How to leave constructive reviews when supporting artists online, a guide

Art by the lovely Amaneko.

Remember that review systems are for other people to understand the overall quality of the product/service. In this case, I'll be talking about shop products specifically.

1. Being descriptive helps, since just leaving 4, 3, 2 stars randomly with no explanation harms both the artist and potential customers interested in said product/service. How would they know what exactly made you leave that review? Was it the quality? Was it the user experience? What exactly was bad enough to warrant such a review? Even a couple words describing your experience is fine, you don't need to write a novel. Just make sure you specify a reason why. This way, you're helping the artist make better products in the future.
2. Understand the difference between bugs/mechanical failures (the product doesn't work at all, it doesn't look the same as advertised, bugs make it unusable) vs. PERSONAL expectations (I wish this was red instead of blue, or I wish this had this feature I personally want).
3. If it's a mechanical bug, contact the artist FIRST to make sure if there are any fixes available, or double-check to make sure you're following instructions and using the product as intended. Explain the issue you're having, provide screenshots and be patient while waiting for a response. Before leaving a negative review, ALWAYS talk to the artist first and look for a solution together. Most of the time it's a honest mistake or files getting mixed up during the upload. If you get no answers or no actual fixes after communicating with the artist, then rate the product honestly.
4. If it's a PERSONAL expectation, do NOT rate the product based on features you WISH it had, especially if it was NOT advertised. Make sure you read everything on the listing, watch the videos, look at the promo images, and collect all the information needed BEFORE making the purchase. It is NOT the artist's fault they are not catering to you specifically. If you'd like a personalized service, go for a commission instead. Do NOT rate shop products based on your personal whims, this is not fair to the creator.
5. Always rate the product based on the features that were ADVERTISED. If it's not on the listing, it shouldn't be influencing your review. If you have a personal problem with the artist, do not leave bad reviews just to spite them. Handle business and personal matters separately. While reviews are a way to keep artists accountable, do not abuse the review system for personal reasons. Be fair.

Remember that for a lot of us artists and creators, reviews are a way to attract potential clients and having bad actors mess up our ratings for unknown or petty reasons can do a lot of damage. Be kind, be objective, and rate products and services based on facts.

Stay whimsical~ ✨