Shyann Cody

I have been an Amazon customer since the late '90s, when they were literally an online book and media store. I've watched them grow and grow, and have been so proud of this corporation. Amazon became a way of life. I’m sure many folks can relate to that. Of course, there were other companies that I bought a few specialty items from, but Amazon was my default go-to for nearly everything.

But that just changed, as I made the switch to eBay and Etsy. Many of us have felt the frustration of paying for Prime membership and watching the service decline. Deliveries took a week to Montana, Prime or not. But, I still liked Amazon. And, I forgave them for the times they sent me used (and sometimes dirty) products, which were supposed to be new. There were problems that needed to be addressed, but I remained faithful to, and pleased with, this one-stop shop.

What I’m about to share with you is the reason I pulled the plug on Amazon for good, ending a relationship of almost 30 years. Amazon did something that broke my trust, and it left me questioning their integrity.

I have written Amazon product reviews as far back as I can remember, under all three Amazon accounts that I had over the years (business, married, single). I am not a Vine member, so these reviews were for products that I purchased with my own money. I am a busy person who works long hours, yet I spent considerable time writing quality reviews. Others’ reviews have often helped me so much, and I wanted to contribute in the same way. I got nothing out of this monetarily; it was merely a labor of love.

I strove to write well, and to represent each item honestly and fairly. Many of my reviews were glowing; a smaller percentage were not. A few items were really lousy, and I shared this fact. This helps not only potential purchasers, but sellers, as well, because the feedback urges them to improve the quality of their inventory.

On April 21, 2026, I received an email from Amazon that stated (quote): "You have repeatedly posted content that violates our Community Guidelines... Please note that your ability to participate in Community features has been removed."

Amazon deleted ALL of my reviews, literally YEARS of reviews. A block was placed on my account, so that I could no longer write a review of any product. I was still free to spend my money with Amazon, but I was completely banished from all “community features.”

I have always held myself to high standards, and my writing reflects this. I am mindful to be respectful, and careful to follow guidelines. I cannot fathom what I did wrong. I contacted Amazon by email FOUR TIMES regarding this matter. I received NO REPLY WHATSOEVER.

I spent an evening doing some research on the internet, seeking answers. I discovered that I'm not alone; Amazon has done this to countless people. Apparently, sellers can get reviewers banned by "reporting" them. A few Reddit members talked about discussion boards they'd been on, where sellers were urging other sellers to get a bad review deleted by "reporting" it. Then that same seller, if malicious, could retaliate by clicking on that reviewer's page and reporting several of his/her reviews, thereby getting him/her wiped from ever writing reviews again.

Is this what's happening on Amazon? I cannot say. I wish I understood more. At this point, it’s mere speculation, but some people are suspicious that it is indeed the case. And, this happened to me right after I wrote a negative review of a pricey product that had been a disappointment.

To treat faithful customers like this, who have long-standing trustworthy reputations— and suddenly accuse them of inappropriate conduct, and then take punitive action against them, seemingly without investigation and with no explanation whatsoever— feels criminal. And then ghosting them, when they request answers, is unforgivable. It’s appalling. When you accuse somebody of something, and you take action against them, you better have some facts and be able to state your case.

Update: I closed my Amazon account for good, and I followed the suggestion of taking my business to eBay. Though determined that I was DONE with Amazon, I expected to miss it, a lot. This was a company that I spent literally thousands of dollars on over the years. It was that much a part of my life. Interestingly, I haven’t missed it at all. I’m genuinely surprised at this. I’ve been able to get everything on eBay that I previously purchased on Amazon, and I can usually find a seller who offers free shipping. And, I’m more conscientious now. I don’t impulsively buy as much. On Amazon, there were so many suggestions, offered in a media-style feed-format. eBay does much less of that. So, I’m actually grateful this happened. It may prove to be life-changing, in a good way.

I really like this company. We own multiple coolers, each serving a specific purpose. I have owned Yeti, Grizzly, Bison, Canyon, and Engel. My favorites are Bison and Canyon.

I would personally pass on owning another Yeti or Grizzly. Both have annoying pull-latches that are hard to work, and they always eventually break. Engel’s quality isn’t up to par with these other brands, and their customer service is lacking (see my separate review). Bison and Canyon produce what I believe to be the best quality, most user-friendly coolers.

I purchased Canyon’s 22-quart cooler, which I had to return because it wound up being too small for my solo weekend camping trips. Sometimes it’s hard to gauge if a cooler will be the right fit by looking at internet photos and studying one’s tape measurer. Seeing it in person answers more questions.

Canyon was wonderful to deal with. Returning the cooler was a breeze, and I will be buying from them again, this time opting for the 35-quart model.

Canyon’s sidewalls aren’t as thick as Bison’s, but the cooler has an impressively compact footprint, and every detail is top-quality. Also, Canyon offers more size options than Bison. Both companies have really user-friendly latches.

I believe that most people seeking a premium roto-molded cooler would be very satisfied with this company’s products and customer service.

Engel Coolers has a dirty little secret. If the cooler is too small, or you're not as impressed with the quality as you expected to be, you're going to be stuck with it, or pay dearly to return it.

I recently bought their 25-quart cooler. Love the sky blue color! Love the simple, square design. But there were some shortcuts on quality that I found disappointing. The sidewall thickness was a mere 1.5" inches through the drain hole. This indicates that the entire sidewall, on both ends of this cooler, are equally thin on insulation. Then, I learned online that there have been some problems with Engel latches breaking.

