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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔

979 replies

Wondermoomin · 01/05/2025 20:52

AIBU to expect MN recommendations, where they quote a poster/member, to be genuine?

I like being able to rely on recommendations in MN swears by and other emails. I excitedly opened an email with the subject “Big bargains for our most loyal Mumsnetters” wondering what MN could make me buy this time (I should probably get other hobbies).

Imagine my surprise to see my own username quoted there with a recommendation! Imagine my further surprise when I realised it was a post I wrote almost 8 years ago, and it was being used directly under a specific product to give the impression I was recommending it - and I’ve never even owned that particular thing mine was more expensive.

I don’t like posts being misrepresented as a recommendation for a specific product. It makes me question the credibility of other MN recommendations.

Hoping I’ll manage to attach screenshots.

PS my gazebo broke but I’ve replaced it. Still not with the brand I supposedly recommended according to the MN email.

MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔
MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔
OP posts:
Thread gallery
63
AlleycatMarie · 02/05/2025 12:56

I have also made a complaint to the ASA. I am so disappointed by the mumsnet HQ response to this, which shows they are not sorry and have done this repeatedly.

Zippedydodah · 02/05/2025 13:03

ThriveIn2025 · 02/05/2025 12:56

They clearly hid the thread while they prepared their response. The response is completely dismissive of the issue. The quote gives the impression the OP is recommending the product. It is at best misleading.

Completely disingenuous and dismissive response.
At least it’s clearer as to how low MN can stoop in using it’s readers.

LancreWowhawk · 02/05/2025 13:04

This is incredibly disappointing.

I'm a bright, savvy and generally sceptical type. Even with my bullshit-detector switched on, if I read that email, I would 100% assume that Moominwonder had bought and recommended that product. Any reasonable person would do so.

It is not only misleading, it is so painfully obvious that it would be misleading that I simply don't believe it wasn't done with that express purpose.

MalcolmMoo · 02/05/2025 13:04

Just got the email from mumsnet apologising! They haven’t really taken any responsibility! Saying sorry for confusion! It’s not the confusion you should be apologising for.

Kattekittt · 02/05/2025 13:07

I’ve just removed several items from my Amazon basket. These items had been added over time due to these emails, it all feels very wrong.

Also, others over this thread have found further anomalies that haven’t even been addressed. This is not an isolated incident

FullOfLemons · 02/05/2025 13:07

I might accept they made an innocent error with the misuse of the original quote.

However I expect MN put some careful thought into preparing the response / non apology.

So that’s their integrity in the bin.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 02/05/2025 13:07

This place gets more amateur hour by the minute

LapinR0se · 02/05/2025 13:09

I worked in marketing for many years. This is not ok and would be absolutely rejected by Clearcast or any other advertising standards or regulatory body. It is a false claim

NamechangeforLCJ · 02/05/2025 13:10

MNEditor · 02/05/2025 11:33

Hi

I'm the Mumsnet editor who produces the recommendation emails you receive, including last night's Discounts newsletter, so I'd like to explain my process.

I appreciate that the quote used to describe a pop-up gazebo last night was not directly applicable to the specific gazebo which was promoted, so firstly let me apologise if this has caused confusion or concern.

When products are selected for recommendation, our goal is always to share information which is useful to Mumsnetters and to help them find great products or bargains. We always try to use quotes that are as recent as possible and, where those are not available, ensure that a quote is still relevant. Where a quote may be used to recommend a product it is carefully selected to make sure that it is honestly describing either a specific item, or the general benefits of owning a similar item. We feel these quotes are still helpful because they describe generic merits of the product which apply to all versions. However I can see that we should be clearer when using these quotes - and should have added some explanation to the quote along the lines of "our users love the ease of using pop-up gazebos" to put it in its correct context.

To clarify, there was not, and never is, any intention of misleading readers. We also always make sure to link to the user's quote on the thread, so you can go to that conversation and make up your own mind based on what other users have said, with full transparency.

I hope this goes some way towards explaining our processes. That said, it is only ever our intention to provide honest recommendations, so going forward we will tighten up the process to clearly flag when a quote is being used to describe a similar, but not identical, product. We will also be emailing everyone who received last night's Discounts email to clarify the situation so nobody feels they have been misled.

Edited

What a poor justification.

For almost every product on the market there’s a now a vast range of price points, quality, sizes and so on.

It is of no use whatsoever to have a mumsnetter from 2017 or whenever saying “I like having a pop-up gazebo” or “I like owning a barbecue”. The relevant question given the variables involved is, does the mumsnetter recommend that specific product?

By using the OP’s quote out of context you gave the misleading impression that they endorsed the particular product you were flogging. Everything in your apology email suggests that this was done consciously, which makes it worse. A very poor show.

tinytemper66 · 02/05/2025 13:10

Just received an email with an apology for using the wrong quote…

MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔
Herewegoagain84 · 02/05/2025 13:10

unfortunately they have full rights to use any material users post essentially as they wish.

