How Much Do We Trust YouTube Stars?

Well, I was watching the podcasts on YouTube, with commercials. I mean, I get it, I just think it`s a hell of a way to run a railroad. I realize these are people running businesses out of their houses, and they are trying to supplement their income, but it`s like everyone wants to be a media star, rather than a detailer. And if they get to a point, as you say, where they have a "massive following" and are making decent money from YouTube, are they going to tell their listeners "please don`t donate any money to me, I get plenty from YouTube now"? Yeah, I thought not. Maybe this is just the gig economy at work, and I need to adjust my perspective. I`m still railing at the term "financial industry".
 
With all due respect to The Guz, I just watched the first half of his review of Idrosave, and after doing 2 doors on a not-too-dirty coated vehicle, proclaimed it the best polymer rinseless on the market. After 2 doors?

He offered up a different channel`s discount code for the product, which was interesting.
 
A lot of the Youtube channels are salesmen who also happen to detail. This means that they have to hype the new products and they also cannot be too harsh on the various companies, especially the ones that offer them discount codes. So it is up to the consumer to realize that the Youtube channel might not be unbiased due to personal gain. And the hyping up of products is how they sustain and grow their channels.

After all, would you be negative towards a product that will help make you money if it sells? Also, would you be negative towards a product knowing that the company might not be willing to work with you due to that negative review?

So you have a lot of detailing companies that work with Youtube channels to promote and market their products. Might this not lead to biased reviews or am I being too harsh?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
With all due respect to The Guz, I just watched the first half of his review of Idrosave, and after doing 2 doors on a not-too-dirty coated vehicle, proclaimed it the best polymer rinseless on the market. After 2 doors?

He offered up a different channel`s discount code for the product, which was interesting.
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It`s weird that now we have categories of rinseless that we award prizes to, rather than just rinseless. I guess the Youtube channels don`t want some companies to feel left out. I get it, the latest and greatest get the attention but I am not impressed by Idrosave. And if you check comments on one of the channels, there are people having spotting issues. The other rinseless products don`t have these issues but they are not the latest and greatest anymore.
 
Fishing said:
The Junkman 2000 circa 2012 videos is what got me into polishing. His older videos I find to be educational and entertaining at the same time and bring me back to the basics. I find that I do search out others but it is mostly for "How to " type of things when I don`t know how to do something,,,,which is often. I am cautious when it comes to them recommending product brands.
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I used to love watching Junkman back in the day when he made a lot more detailing content than he makes now. He taught me a lot and was very entertaining. And he wasn`t a salesman, just a good teacher.
 
Nav45 said:
After all, would you be negative towards a product that will help make you money if it sells? Also, would you be negative towards a product knowing that the company might not be willing to work with you due to that negative review?

So you have a lot of detailing companies that work with Youtube channels to promote and market their products. Might this not lead to biased reviews or am I being too harsh?
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No, you`re not being harsh, I think these were the points I was making with this thread. Or in other words, we can trust these YouTubers to give us the straight skinny, just as long as it`s ok with their sponsors or doesn`t cost them any views.

Nav45 said:
I am not impressed by Idrosave. And if you check comments on one of the channels, there are people having spotting issues. The other rinseless products don`t have these issues but they are not the latest and greatest anymore.
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I didn`t have any spotting problems, but I wash and dry section by section. To me this is just best practice for rinseless. I would guess the spotting has something to do with the amount of *secret sauce* that`s in Idrosave, what makes it slick and leaves protection behind, my car was shedding water pretty well today in the rain.
 
Well, DMS put up a video yesterday to "prove" that Idrosave doesn`t spot. He seemed to be trying to debunk some initial impressions about Idrosave spotting, and I guess something about it getting stinky if you leave dirty solution in a closed bucket.

I don`t know about you, I`m pretty cheap, but I pour my dirty rinseless wash solution out after I`m done. I don`t even do multiple cars with the same bucket, I mix a fresh one for each car. So the main thrust of the video seemed to be letting Idrosave dry on a couple of windows, then coming back and spraying the "spots" down and then wiping dry, to prove that you can wipe off the spots. IMO the video was a waste of time and was an odd kind of "does not!" defense of criticisms of "the best polymer rinseless". He who doth protest too much.

