# Honda nuking negative reviews on their site



## Nikos (Jan 27, 2016)

A few weeks ago, I wrote an honest review of the HSS1332ATD where I mentioned my frustration with the machine clogging with wet mix snow. Due to the clogging situation, I rated the HSS1332ATD with 2 stars.

Honda says reviews will be posted in about 2 business days but a week later, no dice.

I composed another review, and over a week later, same results... my review got nuked. 

Meanwhile, Honda allowed a five star review to be posted that pretty much bashes everyone who claims that the HSS series is prone to clogging. We are called "uneducated". 

I sent an email to Honda 3 days ago asking for an explanation why they don't allow critical, honest reviews of their products while high ratings are quickly posted. No response yet.

*This is very bad business practice for Honda to willingly deceive the public in order to preserve a false sense of high ratings of their machines that are faulty in wet snow conditions.*


----------



## TomHodge (Dec 19, 2017)

A company not wanting negative reviews of their products on their web site! Why would they?


----------



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

AKA the three D's

1. deny 
2. defer
3. delay

It reminds me of the old exploding "original" Honda Civic and Ford Pinto gas tanks issue that was denied as a problem for years.


:rock:opcorn:


----------



## northeast (Dec 29, 2017)

They nuked mine also I wonder how many have been deleted. It’s takes time to write an honest review amd detail the problems and they obviously read it and deleted it. They never contacted me and that says a lot about how Honda feels about it’s customers.

On the plus side there are a few hss machines on Craigslist selling for almost the same as the hs series, so the word is getting out regardless.


----------



## Nikos (Jan 27, 2016)

TomHodge said:


> A company not wanting negative reviews of their products on their web site! Why would they?


Yes, they're a business and need to sell their product but it's extremely pathetic (and obviously unethical) for a big company like Honda to have to resort to manipulating their own product reviews in order to keep selling a faulty machine before a fix is available.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

TomHodge said:


> A company not wanting negative reviews of their products on their web site! Why would they?


I get not wanting to have negative reviews on their site. But if they want to protect their integrity, as well as to maintain the usefulness/validity of the reviews, they should let them post. 

If they only let the positive reviews through, that's creeping towards the level of posting their own self-written positive reviews. 

In either case, the results are being skewed, and I would consider it a bad business approach. I would expect more from Honda.


----------



## TomHodge (Dec 19, 2017)

Nothing more than a business decision.


----------



## northeast (Dec 29, 2017)

TomHodge said:


> Nothing more than a business decision.


I agree but it wreaks of ethics issues. It may be legal but it’s certainly not ethical.


----------



## FullThrottle (Apr 7, 2017)

They don't want to admit to their problematic snow blowers and you won't see your honest comments posted,because it will only hurt their ratings.




Nikos said:


> A few weeks ago, I wrote an honest review of the HSS1332ATD where I mentioned my frustration with the machine clogging with wet mix snow. Due to the clogging situation, I rated the HSS1332ATD with 2 stars.
> 
> Honda says reviews will be posted in about 2 business days but a week later, no dice.
> 
> ...


----------



## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Probably the best place for impartial reviews is anything but the manufacturer’s web site


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

If this is true it's the usual business practice these days.

Costco does the same thing. Almost all companies do this. Buyer Beware.

UPS, which is usually rated the most admired company for integrity , is extremely dishonest with the public. I worked there for almost 25 years and boy could i tell some stories.

People really should not be surprised with Honda.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

northeast said:


> They nuked mine also I wonder how many have been deleted. It’s takes time to write an honest review amd detail the problems and they obviously read it and deleted it. They never contacted me and that says a lot about how Honda feels about it’s customers.
> 
> On the plus side there are a few hss machines on Craigslist selling for almost the same as the hs series, so the word is getting out regardless.


could not agree more with HSS series selling so cheap used. I routinely see HSS928's going for almost $1000 less than new after one season. some only have a couple hours on them.

sad.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

I wouldn't refer to them as reviews then... but rather testimonials.


----------



## cuz (Mar 19, 2018)

It seems that most of the complaints I've seen on this forum regarding Honda blowers pertain to their 2 stage models, is that correct? I'm in the market for a single stage HS720AM for next season and now you guys have me worried. I haven't seen much negative publicity regarding that model, so is it good to go? 

Thanks.


----------



## northeast (Dec 29, 2017)

cuz said:


> It seems that most of the complaints I've seen on this forum regarding Honda blowers pertain to their 2 stage models, is that correct? I'm in the market for a single stage HS720AM for next season and now you guys have me worried. I haven't seen much negative publicity regarding that model, so is it good to go?
> 
> Thanks.


At this I would buy anything but a Honda. Before I get jumped on I will say it has little to do with the product although it is flawed. It is how Honda has completely washed their hands of the problem and refuses to take any responsibility for a piece of equipment that does not work. Yes we can make them work but how many people are stuck with these machines that can’t or will not modify them. So look elsewhere for your snowblower.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

northeast said:


> It is how Honda has completely washed their hands of the problem and refuses to take any responsibility for a piece of equipment that does not work.


