Amazon Vine Explained | Top 10 Questions I’m Asked About Getting Free Stuff

[@LockeTheCole]

My spouse has recently joined the Vine program and it's nice to hear someone talk about it positively for once... So many people on Discord, KZbin and Reddit complain and whine that things aren't as great as they used to be and threaten to quit. All I can ever think is, then do it, let someone who might appreciate it in instead.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I do understand how some people have become jaded with the program. I mention in this video that the quality of the items has declined significantly since I started in 2016, and there are barely ever any name brand items on the review lists anymore. But it's still fin getting free stuff, and it also can be rewarding when you can warn other buyers about products that are essentially scams. Thanks for watching!

[@menow7903]

Just pure greed. The whinging and hate on the forums from people who have been on it for ages and get really mad when new people join, then making out they are upset because new people deliver low quality reviews. Nope. It's because they don't have all the sweets to themselves anymore.

[@urmommabear5monthsago]

@@menow7903 yeah but it’s not free, you do actually have to pay money for the stuff

[@JesMarie_W3]

I receive extremely nice items. Granted, I CHOOSE these items and I think people don't understand that they have to sift through a copious amount of items offered. I think they also don't understand they can actually search (via the search box in vine) for things they find useful. I think it's great.

[@svenf1]

Got invited today (or maybe years ago and I just never noticed, as there's a tax year dropdown that goes all the way back to 2020). This is all good info in the video, and I also just learned a lot from the US-related comments here. One takeaway for me is, don't get greedy - choose things you (or a friend) can actually use, and keep track of what you rack up in product "value" (which is of course determined by what producers want to sell it for, and by how much people are willing to pay) so as to ideally not exceed those $600/year. I don't want to become a hoarder, and that is something I will have to keep a strict eye on participating in this program which is certainly both interesting and exciting.

[@ProklaimYYC]

It can be a lot of fun. But as I said in the video, you can quickly get overwhelmed with stuff that’s not good or that you don’t use if you’re not real. I’m sure when you’re paying taxes you’d lot more vigilant than I am about what you order! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@sooofunny37]

I just got accepted about 30min ago. US here as well. Like you, I noticed the year on the tax year drop down went back to 2018 for me. I rarely write reviews, so maybe they did invite my back in 2018 and it took a review for the invite to pop up above the review page. Also, below the invitation was a sentence promising that if I did 5 more reviews they would "tell me a joke." I took a screenshot because I felt like I had entered the Matrix. I never got an email invitation. Maybe that's a Canada thing. I do buy a lot of things on Amazon&actually worked there from 2016-2018. It was when I wrote a review of the hoodie I bought last year and how it's really great quality that the invitation appeared today. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I almost closed the page. I made it! The Holy Grail! I had always been jealous of the Viner's Club&had no idea how to become part of this Illuminati. The introduction video explained that every review brings one closer to being invited. I was guessing there were different tiers to the program once I got accepted, and sure enough, Silver&Gold status. I have 6months to prove myself. I found it interesting that some items had zero value $0.00 like the castor oil i chose for my eyebrows/lashes that I know is worth $10 bc I have bought that sort of thing in the past. It just blows my mind someone can get $65k worth of items and it's tax free. Wow! Gotta love Canada.

[@RealityHurts923]

I was waiting the whole video for this guy to mention having to pay taxes on all this stuff. Some people have to pay back thousands in taxes getting caught up in getting so much stuff they think is “free”.

[@ProklaimYYC]

That was an oversight one my part. I’m Canada I don’t have to pay any taxes on my Amazon Vine products. Thanks for watching the whole video!

[@saralynn518]

@@ProklaimYYC Dangit Canada. Always finding out more good things about you.

[@ChronicPainInTheAss]

This is right. In the US Vine members pay taxes. Currently, I believe that US Vine members are the only ones who do pay taxes. Vine members also have to retain ownership for 6 months before giving products away.

[@Pobsta-de7hb]

@@saralynn518 Nah they do now

[@jaquirox6579]

@@ProklaimYYCWHAT THE LITERAL HECK?!!!! Would you consider doing a new updated video that is more relevant to current Viners in the US?? I just started and the entire tax situation is really crazy and daunting. Also find it to be dishonest for Amazon to badge me claiming I received a free product, but then they tell my government that these products were my paid wages as a freelancer hired by them. And then big daddy gov send me a bill for 15-35% of the ETV of all these items!!!! I want to be able to do something fruitful with this Vine opportunity, to help serve my family and friends possibly. But as an every day full time mom…. This tax situation is crazy and a bit scary honestly. Also, we are allowed to sell our things over here, but supposedly only after the 6 month mark. But Amazon is telling the gov that the products are my paid wages… so that’s a bit of double speak to both claim it’s not fully my property for 6 months, while in other vine literature it says its fully my property immediately upon receiving, but then vine tells the gov it’s my paid pages for writing reviews!!!! All of those literally contradict each other…. So…. What the heck do I even do with that?!! How do I make this work for me and my family, and not actually be a burden simply because of taxes?? :-/

[@donnaleiber6214]

Thanks for the video. Even though you're in Canada (so no taxes) and started the program before tiers and other updates, some stuff was still useful. You are very articulate and organized and it was a pleasure to watch.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thank you for the very nice comment and thanks for watching!

[@jasonpatterson8091]

There are some important differences between the Canadian and US experiences of this. In the US Vine is not free - you have to pay self employment taxes and income tax based on the ETV of the item. In reality it costs 30-45% of the ETV. Remember that you can't pay your taxes with phone cables, so be careful with getting "free" stuff and winding up in serious tax trouble. Second, at least in the US, items do belong to you completely after 6 months and you can do with them as you wish (i.e. sell them if you want). That's part of the entire income thing - effectively you're being paid in off-brand chargers, travel mugs, and rubber gloves. This is long and I don't know if anyone will read it, but it's also worth noting that ETV doesn't have anything to do with reality. So his charger that was a box with a lump of metal inside - if the seller priced it at $50, you now owe taxes on $50 income and all you have to show for it is a trash charger, even if a sensible, functional charger can be had for a fraction of the price. Generally speaking name brand companies don't need more reviews, so you're choosing from a bunch of alphabet soup Chinese brands who are hoping for 5 stars from a reviewer who isn't actually testing the product.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes all this is very true, and when I found out about the fact that American citizens have to pay tax on Vine items, I wondered who would do it. I didn’t even think to mention that I’m in Canada in the video, and I wish I’d had now because so many of the comments talk about taxation. It honestly didn’t even occur to me until the comments started coming in. I suppose if you have a lot of deductions that you otherwise wouldn’t use it might be ok, but as you say the thought of paying tax on a $50 item that’s definitely not worth that would bother me so much. I mentioned in the video that the overall quality of the items I have been receiving over the last two or three years has declines drastically. If I had to pay for these things based on what the sellers are asking for them I’d never order them. I’ve written in a lot of reviews that items are not worth what their being sold at. Thanks for watching and your insightful comment!

