It could be any number of reasons why you aren’t getting picked but my initial thoughts would be:
Have you written at least 10 reviews? And do you keep writing reviews? I’ve seen people write all of their reviews in a short couple of week period so they are eligible as testers and then stop writing them. You don’t have to be writing daily reviews or anything but 1 every few weeks just shows you are interested in reviewing.
Are you putting yourself down for the tester list (the poll vote one)? Generally you won’t be eligible for secret testers until you’ve had a regular tester so always try and look out for that one. (That’s not to say that you shouldn’t put yourself forward for secret testers as sometimes you will have a shot even if you haven’t tested before). Also, are you making sure you are following the instructions in the topic. Also, if putting yourself forward for lingerie, does Brenna have your sizes and/or are you making sure you are specifying the size based on the choices in the post.
Are you putting yourself down for testers that reflect what you have reviewed? Sometimes Brenna will want opinions from beginners but generally if you’ve never reviewed a type of product then you are less likely to receive it as a tester. For example, if all your reviews are for bullet vibes, you aren’t likely to get a large anal toy.
It could be your review style. Although there are many ways to write a good review, the main purpose is to tell people things they can’t get from the product page; are you giving enough of your experience? There is a My Reviews topic if you want people to have a look at them and see if they have any comments.
Most people here are good at testing toys and writing a review on that toy. You are not alone in being “Really good”
If you want to be apart of the people chosen to test toys, have live reviews you have bought.
Do read what @DanceswithPenguins has linked @83untouchable1 so that you can read the requirements so you can get started right away. I’m a tester and it took me 7 months of constantly writing really good, detailed reviews and voting on stuff that was available for testing so you might not be able to be a tester for a while, just a heads up because I almost gave up and then I was selected. You just need to be patient and persistent. Good luck.
Hey @kerry.galsworthy I know you commented a similar thing in the sex toy tester chit chat post and the response is the same - patience
There are a LOT more potential testers than items available to test, so patience is key. It could be weeks, could be months, could be years or could even be never that you get chosen.
All you can do is keep posting quality reviews and popping your name down for items on tester posts. As @JoCat refers to, as well as the testing guide, contributing positively to the forum so Brenna can get a feeling for the way you write and who you are is also helpful - I’m not sure how much interaction you’ve taken part in?
Remember - being selected as a tester is a privilege, not a right
I’m going to flag this as a duplicate thread because it will probably get merged into the other topic by @Lovehoney_Brenna
Hey @twistedspiral I’ve had a little peek at your reviews so I can offer some tester advice.
They are a little too short to be considered for free product reviews, generally the reviews need to be 1-2 paragraphs minimum to be considered. There also needs to be 7-10 of these style reviews before someone will be selected (it can be less, but that is generally when the review is incredibly in depth). This helps us get an idea of the persons writing style, as well as likes/dislikes
Make sure you address is stored on the shopping site and that you use the same email for the forum and the shopping site.
Write reviews on the products you have already bought. You need around 10 but don’t just rush 10 out. Quality is important. Make sure you use the email associated with your account when you submit the review.
Start putting your name down when you see tester topics on the forum. You are more likely to receive something from the tester list first so always look out for that one, but you can still put yourself down for secret testers too.
Keep writing reviews. Although 10 quality ones is better than 50 two-line ones, continuing to write reviews shows you are still interested in actually testing and reviewing, not just getting free stuff.
Be patient. There will always be more volunteers than products available. That doesn’t mean you won’t ever get a chance though
You may already be aware of the general criteria to become a tester, but a brief overview is that you need to have a minimum of 7 to 10 well written reviews for products Lovehoney stock. You do not need to have purchased them from Lovehoney.
Patience is also key because there are a lot more volunteers than testers available, just keep putting your name down for appropriate products as and when they’re listed.
Hi @windya782! You need to reply on the specific tester threads in order to be eligible for them, this thread is just for any other questions or chat around testers and being a tester.
