From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia wrote:

But to your point, they're not expensive (although I get most of my stuff nowadays free from Amazon Vine anyway) and you still need only one nozzle
for as many grades of (non-leaded) gasoline that the gas pump can serve.

Note that your Amazon browsing history tells you what you've been offered.
<https://www.amazon.com/gp/history>

Here is an example of free product you can choose from Vine to review:
<https://www.amazon.com/Koarigo-Receiver-Minivans-Capacity-Tiltable/dp/B0FDQ7MNB1/>

Here is another example, that I selected, but it hasn't been shipped yet.
<https://www.amazon.com/AZKORION-Oversized-Camping-Portable-Supports/dp/B0GD1ZVD5M/>

Amazon populates a section for us called "just for you" based on our habits
<https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Waterproof-Hammock-Shelter-Without/dp/B0FGXFL53G/>

Someone once asked what the "rules" were for the Amazon Vine reviews, where Amazon "invites" only the best reviewers to test out free product to the
tune of up to a few hundred thousand dollars (potential) per year.
<https://www.amazon.com/vine/about>

Here is the verbatim description that only Amazon Vine reviewers get in
their messages field (since the Amazon Vine link is a separate page).
<https://www.amazon.com/vine/help#reviewqualityscore>

Welcome to Amazon Vine Help

How Does It Work
What is Amazon Vine?
Amazon Vine is a program that enables a select group of Amazon customers to post opinions about newly released items to help their fellow customers
make educated buying decisions. Customers are invited to become Amazon Vine Voices based on the trust they have earned in the Amazon community for
writing accurate and insightful reviews. Amazon Vine provides members with free copies of products that have been submitted to the program by participating brands. Since Voices will receive access to products that are not yet available on the market, their opinions may be among the first
posted on a product’s detail page. Amazon does not influence the opinions
of Amazon Vine members, nor do we modify or edit their reviews.
How do I access my Amazon Vine account?
Your account can be accessed on https://www.amazon.com/vine or by
copy-pasting the URL directly into your browser.
Am I a member?
Access is granted to the Vine program based on your standing in the Amazon reviewer community. If you missed your invitation e-mail and want to
determine if you have access to the vine program, visit https://www.amazon.com/vine. Once you have completed the Participation Agreement and Tax Questionnaire, you will be a Vine Member and receive a
Vine Member badge. If you have multiple accounts, the one with the highest reviewer ranking is most likely to have been invited.
Can I invite my friends to the program?
At this time, participation in Amazon Vine is limited to select customers
who have been invited to join the program.
Will Amazon share my contact information with participating brands? Amazon.com’s Privacy Notice applies to your participation in the program
and describes our practices regarding collection and use of personal information. Amazon does not share your identity or contact details to any product suppliers who participate in the program without your permission.
Who will be sending me the Amazon Vine products?
Amazon Vine product will be delivered straight from Amazon.com.
May I share products I receive from Amazon Vine with my friends and family?
Per the Amazon Vine Terms and Conditions, you may not sell or give
possession of the products to any other person or entity for six months following your order.
How does the review policy work?
We understand that testing items and crafting insightful reviews takes
time. You should request items as you can review thoroughly and post
informed opinions about. Vine reviews are subject to the Community
Guidelines and we monitor the reviews posted by Vine Voices in order to
ensure the members of our community keep submitting insightful and unbiased reviews and do not use the program in a way that negatively impacts
customer trust.
How do I return, exchange, or modify my Vine requests?
These actions are not yet supported.
Are Amazon employees eligible to become Vine Voices?
No. As stated in the Vine Voice Participation Agreement Amazon employees
are not eligible.
What should I do if I see this “message about recent activity” alert?
This is an early warning to ensure you comply with the Vine Participation Agreement and ensure that your reviews help other customers like yourself
make informed buying decisions. If you see this alert, read to understand
the reason and then click the yellow button to regain access to Vine. If we don’t see any improvement 7 days, we will unfortunately permanently close your Vine account after 30 days of monitoring.
How do I avoid getting these account alerts?
Here are some ways to ensure you comply with the Vine Participation
Agreement:

To resolve continued issues with items being damaged in transit or not delivered at all, we recommend that you resolve your shipping issues before claiming more Vine items.

