Shared Reviews- Expanded Category Descriptions - Automotive

Shared Reviews (SR) is a community-based product review site that shares monthly revenue with writers, and with members who vote for quality reviews. Anyone who has an opinion about products you own (that fit the category structure) may sign up and participate.

There is currently no pre-approval process for reviews. You write it, you publish it, zap! It goes live. But then what? If you did not place your review in the proper category, at some point it will probably be reported to the administrators and the review will be pulled. It will be sent back to you for editing, then it will actually have to be approved before it will go live again. If a review is pulled you will lose points on your Share Score, and so may people who voted for your review. No one will be happy.

However, the current category structure is definitely rough around the edges, and there is no help provided for those who really want to put a review in the correct place. Some of the most active participants at the site have been asking for a short description for each category to help people decide what belongs there, but this is a big task, and the administration is facing many big tasks as they try to get the site on firm financial ground.

So... simply based on several months of experience I will attempt to provide some guidance for the categories. PLEASE NOTE- this is in no way an official statement of SR policy, and using these guidelines does not guarantee that you will never have a review pulled. But I hope that they will help. Some categories seem fairly obvious. Others are problematic for almost everyone.

You should always place a review in the category for which the manufacturer designed it. For example, one successful reviewer placed a hydration pack in ATV Accessories because that is how her son used it. The review was pulled and moved to Recreation / Outdoor Equipment because that is how it is marketed. You are free to describe creative uses for a product, but always choose to place it in the category for which it is primarily designed.

Automotive Category

General comment:
This article reflects changes made to the category structure in July 2008

Automotive Subcategories

ATV Accessories
Include such things as covers, extra hardware that mounts on an ATV. There is currently a review for engine oil there, but it is not clear that this is really acceptable. There are also helmets there, but this is an area of overlap with Motorcycle Accessories, and even more generally with Motorsports Accessories.

ATVs
This is pretty obvious. And since there is a separate category for the accessories you should not put those in here. Vehicles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a vehicle is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Car Audio
This is pretty obvious. Include things such as in-dash units, speakers designed for vehicles, various adapters for vehicle audio. Do not include CD players or iPods which you simply play in your car without attaching them to the car's sound system in some way. These have their own categories.

Car Care / Accessories
This category (added July 2008) is where you should put all of the cleaning/detailing products for cars, and extra things like car mats, mirror bling, storage systems for vehicles, etc. I would think that this is also the place for replaceable fluids such as oil, brake, transmission, washer fluid, etc. Note that Roof Racks and Trailers have their own category, as does Tires

Car Security Systems
This may include such things as remote starters if they are combined with other security features in the product. The site is primarily about product reviews, not service reviews, but services that you can subscribe to in your vehicle (such as OnStar) may be reviewed in this category if features such as engine shut down, car location, and similar security features are covered.

Convertibles
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Economy Cars
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

GPS
This should be GPS units for your vehicle, and various accessories which may be required for them. Handheld GPS units for hiking should go in the Electronics / GPS Category.

Hybrid Cars
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate. I do not know whether any alternative fuel vehicle would be acceptable in this category. This has not been tested.

Luxury Cars
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Minivans
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Motorcycle Accessories
Here we are in a category that has overlap with several others. There are helmets here as well as in ATV Accessories, and Motorsports Accessories. It is unclear where admin will ultimately decide that helmets should be. Certainly covers, things that attach to a motorcycle, and motorcycle clothing belongs here.

Motorcycles
Another fairly obvious one. There is a separate category for accessories. Vehicles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a vehicle is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Motorsports Accessories
This category seems to have a lot of overlap with Motorcycle Accessories, and ATV Accessories. There are some helmets and clothing in here. If it makes sense for your item to be used with more than one type of a vehicle with an engine this is probably where it should go. This is not the place to put Automotive Accessories however.

Original Equipment Parts
This is the category for auto parts that are standard features on most cars. Batteries, mufflers, normal oil filters, etc go here. Note that Tires has a separate category.

Performance Parts
If you want to soup up the vehicle in some way to make it run better than it was factory-designed to do, this is where those reviews should go. Note that Tires has a separate category.

Radar Detectors
This is a category that is fairly unambiguous.

Roof Racks / Trailers
This category includes all the various kinds of racks and attachments that you fasten to your car or van to carry specialized kinds of gear. It includes trailer hitches, and road legal trailers (not garden carts or trailers to pull behind an ATV)

Scooters
Motorcycles under 125 cc are usually defined as scooters. Here is where they go.

Sedans
This category was added July 2008. There previously was no place to put "regular" cars.

Snowmobile Accessories
This category was added July 2008. There will still be overlap with several other categories. Helmets might go here as well as in ATV Accessories, or Motorsports Accessories. It is unclear where admin will ultimately decide that helmets should be. Certainly covers, things that attach to a snowmobile, and snowmobile clothing belongs here.

Snowmobiles
This is where you should review the machines themselves. Vehicles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a vehicle is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Sports Cars
Another fairly obvious one. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Station Wagons
This one is not so obvious. Car makers have not made what used to be called station wagons for a number of years. People are putting hatchbacks, crossovers, and other boxy vehicles in here. I think you pretty much just take your chances on this category. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

SUVs
This one should be obvious, but there is the question of where to put the mini-SUVs. Most people have put them in here rather than in Station Wagons. Perhaps this will be sorted out when the categories are re-done. Automobiles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a car is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Tires
Here is where you can put tires for any motorized vehicle. Garden carts, wheelbarrows, and bicycles have their own categories where I think you would place tires for those items.

Trucks
Another fairly obvious one. Vehicles do not need to be a current model as long as there is a reasonable expectation of purchasing one in used condition. The category has not been tested as to the acceptability of classic or collector vehicles. There is some ambiguity as to whether test driving a vehicle is adequate to write a review. One administrator has said that this is not acceptable, but I do not know of any reviews that have been pulled yet. I suspect that the quality of the review might determine its fate.

Wheels / Rims
This is self-explanatory, except to point out that this is not Tires. They have their own category.

AGAIN NOTE- this is in no way an official statement of SR policy, and using these guidelines does not guarantee that you will never have a review pulled.

This is being published as Display Only. It will be updated as appropriate. Published: June 24, 2008, Edited July 7, 2008

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