I was using upvotewhale. For every $1 SBD I spent I got a $2.1 SBD. At least that's what it looked like. I've since read a post that says I was actually loosing money since I hadn't taken 75% curation into account. So now I don't use it but I miss the little psychological boost it gave me to see my posts earn a little more.
Today I've been reading the following post by @trumpman about bots which I found extrememly informative, especially the discussion it has generated. https://steemit.com/steem/@trumpman/if-you-use-upvote-services-please-read-these-two-posts
For myself, I've stopped using upvotewhale and wouldn't have the confidence to try the others. Also, sadly, they seem to serve those that have more than those starting out.
If you go to https://steembottracker.com/, there's a spot where you can put your bid in and it calculates the actual results based on curation too. If you use them, it's a great tool to see if you're going to get ripped off or not haha
Thanks Lynn. Not sure I'm going to bother with them anymore to be honest. Even if it starts off well when the price of Steem changes they can drop and you still make a loss.
People talk about them giving you more exposure but I haven't noticed that. Mind you I only used the one and I was only spending $1 so not trying to get on hot or trending. No chance of that!
As I said in my video yesterday, I'm feeling a bit down with it all at the moment. I'm taking a step back a bit and having a rethink! 😊