[@jasonpatterson8091]

@@ProklaimYYC To be clear, I wasn't trying to complain about your positive outlook on the program. I can 100% see how it would be a blast in your circumstances. Unfortunately it's really problematic and honestly predatory in the US. Amazon "pays" us because they can deduct that cost from their business expenses. Apparently they even keep track of their own employees Estimated Tax Value (ETV) when one wins a prize for production goals and the like. I'm fortunate enough to just not need any of the stuff, so I'm in the program for effectively free stuff as long as I keep below $600 a year (i.e. probably not too much longer, $600 goes awfully fast). Another video about this explained it well - people like me who can afford to pay the taxes don't need Vine items at all; it's just fun to get free stuff and review it. But there is no incentive to do so at the true price point of the items (again, ~45% in federal taxes alone, forgot to add state taxes and the fact that the ETV of these items collecting Vine reviews is almost always very high compared to comparable items selling on Amazon - in reality for me it's close to 60% of the purchase price of a comparable item that has already been reviewed and actually will work). The people who actually want to get into Vine are the ones who need the items themselves - usually the working poor - and they're the ones who can't afford to pay the taxes. They've been "paid" in items of dubious quality that they're not even allowed to sell for 6 months, and because of the nature of the transaction some normal tax methods for dealing with this more fairly aren't available (like depreciation). Amazon simply tells the IRS that you've been paid, and who is the IRS going to believe, you or Amazon?

[@Hipsterjes]

@@jasonpatterson8091 This is by far the best and most insightful comment I’ve seen on this topic. I hope your messages reaches more people. I am definitely in the criteria for a person that would be negatively affected (the way you described) by joining the program. Really glad I found your comment, as I was quite curious if I should accept and join Vine. Thank you!

[@reyreyalldayday5708]

Yeah the only option as an American is to get audited every year until they make some sort of rule for vine specifically. Because, yeah half the stuff gets donated some gets continuously used for updating reviews and some is just trash. I just got invited to the program a few weeks ago. Idk we will see what happens next year. And also who knows this stupid 600 dollar online merchant rule can change at any time. Eventually auditing every American that makes more than 600 bucks is gonna get too expensive. I mean that's kind of everyone. As a freelance web developer I crossed that threshold on venmo in January. Idk the tax situation is crazy.

[@asterisk606]

Having it taxed as income in the US is complete BS. What's even more BS is having it count as self-employment income, so not only are we paying federal and state income tax, we're also slapped with the 15.3% Self-Employment tax, so it really is 30-40%. People think you can stay under $600 and "be fine," but the IRS requires self reporting even for $1 of self-employed income, and really want it after $400. $600 is only when Amazon reports it to the IRS and you get sent the form instead of keeping track of it yourself. The other dark side is receiving crap or products that break, but still being on the hook tax wise. In the eyes of Tax Man, income can't break or lose value, yet when we receive an item that immediately depreciates 70-80% in value because it's a no name product, we still have to pay tax on the full estimated value. It's nice for $0 ETV products in the US, but how many health and bathroom products can you get in reality. I really hope they change the tax structure, but it's unlikely. Non-US Viners are still in the golden era.

[@lizzietizzy]

Your video was super helpful! I'm a new Vine user, getting everything started has been a learning experience!

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching and commenting! It’s a lot of fun - I hope you’ll enjoy reviewing!

[@abdoooly]

😂 I love the demographic explanation. It's based on an undisclosed algorithm. Subscribed, hopefully your YT is monetized soon, well deserved, funny and straight to the point no fluff.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for the sub and comment! I appreciate it!

[@tedk9144]

Thanks for making this! Straight and too the point and answered a lot of questions re Vine! Subscribed and Liked!

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching! I’ve been having fun with Vine despite my critiques.

[@samxpands]

I think you can sell the products after 6 months.

[@GC83163]

Thanks for this. It was very helpful. I just got added to the program, so looking forward to reviewing!

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching. It’s a lot of fun, no question. But you do get disappointed on occasion with some very low-quality items. Overall, though, it’s been a positive experience for me and I hope it will be for you, too!

[@GC83163]

I'm just getting started, and because of the tax implications, I'm only ordering things that look like quality products, and only things I actually need/want. So far, so good.

[@jorgiewtf]

I just joined Vine 2 days ago and I gotta admit, it’s very interesting. I can’t wait to see how it goes.

[@ProklaimYYC]

It can be a lot of fun, and it can also be quite funny when you get a product that’s terrible. You have the opportunity to be really creative with negative reviews 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@jorgiewtf]

@@ProklaimYYC quick question, has being part of the program for so long affected you negatively on your taxes?

[@ProklaimYYC]

@jorgiewtf I’m in Canada, and so there are no taxes on Vine items. When I joined, they made me attest to the fact I was not “a US person” multiple times, which I assume was for tax purposes.

[@jorgiewtf]

@@DL-ep5uk yeah it tends to be pretty funky. If there’s nothing you like or if there is nothing at all in the recommended for you menu, you can look in the “for everyone menu, which is usually pretty terrible, or just go straight into the additional items menu. Once you’re there, look through the categories and you order three things daily every single day if you want. Definitely try to put in your reviews and don’t fall too far behind. Be honest with your reviews. Post pictures and videos. They look at all that. I haven’t had the chance to move up to the next level yet as I’m a full time student, full time dad and I have a part time job. Once you’ve placed a few orders, you’ll see your recommended for you menu start to populate and they will recommend stuff based on what you’ve previously ordered. It can be hit or miss. It when it’s a hit, it’s usually something really cool. Have fun with it!

[@GoodKarma1020]

I’m a Canadian Viner as well. Nice meeting you!! Like you I have received some wacky and weird products, and some amazing products. I see in the background you have the same lamp as me 😂 -cheers 🍻

[@ProklaimYYC]

Right on! I specifically ordered the lamp to be in the background of videos so I’m happy you noticed it! 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@bccabernet]

I recently joined the Canadian Vine. However, I've never received an email offering anything for free to test it out. In fact, they didn't email me saying I got in after I replied to their invitation and filled in their online form. But all my reviews has a Vine Voice to them. So I am looking at how do you get the free items once you've joined.

