Why I’ll Never Buy Your Five-Star Review
(And Why I’m So Grateful for the Real Ones)
A few days after ordering a couple of products online, two separate flyers arrived in the mail—each offering me a $30 gift card in exchange for a five-star review. Not a review. A five-star review.
These arrived days after the product—$30 for a five-star review. Not a review. A five-star review
Step-by-step instructions—including a bold request not to post the flyer online. That alone says a lot.
Note:: Company name and identifying details have been intentionally blurred.
Disclaimer: The flyer shown above was sent by a third-party seller. While it appears the product was purchased through a large online marketplace, no specific platform or brand is being accused. This post is intended to raise awareness about unethical review practices—not to target any one company.
And it hit me:
This is what we’ve come to.
This is what reviews are turning into.
And honestly? It’s exhausting.
I rely on reviews for my own business. Not as a numbers game—but as a reflection of something real. I never ask for a specific rating. I hardly even ask at all—because I know how much time it takes to write something thoughtful, honest, and true to your experience. I also know how powerful those words are—not just for me, but for the person reading them.
This is the value system The Hair Mansion stands on—real experiences, not bought ones.
So when reviews are bought, incentivized, or gamed, it doesn’t just water things down—it breaks trust. And in a world that’s already overloaded with noise, that kind of authenticity is harder and harder to find.
At The Hair Mansion, I want the trust to be real. The feedback to be real. The experience to be real. If you’ve ever left a review after your visit, please know: you’ve given me something that means more than you might realize.
Because I’ll never ask you to say something you don’t believe.
And I’ll never trade integrity for stars.
To Those Who’ve Left a Review—Thank You.
Whether you typed two words or poured out a full story, I want you to know: I read every single review. They make me smile. Sometimes they make me tear up. And always, they remind me why I do what I do.
You didn’t write it for a discount.
You didn’t write it for a reward.
You wrote it because something about your visit stayed with you—and that means everything to me.
To Those Who Might One Day Leave a Review…
Please don’t feel obligated. Seriously.
But if something about your time at The Hair Mansion felt meaningful, or different, or worth sharing—your words carry weight. They help others understand what to expect. They give voice to what’s often hard to explain. And they help independent artists like me continue doing work that matters.
An honest review from a long-time guest. These words carry more weight than any gift card ever could.
Not because you were asked.
But because you wanted to.
And that makes all the difference.
If You Ever Feel Like Sharing…
You can leave a review on Google here whenever it feels right.
Whether it’s a sentence, a story, or a simple star rating—if it’s honest, it’s perfect.
With gratitude,
The Hair Mansion