why do people get banned at shaving sites?

Since I've previously been the subject of discussion here, I feel it necessary to mention that I have not, nor will I ever, compensate people for reviews or well-meaning comments about my products. That which people say is a result of their own opinions and none of my doing.

It is so totally cool to read something like that.  You get an A for integrity.  Accordingly, my next shaving soap purchase will be from Barrister and Mann.

Thank you very much. It's my feeling that quality should speak for itself. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help in any way.

I was banned from the Shavenook for "trolling" (literally, a permanent ban with a single word explanation). Anyone who knows me and my posts should realize how ridiculous that charge is.

As for the actual reason, I suspect it was two things: First, I made a negative observation about a paying vendor that is favored by the mods (one of their mods called this observation "trolling", and literally explained that my analytical way of reviewing was a problem), and gave a positive review to Barrister & Mann's Night Music; second, I made a call for free discussion without bias from the mods/admins, observing that their moderation team selectively moderates certain posts positively and shuts down others quickly, depending on whether or not the vendor pays them. I had quite a few private messages from members asking what one of their admins had against me personally in order to treat me as he did.

Very suspicious site. I find it hilarious that the mods/admins maintain this authority by simply stating that they don't give reasons for why members are banned. Convenient, ain't it?

And honestly, vendors should take this into account when they advertise on sites like TSN. Consider this: If you give money knowingly to a site that is practically one big advertisement masquerading as a forum (a forum that bans people indiscriminately), you're indirectly contributing to their shady practices. When members see admins/moderators bullying members for holding contrary opinions, or shutting down threads and banning members on trumped up charges, they are smart enough to realize that the site is compromised and its posts have no credibility. People aren't stupid.

I was banned from Shavenook for being classified as a "vendor." What a joke. I was selling multiple towels that I had left over from an order.

So it was a towel-i-ban?

You want to sell towels? That will be $500.

This is a very interesting thread and one I have never seen openly discussed on any other shaving forum.

I was banned from the Shavenook for "trolling" (literally, a permanent ban with a single word explanation). Anyone who knows me and my posts should realize how ridiculous that charge is.

TSN has never been anything more then a Blog for Bullgoose and an outlet for the Mods to redirect traffic to his retail site.

This is a very interesting thread and one I have never seen openly discussed on any other shaving forum.

I think that might be due in large part that a thread like this would be deleted at some shaving forums. I try to keep names out of it but I think most people here know exactly what everyone is talking about without mentioning names. I've never been banned anywhere but I was warned at another forum not to make threads about B&M after I posted one asking about the limited edition LGC. That thread was deleted in less than a minute. I posted it and as soon as I hit latest posts about a minute later it was gone and a few minutes later I had a PM from a mod telling me I wasn't permitted to post about banned members. I asked if I could talk about B&M soaps at all considering it's my favorite brand and the moderator told me to be very careful with my wording but said it world be easier to simply not discuss B&M at all. In fairness to that mod, he was very polite and said he didn't necessarily agree with the rule but had to enforce it. That was the end of my participation at that forum.

This is a very interesting thread and one I have never seen openly discussed on any other shaving forum.

I think that might be due in large part that a thread like this would be deleted at some shaving forums. I try to keep names out of it but I think most people here know exactly what everyone is talking about without mentioning names. I've never been banned anywhere but I was warned at another forum not to make threads about B&M after I posted one asking about the limited edition LGC. That thread was deleted in less than a minute. I posted it and as soon as I hit latest posts about a minute later it was gone and a few minutes later I had a PM from a mod telling me I wasn't permitted to post about banned members.  I asked if I could talk about B&M soaps at all considering it's my favorite brand and the moderator told me to be very careful with my wording but said it world be easier to simply not discuss B&M at all. In fairness to that mod, he was very polite and said he didn't necessarily agree with the rule but had to enforce it. That was the end of my participation at that forum.

I love their veiled intimations that I did something untoward (and the convenient presumption of guilt engendered by the fact that I cannot defend myself). If I broke any rules other than not kissing the feet of the powers that be, I'm not aware of having done so.

And I agree with many of the sentiments here that it's a sign of the freedom of this forum that we can discuss the topic without fear of exile.

I am finding many of these comments quite surprising and, unfortunately, disheartening as I was under the impression that everyone was being treated in a gentlemanly manner and was being shown equitable respect.
I would have imagined that anyone being considered being banned would have had an opportunity to defend themselves if they so chose to do so in a respectful manner. However, I am seeing that I may have been disillusioned and naive in thinking as such.

Great thread.

I got banned for life from, perhaps the largest shaving forum out there, B&B, because I was told by a mod to behave, and if I didn't basically told that I officially accepted all forum rules and at the same time should accept to 'kiss their hands', I was not welcome there anymore. I told them so shut my account down. That was in 2013.

I have - so far - avoided bans from other sites, but still express my honest opinion on the forums, , but I see more and more users getting banned from a certain site these days, which is a shame. That site is still among my favorite forums.

I hope this thread will stay open, even if other forum names are mentioned.
It's nice to know which forums, we are addressing.

Artisans and vendors who need to pay to get positive reviews won't last long. It's something that I've never done and don't condone. I HAVE sent out free samples when I was starting out to find out how folks liked what I was making. Lucky for me at least one gent liked it and "talked" it up. But he has paid retail the same as everyone else ever since. Everyone who posts reviews of my products pays full retail and no one gets favored status. Their products come from the same shelf that I fill orders from and where I get my products for my own use.

I do request testers periodically, and they do get free samples to test. I couldn't very well ask them to pay for the "privilege" of testing my products for me. Later they may write a review of the tested product, but I don't (and won't) control that. I just don't believe in it. I want my products to stand on their own merits. No amount of false reviews will convince folks that a junk product is actually good. I sometimes send out free product to some folks and I request that they give me an honest appraisal of it; no strings attached on my part. Like it or hate it, I want the truth. I like to think that keeps me on my toes and I get to help out folks who never expected anything. I always request that they say nothing about it. After I die if they want to 'fess up they can. Yeah, I'd like to be able to do it for everyone, but that just isn't possible.

I still feel bad about charging for samples that I would send out for free when I was getting started. I make nothing on them and I try to give a meaningful sample, but I still feel bad about charging folks for them. It's a terrible deal IMO since the labor cost is so high, the same as a full size bottle, but I try to make the quantity worth while. I consider my customers to be my friends and I want them to get a decent shake. I try to go out of my way to insure it. Same as this site does.

Heck, I try to put myself in the customers shoes as much as possible. I also try not to act at all like the sites that I've been on who thought that the members were just there to be fleeced. One in particular is always crying poverty and begging for money. I can't even remember the last time that I was there. But I'm just rambling now. I need some sleep (in a minute).

I'm active on 4 shave sites today. One that I support, this one. One that's all volunteer and the hosting is free so they don't take money, it also fills a very small niche in the shaving world. Another that is similar to this site, but I try not to abuse the product discussion there, and TSN; 'nuff said. My webmaster tells me that it would be better for business for me to put more time and effort into the other sites, but I like it here, screw business. Not everything is dollars and cents. This is home. A dip of my hat to management.

Now I need some sleep. Probably good since I'm mostly way off topic.