Gosh, this seems to be very premature at this point... I thought that Honda HAD recently acknowledged the issue and stated that they are working on a solution. Let's please give them the opportunity to follow through on that during 2018 before writing them off...


----------



## bigtim1985 (Jan 31, 2016)

I just picked up another new HSS928AT last week. Deal I couldn't pass up. I'm anxious to see what solution Honda comes up with, and how they address current owners. I'm torn between waiting to see if Honda offers a fix, removing the chute collar myself + bigger jet for carb, or flipping it and sticking with my Ariens. Clogging or not, it's an impressive, top of the line machine.


----------



## TomHodge (Dec 19, 2017)

tabora said:


> Gosh, this seems to be very premature at this point... I thought that Honda HAD recently acknowledged the issue and stated that they are working on a solution. Let's please give them the opportunity to follow through on that during 2018 before writing them off...


The honda HSS announcement in August 2015 featured a video of a HSS728 in use. So it seems that 2 1/2 years isn't enough time for Honda to iron out issues with the blowers.


----------



## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

cuz said:


> It seems that most of the complaints I've seen on this forum regarding Honda blowers pertain to their 2 stage models, is that correct? I'm in the market for a single stage HS720AM for next season and now you guys have me worried. I haven't seen much negative publicity regarding that model, so is it good to go?
> 
> Thanks.


I wouldn't worry on the HS720. Its a good machine. I have one. One member here rejetted his to a larger jet. I'm going to do it mine also. Its a pretty stout blower, for a single stage.


----------



## jim5554 (Mar 18, 2017)

Why would anyone put any trust in a review of a machine on the website of the company that made the machine? Are people really that naive?


----------



## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

cuz said:


> It seems that most of the complaints I've seen on this forum regarding Honda blowers pertain to their 2 stage models, is that correct? I'm in the market for a single stage HS720AM for next season and now you guys have me worried. I haven't seen much negative publicity regarding that model, so is it good to go?
> 
> Thanks.


im an ariens guy, but will say from experience that toro single stage blowers are the best bang for your buck . jmo


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

jim5554 said:


> Why would anyone put any trust in a review of a machine on the website of the company that made the machine? Are people really that naive?


Watergate soured me. I don't even trust myself.:wink2:


----------



## SNO-PRO (Apr 7, 2018)

This is a great site to check reviews when making purchases through Amazon. https://www.fakespot.com/


----------



## bisonp (Mar 23, 2018)

Yeah, I never trust company website reviews as they do this all the time. I don't trust a lot of Amazon reviews either, there are many paid shills writing them as SNO-PRO's link points out.

That said, it should be noted that Ariens, Toro, and Simplicity all allow negative reviews on their websites.


----------



## cuz (Mar 19, 2018)

bisonp said:


> Yeah, I never trust company website reviews as they do this all the time. I don't trust a lot of Amazon reviews either, there are many paid shills writing them as SNO-PRO's link points out.
> 
> That said, it should be noted that Ariens, Toro, and Simplicity all allow negative reviews on their websites.




Honda also “allows” negative reviews, they then choose not to publish them...


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I almost got electrocuted by a humidifier i got from Costco.

I tried warning people on the website about this danger and Costco would not publish. I emailed the corporate offices and asked why and they said it was because of "liability" issues.

don't know what the **** that means but after doing some homework , found out this was a common complaint with that particular humidifier but Costco KEEPS selling it.

lost a lot of respect for Costco after that.

it's sad when you find out that a company your like , be it Honda, Costco, or any other company you may respect turns out to be just like the rest of the world.

from one of my favorite movies...."everyone cheats"


----------



## old ope mechanic (Feb 16, 2018)

SNO-PRO said:


> This is a great site to check reviews when making purchases through Amazon. https://www.fakespot.com/


try this one also https://honda.pissedconsumer.com/review.html, https://www.pissedconsumer.com/
personally i used it after a bad online purchase and found the company monitors the site,


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Hi snow blower community,

This is Robert’s colleague Dana responding. 

I handle reviews personally on our site. I would like to apologize for the delay in posting this review. I was on vacation over Spring Break, and there was about a week’s delay in approving reviews to go live, because my back up person was unexpectedly out as well. We are reviewing our approval process so this doesn’t occur again.

I already emailed the original poster of this thread directly expressing my apology last Monday when I returned to the office. His review was posted the same day I returned from vacation.

Our policy is we don’t reject reviews unless: 
a) it includes profanity or obscene content
b) it’s for the wrong product (a review for something we don’t sell, for example) 
c) it’s a duplicate (i.e. the same person posted the same review for the same product more than once)
d) it was written by a dealer or Honda associate

Honda takes the ethics of our reviews very seriously. If you look at our reviews, you will see a variety of stars for almost every model, including snow blowers. I have never suppressed a review for being negative. 

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an explanation.

Dana @ Honda


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> Hi snow blower community,
> 
> This is Robert’s colleague Dana responding.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dana!

very nice of you to respond .


----------