But I kind of get the idea that some people try and rinseless wash a whole car before they dry? And then complain about getting spots? If you do a conventional wash you keep flooding the car so nothing dries before you are done and can dry the whole car, so you don`t get water spots. When you do a rinseless, you wash a panel or two at a time, and then you dry those panels, so you don`t get water spots. To me, a better video would have been "best practice" rinseless wash techniques, instead of some questionable defense of Idrosave specifically. Unless these people get so wrapped up in the comments about their videos that their ego demands they defend themselves (vs. defending the product).
 
There is a difference between someone who is testing a product and someone who is being paid to promote a product. Even if a person posts a link they get paid something from someone using the link for a purchase.
 
wannafbody said:
There is a difference between someone who is testing a product and someone who is being paid to promote a product. Even if a person posts a link they get paid something from someone using the link for a purchase.
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That`s why my favorite YT reviewer is Project Farm. He`s not a detailing enthusiast, though.
 
To ALL Autopians:
I will ask, then, about those of you who are have been given detailing products, usually for free, to test than then give your opinions and evaluations with a reviews of that/those product(s) within this forum.
I have applauded detailing product manufacturers for doing that and those of you have have taken the time to post those reviews. But the caveat is how "truthful" or unbiased are these reviews, since you have been given this product for free and there is that question, at least in my mind, of "don`t bite the hand that feeds you". Unless I know about past history of the Autopian reviewer, there is that implication of doubt.
Have these reviews influenced my detailing product buying and usage decisions? YES, absolutely. Griot`s Garage PFM Drying Microfiber Towels being one of them and Klasse All-In-One being another. And who can forget the introduction of Meguiar`s NXT Sealant.
But many of you who have been around this forum for some time know how we call hyped, must-have detailing products with the term "flavor-of-the-month". EVERYONE is on the bandwagon with it UNTIL the next big thing comes around or it simply falls out of favor (Flavor?) and we go back to similar detailing products that we have used in the past that we know and trust that give us Autopians the detailing results we like and desire for any number of reasons: from product price, to familiarity and ease of application and removal, or simply to use it up before it goes bad or to not throw away a sizable investment we made in a larger size or multiple quantities (What am I going to do with that gallon of an early version of Meg`s M105 Compound OR the four jars of Autoglym`s High-Definition Wax you bought at Walmart on clearance?).

For the record, I am not on Facebook, "X", or other Social Media platforms. That said, how many of you turn to YouTube to watch a video on a simple or even more complex how-to-do-it-yourself task or project before you DIY OR learn about a particular home cleaning product, electronic or computer item, or power tool review before you buy something. I have, and I think that tells a great deal about the "influence" social media has these days on all facets of life, both good and bad.
 
Big agreement. I know I look to yt videos on alot of product quests. You want a guide to show you where your money would be best spent. And a simple `now` way to get information on doing a task. Yt gives that. But I also look to forums in a BIG way to get solid feedback on products and items.
 
Good post! I`m sure I was considered a Zaino shill, but to be honest, I still use Sal`s products 20+ years later, and I absolutely love them! High quality products in my book! Not to promote. Not at all. Because they work exceptionally well, so no reason to course correct. Same with other products I use--Lake Country Pads, 3M Ultrafina, Menzerna Polishes, etc... I`ve never taken a lot of stock in product promotions (after dialing in `what works best for me`), but I do love seeing process on detailing nightmare`s! That`s inspiring and the main reason I lurk around to see how others tackle difficult issues.
 
mgm2003 said:
Good post! I`m sure I was considered a Zaino shill, but to be honest, I still use Sal`s products 20+ years later, and I absolutely love them! High quality products in my book! Not to promote. Not at all. Because they work exceptionally well, so no reason to course correct. Same with other products I use--Lake Country Pads, 3M Ultrafina, Menzerna Polishes, etc... I`ve never taken a lot of stock in product promotions (after dialing in `what works best for me`), but I do love seeing process on detailing nightmare`s! That`s inspiring and the main reason I lurk around to see how others tackle difficult issues.
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I`m back to Sal`s country cousins, Duragloss. It just works and keeps my paint slick and blingy like no coating can.
 
I’ll take Duragloss and other old school products over coatings all the time. Love the bling they provide
 
I believe Jimmy retired ages ago. Time marches on, this month or next will be 20 years since I joined Autopia.org (I believe it was Autopia.com at that time; the 2011 join date in my profile is from when I joined AutopiaForums.com, which was later folded into Autopia.org).
 
It is just a data point to me. The more they promote a specific product the less I care except for watching technique. Who is supposed to be the real star - the person or the product,

What is common now is that when you surf "best something" you get phony review sites. There is often truth in what is mentioned but steers you toward certain products like "best ceramic coatings".
 
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