LG playing dirty with reviewers

robfosters

robfosters

robfosters

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HU just uploaded a video about how LG are trying to direct them on editorial direction, and even worse, offering them money to do it.

Why would LG risk doing this? Their monitors are excellent anyway, they don’t need to bribe people for good reviews. What with the recent Nvidia and HU fiasco too, these companies really are starting to show their dirty tricks and don’t even seem to care any more about them being outed. Awful situation.

 
Yeah it's really ugly. And LG thats otherwise awesome in regards to tech (love my CX55) and support!

Well all seems the same when it comes to stuff like this - bribary and **** going on behind the curtains. Ugly as said and something to keep in mind = they all play dirty!
 
TL;DR

LG noticed, since production, their monitors don’t perform as well as previous 1ms IPS monitors, found in the GL850, as an example, and have therefore tried to coerce HWU into either:

  • Altering their review and testing the 32GP850 in situations which are favourable for the monitor, compensating them in the process
  • Putting a block on the review.

With the aim of keeping sales on target and interest high.
 
MrRockliffe said:
TL;DR

LG noticed, since production, their monitors don’t perform as well as previous 1ms IPS monitors, found in the GL850, as an example, and have therefore tried to coerce HWU into either:

  • Altering their review and testing the 32GP850 in situations which are favourable for the monitor, compensating them in the process
  • Putting a block on the review.

With the aim of keeping sales on target and interest high.
Click to expand...
What’s your opinion of this behaviour?
 
robfosters said:
What’s your opinion of this behaviour?
Click to expand...

I don’t know enough about it to form an opinion.

LG CSS we’re open enough to explain it comes from fear of losing customers, at least - that’s a very real scenario for companies.

Could they have handled it better? Absolutely, but the language barrier won’t have helped, nor cultural differences. And as someone who works with people from multiple cultures, there are definitely some differences.


All I will say is that we need to be less black and white about this, and more “shades of grey”, in that we shouldn’t see LG as a bad company for just one bad thing, just like they wouldn’t be good for doing a singular good thing. I.e. less of the cancel culture :)

Give them the opportunity to apologise, and better understand their situation.
 
MrRockliffe said:
I don’t know enough about it to form an opinion.

LG CSS we’re open enough to explain it comes from fear of losing customers, at least - that’s a very real scenario for companies.

Could they have handled it better? Absolutely, but the language barrier won’t have helped, nor cultural differences. And as someone who works with people from multiple cultures, there are definitely some differences.


All I will say is that we need to be less black and white about this, and more “shades of grey”, in that we shouldn’t see LG as a bad company for just one bad thing, just like they wouldn’t be good for doing a singular good thing. I.e. less of the cancel culture :)

Give them the opportunity to apologise, and better understand their situation.
Click to expand...
Perhaps they would have been better off to not release a half arsed product and spent more time getting it right, rather than selling a poor improvement and pay the reviewers to lie about how good it is.
 
I bet there's a lot more of this going on than we realise. Explains some reviews that seem to contradict others or are just overwhelmingly positive, every time!
 
robfosters said:
Perhaps they would have been better off to not release a half arsed product and spent more time getting it right, rather than selling a poor improvement and pay the reviewers to lie about how good it is.
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It happens - pressures of getting a product to market ASAP often come at the cost of quality. When you’ve got someone above you dictating time frames and deadlines, it’s hard to argue and stand your ground. Even more so in a climate such as we are - people will fear losing their job more so than usual, at risk of not finding another.


So much politics involved in large organisations - even with…

Edit: not sure what happened to the last bit of my sentence but I can’t remember what it was supposed to say now :p
 
Last edited:
MrRockliffe said:
It happens - pressures of getting a product to market ASAP often come at the cost of quality. When you’ve got someone above you dictating time frames and deadlines, it’s hard to argue and stand your ground. Even more so in a climate such as we are - people will fear losing their job more so than usual, at risk of not finding another.


So much politics involved in large organisations - even with
Click to expand...

Once you get more than one person in a room there will be politics ;) Agree with what you said.
 
NikTheSHNIK said:
I've passed this on to LG UK who are horrified.

I imagine its someone in LG Korea trying too hard, not understanding the way the Western Market, and reviewers, work and going WAY beyond their remit.
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I bet it's like someone's kicked a hornets nest :cry: I wouldn't want to be the one who sent the emails!
 
MrRockliffe said:
I would hope whoever does the “disciplining” just sees it as an opportunity to educate someone on better practices - we’re only human and all have lots to learn :)
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Yes bribery and manipulating data to sell more stuff definitely deserves a slap on the wrist! If you get to adulthood and don't know that kind of behaviour is wrong your parents failed. If it wasn't sanctioned then immediate dismissal. It probably was and they'll still get sacked, that's where it becomes systemic. It wouldn't be fair but that's how lots of big organisations roll sadly.
 
Troezar said:
Yes bribery and manipulating data to sell more stuff definitely deserves a slap on the wrist! If you get to adulthood and don't know that kind of behaviour is wrong your parents failed. If it wasn't sanctioned then immediate dismissal. It probably was and they'll still get sacked, that's where it becomes systemic. It wouldn't be fair but that's how lots of big organisations roll sadly.
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Depends on the culture. It seems LG CSS (the company responsible for review sample management) are based in South Korea, so there’s a good chance they have different cultural values, where this could (COULD!) be seen as a polite thing to do.

Now, I’m not saying it is the case, but we should definitely let it play out a little more first. I mean, we haven’t even seen the review results yet :p
 
I wondered why the 32GP850 review wasn't live yet, after such a glowing review of the 27" model.

At this point LG will probably blacklist HU anyhow, so I'm not sure why they don't make their second review live?
 
FoxEye said:
I wondered why the 32GP850 review wasn't live yet, after such a glowing review of the 27" model.

At this point LG will probably blacklist HU anyhow, so I'm not sure why they don't make their second review live?
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I don’t think they will blacklist them, that would be a blatant admission of guilt.

They’ll find some way to apologise like Nvidia did. It makes no sense blacklisting them anyway, HU have enough financial clout to just buy new hardware that’s not supplied to them.
 
MrRockliffe said:
Depends on the culture. It seems LG CSS (the company responsible for review sample management) are based in South Korea, so there’s a good chance they have different cultural values, where this could (COULD!) be seen as a polite thing to do.

Now, I’m not saying it is the case, but we should definitely let it play out a little more first. I mean, we haven’t even seen the review results yet :p
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Definitely cultural and not about being nice. I have close contacts with a Korean company, they knew what they were doing, they just didn't expect anyone to say no ;)
 
Troezar said:
Definitely cultural and not about being nice. I have close contacts with a Korean company, they knew what they were doing, they just didn't expect anyone to say no ;)
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Don't they have a kind of corporate subservience culture out there - ie, you never say "no" to your boss, etc.
 
Interesting topic, here is my take on it for TFTCentral:

"Disappointing behaviour from LG PR Korea, and bravo HUB for exposing it! For what its worth, we have never experienced this from LG at all. We don’t deal with LG CNS PR in Korea though, and the direct team at LG we deal with have been excellent. As have LG U.K. in the past."
 
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