Homecamp – Thingtesting Response
What is Thingtesting, and Why Are We Responding?
Thingtesting is a US-based online platform where users can publicly review brands and products. It presents itself as a neutral discovery tool for consumers — but unlike traditional review sites, Thingtesting only allows brands to publicly respond to reviews if they pay for a business account.
At Homecamp, we support honest feedback. But over the past three years, several reviews of our business on Thingtesting have been factually incorrect, misleading, or lacking key context. In some ways, it’s been a useful repository of the most difficult customer interactions — and yes, that’s a two-way street. But when we contacted Thingtesting to correct or respond to these claims, we were told we’d need to pay for a business plan in order to publish a reply.
This page outlines:
- Why we believe Thingtesting’s platform is flawed
- Detailed context behind each disputed review
- Our customer service philosophy
1. Summary of Concerns with Thingtesting
- Pay-to-Respond Policy: Brands must pay to publicly reply — even when reviews are demonstrably false.
- No Editorial Oversight: Takedown requests for factually incorrect content are ignored.
- Lack of Fairness: Brands cannot update, contextualise, or clarify once a review is posted.
We’ve filed a complaint with the ACCC and are exploring further legal options unless Thingtesting or the individual reviewers amend or remove false claims.
2. Disputed Reviews and Our Response
Review: Massimo C.
“Took two months to send an invoice and nearly three months to deliver. Communication was always initiated by me. Good luck with management.”
Our Response: Massimo ordered a product on backorder in November 2022. We clearly communicated timelines, and the item arrived in January. The invoice was delayed due to internal handover, which we apologised for. A gift card was issued and accepted. The review was posted after resolution.
Review: Matthew T.
“Wrong stove sent. No replies. Worst online experience I’ve had.”
Our Response: Matthew ordered the wrong stove and requested an upgrade. We arranged an in-person swap, processed the price difference, and completed the exchange in under 10 days. His review is factually incorrect.
Review: Lahnee P.
“Wrong size, refused refund, horrible service. Had to involve Consumer Affairs.”
Our Response: The product was correctly described as a 45-degree pipe for our camping stoves which didn’t fit her camping stove (another brand). Refund was denied per our change-of-mind policy but later granted in full (including shipping). Her review is misleading and ignores the refund provided and her continuous rude and threatening behaviour.
Review: Cassie & Steve P.
“Tent leaked. Testing was a joke. We were ignored. Returned tent came back mouldy. Do not buy from Homecamp.”
Our Response: We tested their tent extensively over three weeks in real weather conditions which took considerable time and found no leaks. The returned tent had dust, not mould, despite this we provided a replacement tent as a goodwill gesture. Despite resolution, their review omitted these facts.
3. Our Philosophy
We’re a small team doing our best to design quality gear and treat customers with fairness and integrity. We take feedback seriously, and we’re the first to admit when we’ve made a mistake.
But sometimes, disputes aren’t black and white. And occasionally, we encounter customers who act in bad faith — making demands beyond reason, refusing fair solutions, or threatening reputational harm unless their terms are met.
We believe in perspective. This is camping gear, not life-or-death. We’re not in the business of upsetting customers for no reason — but if we’re pushed into a corner, we’ll stand our ground.
Thankfully, 99.9% of our customers are fantastic — and we’re grateful for that. But public review platforms should encourage nuance and allow brands to respond with context — not charge for basic fairness or amplify claims that don’t tell the full story.
If that sounds reasonable to you, then chances are we’re a great match.
4. Next Steps
We’re continuing to challenge Thingtesting’s pay-to-reply model. If you’re a customer with feedback — good or bad — please email us at [email protected]. We’re happy to listen.