[@ProklaimYYC]

For me they sent a link in one of the welcome emails that takes you to your list. You might have it in there.

[@artemorbid]

Great video, I am an Influencer and will probably enjoy the Vine program.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks! It can be a lot of fun, especially when you get stuff you can actually use. Thanks for watching!

[@VegasGuy89183]

I was invited to join Amazon Vine just last week. Thank you for a very helpful video.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thank you for watching! It’s a lot of fun (especially when you get a really bad product or a really good product😂)!

[@bonnylouwho76]

Thank you, I am a fairly new VIner myself. You are fortunate that you live in Canada where there are no taxes on these things. In the USA it can seriouly affect benefits that some people receive from the Government. Frankly in the USA they have no business inviting people who need to rely on benefits to participate WITHOUT causing them major bad affects from participating.

[@dwayneam]

Thank you for this info, I was selected for Vine and this info really helpful.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Enjoy! It’s a lot of fun. Thanks for watching!

[@srirachahero4679]

I just got an invite to Vine. I saw the invite when I was writing a review for a product I had bought. I think it’s just organically writing reviews honestly.

[@elisafisher7234]

All they offer is Cheap China products you can buy from the $ store no one need or want to buy, even don't want Free. This guy is lying about $60,000. Yes they sensor reviews STOP LYING! I recently joined and opted out due to the CHEAP items you have to choose from

[@deusvlad2.083]

lol the reason your selected for Vine, is so they see your reviews are not only helpful but show both positive and negative aspects of products, whilst staying honest and being fair.

[@CindymeCindy]

Can you get refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers on the Gold program?

[@southernguy35]

You can dispose of the product at any time. You can sell it after six months. this is an old video. I doubt you'll find coffee makers on it these days. You'll find cake toppers and castor oil packs.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes I have noticed a significant decline in the quality of the offerings. And definitely a lot of castor oil packs 😂

[@muskratondatra8294]

So you're saying I got in to late? I just need some essentials maybe offset some purchases for products I already need or use. Would be cool to get something you want to though lol

[@southernguy35]

@@muskratondatra8294 , if you're in it to make a killing, you won't like it. If you're in it to see how it is and find the pearls in the sand, you'll like it. No one is in it for essentials. You don't get paid you know. If you need to offset purchases, maybe you need to talk to a credit agency to help you.

[@businesscat2895]

Program is by invitation only. Criteria for selection is a mystery, but I would assume it's keeping reviews clean, simple, and honest. For taxes using an EIN and having other expenses to write off against the gains is the way to go.

[@beninchesapeake]

Good video. A lot of good information. If you decide to do a video review of a product you received from Amazon for free do you need to wait six months before publishing the video to KZbin?

[@odd02]

5:31 So i went through the Vine policy and from what I read you CAN sell the Vine items ONLY after the six month window has expired. But not beforehand. Now it doesn't specifically say yes you may sell Vine items. But it seems implied you can once the window has expired.

[@ProklaimYYC]

It’s possible they have changed the TOS. The last time I went through them was when I joined 😂 Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@odd02]

@@ProklaimYYC they could of. Not sure when last you had check. Just thought I'd mention it more for people thinking about getting into it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I appreciate that, and the heads up. I last looked at them when I joined in 2016, so I should probably review 😂

[@allnaturalhomesteaders]

Yes you can sell the items after 6 months. Unfortunately you can't sell them right away, because most of these products aren't in stores yet!!

[@majiame5965]

Just joined vine recently. You should mention the tax impact as the first thing and explain the etv estimated taxable value.

[@ConnectGrowThrive]

Good job, good video I appreciate it valuable real info im brand new to KZbin as well.Just wanted to say thank you for your video. I'm about to invest in a new equipment for my video Your camera looks pretty sharp. Any suggestions On what camera I should be looking for. The osbot tiny 2 has really caught my interest.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching! I filmed this with a DJI Pocket 1 but I have heard very good things about the Osbot cameras. Have fun with KZbin - it can be a fun hobby :)

[@lostintheclouds8719]

In terms of reviews being censored, I’ve had so far one review of mine be completely rejected, and I didn’t mention any big box stores, or any type of anything related to that. I had done a review on a rawhide free alternative dog chew (cow tails) (made in USA), it was a pretty straightforward review, and I gave it I think three stars. the reason why it lost a couple of stars was because while it smelled like what it was supposed to smell like, it also had a slight chemical smell to it. I’m not quite sure why it had this slight chemical smell to it but I smelled it and that was concerning to me because it was a pet item that is going to be ingested by dogs and I wouldn’t give that to my dog because of that chemical smell. But when I put down that it had a slight chemical smell, apparently they didn’t like that review and they rejected it, and I had to edit the review in order to do it again. As for companies messaging me because I left a one star or less than five star review. So far I’ve had two companies message me. One of them was kind of persistent, and it was for another dog item. They really did not like my honest review and I’m not stupid when it comes to dog items. I’m very informed, especially regarding food and proper ingredients that should be in there as opposed to bad ones, so I know. I conversated with them a couple times and after that they left me alone. The other company that messaged me was because I left I think a three star review regarding their silverware set. it was an everyday plain looking set, nothing special. there was a significant degree of bend factor associated with their product. I’m sorry, but if I’m cutting into a steak and fork breaks because of the amount of pressure, I have to put on the fork to hold a steak in order to cut it, that’s concerning to me. I don’t want to be eating food with silverware that’s going to break. Pretty sure the other person reading this review doesn’t want to have that happen either. I mean, vine, asked for honesty, and I’m providing honesty. It’s too bad because it’s a nice looking set and some of these products have really great concepts, but some of them fall short while some of them don’t

[@ProklaimYYC]

I just wrote the script for a follow-up video about some of the vendors who message me after giving them bad reviews. It’s been more and more persistent recently.

