UPDATE: ReviewMe Responds To Fraudulent Listing of Lifehacker, BoingBoing, MAKE…

Adam Pash (of Lifehacker) forwarded us an email exchange between himself and someone claiming to have purchased a review of their product on Consumerist’s sister-site, Lifehacker. As you’ve probably guessed, neither Lifehacker, nor Consumerist’s editorial content is for sale, so it was a bit confusing for Adam when the following email popped up in his inbox:

Hello,
We recently purchased a software review on your site through http://www.reviewme.com. If you can let me know who will be performing the review,

I’ll get that person set up with a download copy of PCmover right away. I’ll also send along a Reviewer’s Guide, and will be happy to send box shots, screenshots, etc as needed.

Thanks! I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Sara Cooke
Marketing Communications Coordinator
Laplink Software

Adam wrote back informing Sara that Lifehacker’s editorial content wasn’t for sale. She wrote back with a link to Lifehacker’s profile on ReviewMe, a happy Web 2.0-looking “marketplace of web authors” who will give you “site traffic, viral buzz, and invaluable feedback.”

Lifehacker had never heard of this website, and their profile has since been pulled down.

It seems, though, that the good ship Lifehacker might not be the only blog ReviewMe is “representing”…

As of this posting, reviews on BoingBoing and Makezine are both listed as being available for purchase.

For a measly $500.00, any marketer can purchase a review on BoingBoing? Not likely, although if it’s true, someone should tell the RIAA.

Bloggers, make sure ReviewMe isn’t taking money from unsuspecting companies in your good name. ReviewMe claims they are a part of MediaWhiz, and they also have a MySpace for their cute Web 2.0 logo. Hmm, to friend or not to friend? Cory? Xeni? Mark? Can we toss this one over to you?

UPDATE: Xeni Jardin from BoingBoing writes:

“BoingBoing has never accepted payment for editorial content. We have not and will not ever accept cash or any other form of renumeration for a product review, or any other kind of post which was not clearly identified as an advertisement.”

UPDATE: We gave Xeni the contact info for MediaWhiz, ReviewMe’s “Parent Company.” She tried (to no avail, sadly) to speak to someone who could explain the fraudulent listings on ReviewMe. After being referred to a broken voice mail, she called back…and got another voice mail. MediaWhiz had stopped answering the phone. Xeni describes the whole experience as “dicey.” We’d have to agree, especially since she didn’t identify herself or state her reason for calling.

If your blog is being misrepresented on ReviewMe, and would like to speak to some dicey person’s voice mail about it, here’s the best contact info we have for MediaWhiz:

MediaWhiz Holdings, LLC.
75 Broad Street, 23rd Floor,
New York, NY 10004

Phone: 646.442.0074

In addition, Makezine has gotten back to us and they also do not accept payment for reviews or any other editorial content. —MEGHANN MARCO

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