To ask how you actually get responses on such a fast moving forum?

[CarlaH]

I posted yesterday asking for peoples opinion on Abel and Cole as I was considering setting up an account with them.

Firstly I tried Chat but within two minutes my post had dropped off the active page so then I tried again in AIBU which seems to get the most interest but yet again it disappeared on to page two with no responses very quickly.

This forum has a massive base so I assume it is a good place to get a range of opinions but the posts move so quickly it's hard to get any responses.

Is there a trick I am missing?

Bump.

Use a catchy title or do what I do read online reviews.

Mumsnetters like to argue so if it's just normal chat it just won't get as much attention.

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.abelandcole.co.uk

I find it hit and miss, as a very long term user of the site. You see long running threads really helping some people but conversely if someone posts and it gets missed they can end up with barely anything.

I think this is more the subject matter op, sorry, I’ve never heard of abel and Cole, so likely the folks who saw it were the same.

Use a vaguely controversial title to get the answers you need indirectly

Eg:

"What do you think of Abel and Cole" = boring
"AIBU to think Abel and Cole is bloody expensive for what it is?" = people will debate

I’d post about Abel and cole on the food board.

I use them. They’re fine but just fine. Expensive for the amount you get in the veg box but the delivery is reliable and they’ve got a good selection of other products to add to the veg. You used to be able to swap things you don’t like/want that week but you can’t at the moment which is a pain. We got the same bagged salad three weeks running and were sick of it by the end.

You can click topics and read each one as slow as you like. I know I often see a heading and think I read that later, it drops off the page and have to go find it.

Active button is more of a lucky dip to what’s been happening last 15minutes.

Just to answer your Abel and Cole question (as opposed to your one about responses), I'd say Riverford are far superior to them.

I think the lack of responses could be due to the obscureness of your title, assuming it referred to “Abel & Cole”. Might be better off doing it the other way around and googling for Abel & Cole reviews.

There are thousands of reviews on the internet....

I, too, find Riverford much, much better.

WRT to getting a response, lots of people use click-bait-y titles. I refuse to do this (as I'm hoity-toity), so don't really bother starting threads. (Not sure how helpful that is to you).

I would see if you have a local greengrocer/farm shop who does a veg box. I've used a local place for years and they're very good, very reliable and I can pick up the phone and ask for a special thing

people will ignore a thread with a boring title when it says (1) in the threads list so that they know it's just a boring question. they may click on it if it says (2) to see if anyone has replied with anything entertainingly scathing or witty. Also people tend to browse for something to give their opinion on when they are having a cuppa or eating lunch, so around 11am, 1pm or 4pm reply to your own thread to bump it back up to the top of active threads adding something witty or controversial.

I tried Abel&Cole when there was a special deal that meant my DSs school would get a £20 bonus if I signed up, but it was ridiculously overpriced compared to visiting a nearby greengrocer. I would use them if I had the kind of job where I was at work 8am to 6pm and couldn't get to a greengrocer in the week, but happily I am not in that position.

Thanks for the responses both about Abel and Cole and also why I got no replies.

I'll try and be more inventive in future.

I wondered about Riverford but know that they don't allow substitutions of things you don't like. I have friends who say that the stuff they don't like always seems to crop up more than the things they do.