AJL wrote on Mon, 9 Dec 2024 16:55:14 -0700 :

> How many reviews do you do a month?

I order three items a day, every day, from Amazon Vine, which is about 90
reviews per month. Amazon has rated me as one of their best reviewers.

But remember, this is all free stuff (up to $100 each) that NEEDS reviews.

They don't give you free stuff that doesn't need a review.

> My Amazon story is kinda funny (and sad). I ordered a Google Pixel
> tablet ($400US) about 2 months ago. I received a toy football. Yep, you
> heard me right...a toy football...in a box with a 'battery inside'
> warning. I returned the football the next day (almost 2 months ago now)
> and have been trying for a refund ever since. The lady on the phone
> today promised the charge back would now occur in 5 to 10 days. We'll see.

Funny thing about Amazon Vine is you can't return anything. It's yours.
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

Once in a while we get a broken vase or something like that where they
simply take it off our list of things to review. But that's it.

You can't return anything.
> Why don't I just dispute the charge with my credit card you ask? Cause
> Amazon would then probably cancel me and unfortunately I can't live
> without Amazon. Sad, huh. For example I needed a new part for my shower
> last week. Do I drive down to the store, hunt for a parking spot, fight
> the crowds, and look for the part, only to find that it may not be
> there? Nope. I just whipped out an (on topic Android) tablet toy,
> brought up the Amazon app, ordered the part and it was on my porch the
> next morning. I just can't go back to my prior life...

Are you on Amazon (amazon.com) or Amazon Vine (amazon.com/vine)?

Amazon is where people order stuff using money.
Amazon Vine is where people order stuff for free.

Here's more information about getting 3 items a day for free from Amazon.
Each item can be up to $100 so that's up to $300 per day if you max out.
In one year, for example, that's $300x365 = about a hundred-thousand bucks!
<https://duckduckgo.com/&q=what+is+amazon+vine>

I'm only Silver but if I get gold, then it's 8 items a day of any price.
Completely free of initial cost, sales tax, and shipping.

On 12/9/2024 10:37 PM, Andrew wrote:
> AJL wrote on Mon, 9 Dec 2024 16:55:14 -0700 :

>> How many reviews do you do a month?

> I order three items a day, every day, from Amazon Vine, which is
> about 90 reviews per month. Amazon has rated me as one of their best
> reviewers.

Do you get to choose what stuff you review or does Amazon? If you order
it, it sounds like you do.

> But remember, this is all free stuff (up to $100 each) that NEEDS
> reviews. They don't give you free stuff that doesn't need a review.

But that sounds like Amazon decides what to send you?

> Funny thing about Amazon Vine is you can't return anything. It's
> yours. <https://amazon.com/vine/about>

What do you do with the stuff you don't need? Yard sale?

> Are you on Amazon (amazon.com) or Amazon Vine (amazon.com/vine)?

I'm on plain old Amazon. I didn't even know that Amazon Vine existed. I
had to Google it.

> Here's more information about getting 3 items a day for free from
> Amazon.

Dunno where I'd put all that extra stuff. I've been retired 32 years now
and would hate going back to work.

> Each item can be up to $100 so that's up to $300 per day if you max
> out. In one year, for example, that's $300x365 = about a
> hundred-thousand bucks!
> <https://duckduckgo.com/&q=what+is+amazon+vine>

Sounds lucrative. Also sounds like a lot of work.

> I'm only Silver but if I get gold, then it's 8 items a day of any
> price. Completely free of initial cost, sales tax, and shipping.

Is it even possible use 8 items long enough to review them each day?
Perhaps I'm missing something...

On 2024-12-10 07:46, AJL wrote:
> I'm on plain old Amazon. I didn't even know that Amazon Vine existed. I
> had to Google it.

You just have to type the url. I tried on my local one:
https://www.amazon.es/vine

It asked for my login, then it explained what it is and that you enter
by invitation.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
[...]
> Out of curiosity I installed the Google app on my Fire 8+ tablet (Android
> fork OS) and the Discovery search page looks pretty much the same as the
> Chrome browser. Google claims to make the articles interesting to me by
> monitoring my usage. Scary for the paranoid, huh.

I had never used the 'Google' app, nor the 'Discover' part within
Chrome. This thread triggered me to try the 'Google' app and the funny
thing is that the kind of articles Google presents to me, seems to be
largely, but not solely, based of my activity on *Microsoft*'s *MSN* in
the *Edge* browser. So different company, different news platform and
different app/browser, but they seem to be 'linked' anyway. *Double*
scary for the paranoid! :-)

[...]

On 12/10/2024 6:37 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote: [...]
>> Out of curiosity I installed the Google app on my Fire 8+ tablet
>> (Android fork OS) and the Discovery search page looks pretty much
>> the same as the Chrome browser. Google claims to make the articles
>> interesting to me by monitoring my usage. Scary for the paranoid,
>> huh.
>
> I had never used the 'Google' app, nor the 'Discover' part within
> Chrome. This thread triggered me to try the 'Google' app and the
> funny thing is that the kind of articles Google presents to me, seems
> to be largely, but not solely, based of my activity on *Microsoft*'s
> *MSN* in the *Edge* browser. So different company, different news
> platform and different app/browser, but they seem to be 'linked'
> anyway. *Double* scary for the paranoid! :-)

And I suspect things will only get worse (better?) with evolving AI...

