Page 20 | MN have used my quote to promote a product I’ve never bought 🤔

Wondermoomin · 2025-05-01T19:52:57+00:00

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.

heffalumpwoozle · 02/05/2025 16:21

Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 09:29

Let’s be clear what the issue is…

I have no expectation of ownership over words I write online.

If MN had written an email saying “Wondermoomin raved about her pop up gazebo, we’ve found a similar one that’s reduced…” that would have been fine. (Even if it’s a bit odd to use such an old post.)

But the fact that MN have removed the reference points in my post(s) - got it from the garden centre, no idea what brand etc - and placed it next to a photo and link which makes it look like that photo and link is the “it” I’m talking about - well that’s deliberately misleading, and that is not cool. At all.

You can complain about misleading marketing, but the fact that they are your words is neither here nor there now - they are Mumsnet's words - so they have no obligation to care how you feel other than from a consumer/ marketing perspective.

Mumsnet owns your content in basically the same way as if they had written it themselves.

C8H10N4O2 · 02/05/2025 16:24

JennyTwoTimes · 02/05/2025 16:13

honestly, what is this meltdown about? A marketing email included a general quote about gazebos (not even a bad one), and suddenly it’s turned into a full-on witch hunt.

Let’s be real: this isn’t about the gazebo is it? Some of you just really hate it here and will jump on absolutely anything to have a go. And I say this as someone who’s not here to defend ANY company. They can all take care of themselves. But this sort of performative outrage over a gazebo is unhinged. Take a fucking look at yourselves.

Also it’s the sunniest weekend we’ve had in months. Why are grown adults spending it angrily dissecting a fucking email? Go outside. Have a drink. Sit under a parasol. Or a gazebo, if you can bear the sight of one without getting the pitchforks out. Seriously, get a grip. This is just fucking weird.

No - it took a quote from an identifiable poster and refabricated it as a recommendation for the product by that poster.

That is dishonest advertising. On a forum where real posters often do ask for advice and recommendations its deliberately taking that community help feature for misuse.

If they had taken actual generic quotes and not attributed it to a real poster eg “MN’ers love gazebos” followed by a series of non attributed comments such as “we love our gazebo, it stayed up for an entire ten minutes after purchase” this thread would not exist.

Advertising standards exist for a reason.

Philthefridge · 02/05/2025 16:24

heffalumpwoozle · 02/05/2025 16:21

You can complain about misleading marketing, but the fact that they are your words is neither here nor there now - they are Mumsnet's words - so they have no obligation to care how you feel other than from a consumer/ marketing perspective.

Mumsnet owns your content in basically the same way as if they had written it themselves.

Show quote history

And again, the complaint IS about the misleading marketing. The OP obviously objects to being part of it, as it doesn't feel honest. But while MN can do what it wants editorially with the content we provide, there are rules about what it can do when advertising.

Original poster

Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 16:30

heffalumpwoozle · 02/05/2025 16:21

You can complain about misleading marketing, but the fact that they are your words is neither here nor there now - they are Mumsnet's words - so they have no obligation to care how you feel other than from a consumer/ marketing perspective.

Mumsnet owns your content in basically the same way as if they had written it themselves.

Show quote history

Did you read my post that you quoted? Because if you did, I believe you understand that I’m not complaining about my words being used, but about the way they’ve misled people.

OP posts:

SwanOfThoseThings · 02/05/2025 16:32

BoIIocks · 02/05/2025 16:08

Can anyone recommend an amazing shovel? Something that’s good for digging a deeper and deeper hole?

"This one is amazing and literally life-changing" AMumsnetter *

*(posting in 2013 about a back-massager)

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

Jones1228 · 02/05/2025 16:32

Out of interest did anyone buy the gazebo? Or has anyone ever purchased anything on these recommendations that has been so terrible and not at all what you were told it was? Just curious.

Waterweight · 02/05/2025 16:32

Lol. At thinking Mumsnet is above user respect. They've been profiting of storys & questions posted on here picked up by the media for years & probably didn't even check the original posts date/info just looked up posts about pop up gazebo & grabbed the first one

vapourtrail · 02/05/2025 16:33

I get the email and often read the thread from where the recommendation came from (because I'm awkward like that) and am often surprised that there can be 10 people recommending one thing and then 2 recommending something else, but it it the one that is recommended twice that ends up in the Swears by email. I think they recommend things that they can get an agreement with the company to get a payment of each click through rather than really pulling out the most recommended products.

Ohwowwo · 02/05/2025 16:33

Did anyone really buy those MN product “recommendations”????? It always seemed a bit dodgy, a smell of BS from the beginning. I looked once and saw rave reviews for a crap product so that was it for me. Doesn’t let them off the hook of course.

SparklyGlitterballs · 02/05/2025 16:35

I think it's hilarious that people have been fooled by the MNEditor and MNHQ responses. If they'd been genuine they'd have been in a different colour? Mine appear as a grey post if they're from MN.

That aside, I too will never believe another ad from this site. I expect it on places like Facebook, but not on MN. That 'apology email' was a right cop out and MN should be ashamed.

Spies · 02/05/2025 16:37

SparklyGlitterballs · 02/05/2025 16:35

I think it's hilarious that people have been fooled by the MNEditor and MNHQ responses. If they'd been genuine they'd have been in a different colour? Mine appear as a grey post if they're from MN.

That aside, I too will never believe another ad from this site. I expect it on places like Facebook, but not on MN. That 'apology email' was a right cop out and MN should be ashamed.

Mnhq confirmed MNeditor was telling the truth and was indeed working with the site despite their post appearing like a regular poster.

Original poster

Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 16:39

I can’t find all the people who’ve been saying to me about complaining to ASA and who have put the links, but just confirming that I have done that.

I don’t know the ins and outs of the rules but the ASA do and I’m sure they’ll judge it on the facts rather than complaining that we should be out enjoying the sun, worse things happen, it’s only a gazebo etc.

OP posts:

Jones1228 · 02/05/2025 16:39

JennyTwoTimes · 02/05/2025 16:13

honestly, what is this meltdown about? A marketing email included a general quote about gazebos (not even a bad one), and suddenly it’s turned into a full-on witch hunt.

Let’s be real: this isn’t about the gazebo is it? Some of you just really hate it here and will jump on absolutely anything to have a go. And I say this as someone who’s not here to defend ANY company. They can all take care of themselves. But this sort of performative outrage over a gazebo is unhinged. Take a fucking look at yourselves.

Also it’s the sunniest weekend we’ve had in months. Why are grown adults spending it angrily dissecting a fucking email? Go outside. Have a drink. Sit under a parasol. Or a gazebo, if you can bear the sight of one without getting the pitchforks out. Seriously, get a grip. This is just fucking weird.

YES!! Its bank holiday weekend, I've poured a gin and tonic and intend to enjoy the sun. I hope you do too!

Anon93249 · 02/05/2025 16:40

SparklyGlitterballs · 02/05/2025 16:35

I think it's hilarious that people have been fooled by the MNEditor and MNHQ responses. If they'd been genuine they'd have been in a different colour? Mine appear as a grey post if they're from MN.

That aside, I too will never believe another ad from this site. I expect it on places like Facebook, but not on MN. That 'apology email' was a right cop out and MN should be ashamed.

The MNHQ one is real - it says MNHQ have commented on this thread and it was blue for me on my screen. In their comment they said that MNEditor was real.

samarrange · 02/05/2025 16:41

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

We feel these quotes are still helpful because they describe generic merits of the product which apply to all versions.

But they don't. They describe the merits of the particular product that the OP bought, which may or may not apply to the product being advertised. And this is the case even if the features are apparently similar. The product being advertised might turn out to be really flimsy in a way that would have led OP, had she bought that version instead of the one she got, to say "I bought a pop-up gazebo and it was really crap, the legs collapsed when my child leaned on them" or whatever.

Imagine that OP was saying that she bought a Mercedes and it was great for the school run, and then you recycled that in a promotion for a Lada. And someone bought the Lada and it was crap, and they sent an annoyed DM to @Wondermoomin saying "Why are you endorsing crappy Russian cars?".

user499978802 · 02/05/2025 16:42

Jones1228 · 02/05/2025 16:39

YES!! Its bank holiday weekend, I've poured a gin and tonic and intend to enjoy the sun. I hope you do too!

Show quote history

That's nice, dear.

I love a poster who comes on a thread to spend an hour and a half expounding on how little they care about the topic.

Original poster

Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 16:42

SparklyGlitterballs · 02/05/2025 16:35

I think it's hilarious that people have been fooled by the MNEditor and MNHQ responses. If they'd been genuine they'd have been in a different colour? Mine appear as a grey post if they're from MN.

That aside, I too will never believe another ad from this site. I expect it on places like Facebook, but not on MN. That 'apology email' was a right cop out and MN should be ashamed.

Have a think about the timeline. The post from MNEditor was before the “apology email” came out. It’s word for word the same. MNEditor is as confirmed as being legit by an actual MN person with a blue background, despite looking like a normal poster. Do you still think people have been fooled by MNEditor? I know it’s laughable that someone “official” can’t be distinguished from the plebs on such a well established site, but here we are.

OP posts:

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 02/05/2025 16:43

Hi all
Apologies for being late to this, I completely understand your concern. You're right - I don't believe what we did here is up to scratch. In future we will be crystal clear about whether a quote relates to a specific product or to a broader category we're recommending.

To clarity a few things:

We weren’t paid to promote this product.
You can’t buy your way into a Mumsnet recommendation — ever.
Sometimes we earn commission on sales via links, but our email picks are always based on organic reviews from the Mumsnet community.
This wasn’t AI-generated. It was a human mistake, not a machine one.
When we do work with brands, we always label that content clearly as "created for" or "supported by an advertiser".

@Wondermoomin we're really sorry for quoting you out of context - that shouldn't have happened, we should have been clearer that this was a category endorsement not a product specific recommendation. Thank you for holding us to high standards. We care deeply about maintaining trust and I promise we'll do better. But I was to assure you this was a cock-up, not a conspiracy.

BitOutOfPractice · 02/05/2025 16:44

Oh dear. Very shady MN. And the explanation has made it worse, not better. I’m a PR. Would you like some help @JustineMumsnet ? I come highly recommended.

BTW your interjection was much better.

Jones1228 · 02/05/2025 16:46

user499978802 · 02/05/2025 16:42

That's nice, dear.

I love a poster who comes on a thread to spend an hour and a half expounding on how little they care about the topic.

Show quote history

Oh thank fuck you said that, I would not have been able to sleep tonight unless Knew what a stranger off the internet's opinion of me was.

FredoandToto · 02/05/2025 16:46

JustineMumsnet · 02/05/2025 16:43

Hi all
Apologies for being late to this, I completely understand your concern. You're right - I don't believe what we did here is up to scratch. In future we will be crystal clear about whether a quote relates to a specific product or to a broader category we're recommending.

To clarity a few things:

We weren’t paid to promote this product.
You can’t buy your way into a Mumsnet recommendation — ever.
Sometimes we earn commission on sales via links, but our email picks are always based on organic reviews from the Mumsnet community.
This wasn’t AI-generated. It was a human mistake, not a machine one.
When we do work with brands, we always label that content clearly as "created for" or "supported by an advertiser".

@Wondermoomin we're really sorry for quoting you out of context - that shouldn't have happened, we should have been clearer that this was a category endorsement not a product specific recommendation. Thank you for holding us to high standards. We care deeply about maintaining trust and I promise we'll do better. But I was to assure you this was a cock-up, not a conspiracy.

What about all the other products that have been posted where you’ve done the same thing?

PansyP · 02/05/2025 16:46

Jesus christ, they actually give a link to the post! 😂It's hardly some big conspiracy. This pile on is ridiculous. Grow up and get a life, unsubscribe if you want

user499978802 · 02/05/2025 16:47

Jones1228 · 02/05/2025 16:46

Oh thank fuck you said that, I would not have been able to sleep tonight unless Knew what a stranger off the internet's opinion of me was.

Show quote history

You're so very welcome.

Original poster

Wondermoomin · 02/05/2025 16:47

JustineMumsnet · 02/05/2025 16:43

Hi all
Apologies for being late to this, I completely understand your concern. You're right - I don't believe what we did here is up to scratch. In future we will be crystal clear about whether a quote relates to a specific product or to a broader category we're recommending.

To clarity a few things:

We weren’t paid to promote this product.
You can’t buy your way into a Mumsnet recommendation — ever.
Sometimes we earn commission on sales via links, but our email picks are always based on organic reviews from the Mumsnet community.
This wasn’t AI-generated. It was a human mistake, not a machine one.
When we do work with brands, we always label that content clearly as "created for" or "supported by an advertiser".

@Wondermoomin we're really sorry for quoting you out of context - that shouldn't have happened, we should have been clearer that this was a category endorsement not a product specific recommendation. Thank you for holding us to high standards. We care deeply about maintaining trust and I promise we'll do better. But I was to assure you this was a cock-up, not a conspiracy.

I appreciate your comment, and I would love to be assured, but how do you explain that this wasn’t actually just a human mistake? There have been so many examples uncovered, that’s it’s clear to me that it’s standard practice.

OP posts:

Blackdow · 02/05/2025 16:49

JustineMumsnet · 02/05/2025 16:43

Hi all
Apologies for being late to this, I completely understand your concern. You're right - I don't believe what we did here is up to scratch. In future we will be crystal clear about whether a quote relates to a specific product or to a broader category we're recommending.

To clarity a few things:

We weren’t paid to promote this product.
You can’t buy your way into a Mumsnet recommendation — ever.
Sometimes we earn commission on sales via links, but our email picks are always based on organic reviews from the Mumsnet community.
This wasn’t AI-generated. It was a human mistake, not a machine one.
When we do work with brands, we always label that content clearly as "created for" or "supported by an advertiser".

@Wondermoomin we're really sorry for quoting you out of context - that shouldn't have happened, we should have been clearer that this was a category endorsement not a product specific recommendation. Thank you for holding us to high standards. We care deeply about maintaining trust and I promise we'll do better. But I was to assure you this was a cock-up, not a conspiracy.

What about the examples on this thread of this happening over and over? And it only took a few minutes for people to dig those up. So this seems like it is actually standard practice rather than a cock up on this occasion. Is this standard practice? And are you going to change that and from now on use only recommendations which are about the exact product you are promoting, or at least say “Mumsnet users have loved similar items so we recommend this one?”