[@lostintheclouds8719]

@@ProklaimYYC I became a member of vine in August 2023 and since my initial post above, I’ve been emailed by at least four or five different sellers because of my honest reviews. I made the mistake of messaging back the first company that reached out to me, but then I learned that I’m not required to reply back to sellers so I don’t do that anymore. Honestly, I don’t think they should be allowed to be able to even reach out to us. Amazon says they’re not supposed to do that and that we can actually report them because they can get into trouble for doing that. Boy would I love to learn how to report them. There are so many things that could be corrected/improved to make this program be better

[@jaquirox6579]

Would you consider doing a new updated video that is more relevant to current Viners in the US?? I just started and the entire tax situation is really crazy and daunting. Also find it to be dishonest for Amazon to badge me claiming I received a free product, but then they tell my government that these products were my paid wages as a freelancer hired by them. And then big daddy gov send me a bill for 15-35% of the ETV of all these items!!!! I want to be able to do something fruitful with this Vine opportunity, to help serve my family and friends possibly. But as an every day full time mom…. This tax situation is crazy and a bit scary honestly. Also, we are allowed to sell our things over here, but supposedly only after the 6 month mark. But Amazon is telling the gov that the products are my paid wages… so that’s a bit of double speak to both claim it’s not fully my property for 6 months, while in other vine literature it says its fully my property immediately upon receiving, but then vine tells the gov it’s my paid pages for writing reviews!!!! All of those literally contradict each other…. So…. What the heck do I even do with that?!! How do I make this work for me and my family, and not actually be a burden simply because of taxes?? :-/

[@bettinanstevens9259]

yeah, I just got an invite. Now im watching videos of people who have done it. Still have a lot of unanswered questions. One lady said that its really not taxable but it sounds like she would need a lawyer to prove it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I'd love to be able to but I don't know anything about how Vine works for US residents. I'm sure there are others on KZbin who would be better able to relay their experience. Thanks for watching!

[@jaquirox6579]

@@ProklaimYYC That’s a pretty fair response. Thank u for giving it a ponder at least. :)

[@vazzaroth]

I do think some suppliers have found out how to get vine voice reviews that are positive for one product, then sell an entirely different product and just keep those good reviews so that 2nd product starts off with reviews. I think it's one way to get junk products online. At a certain point, the reputation of the url of the item is more important than the quality of the item itself in this digital age.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes that’s true - sellers have been known to sell a product on the same listing page as a completely different item with 6-star reviews. I’ve even seen it in some vine listings; the listing will be something like “king sized pillowcase” and the photos will be of a keyboard or something. I don’t order those items. Thanks for watching!

[@ayitsyaboi]

I always thought doing Vine might be a fun thing to do on the side and wondered how it worked and randomly today I got invited into the program. I grabbed 3 things that I'm interested in (because that's how you get accurate reviews) and I'm excited to try it, but nervous about the tax implications. Time will tell. I am pretty stoked regardless. Thanks for all the helpful info.

[@leecherlarry]

Can you tell us more about your Gold Status of vine reviewer, do you see more high value items ( 95US$+ ) on the vine page?

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes, there are higher value items when you are gold status. And you have to do at least 100 reviews per 6 months. The tiers are relatively new; they didn’t exist when I joined the program.

[@leecherlarry]

@@ProklaimYYC Thank you for the info!

[@mattpipke5716]

I review things that range from 25$ to $700 all the time, I haven't seen anything higher than 7 or 800$ US so far.@@leecherlarry

[@mattycilovelucy]

Hello Fellow Canadian ! :) Great vid.. good speed, not too fast.. not too slow. and was easy to understand. i found enjoyable. i am NEW vine Voice .. and learning. shoudl be fun!. I guess the one thing you learned from this vid.. is you should have said " IM Canadian"" right at the beginning... or wear im canadian T-shirt eh? ( tee hee ). :) .. i reading your comments lots of persons did not know you were canadian :) * I could not tell from any accent either ! * but.. Bravo !! you did GREAT JOb !! thanks SO much... and i wish you MUCH luck with this.. as i hope for myself . Cheers ! MC 🙂

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for the kind words! Once you get your first few items Vine is a pretty fun little hobby. In my next video I’ll be sure to add in more Canadianisms like “oh, fir sure, bud” and “just givin’ ‘er” 😂 Thanks for watching! 🇨🇦

[@systemsmoke]

Just got invited into this a few weeks ago, for me it makes sense. I will take a product I'll daily drive it and I'll look at the current price, it's easy as that. Just got a "GAMING keyboard" though and I know I'm gonna hate on it but man daily driving it is gonna be hell haha...

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’ve done a few keyboards in my day. I believe I still have one or two. Sometimes the no-name products can surprise you with how well they work. But other times not so much. Thanks for watching!

[@CindymeCindy]

I hope you have been getting donation receipts for your products. Charitible deductions are AMAZING for ERASING your tax burden. Its shocking to me how many people don't ask for donation receipts. I am usually in a 25% tax bracket but have never paid over 14% because of my donations, both money and bags of stuff ----- bags that the government allows YOU to valuate ----. Also, Amazon now shows you a running total of the valuation you have in your possession.

[@maryharwood6360]

Do you pay taxes on the value they give for the items? I’m a recent sign up in the program and that appears to be what I’m supposed to do!

[@onestepcloseraway437]

Has Amazon changed their ToS/rules since this video was made? It currently says they can ask for it back for 6 months etc. The part that I interpret as “cannot ever give to someone else” is the part that says “after 6 months you may keep or dispose of it but may not transfer it.”

[@jasonpatterson8091]

It's a US vs Canada difference.

[@christopheraddlesee5588]

Great video thank you, I have just become a vine reviewer a couple of days ago and find it amazing!! any advice on when to write a review? Do Amazon like you to review an item quickly or don't they mind waiting a while for the review, if you don't write one for a while do they get a bit funny about it or just let you write the review in your own time, Thanks from Chris in the UK.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching! Some items you receive you’ll be able to write a review almost immediately. They are so crappy and bad you won’t even want to use them or waste your time with them. Other items you will want to take more time with. I have noticed that when I take longer than about four weeks to review an item, my queue empties itself and doesn’t refill until I review my oldest item. That’s anecdotal, however, and I have no hard data to back that up 😂 My window is usually between 1-2 weeks between when I receive an item and when I review it. Things like phone chargers are easy and you can review them fairly quickly. Other items are more difficult. For example I have a towel rack that needs assembly and installation and I haven’t gotten around to that yet and so I can’t give it a fair review. Overall, I find it’s pretty item dependent and items that can be used right out of the box get reviewed more quickly.

[@bogros1951]

Amazon sellers pay £140 plus giving away the free products up to 30 units for the vine program. In order to get reviews on the products Its hard to get reviews in general, less then 1% of buyers give reviews

[@mikemorrison7774]

I just got accepted into vine. How do you handle your taxes, Hobby, Self Employed? It's not really "free" though is it if we have to pay 24 or more percent on the retail value.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada, so luckily there are no taxes on Vine items here.

