Yeah, no kidding. This brings up something I’ve been meaning to address for a while now. Reviewers who receive free products from manufacturers (which are nearly all of them) are inherently biased because the nature of the relationship creates an unavoidable conflict of interest. Even if they make an effort to remain objective, the act of receiving free products creates a sense of obligation—conscious or subconscious—to speak favorably about the item to maintain a positive relationship with the company (they have to keep that stream of free products flowing). Negative reviews can jeopardize future opportunities for early access, exclusive partnerships, or additional free merchandise. This type of bias is absolutely unavoidable, despite claims to the contrary, and whether or not the person is aware of it. The only way to truly avoid bias is to purchase 100% of the products under review with their own money—something rarely seen these days.