On 12/10/2024 5:08 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2024-12-10 07:46, AJL wrote:
>> I'm on plain old Amazon. I didn't even know that Amazon Vine
>> existed. I had to Google it.
>
> You just have to type the url. I tried on my local one:
> https://www.amazon.es/vine
>
> It asked for my login, then it explained what it is and that you
> enter by invitation.

Thanks. Andrew's link in his last post <https://amazon.com/vine/about>
pretty well explained it for me. Probably good cause your link gave me a
Spanish page and besides English the only other language I speak is Pig
Latin. Do they have Pig Latin in Spain? I used to have fun with it as a
kid but now my great-grandkids look at me like I'm nuts when I try to
get them to learn to converse in it... :-/

AJL wrote on Mon, 9 Dec 2024 23:46:30 -0700 :

>>> How many reviews do you do a month?
>
>> I order three items a day, every day, from Amazon Vine, which is
>> about 90 reviews per month. Amazon has rated me as one of their best
>> reviewers.
>
> Do you get to choose what stuff you review or does Amazon? If you order
> it, it sounds like you do.

I can tell from that question that you didn't click on any of the links.
Suffice to say, of course YOU choose the stuff to receive for free.

You don't even have to review any of the items that you chose.
But they kick you off the program after 6 months if you don't.

This is the first question everyone asks about it & it's all here:
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

>> But remember, this is all free stuff (up to $100 each) that NEEDS
>> reviews. They don't give you free stuff that doesn't need a review.
>
> But that sounds like Amazon decides what to send you?

Again, you didn't click on any of the links so I'm explaining extremely
basic stuff that is already explained in all the links you didn't read.

Suffice to say that you get offered a different batch of over one hundred
thousand Amazon items (EVERY ONE is also on Amazon!) sellers want reviewed.

So what's offered is whatever some seller thinks needs more reviews.
Amazon doesn't choose what to offer. The sellers do.

There are a hundred thousand items every day that you can get for free.

The sellers give the product to Amazon and the sellers pay for shipping.
Amazon just facilitates the sellers because it's good business for them.

>> Funny thing about Amazon Vine is you can't return anything. It's
>> yours. <https://amazon.com/vine/about>
>
> What do you do with the stuff you don't need? Yard sale?

Amazon says you have to keep it for six months and then you can do whatever
you want with it. In truth, your friends & family get lots of free stuff.

You get things you need for yourself, like computers and generators and
solar panels and outdoor cameras and pool equipment and yard tools, etc.

My wife gets jewelry & pots and pans and dishes and rugs and clothes.
My male children get camping gear and jeans and hats and backpacks.
My female children get purses and watches and shoes and decorations.
My grandkids get baby clothes and basinets and cribs and diapers.

There's something for everyone.

>>> Are you on Amazon (amazon.com) or Amazon Vine (amazon.com/vine)?
>
> I'm on plain old Amazon.
> I didn't even know that Amazon Vine existed. '
> I had to Google it.

Yup. I never heard of it until one day Amazon wrote to me inviting me.

>> Here's more information about getting 3 items a day for free from
>> Amazon.
>
> Dunno where I'd put all that extra stuff. I've been retired 32 years now
> and would hate going back to work.

The kind of stuff I get is bluetooth receivers and wireless keyboards and
wireless mice and USB bricks and USB cables and cases for tablets and
phones and screen coverings and phone tripods and selfie sticks, etc.

My wife gets stuff for the kitchen and home such as an induction cooker, an
air fryer, an induction pot set, special utensils such as garlic peelers,
nutmilk makers, blenders, nut cracking tools, spatulas, wooden bowls, etc.

>> Each item can be up to $100 so that's up to $300 per day if you max
>> out. In one year, for example, that's $300x365 = about a
>> hundred-thousand bucks!
>> <https://duckduckgo.com/&q=what+is+amazon+vine>
>
> Sounds lucrative. Also sounds like a lot of work.

You can do it for six months with ZERO work as you are never committed to
doing a review. You only do the review as a public service to mankind.

That's the kind of kind-hearted people they select (they're not stupid).

Somewhere I saw a statistic that they only invite one out of every hundred
thousand people so they *must* have some sort of algorithm for that since
they're risking up to a hundred thousand dollars a year.

Actually, if you do the math, they only risk half that $100K because at the
half-year mark, they evaluate if you should still be kept in the program.

>
>> I'm only Silver but if I get gold, then it's 8 items a day of any
>> price. Completely free of initial cost, sales tax, and shipping.
>
> Is it even possible use 8 items long enough to review them each day?
> Perhaps I'm missing something...

The average is 22 days that people hold onto the items before reviewing
them, but you can hold onto it for six months before reviewing them.

Remember, you do NOT have to review them. There is no contract for that.
If you review fewer than 90% of them though, you don't get any more.

So you can do it for six months and be happy and never be invited back.
Then you're no worse for the wear (& you have up to $50K of free stuff).

Remember, Amazon isn't stupid. They only invite people *they* picked.
If a normal person goes to amazon.com/vine they will not see what I do.