Comments on: Ferrit Writes Own Consumer Reviews

By: Because « Rowan Simpson

Because « Rowan Simpson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:13:14 +0000

[...] Generally poor judgement, represented most famously by the fabricated toaster reviews. [...]

By: stating the obvious

stating the obvious — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:56:23 +0000

if telecom staff can afford a $500 dollar toaster… I am applying for a job there tomorrow.

By: The failure of Ferrit - a dire assessment « Make it more Interactive

The failure of Ferrit - a dire assessment « Make it more Interactive — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:24:33 +0000

[...] Ferrit Writes own customer reviews [...]

By: 8degrees of vaughan rowsell » Ferrit, an expensive lesson.

8degrees of vaughan rowsell » Ferrit, an expensive lesson. — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:19:25 +0000

[...] COMMUNITY: After the toaster review fiasco, any chance of community fell apart. At best Ferrit just became a directory of retailers and a [...]

By: Who Killed the Ferrit? at Devour

Who Killed the Ferrit? at Devour — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:08:43 +0000

[...] faked it. Right when everyone online was just getting the idea that you need to be authentic they fake [...]

By: MySale would never stoop that low

MySale would never stoop that low — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 01:05:01 +0000

Its online businesses such as ferrit which treats the NZ public like morons with there blase attitude that “its cheek and tongue” which ruins it for other people launching a web based business with a fraction … wait 0.001 % of there budget. May ferrit crash and burn for treating the NZ public like morons!

By: 8 degrees of vaughan rowsell » Can Ferrit pull one out of its…

8 degrees of vaughan rowsell » Can Ferrit pull one out of its… — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:45:56 +0000

[...] Telecom has let the world know they have spent 12 million already on Ferrit and was planning another 12 in the next year. I have seen money spent better and got more in return, but by all accounts it seems the majority of the cash has been hosed into the now infamous ad agency that tried to convince the world Ferrit was the uber review site for toasters. [...]

By: Real-world reviews blog » Blog Archive » Nothing but the real thing?

Real-world reviews blog » Blog Archive » Nothing but the real thing? — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:47:18 +0000

[...] Tom Hayes is doing a series of posts on trust. One thing is for certain, on the web trust is hard to gain and then hard to maintain. With the rise and rise of spam, fake reviews and splogging, how long will it be before fake profiles are posted to push products – perhaps these will be called sprofiles. [...]

By: Diane McCarthy

Diane McCarthy — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:34:19 +0000

This is an example of intertextuality. The advertising agency has created a marketing ploy in its tv advertising campaign ( stereotyped geeky Internet shopper guy pulling chicks in pubs with cool designer toasters). Then it constructed fake consumer endorsements, on Ferrit.So the agency has used deception as a marketing tool. And here we all are, for free, raising the profile of that site, by participating in debate about the controversy! Very clever, and if under the Fair Trading Act the Commerce Commission, Fair Go, and the Consumers Institute get in on the act, and genberate more traction for this, so it becomes a main stream media story, then Telecom and its ad agency continue to laugh all the way to their respective banks.
Playing ‘pick the trick’ is a better way to go. Let’s say how boring it must be to visit Ferrit if so few real people use it, that the ad man cometh! I will certainly continue to avoid it.

By: In Today’s Marketing Digest « G2 New Zealand

In Today’s Marketing Digest « G2 New Zealand — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 03:11:04 +0000

[...] Opportunity Lost If only Telecom had taken the time, effort, energy and money applied to the Ferrit.co.nz enterprise and directed it to their online Yellow Pages offering! Instead, the Yellow Pages operation is being actively considered for sale, while the Ferrit is being excoriated for faking consumer reviews [as first reported in Spare Room]. How did it come to this? [continues in the newsletter] [...]

By: TrustBite » Ferrit, weasel or rat?

TrustBite » Ferrit, weasel or rat? — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 06:10:59 +0000

[...] Online shopping forum Ferrit came in for some major flak this week when it admitted staff at Ferrit had themselves posted supposedly random, user-based feedback on a toaster promoted on the site. Head of Marketing, Peter Wogan, is quoted as saying “… they were written to illustrate what can be done on the site to provide feedback and generate discussion…” Why then was there no statement noting this alongside the reviews? Apparently the reviews have since been removed by Ferrit – again I’d ask why, if they were purely ‘indicative’ and innocent? [...]

By: Hamish MacEwan

Hamish MacEwan — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 21:52:12 +0000

Hi, Congratulations on the story, and appearing in the NY Times.

By: The 1% rule within .nz - Menace

The 1% rule within .nz - Menace — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 08:46:03 +0000

[...] With these kinda figures you can see why Ferrit is writing their own customer reviews. « Trademe Job ads on Seek? [...]

By: David

David — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:50:02 +0000

I’m not sure which is worse, the original failed deception, or the new versions ‘fessing up! Neither would remotely influence my purchase decisions (even if I was in the market for a $500 toaster!) Also, why would I use Ferrit when I can buy over the internet directly from the relevant retailer?? I think the management at Ferrit and Telecom need to read Nicholas Negroponte’s ‘Blown to Bits’ on the subject of the devaluation of the role of the middleman in an internet society.

By: Glen

Glen — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 04:45:21 +0000

They have updated their reviews and have stated they are all Ferrit employees. Ferrit As my friend said: 'You guys have got to check out the reviews now, they are even more funny as they say who they e.g. I’m the guy that makes the ads etc. Amazing that they don’t get point that they can’t review stuff whether they tell you it’s them or not. Reminds me of ad agencies testing their own ads'