 people like this
satyakam
@satyakam (1112)
• India
19 Mar 09
Actually CIAO turned to a biggest indiscipline site lots of groups functioning who are copy/pasting reviews or writing absurd reviews but getting very helpful rating and around 30 ratings in one hour but where as i got 10 to 20 ratings in one week time so i left it even i complained to ciao about this ratings and group formation but nothing happened and revenge ratings one person unnecessarily giving not helpful but when i checked the comment i found comment has nothing to do with the review i wrote.
2 people like this
echomonster
@echomonster (2226)
• Greenwood, Mississippi
19 Mar 09
It is sad to see such abuse because it does ultimately affect all Ciao users. The more junk that gets posted the less likely legitimate users will be able to earn from their real reviews -- it creates a really bad impression of the site for consumers and makes Ciao administrators suspicious of their users. The review you posted sounds like it was created using automated writing software...it was pretty funny to read, but at least it's obviously not an actual review.
2 people like this
TheCatLady
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
19 Mar 09
I'm not sure what that guy is talking about. The bottle shape? No endurance? HUH? What is this phone? a bottle is a phone? What phone? What make and model? That review is a 9? It isn't even in proper English. It seems as if it was written by an illiterate in their native language and then translated to English by a machine. I have an account at Ciao, but am not active.
2 people like this
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
It is amazing how this can go unnoticed unless someone actually reports it... Funnily enough or not funnily enuff actually..! Saw a similar review on the same product by another user with some of the same wording.. Was thinking it may be someone with duplicate accounts but now that you mention the 'translation software'...maybe they are using the same translation software which is very poor indeed! Now that makes it quite funny actually, we are the ones that are 'lost in the translation'
TheCatLady
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
19 Mar 09
Let them play their games for pennies. I was on a site that paid pennies and quit. The questions people were writing were not understandable and the correct answers were wrong.
1 person likes this
chameleon7
@chameleon7 (295)
• China
20 Mar 09
that review doesn't make any sense to me. I am so sure such a bunch of crap was written by someone not speaking English and have one's words translated by a translating program. it is okay to use the translating program to help you understand something written in an other language but never use them to have your words translated into another language or it will confuse those who reads and make yourself seem stupid.
echosoundz
@echosoundz (856)
• Malaysia
19 Mar 09
Yup and you're absolutely right about this. Many of them is just posting something that they copy and paste the sentences just to fill the review part. There are also had a few trick like copying the review from their native language and translate that back to English and the result is really hilarious. I don't think this is worth a review since nobody read them for all had their rating to 'helpful' and 'very helpful' just to fill the point they earn. It really such a shame since for people who love to write and really sincere about their writing will will be ignored since users will scroll down to the rating buttons and rate and after that just copy and paste the same review to hundreds of different user without knowing what the hell that the are reviewing.
2 people like this
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
Ok, now the translation thingi is making sense, the post before you mentionned that and it hadn't occured to me! Think it goes back to the point that some of the admin make about being having to write in proper English! They should try and look up a better translation software at the least! They shall not know any better when people are rating them helpful.. It is quite funny BUT they are abusing the site by doing this... Think of the user looking for a user review on a product they are about to buy and finding all these reviews that do not make sense..
winterose
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
20 Mar 09
there is an awful lot of abuse on Ciao, and these people get paid, all the time, whereas serious writers like me get peanuts, that is why I don't bother with ciao, who would take that site seriously anyway, it is just so wrong.
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
22 Mar 09
I suppose they can't read every review so many of these slip through... I wonder what system dooyoo use...points are often 'pending' for couple of days so I presume they review each review, have not come across similar there..maybe coz it's users are limited...
subha12
@subha12 (18441)
• India
20 Mar 09
It is everywhere. There are similar type of people at all money making sites. I have even seen like where they ask you repeatedly to rate them. Also add them to your COT. It is disgusting. They never will visit your task but will always ask you so that they can earn.