[@garypick]

Hey, thanks for the video. How have you handled taxes? Have you returned items? If so, how did that go? Was your ETV changed or did you receive a credit of some kind? Are you in the Silver or Gold program? If Gold, is there a notable difference in the products? The fact that you've been in the program for years does tell me that you've been staying in line with whatever requirements they have for number of reviews and community guidelines, so good for you on that. My only other question is why you would even order items to review if you don't have use for them and you are just going to donate them. Are you donating at full value?

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching and all the questions! I have never sold any Vine items - that’s against the TOS. I’m in Canada, so there are no taxes here on Vine items I order. I’ve never returned anything to Vine - they’ve never asked for anything back and if the item is not useful, I usually just discard it. I’m Gold level, yes. The levels were just added within the last year so that’s a new dynamic. I do try to do my best to give accurate and thorough reviews. People depend on reviews to make decisions and I like to help out if I can! Thanks again for watching!

[@sidetips]

Hello. I was invited recently to join the Vine (voice) program. Are you required to review a minimum amount of items let's say: per day or per month or year? Would you be kicked out if you request/review very few items per year? Thank you! Your video has been very helpful so far...

[@Luandrn]

Thanks for the video this is really informative. I have a quick question. I sell on Amazon and I have enrolled 2 products in VINE. You make it sound like they send you stuff at random? But on my end of seller central it says “x units claimed”. Like you have to see my product and then decide to take it. Is that another thing that differs between the US and Canada?

[@ProklaimYYC]

There’s a list that we choose from. There’s a ‘recommended’ list, which maybe has a dozen or two choices, and there’s another list labeled ‘additional items’ which are items that are available but for whatever reason aren’t ‘recommended.’ We have to actively request the items - they don’t send anything automatically. Thanks for watching!

[@Luandrn]

@@ProklaimYYC thanks for the response. That makes sense. Now I just have to figure out how I managed to launch a product, crappy enough, to not get claimed… :) Thanks for the help. Learning as we go.

[@JesMarie_W3]

Do you receive every single thing you request (order) or is it a luck of the draw "get in line" type of thing for the items you request to receive? Thank you.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Amazon gives a list of products that are available, and I choose what I want from that list. Every once in a while an item in the queue isn’t available for whatever reason, but for the vast majority of the items on the queue if I see them I can order them.

[@JesMarie_W3]

@@ProklaimYYC Thank you. I am finding the same to be true so far. I see a lot of peopld complaining about receiving nothing but junk, but I think these people must not know they have to look through a copious amount of items on a plethora of pages (or simply utilize the search function within the vine store) to find really good items. I've been at this since first posting my question to you and I've received several extremely nice items and not one thing that I won't actually use...some extremely high quality.

[@andreashavin]

@@ProklaimYYC I am a Vine reviewer in the UK, and I would say 50% of items on RFY are ghosts, you click to request and you get the yellow error window. and yes it's first come first served in the UK.

[@austinpowers4599]

As someone that puts a lot of thought into my reviews......that "international travel charger"......were you in fact traveling internationally or did you just plug it in in Canada?????

[@ProklaimYYC]

Tested it in Canada using the North American plug. I did take two others of the same style overseas this past summer and one of them crapped out the same way in France.

[@KnightmareUSA]

If someone agrees to join, but eventually decides not to bother sending for any vine items at all, I wonder if there are repercussions after a set date? Being thrown off the service or just having a low rating is surely the most likely. I will guess you will only be billed if you were sent items and didn't review products within a set time, deliberately or not, but nothing is mentioned in the agreement. The tax issues don't seem to relate to me personally, but they should at least attempt to keep an updated list of countries where taxation or the need to update tax codes will be necessary if using vine. I've noticed that the agreement states third party companies may demand their products back within six months, so I wondered how frequently this occurs. I suspect it most often applies to the more expensive products offered. With the sheer amount of junk and fake reviews that now floods amazon however, I suspect vine may start to incorporate a lot of that, whether it also includes potentially counterfeit or unsafe, unbranded items or not.

[@ProklaimYYC]

There are minimum numbers of reviews to stay in the program, yes. There is also an “opt out of Vine” button on the account page so you can exclude yourself if you want to. In the seven years or so that I’ve been reviewing, and more than 1,500 items now, I’ve never once been asked to send an item back. Thanks for watching and commenting!!

[@tomacquilano1304]

Very Informative! About two weeks ago I made my first Vine purchase and was charged for it. I've been trying to get an answer from Amazon since that day. My understanding of course was that the products are supposed to be free. At what point do they reverse the charges? Or was I charged by mistake? Another issue I've been having is getting back to the Amazon Vine product page. Can't find it! What am I missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated before I return the product I was charged for. Thank You!!

[@ProklaimYYC]

When you’re invited to the program, they will typically send you a link to the list of available products. It’s a different portal from the typical Amazon storefront. When I order products from Vine, they all invoice as costing $0.00 so no, you shouldn’t have been charged. If you email customer service, they will probably be able to send you a link to your Vine queue. Or double check your emails and see if you can find a link in the email they sent when you were accepted into the program. You do have to agree to terms and, if you’re in the US, fill out tax information.

[@tomacquilano1304]

@@ProklaimYYC Got it figured out! Thank you for getting back to me!

[@chazscrivs3600]

How many reviews did you right until you got invited

[@ProklaimYYC]

I had probably written a hundred or so before the invite. I suspect that fact weighed a bit on why they decided to invite me to the program.

[@NeverlessWonder]

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone ask this yet, but I'm wondering is there a quota you need to fill for how many reviews you need to make per month? Also, how soon do you need to post the review after receiving a free product?

[@ProklaimYYC]

They just started a quota-type system a couple of months ago. To keep the ‘Gold’ status we have to review 100 items in a six-month period to maintain our status. I have had items for a couple of months before reviewing them. Some items you can review right away and it’s easy to fork an opinion. Other items you have to use and work with for a while before you can form a full opinion. For example a charging cable - if you plug it in and use it once, you could write a review, but I prefer to use it for a couple of weeks since that might be when any defects start to show. It really depends on the item, but I think the longest I’ve gone before submitting a review is about two months.

[@NeverlessWonder]

@@ProklaimYYC Thanks! I'm just discovering about this program today. Seems like a great opportunity for some people, though obviously not for everyone. I appreciate the answers!

[@Babydancer-uq3nk]

I just started as a reviewer 3 weeks ago. They give 6 months to do minimum 100 reviews and you must review 90% of your products. If you meet their request they will potentially bump up your vine status or let you go as a reviewer. As a lower tiered reviewer I can only “order” items less than $100 and only 3 per day. Higher tiered reviewers can request up to 8 items a day.

