to ask if you’ve bought something because of Mumsnet?

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

Mumsnet is a force to be reckoned with and I’ve realised after reading a few threads today that I’ve bought a lot of things because of Mumsnet recommendations.

Aldi wine
Aldi pizzas
Matalan rug
Saltwater sandals
School uniform name tape
Essie nail polish
Pixi glow
Astral face cream
L’Oréal shampoo
Aveeno handcream
Aldi nappies
Switched to Coke Zero
3 x holidays for 8 people
2 x pushchairs
2 handbags
A scarf
Dozens of books
Kids coats
Dozens of Christmas gifts
Toys
Merlin pass
National trust pass
Event tickets
A sofa
Floor tiles
Bathroom suite
Dishwasher tablets
A fridge
A hoover
Method cleaning products
Light bulbs
Photo books
Photo calendars
Car insurance
Mortgage broker services
Audible

I’m sure there are loads more

Before most bigger purchases or trying a new brand I search Mumsnet. I start threads about things I want to buy, I read recommendations, I dip in and out of different sub forums.

What have you bought because of Mumsnet?

#IStandWithMumsnet

Assigned Don't worry - I didn't think about my disability until I was holding/dropping a rather slippery bar of soap. You can't be predict and always post on the basis a poster might have a disability - that way lies madness and boring threads.

I've bought some ink from some of the stationary threads

DH bought me a babyyliss big hair years ago and I love it still also bought:

Lakeland airer
Zoflora (not a fan it smells so strong!)
Aldi nappies
Lush shampoo bar (helloooo static)
Cloth nappies (best thing ever)

ANd a pourty comb, medela breast pump, bottom butter and the ikea high chair

Lakeland heated airer which although we don't plug in regularly is a very well designed piece of kit that I wouldn't be parted with. Gone are the days of those rickety, crap airers.

I'd get a Dyson cordless if I had the money after the recent "what makes you happy" thread.

I thought I didn't buy much based on mumsnet but reading this thread it's pretty much everything in my house. Bloody hell.

I bought a steam mop after reading a thread on it. I also bought a cordless Dyson which has been fab and means that I hoover much more often.

Ecover laundry liquid
Child’s farm moisturiser
Method cleaner

Most recently - Arrow Colour-Enhancing Lip Balm - amazing!

I bought a pair of sandals despite MN once.
Someone posted a link in S&B to a pair of Plumo sandals that I thought were great but almost everyone who posted on the thread thought were hideous. I bought them and I love them, they are super comfortable and when I wore them in Florence last year I had several Italian women telling me how much they loved my sandals.

I think I bought everything. Am extremely suggestible.

Off the top of my head

Mooncup
Soap bars
Soaf shampoo
Double wear
Big hair
Facial sun cream
Lancome mascara

To be honest when I know I want something I have a quick mumsnet search for previous recommendations

Loads! I am a style and beauty addict.... off the top of my head...

Mooncup
Zoflora (awful stuff)
Oasis dress
Dune sandals
Hada labo hyularonic acid
Biore sun screen
One hundred stars kaftan

Ooh and a Karcher window vac.

Roomba, a mooncup, a sling and not bought but named one of my cats 😁

You can make cakes in a deep fill breville

I'd get a Dyson cordless if I had the money after the recent "what makes you happy" thread.

GreyClouds me too. A friend got one for her birthday (she asked for it specially, it wasn't her husband being a dick, as he cleans too - I've seen him do it!*) and she let me have a go on it as a special treat...

(*I've added this bit as it used to enrage me when people bought my mum things like casserole dishes and other household stuff for her birthday - it wasn't the house's birthday, ffs, it was hers.)

Basically every single thing on the Christmas bargains thread.

So what's to stop moles posting things on 'Swears by'? And i don't mean the furry kind. E.g. 'Hush boyfriend jeans - best jeans ever' - how do I know that's not someone from Hush?

Swears By is run by MNHQ and the stuff on it comes from what’s been mentioned publically on threads.

Of course it’s possible that subtle PR people manage to plant plugs on threads without us noticing - I’m sure it happens occasionally although MNHQ can see whether the person extolling the virtues of M&S’s new jumper signed on with a @marksandspencer.com email address.

I’m also sure that MNHQ’s choice of what to put on “Swears By” is sometimes influenced by whether they’ll get a decent commission on someone buying it through their link. Notoriously I remember a thread about “which high chair should I buy” which was 99% composed of posts saying “IKEA Antilop: it’s dirt cheap and you can put it in the dishwasher!”. MN Swears By had found the one post saying “I love my Stokke Tripp Trapp - it matches my wooden kitchen” and used it to peg a sponsored link to buy it. Presumably IKEA don’t do good sponsored links.

So what's to stop moles posting things on 'Swears by'?

You don’t really. A couple of times I have seen things I wondered about. Zoflora is a bit suss sometimes.

I assumed the Swears By stuff they get a commission on, so I'm a bit more sceptical about all the 'rave reviews'.

One of my posts has been quoted on 'Mumsnet swears by' and I can assure you I neither work for the company that I had posted about nor am I on any sort of commission!
Il

Ella - I meant MN are on commission. Ive no doubt the comments are all genuine.

I've no problem with MN earning from it advertising, it's a business.

Yes most of the original posts on Swears By will presumably be legit (some more subtle spammers might slip through the net) but with all the zillions of posts out there MNHQ gets to pick which ones they use.