It wasn't until I contacted them for a return that I realized that Engel has NO information on their website about returns. No return policy. I rechecked again today, March 2, 2026. I took screenshots of the entire menu. No such information is stated anywhere on the website. Hopefully, they will do the right thing and change this. I am contacting them directly after posting this review.

It is standard practice for companies to offer a return shipping label through their shipping carrier's platform. This allows customers to return an item using the company's lower commercial shipping rates. In many cases, the company merely charges the customer a restocking fee to cover the cost, which is expected and fair.

Engel, however, does not offer a return shipping label of any kind. Instead, I received an email stating, "Return the cooler to this address, below..." The shipping cost of this small cooler, and the accompanying cooler basket, was a whopping $147 for FedEx and $145 for UPS!! (The entire purchase was $200.) I chose to sell it on Craigslist, at a significant loss.

At one time, Engel was impressive, but there are too many competitors today that are even better, and better customer care than this is the norm.

If you choose to order an Engel cooler online, be absolutely certain that it's the size and quality you want. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with it, or gouged paying ridiculous retail shipping fees to send it back.

Just bought my second Bison cooler. They’re a little bulkier than some other roto-molded cooler brands I’ve owned, but the features of this brand really shine.

The latches are bar-none the best in the industry. I like them better than even Engel and Canyon. And there are no screws holding them into the plastic (a weakness of some other brands, in my opinion).

To test sidewall thickness, I measure every cooler through the drain hole, and many are 1.5” thick there. Not Bison! These coolers are a solid 2” (or slightly thicker) there, right where most roto-molded coolers are the thinnest.

They also have the BEST handles among premium coolers. So for these reasons, I’m willing to deal with a little extra bulk.

I do wish they offered a size between 25 and 50 quarts. That’s a big jump. And, I wish they offered an attractive light blue color.

I can’t speak for Bison’s customer service, as I’ve never spoken to anyone there, nor needed any parts replaced. But they seem to be good, honest folks. Both coolers shipped within just a few hours of my order being placed, and both arrived in perfect condition. And, they’re right down in Texas— made in the USA! I recommend Bison coolers and would buy from them again.

I have a keen eye for quality and can attest that Harlem Bling really does sell exceptional necklace chains. They manufacture their own, right in Italy. I have both wheat chains and Francos from HB, and they are the best chains I own. Heavy weight for their size, strong attachment points, good clasps, beautiful sheen.

Also, Harlem Bling’s loose moissanites are exquisite! The 1.5-carat and the 3-carat stones I bought there have better brilliance and scintillation than the more expensive stone I purchased from Moissanite Co.

I don’t own much jewelry, but I like to keep a few good pieces. Not only is HB’s quality impressive, but their prices are, too.

Violet Barn offers some quality plants and a large selection of African violet varieties. If you live within driving distance, it’s worth checking out. Just be aware that customer service here can be downright appalling. The co-owner, Rob, probably shouldn’t be in charge of this role at Violet Barn, but he is.

I’d heard about this problem in African violet show circles, but for awhile, I didn’t worry about it because I hadn’t had to deal with Rob personally. I’d placed several orders with Violet Barn and was pleased with the quality of their plants and their excellent packaging. His website contains some glowing reviews of mine.

Then, two of my orders were messed up. After spending $40 (twice) for Express shipping on these two orders, both orders were sent out late, and the African violets I received were stressed from being too long in a shipping box and spending the weekend locked in a postal facility. I shared with him why this was problematic and requested that Express orders, being shipped all the way to Montana, be sent out on time (Monday or Tuesday, as with past orders, not Wednesday). Did he offer any kind of apology? None. Did he look into why these orders had been sent out late? Not to my knowledge. How did he handle it? He “banned” me from buying from him again! If something goes wrong, even when it’s his fault, this is how you can expect to be treated.

I used to be one of Violet Barn’s biggest fans. I recommended them to so many African violet lovers, growers, and showmen. But I will never do business with them again. You may have a good experience; I’m not saying don’t buy your plants here. But do understand that issues are not always handled with integrity.

When I learned about Violet Barn’s infestation of INSV, during which time the company continued to sell infected plants to the public, I paid my local Agriculture Extension Office to test all of my African violets, because they had all come from Violet Barn. It was a large and expensive project. Hopefully this issue doesn’t happen again. Not only can it devastate people’s plant collections, but it broke a lot of customers’ trust, mine included.

ShaggyMax keyboard protectors were recommended to me by my local, highly-trusted computer shop. The one they showed me was impressively soft. The ShaggyMax name was even tastefully embossed on the corner of the fabric. I went home and promptly ordered two of these. When they arrived, they were cheaper-quality versions, soft on one side and rough on the other. And, neither had the ShaggyMax name embossed on it. It’s like ShaggyMax is selling knock-offs of their own product to non-professional, non-store-owning customers. I put the rough side of the fabric against the keyboard, but honestly, I don’t like any rough surface in contact with any part of my computer. In my experience, customer service for this company is non-existent. They neither answer their phone, nor reply to the email I sent them. Also, there are no product ratings on their website. Buy from them at your own risk. If you get ripped off, there’s no way to reach anyone, and don’t expect a response.