As @KentCouple1990 have already stated, have a read of The Great Big Review and Testing Guide in order to ensure you’ve completed all the baseline eligibility criteria!
To answer your questions, you should aim to have at the least 10 well written, honest reviews on LH that are of decent length (multiple paragraphs). There’s a post under the link above that tells you how to write good reviews.
You don’t have to have purchased the items from Lovehoney. If there’s something on the site you already own, even if you purchased elsewhere, you can still review it.
If the items still have a tester post about them on the forum, they are still available for testing. The time scales vary quite a bit depending on the items. Once all items in a post have been sent to their new testing home, Brenna deletes the post. If it’s a post with a lot of different items the ones no longer available will have been crossed through.
If you get picked to review Brenna will send you an email. Make sure your using the same email for your lovehoney account as you do on here, as it will link they together.
Have you made sure you have written 8-10 good reviews and continued to write reviews beyond that? If you aren’t sure if your reviews are up to standard, Brenna does have a look for people from time to time when she is not busy, but this can take some time. There are threads on the forum where you can post your reviews and get feedback from other forum members. Whilst forum members’ words aren’t gospel, many people are testers themselves so can give tips of what they would write.
Are you putting yourself down for suitable items? Most first testers are likely to come from the tester list (although not always), so making sure you vote on that is important. Coupled with that, the reviews you have written will influence the types of products you might be eligible for. For example, if all your reviews are for lube and bullet vibrators, you are highly unlikely to receive a massive butt plug. Sometimes Brenna wants someone who has no or little experience of a type of product, but normally having a few reviews for similar products will help.
there are a lot of people wanting to test every item. In particular, there are lots of people with vulvas and cishet couples. Obviously you can’t change who you are, but if you are within those categories, it may take longer to get a tester.
So, what can you do? Keep writing reviews. The more, good reviews you write, the better.
A long review doesn’t automatically make it a great review if theres no substance to it, so don’t add filler and think that’ll get you a tester. If the review tells you everything you’d want to know before buying it, then its a good review.
The way I mostly do my reviews is to describe the item to someone who has never used one before. If I have more than one of the same item, I would compare sometimes, especially when it comes to power and types of vibrations.
I don’t mention that its a tester, I hate seeing ‘I’ve been sent this in exchange for an honest review’ I automatically don’t believe its an honest review then. If its positive, I think its embellished, whether its honest or not.
Another thing I don’t like seeing, from a tester perspective, is someone saying they got it (a toy) as a tester and the review only being a short paragraph of about 4-7 lines, when for a toy there should be at least 3 paragraphs! I think it gives the wrong impression when new testers are asked to make sure their reviews are of a good length.
If you feel it is important information to add when talking about price and you are uncomfortable not adding it, then add it in It’s your choice whether you mention it or not.
Although we are hoping to get some shiny tester badges for everyone in the future
Obviously I can’t speak for Brenna but I have been around and testing a long time so I would ask yourself:
Are you voting on the tester list? Whilst you absolutely can put your name down for secret testers, it’s highly unlikely your first tester will be a secret one.
How many reviews have you written and when was the last one you wrote? I know the aim is 10 reviews but if you get to 10 and stop writing them, you are less likely to be considered
What items are you putting yourself down for? Brenna tries to match testers to people she thinks will like the product, and she does this based on your reviews. So if you’ve never reviewed a dildo (for example), you are less likely to receive one as a tester.
What’s the price of the items you are putting yourself down for? Whilst I don’t think there is an exact price cut off, first testers are more likely to be lower priced items. It is a bit dependant on what items are available for testing though (my first tester was an orgasm gel, but I don’t think I’ve seen many lube type testers in a while)
There is the My Reviews thread you could add your reviews to and maybe some forum members could look over them and give you some tips? Otherwise, it’s just a waiting game. There are a lot of people that want to be testers and I’m fairly sure women are the majority so it can take time. Just keep writing reviews and hopefully you’ll get picked
. Hope that helps
