SimMarket reviews cannot be trusted

[timcclayton]

Just to let those who use the SimMarket website that you cannot trust the reviews on there. I paid for and downloaded 2 pieces of software that later turned out to be complete rubbish and therefore wanted to warn others by posting a negative review. I happened by one of the product's review page and found that my reviews had been wiped.

I posted a message to SimMarket, the contents being:


[blue]ME: I posted 2 reviews on products that were extremely unsatisfactory and the reviews were a warning to other potential purchasers, but the reviews now seem to be missing from both products. The products are:

CAPTAIN KEITH - SCENERY ADVENTURE PACKS VOL 2
CAPTAIN KEITH - SCENERY ADVENTURE PACKS VOL 3

Could you please tell me where these reviews have disappeared to?

Regards,
Tim Clayton.[/blue]


[red]SimMarket (Marty): Hello Tim Clayton,

i cannot tell you specifically but reviews are subject to review and may be deleted by the management or on developers request if they are unfavourable to our businness.

regards.[/red]


[blue]ME: So if they harm your business or your sellers complain, you remove them?[/blue]


[red]SimMarket (Marty): you asked a question that we have already answered in our first reply.

satisfactory or not to you, this will be the only answer you will receive, there will be no further communication with you on this matter.[/red]



Not the nicest customer support I have ever come across, but their message is clear and I wanted to make sure people are aware of their "review policy".

[ozzy72]

Tim you have to remember they're in the business of making money. So honesty and ethics don't enter into it! Just like any other company.
Do what I do, keep an eye on the payware screenshot forums and look at what people write there. If the kit looks good and people are raving about it then I'd say get it.
This policy has helped me avoid several duds over the years and I've got some really good stuff from SimMarket just by watching what happens here.
The only time I've had payware before everyone else is when I've beta-tested it. Otherwise I'm normally the last person to get something

[dcunning30]

Otherwise I'm normally the last person to get something

Wise words, indeed.

[C]

Indeed. Write that something is rubbish in a shop like Simmarket, and they'd be daft to display it - they're more interested in making money than your dissatisfaction...

The best reviews IMO are those you see on sites such as this, where there is no pressure to sell items (both Flightsim and Avsim have "stores" - although to be fair to them I see no bias in their reviews at all).

Payware screenshots, or this payware sections are the place to see...

[wealthysoup]

Otherwise I'm normally the last person to get something

real air spit...really???

[C]

Otherwise I'm normally the last person to get something

I think Mark forgot to refer to the "unless it's a Spitfire" caveat!

[ozzy72]

Whoops you're quite right Charlie I did forget to put in my Spitfire clause

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

I have seen negative reviews..Check out the following link:

Clicky!

Pretty crappy product and the reviews say so too...

Cheers,
Ashar

[town]

I am interested in both positive and negative views. Being a small independant and giving people the option to try first means if people do not like it I don't bother to stock it.

I also - if asked for an opinion, give my own honest opinion good or not so good as there is nothing worse than a customer calling me up saying he thought something was one thing and it turned out to be another.

Please please don't tar all businesses with the same brush.

Town

[timcclayton]

You're right, there are some negative reviews on their site, but only because the vendor in question presumably hasn't approached SimMarket to ask them to remove the negative reviews.