[@andreashavin]

You have to review at least 80 items, and 90% of all items you receive in the 6 month period between evaluation... you have 30 days to review a item.

[@islandfantasy5931]

I wish I made reviews on every product I purchased

[@sarayuki8540]

Didnt hear about the tax part

[@saralynn518]

Under the terms and conditions, then confidentiality and restrictions, it says that we are not allowed to sell or give possession to any other person for the six months following the order. It doesn't say you can't sell after the six months. Edit: Ahh US here. Canada may be different. You probably have clear guidelines for everything and don't have to stare at the sun for a whole day to come up with a solution that won't get you kicked out, too lol.

[@saralynn518]

@@DanWilson-tt5jc Some things you can't keep like food, beverages, dog treats, items you light on fire or dissolves in water. There are a lot of vague interpretations and contradictions hanging around the Amazon world. Have you been on the subreddit yet?

[@ProklaimYYC]

They may have changed the TOS since I joined in 2016. You’re right, I probably should have reviewed them before I went on and on about not selling stuff. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@HelenaSummer]

Cool, thank you for sharing. I just joined at the begining level, with 3 items...and they are not asking me to return. When does that start? I don't want to give it away then be asked to return...

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’ve never had to return anything so I wouldn’t worry about it too much :) Thanks for watching!

[@HelenaSummer]

@@ProklaimYYC - Thank you! I just joined the Vine and most of the products offered feel kinda cheap-ish. Let's see if next level will have more to offer.

[@ProklaimYYC]

@HelenaSummer The last few months have been terrible for product quality. It ebbs and flows - I’ve been reviewing since 2016 so I’ve seen it all 😂

[@HelenaSummer]

@@ProklaimYYC Thank you! You are knowledgeable and creative with your editing too. I hope your channel blows up too, for you deserve it, obviously!

[@linuxaire]

Do you have to keep on buying them expensive stuff so that they keep on offering you good stuff? I mean you buy a 2000 TV and then they offer you a 500 TV for free.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Not in my experience. What comes up seems very random to me. For example recently I received a sonic cleaner that was priced at $800, and a GoPro Hero 12 that was listed for about $550, and the most expensive thing I paid for on Amazon in the last six months was a couple of microSD cards for about $60. As far as I can tell, the amount I spend on Amazon has absolutely no impact on the value or quality of items I’m offered. Thanks for watching and your question!

[@hughjardon5869]

Been a Vine Voice since last spring. I've yet to see a list of things that I could choose from to review. I haven't gone looking for that list, but haven't had any help from Amazon either. Any help would be appreciated.

[@ProklaimYYC]

If you go back to the email you received when you were invited to the program, there should be a link in there that takes you to the list. You log in using your Amazon account and you should see your list.

[@hughjardon5869]

@@ProklaimYYC That email is long gone. Thanks for the reply.

[@Hershcream]

Amazon dos not Pay... But u can get taxed in the USA if u go over what over 600$?

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes I believe so. But I’m in Canada so I don’t have to pay taxes on Amazon Vine items.

[@Nooptema]

I just got invited today. Not sure why, most of my review are meme reviews. Decided to accept the invitation out of curiousity. The list has absolutely nothing on it. Just 3 baby bottle nipples and a cable specifically for something I don't own.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The products will get better with time, at least they did in my experience. Thanks for watching!

[@mattpipke5716]

How do you file your taxes to include the tax you owe on the items they send you? I am about to file my 2023 taxes I did Vine from March 27th thru the end of the year and took in 55k$ ibn goods. I do not sell any of the goods I think my only tax liability is the state sales tax that I didn't pay when receiving these items, can you please speak to this a little?

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada, so my Vine items are not subject to any tax here. There is a commenter below who suggests a tax-efficient way to declare Vine items in the US. I would highly recommend consulting a professional accountant who will be able to provide much better information than this unknowledgeable Canadian.

[@andreashavin]

@@ProklaimYYC Same in the UK no tax paid... To all of you in the USA both Canada and the UK vine reviewers do not pay tax on the items they request/receive...

[@Superweapons]

do you have to pay taxes on theses items?

[@ProklaimYYC]

No, as I am in Canada. But from what I understand, residents of the US do need to pay taxes on Amazon Vine products they receive.

[@Superweapons]

@@ProklaimYYC ok i still get free items though but tases not sure how it works for US im still learning about amazon vine

[@allnaturalhomesteaders]

Sooo u paid taxes on that 60 grand??? I just got invited. In 15 days, I've gotten over $900 in products!! Im worried about the taxes!

[@ninjaxpanda4070]

How do you manage the taxes on this stuff?

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada so there are no taxes on Vine items. In some of the other comments people have some strategies to deal with the taxes. I’d be ordering way fewer things if I had to pay tax, that’s for sure :) Thanks for watching!

[@ninjaxpanda4070]

@@ProklaimYYC Makes sense. Happy vine life! I just started a month or so ago.

[@marykater.7169]

Interested in how you handle your taxes!

[@ProklaimYYC]

Well, I’m in Canada and Vine items aren’t subject to taxes here. It’s fortunate for me, that’s for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@marykater.7169]

@@ProklaimYYC thanks! Lucky you! Another reason for me to move lol

[@deusvlad2.083]

You broke the rule, your not supposed to tell anyone your a vine reviewer, this could influence reviews from people you know who have a company on Amazon. That's a possible scam if your best friend has a company on vine, lol jk I thought though it was supposed to be like batmans identity, only tell them the truth when they find out lol.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The program has declined in quality so much over the last year that I probably would be fine if they kicked me out for making a video about it! But I also feel like they just don’t care anymore so who knows 😂

[@deusvlad2.083]

@@ProklaimYYC lol who knows what they are thinking m8, they keep changing rules, and vine users are ginea pigs for products that are beta mostly also mostly from China lol. No to mention how annoying it is for competition with millions of others users with better faster computer and no life to auto refresh page every day for hours lol.

[@emokitty8056]

I have recently been invited to join yesterday, but how does the recommendation list grow? The list is empty and currently for all, it's baby product and some industrial products that I can't review. Of course, unless I decide to try on baby bottle nipples...

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yes the list will grow. I currently have more than 5,000 items on my list. I suspect that in a few days you’ll have a much wider variety of items to choose from. I’ve seen my list get as high as 8,000+ items.

