Memory Foam Mattress Topper Test and Review

Wow.  I was allowed to purchase this memory foam mattress topper on amazon in exchange for testing it out and giving my honest review, and what a great deal that was!

I'm going to be honest ... I was going to put this on my bed long enough to give it a good ride and write the review, and then make a dog bed out of it for Molly.  The cover on her bed is in great shape, but the innards are nothing but shredded foam (or something) and it's a mess.  I figured I could cut this mattress topper to fit and get at least a double thickness out of it, but guess what?  If Molly wants a more comfortable bed, she's going to have to climb in with me!

The instructions said to lay this mattress topper out flat and leave it for (I believe) 24 hours to make sure it would flatten out appropriately, but I didn't have anywhere to let it set for that long, so I unrolled it right onto my bed and checked on it in a few hours.  Well, it flattened right out, so I made the bed and climbed in a few hours later.  There were no lumps or bumps at all, and it hasn't shifted.

My biggest concern before getting this mattress pad was wondering whether my regular fitted sheet fit over it all.  I'm happy to report that it's not been an issue at all; my fitted sheet stretched over my mattress and this topper with no trouble.

It's been a couple of weeks and it's still in the same spot I put it, hasn't shifted at all, and it hasn't lost its memory.  It molds to my body, no matter how many times I move around, yet doesn't leave that indentation from my butt like my regular mattress does.  Score!

Bottom line - I'm extremely happy that I was able to review this memory foam mattress topper, but not so happy that I have to find another bed for Molly.

~  Marie Anne

How to Write a Good Product Review for Amazon

Second in my series of articles about how to get free and cheap products to review is how to actually write a good review.

I know many of you are chomping at the bit to get your hands on some free stuff, but if you start joining groups and sites and give your favorite delivery man a workout delivering all your goodies, you're going to have to be ready to start writing reviews immediately, so it's best to know beforehand how to do it.  Articles about how to actually get the products will be covered soon - pinkie swear!  Now let's get to the meat of how to write a good review on amazon.

1 - Disclose.  First and foremost, you MUST disclose somewhere in your review that you received the product either free or at a discount in exchange for your honest, unbiased review.  The FTC mandated it a few years ago for all bloggers or anyone posting any type of review on other sites.  Amazon is a stickler for it and they do read our reviews, and if they find yours without the required disclosure, they will remove the review and you could even lose the privilege of posting any future reviews.  Not worth it.  Don't risk it.  Always disclose.

Some people say it should be in the first line, some say the last line, others will tell you to hide it in the middle.  Amazon's only requirement is that it be included, so use your own judgement.  I tend to mix mine up and put it where it fits best for how I'm writing that particular review.

2 - Tell me something good.  Don't just leave one sentence saying that you love the product and give it five stars.  Tell me WHY you like (or dislike) a product.  Think like a customer.  Make a mental list of things that you might like to know if you were considering purchasing that product.  Does it smell good?  Is the smell overpowering?  Size.  Color.  Quality. You don't need to write a book, but try to make your reviews at least a few sentences long.

If you're just getting into reviewing, you'll likely get a lot of supplements and facial products to test.  There's not a whole lot you can say about the effectiveness of vitamins and supplements within 2-3 days of receiving them, but you can attest to how large a pill is, whether it's easy to swallow (or might choke a horse), whether there's any aftertaste (or aftereffects), etc.  With face creams, you certainly can't show photos that prove that your crow's feet disappeared after just two applications, but you can mention what it smells and feels like, and whether you experienced any side effects from using it (burning, redness, etc.).  

(edited to add the following to #2)

You can also edit your review at any time, so you can go back and add more detail about why you liked/didn't like a product after you've used it for a longer period of time.

Write the review about the product, not the service.  If an item was broken in transit or arrived long after the expected date, that has to do with packaging and shipping, not the product itself.  There's a separate place to provide feedback for whether a product was packaged well and arrived on time. 

3 - DON'T plagiarize.  It's not always easy to come up with unique words to use to describe a product and there will be many reviews that will sound similar, but make sure that what you write is in your own words.  You wouldn't want anyone to copy the reviews you work hard to write, would you?

