Reviews

At the Elporia Network, we take content, website and product reviews seriously. In fact, we consider conducting and performing constructive and impartial evaluations to be part of our core competency.

Websites, on the Elporia Network, feature three types of reviews:

1) unsolicited feedback. This is provided to us from our customers who share their experiences, as it relates to our websites, the goods and services we sell, and performance-related issues such as delivery, the condition and quality of the products they receive and so on;

2) commissioned reports. For example, we hire testers, demonstrators and writers to put together write ups that delineate the pros and cons for a featured product. These reviews might cover products we sell directly or they might refer to products that we recommend via an affiliate link; and

3) web-scrappings. In this case, we would compile meta-reviews based on the information derived from analyzing hundreds of sites that sell products the same as, or similar to, the ones we are reviewing in order to come up with a composite score based on a content analysis of a wide range of opinions, reviews, findings and other relevant materials that are gathered from publically available sources. The goal is to derive an overall rating that our customers can use to help them make informed decisions before purchasing a product or service listed for sale on one of our websites.

As much as possible, we try to review only those products or services that we personally use and believe will be beneficial to our users.

Under no circumstances, will anyone who works for, or represents, the Elporia Network review products that are considered illegal, illicit or prohibited by law. The only exception, Adult Only products and services.

For the most part, the Elporia Network has no affiliation or relationship with the suppliers of the products we review and under no circumstances will we accept cash payments, gifts, or anything else of value as an inducement to write a good review.

We pride ourselves on our independence.

In order to maintain an at arm’s length relationship with suppliers, it is our policy to:

1) Whenever and where ever possible, we prefer to purchase “all” of the products we review, from an independent outlet. This way, we can avoid any potential conflicts-of-interest. If that is not the case, we will prominently post any exceptions to what amounts to a “rule of thumb” and not an “iron-clad rule.”

On the other hand,

2) While the Elporia Network may accept items from a company (manufacturers/distributors) for review without prior notice; the company (sending us a product-for-review) is responsible for all shipping and handling costs. The Elporia Network will not be responsible for any losses or damages.

3) In some cases, especially as it pertains to upcoming and newly released products, the Elporia Network will accept items from companies for review with prior notice. A phone call or an email will suffice, letting us, or one of our sites, know that you wish to send us a product to review.

4) Free or discounted products, samples and giveaways reviewed by the Elporia Network, will not returned, under any circumstances.

5) Nor will Elporia and/or one of its Partners pay for any fees incurred, if required in order to use a product. Those costs will be born by the company sending us the product to review.

6) If we do accept a product for review that has been given to us for free or a substantial discount, that fact will be prominently displayed – so the customer can’t miss it – in our write-up and presentation. Plus, we will go out of our way to make sure that the resulting review is not only fair, but it is judged to be objective, honest and unbiased by a panel of our peers.

7) In the case where the review of a product does not meet our minimal specifications – AKA it does not pass the smell test – rather than publish a negative review and subject ourselves to the threat of litigation, we’ll not recommend or sell the product. That being the case, there is no point in publishing the review in the first place. That way, over time, our customers will come to know that when we publish a review, it’s because we trust in, believe in, and buy in to the worthiness of the product, warts ‘n all.

Material Connection. Unless stated otherwise, the Elporia Network has no material connection or hidden relationships, other than that of vendor/reseller/affiliate to the websites, brands, products, and services we review and recommend. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Payment Received. We do not accept payment in exchange for a good review. If we do post a compensation-based review – that is, a manufacturer or distributor might send us new releases or free products or they may offer us products at a discount or reduced price – any reviews of said products will include a disclaimer clearly stating that fact, as required by law.

Sponsored Post or Campaign: As a rule, it is not our policy to participate in sponsored campaigns but if we do, we will unequivocably and clearly state this fact in any reports we prepare, as required by law.

Affiliate Links. In the cases where we do reviews of affiliate products, that fact will be prominently displayed in our reviews of said products, as required by law.

Testimonials

Testimonials allow customers to voluntarily submit feedback that we believe are worth acknowledging and should be shared with the rest of the Elporia community.

In accordance with best practices and governmental regulations concerning the use of testimonials in advertising, please be advised that:

Any testimonials appearing on our websites come from actual customers and as such, they contain personal opinion and unless, and until a complaint is received, are not rigorously fact-checked.

Because testimonials are not based on a representative sample, the results being reported may vary from your own impressions and experiences.

Because testimonials are, by definition, ad hoc, anecdotal, unique and particular to the individual providing the information, there is no reason to believe they should comport with the experiences of other customers. Though it sure would be nice if they did.

Therefore, as a responsible consumer, you need to take what you read in a testimonial with a grain of salt. Any claim(s) being made in a testimonial, may or may not apply to all customers and may or may not apply to everyone who buys and/or uses our products.

Except for:

– grammatical errors,  misspellings,  typos, and

– deletions of any problematic comments that might contain assertions that would be prohibited by law

all of the testimonials posted on our websites include the original wording of the author.

The Elporia Network does not share the opinions, views or commentary of any testimonials reported on our sites. They are strictly the views of the person(s) making the submission.

The Elporia Network reserves the right to: a) refuse to display or b) remove any testimonials that might be interpreted as being unfairly biased, overly misleading and/or deceptively dishonest.