Cancel your order only when you genuinely cannot try the item as-is to
provide an insightful review. This helps us keep limited units that sellers allocate to Vine available for someone else to claim. Canceling unshipped
Vine orders does not put the item back into Vine for other Voices to claim.

Remember to personally write and submit independent and unbiased reviews
that reflect your true opinion (regardless of whether it is positive or negative), based in your actual experience, of Vine Products on amazon.com
and not request or review any product where you have a conflict of
interest.
What can I do if my account is permanently closed from Vine?
If you see this message “Your Vine account has been closed for violating
one or more of the Vine terms and conditions. You will still be able to
view your Vine reviews and Vine order history but will no longer be able to request Vine items.” then your account has permanently lost access to Vine. At this time, we cannot support appeals or re-activations. Please note that our Vine Customer Service team cannot reverse this decision or share more details on this matter; they can only confirm account status.
Membership Tiers
What is it?
Vine membership provides tiered access and rewards based on contributions
to Amazon Vine.
What is the difference between Silver and Gold tiers?
Silver Tier: This is the base tier that allows you to request up to 3 items per day from products valued at $100 or less. To be upgraded to the Gold
tier, you must review at least 80 Vine items and 90% of your Vine orders within the evaluation period stated in your Account page.

Gold Tier: This is the premium tier that allows you to request up to 8
items per day from products of any value. To remain in this tier, you
should review at least 80 Vine items and 90% of your Vine orders within the evaluation period stated in your Account page.
I’m in the Silver status, so what do I need to do at a minimum to prevent
my account from being Closed?
To maintain an active account, be sure to review at least 60% of your
orders at all times. If less than 60% of your orders are reviewed, your account will be placed under review. However, you will still have access to Vine, but the new product recommendations will be turned off and your
account will be at risk of being closed. You can recover your account once
you have reviewed greater than 60% of your recent orders for at least two weeks in a row. If we don’t see any improvement in review levels, we will unfortunately close your account after 30 days of monitoring.
I see Silver status in my Account page, so how many items can I request?
In the Silver tier, you can request up to 3 items per day. Once you are upgraded to Gold tier, you can request up to 8 items per day. The “Request Item” button will be deactivated once you have met the request limit for
the day.
Evaluation Period
What is being tracked by Amazon Vine?
Under the “Your Vine activity” section of the Account page, we use the below metrics:

“You have reviewed X Vine items this period” tracks the total reviews that have been submitted and approved by the Amazon Customer Reviews team within the evaluation period.

“You have reviewed X% of your Vine items this period” tracks the total approved reviews as a percentage of total orders placed within the
evaluation period.

Amazon Vine monitors Voice activity and has guardrails to avoid program misuse. This ensures we deliver value to customers from this program.
What is an evaluation period?
The Evaluation period is the duration over which your review contributions would be analyzed to assess your tier status.

If you joined Vine prior to October 6, 2022, your Evaluation period end
date (or your “Re-evaluation date”) has been randomly assigned six to nine months from your Evaluation period start date. After your first
re-evaluation date, all future re-evaluation dates will be set to six
months from the last re-evaluation date.
I have been submitting reviews, so why does the Evaluation period show 0% reviewed?
These metrics reset to 0 at the beginning of each evaluation period. They update within two days of review approval.
How do I make sure my reviews count towards my Evaluation period?
Submit reviews at least two weeks before your Re-evaluation date to allow
for review processing by the Amazon Customer Reviews team. If your
Evaluation period ends on April 6, 2023, then you should plan to submit
your reviews by March 23, 2023.
What should I do when I see the “Update to account status” message?
This is a courtesy warning to remind you to submit reviews on the Vine
items you’ve recently ordered in the last 3 months. Once you have reviewed 60% or more of your recent orders for at least two weeks, the message will
be removed.
Tax Information
Why do I have to complete the tax interview for Amazon Vine?
The tax authorities require all Vine Voices to provide tax information to
be compliant. The Tax Interview is used to determine and fulfill Amazon’s tax reporting and withholding obligations For US persons, tax reporting is required to the extent that goods $600 or more is received by an Amazon
Vine participant.