FredoandToto · 02/05/2025 13:12

Herewegoagain84 · 02/05/2025 13:10

unfortunately they have full rights to use any material users post essentially as they wish.

They don't have the right to use our quotes in a misleading way to sell us stuff, though. The ASA would have plenty to say about that!

Idioticwoman · 02/05/2025 13:13

I’m so disappointed, Mumsnet has been an organisation I have trusted for years to make genuine recommendations to me, this is so sloppy, careless and absolutely squanders its users trust, all for the sake of a few £ promoting a shitty substandard product

Sunflowerhelp · 02/05/2025 13:15

Mareleine · 02/05/2025 12:27

@MNEditor 's username is black with a white background to the post for me. Looks nothing like a normal MNHQ post at all, just looks like a random poster.

Show quote history

It's the same issue there was with the night watch moderators. There was nothing to distinguish them from other users.

Sweaterbag · 02/05/2025 13:15

qwertasdfg · 01/05/2025 21:17

yep. here it is:

https://www.mumsnet.com/i/terms-of-use
By uploading User Content to our Website, you confirm to us that it is not confidential and not protected by any trade mark, patent, copyright or any other intellectual property right ("non-proprietary"). By submitting User Content to us you automatically grant to us a worldwide, fully-paid up, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully sublicensable, and transferable right and license to use, store, record, sell, lease, copy, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works based upon (including, without limitation, translations), publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, publish and otherwise exploit the User Content (in whole or in part) as Mumsnet, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate forever. We may exercise these rights in any format, media or technology now known or later developed for the full term of any copyright and other intellectual property rights that may exist in such User Content. You also grant to us, in our capacity as non-exclusive licensee, the right to sue; bring proceedings, claims or actions; obtain relief (and retain all damages, accounts of profits, costs and other sums recovered) in respect of any suspected third party infringements of the intellectual property rights in the User Content which are directly connected to the rights granted to us under this clause. You agree that we will have sole conduct of any such actions and sole discretion to negotiate and settle them. You also agree to (at our cost) provide us with reasonable, non-financial assistance if we ask you to, in relation to any such actions (for example, by signing additional documents to give full effect to this clause).

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It's not that they used the content, it's that they used it dishonestly as an endorsement for a product, which it wasn't.

SanctusInDistress · 02/05/2025 13:16

The minute you sign up for an account you gave up your copyright to anything posted here. Read the terms and conditions!!

Leafy74 · 02/05/2025 13:17

I've just promoted myself to MN editor.
It won't show on this thread as I've already posted but on all new threads I am MNEditor Jo

As I said in my first post, this site is a cesspit. I only come here for the comedy.

sussexman · 02/05/2025 13:17

EmmaJane2025 · 02/05/2025 10:57

@Wondermoomin I’m not being “generous” at all, I’m using common sense

Many, including me, would disagree with your 'common sense,' but in any case, this appears to be a clear breach of advertising standards. The ASA web page on using testimonials specifically includes an example where a reference to one supplier's product was used to promote another's. The only common-sense conclusion to draw from this episode is that MN recommendations are not recommendations at all.

MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔
peachesarenom · 02/05/2025 13:18

Genuinely shocked!

SanctusInDistress · 02/05/2025 13:18

FredoandToto · 02/05/2025 13:12

They don't have the right to use our quotes in a misleading way to sell us stuff, though. The ASA would have plenty to say about that!

Show quote history

Are you absolutely sure about that? Like, you know it as a fact, or you assume?

FredoandToto · 02/05/2025 13:18

SanctusInDistress · 02/05/2025 13:16

The minute you sign up for an account you gave up your copyright to anything posted here. Read the terms and conditions!!

Yes, but that doesn't mean they can use our words in misleading ads. There are regulations about that. OP wouldn't have a problem if they had used her posts to promote something she was actually talking positively about!

FredoandToto · 02/05/2025 13:19

SanctusInDistress · 02/05/2025 13:18

Are you absolutely sure about that? Like, you know it as a fact, or you assume?

Show quote history

I work in marketing. You cannot use quotes in a misleading way, which is exactly what they have done, despite their protests.

Original poster
Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 13:22

Out of interest @JoMumsnet and @MNEditor and anyone else who
cant see (or is pretending not to see) what the problem is.

Let’s say I want to help mums find a good website for parenting support.

Now I’m going to post a screenshot and link to netmums.com.

And I’m going to add a bit of interest and credibility by putting a quote in:
“a place where parents come to swap tips and tricks, pool their knowledge, ask for help and offer shoulders to cry on” - mumsnet (and a link on that username)

My intent is to help people find good parenting websites, and the quote is talking about something similar to what I’m linking to.

Am I being helpful?

Or am I being misleading?

Or maybe I’m being a bit of both?

Would Mumsnet be ok with me using their quote to advertise something similar, it’s done with best intentions?

Like I said, I only ever intend to help
people find good websites so… 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts: