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

[Wondermoomin]

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.

Agreed, that brand isn't referenced anywhere on the website.

It makes Mumsnet's claim that they only recommend what their users endorse seem obsolete.

If no one on the site recommended that mower, then why promote it? The most likely explanation is probably that they didn't have an affiliate deal with other brands.

I really think this whole fraudulent situation is ironic given that just recently Mumsnet has started the pop-ups about being funded by advertising so please turn off your ad blockers...I don't think anyone will turn their ad blockers off now - none of them can be trusted....

I actually accept the normal advertising. It is clearly that.. it’s not pretending to be endorsed by MN or us.

But, those adverts aren't, surely, random? The producers will have some sort of contract/agreement with MN otherwise they wouldn't be displayed - Marketing 101?

Yes but I don’t for example think that ITV or a newspaper site is saying that the advertised product is good or works just that the company bought a slot. Same here here an advert on AIBU or Chat

@Mypoorbody Are you sure? Feel free to colour me Mrs Cynic but adverts will appear depending on key words perceived on individual chat sequences...It's all done by keywords...and there will be endorsements along with them...

I know they are targeted from key words but on mine it actually says Advertisement at the top. I ignore them but just noticed my current Advert is to sign up for MN Swears By!

Well that's a surprise, just received a MN Swears by email. Was not expecting that!

No, it’s clearly the perfect Swears By recommendation! Let me get my credit card.

Oh that's very surprising!

Does it contain any recommendations? Are they for the things that are being advertised?

(I am not a subscriber…)

I hope it’s not recommending any music by Fleetwood Mac…

Thanks for the earworm!

Well as I thought, MN have not been back to this thread to address any of the further concerns raised

another musical recommendation from Mumsnet ;)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vmgmO3Sb7hNKf7pufBzhP?si=y-WrI-bgQWWt60LXWhZEIw&pi=sAxl_cGxS4C33

Oh it’s gone up to 2 percent YABU since I was on here last. A couple of people who like being lied to?

That’s Justine, Jo and the Editor voting YABU 🤣

I just gets worse n worse.

But we're all freeloaders, dontcha know!

For those who don't get the Swears By newsletter, I have clicked on most of the quotes recommending products on today's one and they are both for the specific product promoted AND from 2025 - except for Rodial's Banana Lowlighter where the recommendations were made back in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I guess it mustn't have been mentioned much since then.

I'm impressed by the longevity, actually - my favourites always get discontinued after a couple of years, guess I should try this one as Rodial are putting money into promoting it. Or not.

Still disappointing - you'd think this newsletter would have been double- and triple-checked to make sure everything checked out. I've unsubscribed now anyway, because what's the point?

It reminds me of the Dominic Cummings/Barnard Castle madness, and God knows how many Boris Johnson 'events.' It's almost not the thing itself, it's the cover up, the lack of truthful accountability and the being treated like fools that really rankles.

I honestly think I could move on (eventually) if MN had said 'The game's up. We were trying to make a ton of money, we mislaid our moral compass, fucked up and it's bitten us HARD.'

The 'explanation' from Justine herself was such an insult to everyone's intelligence. In the age of Trump, political deceit and weaponised misinformation, honesty is so bloody important.

It's sad. MN have squandered so much trust, reputation and affection over this. The radio silence and the attempts to hide the issue from other MN members is awful.

Us: fuck off Mumsnet

Mumsnet: Mumsnet users swear by Mumsnet Swears By

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5328465-has-anyone-used-fly-lash-magnetic-lashes?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

I'll now be doing this on all my product recommendations 😁

I thought you did that on purpose since it seems to be the MN way!

and the being treated like fools that really rankles.

THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ over and over again

Mnhq regularly tell us what freeloading twats we are. And send "ooops, we're just fishing behind the sofa" mnhq messages, plus the "sorry you feel upset" messages.

But this is bollocks, and law breaking

They NEED to make this right!

Oh my. This is shocking. I hope the ASA comes down hard