FAQ: Some of your product reviews are negative. Why do you even offer those products in your store?

We offer a great variety of motorcycle apparel and one service we’ve always provided is a written review of nearly every new style introduced in the brands we sell, most of which are prepared by me personally. The product review, detailed sizing advice and the close-up pictures are part of “the package” we have been offering our customers for over 20 years.

Most times, those reviews are very positive, but sometimes the products just aren’t all that great and so I call’em out. I realize it is a bit jarring for new customers to see negative comments about products in our own store, but considering there are SO MANY products our customers can choose from, I personally don’t feel the need to hype them all.

So why do we sell products with poor reviews at all? Here are a few reasons:

1) If the product just didn’t appear at all, our readers wouldn’t get the benefit of having the review.

2) Shoppers who don’t find products on our site that are currently available in the brands we sell will contact us to ask why they aren’t on the site. Them having to contact us and us having to “explain it away” is an aggravation for them and a time suck for us.

3) Lots of people buy stuff that I don’t necessarily like. I prepare the reviews and they are subjective, but different people like different things and if a person wants to buy something I didn’t think was so great, I’m sure not going to send them away empty handed.

About my reviews: The reviews I prepare are based upon about 22 years of retailing experience and many more years of personal use of motorcycle apparel. I’ve inspected, photographed, and measured many thousands of jackets, pants, boots, gloves, etc. From the retail experience, I get the benefit of knowing which products become return/exchange and/or warranty issues for customers after the sale. I draw upon my experience to comment on the likely fit, performance, and overall value of new products I see. I don’t consider myself a “geek” regarding the technicalities of specialty materials and/or the scientific testing done on them. For that, I defer to the information provided by the manufacturers.

Paul :: 01-07-21