4 - Make a list.  Some product reviews might be suitable as a list of pros and cons.  If you can come up with a few things that you really like about something, but there are a few things that you'd like to see done better, you might list them separately so that the pros/cons are easy to pick out by a potential buyer.  Pro and con lists are great for things like the latest computers and technical gadgets where you can compare them to previous models.

5 - Be honest, but give the seller the benefit of the doubt.  Sellers are offering products to you in the hope that you'll give a favorable review, but they can't 'buy' your review, and giving a stellar review to a product that sucks isn't going to help anyone.  Many groups will ask that if you can't give an honest review with at least 4 stars, that you contact them first to see if your displeasure is something that the seller can correct before you post your review.  They can't require you to give four or five stars, but if there was something you didn't like that the seller can fix, it's only fair that you give them the chance to do so.

That should be enough to get you started writing a decent review.  Remember, sellers want people who have written a good number of reviews, but they should also be well-written.  If you want, click through to my amazon profile if you'd like to see how I write my reviews.  You don't have to follow my style of writing, but it might give you some ideas of what things should be included in a review.  If you have more questions about how to write a quality review, leave a comment below and I'll answer, or make a separate blog post on that topic.

~ Marie Anne

Previous article in this series:  How to Get Free Products to Review - Step One

How to Get Products Free or Cheap in Exchange for a Review

How would you like to have your mailbox filled with loads of free items every day?  Do you jump for joy when the delivery truck shows up with packages from amazon?  If you get them free (or for a buck or two), it's just like Christmas!  It's not hard to do if you know where to look.  Companies that sell their products on amazon.com get more exposure when their items are reviewed, so they are willing to send them to customers like you and me for as little as a dollar or two, and many are absolutely free. Most offer them with free shipping if you have an amazon prime account.

Just in the last two weeks I've received more than a dozen items totally free, or for $1 - some are less expensive items, but a few that are more high-dollar and definitely worth the few minutes it took me to use the product and write the review.   Here are just a few of the items I've received in the last few days:

Portable changing pad for my son and his wife (who just gave me a new grandbaby last week!)

 

2' stuffed giraffe for same new grandbaby (although his 2 1/2 yr old big sister seems to have claimed it).

Amazing diffuser, which has helped with my allergies.



Essential oils to use with above diffuser.




Stunning handmade pendant.  Click through to look at the closeup of this - it's gorgeous!





Pretty sling bag with  multiple pockets - very versatile.




I've also received a selfie stick, a flexible tripod to get that steady shot with my cell phone, reusable shopping bags, portable chargers (I keep one in my car and another in my purse), a knee cushion for gardening, expensive face creams, loads of vitamins and supplements, easy to use handheld can opener with bottle opener, calf compression sleeves (great for fending off stress fractures) ... and that's just a partial list of things I've received for free (or as little as $1)!

Ok, I've told you what kind of things I've been getting, but how can you get them?  Easy!  Start off on Facebook and search for groups.  There are dozens out there where sellers offer their products in exchange for reviews.  Some are for all different types of products, while others might be tailored more specifically to a particular theme - beauty, clothing, baby/toddler items, kitchen gadgets, etc.

Simply go to Facebook and start looking for groups by searching words like amazon reviews, or reviewers.   Look at the descriptions of the groups to see what type of things they offer, and see what the rules are for joining and asking for free products to review.  Pick a few to click to join, and sit back and watch for free/discounted products to be offered.  It's easy to join a number of groups and then be completely overwhelmed, so start small with just one or two groups until you develop a system for getting your quality reviews done in a timely manner (if you fall too far behind, you'll either be bumped down the list for getting product, or tossed out of the group entirely).

That's it!

Read the rules of the groups carefully, as some might request you to post a photo or video, or require you to write your review within a certain amount of days after receiving the product. Remember, these companies are giving you their product free (or nearly free) because they rely on you to review it in hopes of boosting their sales, so make sure to follow through and do your part.

I'll be publishing more posts about some of my favorite groups, how to keep track of your freebies and reviews, how to write a good review, what to do if the product sucks (it happens!), and just general tips on the whole topic of getting free product in exchange for reviews on amazon.com, so keep your eyes on this blog.  If you have any specific questions, please leave a comment and I'll be sure to address it in a future post.

Now get ready to go shopping - for FREE!

~ Marie Anne

P.S.  Make sure to follow ThriftyLdy on Facebook too, so you don't miss anything!