[@lostintheclouds8719]

Since you’re getting boatloads of high dollar taxable items, sounds like you’re in the gold tier, how do you deal with the taxes that you get taxed on for this stuff? I’m sure you’re definitely getting the 1099 and getting hit with taxes

[@ProklaimYYC]

Luckily I live in Canada where Vine items aren’t taxable. When I signed up for the program they made me attest many times that I wasn’t a US resident which I think was for tax reasons.

[@Gheorghe99]

Is the stuff you get considered income - meaning, do you have to pay taxes on the value of the merchandise you got? I'm asking because I recently got an invite from Amazone and among other questions, they asked me for the SS# which I assume is for tax purposes.

[@ProklaimYYC]

From what I understand yes, the items you receive in the United States are taxable as income. I’m in Canada, and when I signed up for the Vine program, they made me attest to the fact that I’m not a US citizen. I always assumed the reason for that was income taxes. In Canada, things like this, including other things like lottery winnings, are NOT taxable as income. So it’s much, much easier to be a Vine reviewer as a Canadian than an American. From what I’ve read in the other comments, the IRS considers Vine items taxable, and as such Amazon issues a 1099 to American Vine reviewers.

[@Gheorghe99]

@@ProklaimYYC Thanks so much for the info! I just subscribed to your channel - hope you get enough subscribers so you can start making some Canadian$😅

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for the sub! Always happy when people enjoy my content.

[@jasonpatterson8091]

Yes, it is taxable income in the US. It's not free, you have to pay self employment tax (SS and Medicare) as well as income taxes. The items wind up costing 30-45% of the ETV in taxes that you need to pay quarterly. You can get yourself in huge financial trouble if you're not careful.

[@_Wake_Up_If_U_Can]

1. How you were selected: Others on youtube said you get invited based on how many helpful clicks you get on your reviews. 2. Why does Amazon offer the vine program: they CHARGE sellers to prpvide products to the Vine program. There are some good youtube videos explaing how much it costs for sellers.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for the intel! I didn’t think I received that many ‘helpful’ votes on my reviews but I guess I did cross a threshold at some point. And I did assume that Amazon made money off the program somehow - they seem pretty good at making cash. Thanks for watching!

[@Doitforyoself]

but don't you have to pay taxes on all these items?

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada so no taxes. When I signed up for Vine they asked me several times to confirm I’m not a US citizen for tax purposes.

[@UncleBadT]

man, if they set you up with bird perches or toys...hook me up!!!

[@ProklaimYYC]

For the handsome fella in your profile pic I assume? I haven’t seen any bird stuff yet, but there is currently a turtle habitat on offer 😂

[@UncleBadT]

@@ProklaimYYC yeah, I have 2 of them, the one in the pic is 27 and i have a 50 year old macaw as well! if your ever in high river this summer/spring, keep an eye out for us we wander around town lots. altho i may have already said that

[@ProklaimYYC]

Very cool, I’ll bet they get a lot of attention.

[@toxxie2810]

I was invited to Vine last month. I'm on the Silver tier (all items under $100) and can't wait for my next eval in November! More pool floats than pool space, batteries galore, thermal printers, truck mats for my Escape, bed mat for my Gladiator, jump packs... I love it!

[@lindahughes9207]

In the US Vine it's not free - you have to pay self employment taxes and income tax based on the ETV of the item, unless you get items that are marked etv value $0

[@robertsnyder7644]

So the one thing you didn't talk about in this video was paying taxes on these items. Is this something you are doing? If so how does this work. I can't really find specifics on this anywhere. This is the one thing holding me back from sign up as a reviewer. I don't want to pay taxes with real money for products that I will never keep or are just junk.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I live in Canada so there are no taxes on any Vine items I receive. Judging by some of the other comments on this video, however, it does appear that US residents do have to pay taxes on Vine items. If I had to pay taxes I would be a lot more discriminating about what I review, especially since they’ve introduced tiered levels since I made this video. Essentially tally you have to review a certain number of products every six months to stay ‘gold’. Gold status means you can order items of any value. Lower tier levels limit the value of the items you can order.

[@robertsnyder7644]

@@ProklaimYYC Thank You for the response/Information. I guess I need to do a deeper dive in understanding tax implications in the US

[@miltondiede8762]

Are you capable of nominating someone? I'd like to try it to see if it would be worth my time.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Sadly, they don’t let us nominate anyone we know to participate in the program. That question might be in the Part 2 video if I ever decide to make that. Thanks for watching!

[@cadavison]

I had hoped you were getting the sponsor.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Lol not yet. Still need a few hundred more subs.

[@brittneyjones9196]

Hello i would love to do amazon vine program i love doing reviews. It says you have to be referred thank you so much

[@ProklaimYYC]

Hey, I’d be referring people if that we’re an option for me but from what I can see in my account there’s no way to refer people. From what I understand Amazon chooses people to participate in the program. It may be different in other countries - I’m in Canada so perhaps the rules are different in other places. Thanks for watching!

[@ozzpockettriesbassguitar5647]

I got an invite and was on board until I found out all the stuff is taxable. Hard pass.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Yeah, I can’t imagine how costly the program would be for US participants, especially considering how bad some of the products are. It would be hard to justify the value in a lot of cases.

[@LockeTheCole]

@@ProklaimYYC It's easy, only get stuff that is really cheap, or free (makeup, health items and even sex toys are free for example), or stuff that you ACTUALLY would want. I see it personally as an extreme discount program.

[@nenamichelle]

I’m super confused by this video. The stuff you’re getting isn’t technically free anymore. You should well know this as this video is only 2 months old. Amazon will send you a 1099 for the estimated tax value of each product you get for “free.” It apparently used to be a 1099-MISC but was recently changed to a 1099-NEC. After a ton of research I found that a lot of people are filing as if they are self employed and incurring up to 35% of the “estimated tax value” in payroll/income taxes. Others have said they are categorizing it as hobby income and only paying income tax. Any way you slice it, anything over $600 is being reported to the IRS and it is definitely being taxed. Perhaps you are not in the US? Either way, you should maybe put a disclaimer that this is very much a tax liability in the US. I’ve read horror stories of people racking up 80k in a year and owing a scary amount of taxes. I just joined but already know not to order things I don’t really want because I need to basically set aside 30% of the cost in taxes! The exception is that some beauty and food products come with a $0 estimated tax value and are truly free. Those items have been few and far between. If you’re into hair extensions that aren’t your color, this is the program for you! Lol. But in all seriousness people, if you get selected for this program in the US, do a LOT of research on the tax implications or at least assume a 30-30% tax liability and set it aside. Unless you keep it under $600, these are not free products (except the few that I mentioned).