In order to fulfill the IRS requirements as efficiently as possible, answer all questions and enter all information requested during the Tax Interview. Use caution to avoid misspellings or entering incorrect Tax Identification Numbers, which can result in an invalidated tax form. If you have
questions, please consult your tax advisor.

If you do not complete the Tax Interview, you will not be eligible to participate in the Amazon Vine program.
Will I be asked for my Social Security Number?
Yes. Failure to supply a tax identification number (TIN) will require
Amazon to apply the maximum amount of withholding. Amazon collects TINs
that include Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Employer Identification
Numbers (EINs), and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs). The information is collected through Amazon’s Tax Interview and is securely maintained. The information is used to facilitate Amazon’s tax reporting
and withholding obligations.

For more information on tax identification numbers, please consult your tax advisor.
I am not going to come even close to hitting the reporting threshold. Why
does Amazon require my tax information?
It is Amazon’s policy to collect tax information upfront in order to be prepared to meet any potential tax information reporting obligations it has with the relevant tax authorities. Your tax information is collected
through Amazon’s secure systems solely for the purposes of tax information reporting and will not be shared with any third parties, except as required
by law (for example, we are required to file copies of Forms 1099 with the Internal Revenue Service).
Can I return my Vine item after reviewing so I do not have to pay taxes?
No.
I am a U.S. person (a U.S. citizen or resident alien). What information do
I need to provide to Amazon?
For U.S. persons, we will ask for information such as tax Identification number (SSN, EIN), legal name, and physical address. We will use this information to identify you and to comply with tax reporting obligations applicable to U.S. persons.
I am not a U.S. person (either a U.S. citizen or a resident alien). Do I
need to provide any information to Amazon?
No. Unfortunately, you will not be able to continue to participate in
Amazon Vine. The Vine program is open only to U.S. persons.
Can you advise on how I can fill out the Tax Interview?
We have created a resource guide for the Tax Interview. Please follow link
to access: https://taxcentral.amazon.com/tax-interview/help?nodeId=201588330&locale=en_US.
For additional guidance, please consult your tax advisor.
I've provided my tax identity information. How long will it take to see if
it is valid?
In most cases, your tax information should be validated within a few
minutes of submission. In rare cases, the validation process could take up
to 60 days. this is because you have mentioned, "I have received my EIN/SSN within 60 Days". Our system will continue attempts to validate your TIN for
60 days from the date on which you completed your tax information
interview.

Once the validation process is complete, the tax information status will
show Completed/Validated on your Amazon Vine account page. Please note that while the validation process is pending, you will not be able to make
changes to your tax information.
What does the tax questionnaire status in my Vine account mean?
Not Started – You have not started the tax questionnaire, please click on the Start/Update Questionnaire link in your Vine Account tab to begin.

Completed/Validated – Your tax information has been validated and no
further information is needed at this time.

Pending Validation – Your tax information is currently being reviewed. Please check back in a few days for an update.

Pending Additional Information – This could be one or more of the
following: 1) We have not received your forms. For fastest processing, you
can consent to an electronic signature. 2) Your name and/or tax
identification number do not match IRS records, please follow below steps
to retake your Tax Interview. 3) We are missing information on your questionnaire, please follow below steps to retake your Tax Interview.
a. Access your account via: amazon.com/vine/account
b. Go to your “Vine tax information” section
c. Select “Start/Update Questionnaire”
d. Click “Take Interview” and follow steps to completion.

Not US Person – Based on the information you provided in your tax questionnaire, you are not a US Person. Unfortunately, you will not be able
to continue to participate in Amazon Vine. The Vine program is open only to U.S. persons.
I received an e-mail stating that my tax identity information is invalid. I thought I provided my correct information. Can you tell me why it came back invalid?
We don't know exactly why your tax identity information came back as
invalid, but here are some things to consider:

If you are completing the tax identity information as an individual, use
the information that appears on your Social Security card. Misspelling your name, not including your middle initial or middle name, or entering an incorrect Tax Identification Number may cause tax identity information to
not match to IRS records.

