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.

In fact it’s bottom of second page below a post that was last active 24 minutes ago.

I think it’s on a 20 minute throttle, or something.

Fascinating.

Not even twenty minutes. I've genuinely only seen it in active once over the weekend.

If you look on active and go to the second page (show more) it is in there - well it is for me.

I've never seen it in active and I've looked many times.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regs have been replaced by the Digitial Markets Act, but the DMA explicitly prohibits misleading and fake reviews just like this one, so it’s even worse.

Do you think comments are worth repeating on the new thread?

@Anon93249 and @steelseries

Link from previous page

Just to say that I have also flagged my concerns to the ASA as well. To report concerns about abuse under the DMA you need to tell the Competition and Markets Authority by going here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-the-cma

@JoMumsnet or @JustineMumsnet I'm wondering if you have anything more to say either on this thread or the sequel? People are pretty shocked.

Go onto OPs second thread. Justine has made a large post.

Yes I know, thanks. I've just replied to that. I posted this a couple of hours before the reply came.

Oh sorry, I didn't look at the time stamps. I was scrolling through my "I'm on" list and saw your post and thought I would try and be helpful . I should have known better 😂

Thank you I appreciate that.

I was about to make a purchase on the basis of a mumsnet recommendation

having come across this thread…. Safe to say, I won’t be!

I suppose others had the form email from the ASA telling us our complaint was under consideration? I really hope this goes somewhere and more people complain.

Yes, I’ve had a response from the ASA as well. I’ve also contacted some of the companies whose products have been associated with the fake reviews as well

Some people have far too much time on their hands.

I'm glad someone has the time to pursue big companies making money off fake reviews/misleading ads.

Unlike Mumsnet who are rushing so much they just "didn't spot" all these consistently convenient errors

You're mocking people taking the time to complain about what looks like a prolonged, intentional and thoroughly dishonest practice?

Do you think Mumsnet would have spent their Bank Holiday frantically updating all those product pages if they didn't realise they'd been caught out in possibly illegal advertising practices?

Why do you think it's alright for them to lie to us, abuse our trust, and use our words to promote products we never set eyes on? Is your own ethical compass in working order?

Yeah it must take quite a while writing up all those fake recommendations

Yes, but we are on a second thread now. www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5329058-part-2-mn-misrepresentation-in-recommendations-a-depressing-blend-of-abject-amateurism-and-outright-greed

Well, at least the time I have is spent productively :)
Unlike the time it took you to post an entirely unproductive and pointless comment 🤣

Mumsnet deception doesn’t immediately affect me, but others might be affected and probably have been deceived. In a caring society, surely we should all do what we can to prevent people being taken advantage of. Unless you think they’re just fair game?