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada, and when I joined they made me promise up and down that I’m not a “US Person” because as you say, there is income tax payable on Vine products. However in Canada there are no taxes payable on the items I get from Vine. I agree it would be very expensive to participate as an American, and I would 100% only order the things I really, really wanted! You’re right, next time I discuss the program I will definitely put a disclaimer on when talking about my “free” stuff. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment!

[@kb3737]

@@ProklaimYYC your video was very informative and helpful. I personally am to lazy to write the reviews (I would probably be more motivated if getting free stuff) I usually just quickly rate. Question if you might have to send back, do you have to pay the shipping? Did I hear you say that you can pick a item you want to review?

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching! I’ve never had to send an item back, but I doubt I’d have to pay the shipping. And yes there is a long list of items I can choose from, and I can pick a maximum of 8 items per day. Today, for example, there are 3,491 items on the list. I usually only pick five or six a week, otherwise reviewing would be a full-time job.

[@jasongardner1910]

@@ProklaimYYCweird you only have so few items right now I see 41000 items

[@One-Day-After-Another]

are you saying that if you get under a total of $600 in a year you don't pay taxes?

[@mariapilarbarradas5064]

How much on taxes do you pay for year on the vine free products??

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada, and there are no taxes on Vine orders. There are a few videos out on KZbin that explain the tax situation for US-based Vine reviewers. When you sign up for the program in Canada, you have to declare multiple times that you’re not a US citizen and they explain it’s because of taxes.

[@kimchi8022]

I heard that it’s not Really free. You still have to pay taxes on those items, and if you get expensive stuff, you’ll owe a lot if you didn’t save for it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I’m in Canada, there are no taxes on Vine items here.

[@Randymanrockssocks]

If you set your white balance to be cooler you wont look orange.

[@ProklaimYYC]

lol thanks. I’m still trying to get the colour mix right, and get a lighting setup that works :)

[@allnaturalhomesteaders]

Its NOT forbidden to sell brother. U can certainly sell stuff. After that 6 month period. Then sell till you make millions!! 😅

[@ZizzleMyNizzle]

products have gone downhill because everything on there is only direct from China now - the products don't pass quality control, often are made in sweatshops and can be very dangerous (like the litterbot). I have difficulties even ordering on there anymore - especially when it comes to electronics

[@ProklaimYYC]

I have definitely noticed a steep decline in quality since about 2020. I have also come across some counterfeit and fake products on the site. There has been an overall decrease in product quality across the board in the last 5 years or so, I think, even name-brand products.

[@joelwagner2885]

Very misleading statement to just say it’s all free - you have to pay income tax on the “free” products you receive, at least in the USA. So if you get $60k of stuff you are on the hook for tax on that, and Amazon does report it as income to the IRS. A lot of new people have a huge tax bill that they don’t have the funds to cover.

[@TheRockMorton]

Tax liability? Just noticed you're in Canada on a comment, so apparently no liability.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Correct; the items I get from Vine are not subject to taxes here in Canada.

[@allnaturalhomesteaders]

Just say big box stores, instead of Walmart or whatever

[@menow7903]

Definitely not $60k worth of stuff. Some of the stuff is massively overpriced.

[@ne1512blvd]

I just got the invitation to the program. I reviewed a product I had ordered and then i got a little message at the bottom of my review confirmation that I have been invited to Vine. I did not know what it was but looked into it. I've ordered several things now that I am expecting in the mail. We got some of those things in the mail yesterday. I am trying to be careful and only order things that we need or would already buy with our own money. The reason is because we have to pay taxes on all these things. It has to be treated as though Amazon sent me this money and then I bought this item because I needed or wanted it. If this was income I was receiving then I would not turn that down. But I would not use that income to just buy random crazy things. But I would use that income to buy things we need. So I am looking at it that way. We will have to pay taxes on the value of the items so it needs to be things we would have bought anyway for the most part. So the money saved will offset the taxes we have to pay on it. If you are on benefits you need to be really careful because you could have issues and lose your benefits if you don't make sure the value is within the limits you are allowed for additional income because the value of these free items is considered income.

[@mrswilliamstoyou3325]

So why didn't you address the egregiously large tax bill that you get at the end of the year and tell everyone Vine is NOT NOT NOT free!! When you do your taxes at the end of the year you get hit with a large tax bill. We tried to file using hobby income because we don't sell anything or make any money from what we're sent and our tax preparer told us people on Vine, unless they do their own taxes and lie and fudge the numbers, we can't file Vine as hobby income because Amazon intentionally sends out private contractor tax forms, meaning you have to file as a business and pay business rate taxes. We got hit with a huge bill last year and we'll be hit with it again this year. We ended up gettin rid of it b/c we're going to be hit for AT LEAST eight or ten grand this coming tax season.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Because I live in Canada and there are no taxes on Vine items here.

[@Laurel-Crowned]

I would find someone else to do your taxes if I were you because you don't have a contract with Amazon or the sellers!

[@martinpatterson3417]

The sellers pay to be part of the vine program. They must think its worth giving away a few samples to get some reviews. I wouldn't think it has anything to do with mitigating fake reviews.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The cynical part of me totally knows Amazon is making money off this and they don’t care at all about fake reviews. You’re probably right that it’s just a profit centre for them. Thanks for watching!

[@Mazerunner95]

Amazon vine is the biggest BS ever, as a seller pleade my advice dont do it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I'm curious to hear more about your experience as a seller. What about Vine do you consider a scam?

[@MariaSantana-xj7rc]

hook me up lol

[@ProklaimYYC]

It’s a sweet program to be in, no question.

[@Christina_Yang1217]

Amazon is not giving these stuffs to you for free. The merchant has to pay Amazon to join the Vine program + the goods are from the merchant not from Amazon. It is just fulfilled by Amazon. It sucks if you give a bad review without knowing the product if you don’t need…

[@anniecassar8883]

Once you were in gold status did you get a lot of really good products? I’m noticing there isn’t a lot of difference between silver and gold.

[@ProklaimYYC]

As far as I understand you can order products with higher dollar value, so yes, I believe a wider range of products is available.

[@kb3737]

@nenamichelle that is really good information on income tax. ❤

[@anniecassar8883]

Do they make you wait 6 months before receiving the gold tier even if you review 100+ products before 6 months ?

[@ProklaimYYC]

The tiers are a new thing, and so I’m not certain how they work or how they decide to promote people. When I first started the program back in 2016 there were no tiers.

[@dianeh3913]

In the US, they do make you wait the six months. I just started Vine in September and my first review date is in March-exactly six months after my acceptance date.