If you are completing the information as a business, use the name that
appears on the top line of the address on your CP575A notice from the IRS.

Your tax name may be different from the name you use to conduct business or receive payments.
When will I receive my 1099-NEC form?
You will receive your 1099-NEC form by January 31st only if: you received
over $600 in payments OR if there were any taxes deducted / withheld from
you.

However, please note that payments to Corporations including a Limited Liability Company (LLC) that is treated as a C or an S Corporation and
other tax-exempt organizations are not reportable on Form 1099-NEC.
How are product values calculated?
The fair market value (FMV) is calculated based on a variety of factors, including information provided by the manufacturer. The current price is
only one of the components taken into account when calculating the FMV of
an item which may be different from the current price listed on Amazon.com. There are certain categories were we have a set FMV. For example,
third-party household goods such as grocery, beauty, and pet foods will be generally valued at $0. Books, including Advanced Reader Copies, will be valued at 99 cents. We cannot make adjustments to this value; please know
that if you order this item you will be responsible for paying taxes associated with the FMV shown.

Your Account page will display a running total of the FMV for products received through the program; this allows you to track the value of
products you have received each year.

If you have any concern about the FMV of a Vine item, we suggest that you
do not request this item as we cannot adjust this value and it will be reported on your tax documents.

Your Account page will display a running total of the fair market value for products received through the program; this allows you to track the value
of products you have received each year.
How do I update my information for tax reporting?
You can update yourtax information by retaking the Tax Interview. Be
advised that this will only update your information for tax purposes.
Follow below steps to retake the Tax Interview:
a. Access your account via: amazon.com/vine/account
b. Go to your “Vine tax information” section
c. Select “Start/Update Questionnaire”
d. Click “Take Interview” and follow steps to completion.
How do I access my forms online?
You will receive a Form 1099-NEC ONLY if you received payments of $600 or
more during the calendar year. To access the digital copy of your form,
please follow these steps:
a. Access your account via: amazon.com/vine/account
b. Go to “Vine tax information” section
c. Select “Start/Update Questionnaire”
d. Click “Find Forms” at the bottom of the page
e. Download applicable forms
Are there instructions on how to use the 1099-NEC for my tax return?
If you are unsure of how to report the information provided on a Form 1099-NEC, please contact your tax, legal, or other professional advisor.
Can I return my Vine item after reviewing so I do not have to pay taxes?
No, you will not be able to return any Vine items after review.
Does the total value change if I have to cancel an order because I can’t review it?
Yes, if you have to cancel a Vine order because you can’t review it due to
a defective or damaged item, then we may deduct the value of that item from your Vine account when the cancellation occurs. If you order and cancel an item in the same year, the two transactions will zero each other out. If it
is cancelled in the following year, then the adjustment will be reflected
in that year’s itemized report. If you order a Vine item in 2021 and cancel in 2022, then the adjustment or negative value will be in the 2022
aggregated total.
When will the tax value from the cancelled Vine items be reflected in the estimated tax amount?
The tax values in the Estimate Total Amount and itemized report will update within two days of a request being processed by our Vine Customer Service team. The tax value for the current year is an estimate and updated on a regular basis. The final value may differ depending on the status of your order at the end of the year.
When is a product calculated towards my total for a tax reporting year?
For relevant tax authorities' reporting, Amazon estimates the fair market value of products at the point when you took ownership. Based on the Vine Voice Participation Agreement, title of Vine items transfers to you at the time of order. If a Vine item was delivered on November 3rd, 2022 and
another on January 15th, 2023, only the November one delivered in the 2022 calendar year will be calculated toward your 2022 aggregated total.
Requesting Vine Items
How often should I check my queue?
You should check in whenever you have the capacity to order another product
to review. We want you to feel free to check in whenever you are able and
not be required to come to the site on a specific day and time.
Will items appear in my queue at a standard time each day?
There will not be a specific day or time when items are added to your
queue. As we receive inventory from manufacturers, we will target the
product using our current targeting system.
Is there a limit to the number of items I can request?
There is a daily limit to the number of Vine items Voices can request; we
want to give all our Voices a chance to get items they are interested in
and to participate in this program.
What if there are no products in my queue?
There are four reasons you could not see products in your queue. 1) There
are no products in current inventory targeted to you based on our current targeting system. 2) You do not meet our active participation criteria. 3)
One of your reviews may have been flagged as innapropriate. 4) We have identified suspicious activity.
How long do I have to review items?
We encourage you to post insightful reviews quickly and ensure that your review contains quality feedback. Doing so will increase the likelihood
that your opinions will be among the first to appear on the detail pages of new and pre¬released items.
Can other people take products before I get to them?
Yes, as in the current Vine queues, you are not guaranteed a product until
you have placed an order for it.
Could products show up in several item queues at the same time?
No. Some products will go through the targeted queue first where you may or may not have been offered them, and after a period of time, will move to Available for All.
Can you please stop sending me books (or something else that I don’t want)? We understand that there are some products in your queue that you do not