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
Have seen those 'rate and add to COT' messages many times... I just delete the message and now if they do it again, I delete off my list altogether
VotreAmie
@VotreAmie (3028)
• United States
19 Mar 09
This one seems to be a scammer. Maybe he copied the whole thing from somewhere. He will get his/her account banned sooner or later once he gets caught. There are many people who got banned for abuse in a way or another (some copy and paste, others give negative ratings just because they don't like the person who wrote the review, etc). I hope this will not cause the end of ciao one day as I really like this site. They are honest and do pay, but they are abused by some of their members. I guess it's not easy for ciao staff to put an end to it.
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
Yup, must be hard for them to put an end to
1 person likes this
mz_Ira
@mz_Ira (1090)
• Philippines
22 Mar 09
I did see also some of those reviews you mentioned.. The worse there are these reviews which are only word by word as if its a dictionary or something because if you read the review you would totally utter "what the F" ---- that is how ridiculous it is.. Just to make up with the 125 words they try to do it---well i did say words but i think they didnt get when cia meant by "125 words".. Unbelievable indeed that they get more rates and reads from other users..
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
22 Mar 09
because if you read the review you would totally utter "what the F" ---- that is how ridiculous it is.. I agree I do that!
nympha687
@nympha687 (940)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Can't help but laugh out loud. I have a ciao account but am not active since I can't comment on products i have not used nor seen. I think people are desperate to earn money nowadays. But who knows, those who read the review and gave positive remarks were able to understand what he meant. I've seen some here in mylot.
1 person likes this
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
Yes, so many looking for a quick buck...
lologirl2021 (Holly)
@lologirl2021 (5542)
• United States
19 Mar 09
Its a funny review i would say. I cant believe that this perfume even has a aftertaste. I sure wouldnt want to be tasting thta perfume. She makes it seem so exotic and on my personall experience with calvin clien it isnt that good to begin with. And the guy talking about the Phone, its funny because he must not even know what is rating on. Its ridiculous that he or she even left a comment on the review. Thanks for poiting this out its funny and ridculous that people are doing this. Enjoy Mylotting at least
1 person likes this
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
19 Mar 09
Yes, it is rather ridiculous and funny when you read some of these reviews! Really unbelievable how they get away with posting such... Too much abuse going on on the site...there's those that just copy and paste the product specs from the product manufacturer's site and leave it at that..without their opinion and guess what? users still rate them very helpful, you just think what?! How is that helpful???! when I could have checked the manufacturer's site and got that info before going to a review site which is what most people do... Now, these ones I report to as they are plagiarising!
2 people like this
SimpleBB
@SimpleBB (1329)
• Philippines
20 Mar 09
You're right, probably the raters of that review must be her own circle of friends. I don't know but in my point of view, actually I'm just a beginner in this hobby, but my concern in writing here is "would it be beneficial or useful? Would the readers could get something worth their time in reading my writings?", probably, some participates in this blogging for mainly purpose of earnings but they should also have a bit concern on the subject and readers as well. Regards.
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
Cheaters do not have a conscience..., it's about what is in it for them!
wxc6822
@wxc6822 (185)
• China
20 Mar 09
I think the manager should change the rules,should not allow these people to undermine the rules.
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
22 Mar 09
I agree... there's a loophole in the system
kun2349
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
24 Mar 09
lol =D Since when did this perfume review becomes a phone review?? lol =D And there are quite alot of words that are used wrongly in the whole thing too.. hehe ^_^ I guess u are right, most ple are in there just to earn money, or quick bucks, thus they dun really care about what they are really writing about.. IN a way, can we say that they are actually abusing the system, causing the incentives to change?? If so, who can thye blame, except for themselves, and in return, causing all those legit members suffering along with them..
onlydia
@onlydia (2808)
• United States
19 Mar 09
Hi how have you been? now to what you wrote what the heck are they talking about anyway. it makes no sence. Or maybe it is just me. So yes I get what your saying. They don't have some kind of report button or anything? Well not a member so wouldn't know. You have a good day your friend onlydia
marina321
@marina321 (4556)
•
20 Mar 09
They have a report system yes, but it is not as simple as the myLot one with a button.. There's only so many you can report, they're many on the site, I find a few rogue ones each time I try to read a few reviews Have a good weekend onlydia
1 person likes this