have interest in. We try and do our best to make sure that products are targeted to the best of our ability, but some products have no history and need to be offered up to several people that may or may not enjoy them. We encourage you to try something new every now and then - you never know, you might like it.
What types of products are eligible for Amazon Vine?
Amazon selling partners may nominate any products they wish for inclusion
in Amazon Vine. We encourage you to browse the queues for newest in
clothing, electronics, home and kitchen, pet supplies, outdoor gear, books
and any other items that catch your eye.
The item I want to review is no longer in stock. Will Amazon Vine replenish the item?
Amazon Vine is a promotional program, so participating brands allocate
limited quantity of newly released products. We encourage you to visit our website often so that you can request items that you want to review before
the inventory runs out.
Tracking Vine Orders
How long will it take for me to receive a product to review once I request
it?
You should receive your Amazon Vine item(s) within 5-7 business days of shipping it. You may track your orders by visiting the Vine Orders page.
It has been over a week and I have not received my Amazon Vine item. How
can I check status?
Please visit the Vine Orders page to view the status of your order.
Can I ship Vine items outside of the United States?
Unfortunately we cannot support international Vine shipments at this time.
We hope to provide this capability in the future and apologize to our
valued international reviewer community.
I am an Amazon Prime member. Why don’t I get free two-day shipping on Vine items?
All Vine items are handled separately from the rest of our Amazon products. Vine items currently ship at standard ground speeds (3-7 days).
Can I cancel a commitment to review a Vine item after receiving it?
You may cancel a Vine order if you are not able to review it. Cancellations are not offered for slight variances in products, and you should take this into account before participating in Amazon Vine Voices. Orders that have a review posted or are beyond 30 days from delivery date cannot be cancelled.
If you have to cancel a Vine order, please open a case by clicking on
Contact Us and providing the Order ID Number and reason for canceling.
Does Vine offer returns?
Amazon Vine items are not returnable or replaceable but may be cancelled. Submitting Vine Reviews
Am I required to write reviews about all the Amazon Vine products I select?
The Amazon customer community highly values your opinion and Amazon Vine exists to help the Amazon customers make better informed purchase
decisions. We do not require that you write a review but we do take this
into account when determining who the best reviewers are to keep in Amazon Vine.
How quickly do I need to post my review?
We encourage you to post reviews quickly and ensure that your review
contains quality feedback. Doing so will increase the likelihood that your opinions will be among the first to appear on the detail pages of new and pre¬released items.
Where do I post my review?
Please click on the Vine Reviews page on the Amazon Vine website to post
your review. Please follow Amazon's General Review Writing Guidelines as outlined on that page in crafting your review
What should my review include?
Vine reviews should be focused on the product and follow the Community Guidelines. Feedback about your shipment experience, or packaging should
not be included in Amazon Vine reviews.
How may I edit my reviews?
You may edit any reviews submitted to the Vine program by visiting the Vine Reviews page and clicking ‘See review’ and then ‘Edit’ for any Vine product
that you have reviewed.
Will Amazon edit my review?
No. All Amazon Vine reviews will be posted on the product’s Amazon.com detail pages unedited, regardless of whether it is a favorable review or
not.
Why are my recent orders not showing in Awaiting Reviews?
Only delivered items appear in the Awaiting Reviews list. We do not expect
you to review items you have not yet received. After placing your order,
there will be processing time for your item to be delivered and for the
system to update.
Where will my review appear on the product detail page?
Amazon Vine reviews appear on the product detail page, in the same location
as other Amazon customer reviews. Amazon Vine reviews are distinguished
from others with a special badge.
Do I need to return the item after reviewing it?
Amazon Vine items are yours to keep, unless a return is specifically
requested by Amazon.com.
Where can I get help if I have a question or issue about my reviews?
To find our more information about your review or the Community Guidelines, follow these steps:
1. Visit Amazon Customer Service
2. Select “Help with something else” (if this button is displayed)
3. Select “Something else”
4. Select “Amazon Community”
5. Select “Amazon Vine Program” and follow steps to completion
How do I report fake reviews?
Use the Report link near the review content that you want to report.
What should I do if I’m asked to change my review?
If someone offers you compensation to create, edit, or remove a review,
report it using the Report Review Compensation form. After we receive your report, we'll investigate and take appropriate action.
Review Quality
What is the Review Insightfulness Score (RIS) and why does Amazon evaluate
the insightfulness of my Vine review texts?
Review Insightfulness Score (RIS) measures how helpful and detailed your
Vine reviews are for other customers. We look at the content of your review text to determine how well you explain products and provide valuable information that helps customers make informed purchasing decisions. This helps maintain high-quality standards in the Vine program. Please note that RIS only applies to reviews of Vine orders and not to reviews you write for other Amazon orders.
Where can I find my Review Insightfulness Score and what do the different levels mean?
You can find your Review Insightfulness Score on your Vine Account page
along with other performance metrics for the current evaluation period. The score appears in one of four levels from Excellent (Green) to Poor (Red), reflecting how detailed, contextualized, and relevant your review content
is. Your score reflects average review quality of all reviews submitted
during the current evaluation period and is factored into your tier status.
How is my Review Insightfulness Score calculated and how can I improve it?
We evaluate several key aspects of your review content when calculating
your score:

Level of Detail: We look at how specifically you describe the product based on your actual experience. Instead of saying "works well," explain
how it performed specific tasks.
Contextualization: We consider how well you explain when and how the product works best. For example, "I used this blender for making smoothies with frozen fruit" is more helpful than "I used this blender."
Topic Relevancy: We check whether your review focuses on the product itself rather than shipping, ordering, or other non-product aspects.
Star Rating Context: We assess how well your written review supports
your star rating. Your review should provide specific details and examples that help other customers understand your rating choice, whether positive
or negative.

Please note that this score does not have specific word count
requirements or media (images/video) requirements, which means that
increasing word count or adding media will not automatically improve your score.

Why am I not seeing an RIS score yet or why hasn't my score updated?
There are a few reasons why your RIS score might not appear or update immediately. You need to have submitted at least one Vine review before receiving a score. Most reviews may have a 3 day delay between when you
submit or edit a review and when the score is calculated and displayed.

If you've submitted reviews more than 14 days ago and still don't see a
score, check that your review submission was confirmed or contact Vine Customer Support with a link to your review to report a potential issue.
The Vine Customer Service team cannot modify Review Insightfulness Scores
or share additional details about how specific scores were calculated.
Why do rejected reviews still show an RIS score? How does this impact my overall score?
If one of your reviews is rejected by Amazon's Customer Reviews team, it
will still display a score from when it was initially evaluated. If you can
no longer edit or delete the rejected review, then its score continues to count toward your overall score for the current evaluation period.

Please note that occasionally reviews with high insightfulness scores may still be rejected as they need to comply with our Community Guidelines, regardless of their insightfulness score. For example, a detailed review
that mentions competing products by name or includes external website links may be rejected even if it's otherwise well-written and insightful.

If you have rejected reviews affecting your overall score, focus on writing several high-quality reviews for your new Vine items to improve your
average score over time.
--
Probably one out of a million people know how to properly review a product.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2