Here’s a version with that human-like touch:
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So, let’s talk about these brand ambassadors and referral programs that are sprouting up like dandelions. Everywhere you look, right? All trying to rope in influencers and loyal fans. But, oh boy, last week Pimax kinda went off the rails. They even confessed it, believe it or not. They were secretly gearing up to launch this program. Picture this: a scheme to give rewards for glowing forum posts. They got called out so fast it was dizzying.
This whole mess kicked off with some Reddit user, ‘Mavgaming1’—gotta love those usernames—who spilled the beans after Pimax dropped a message in their Discord. The deal? Okay, Pimax wanted folks to dive into this Community Engagement Program. The idea was kinda simple: rack up points by gabbing about the company on social media. Points mean prizes, right?
And get this, the rewards were like everything from $5 Steam cards up to huge discounts on Pimax gear. But wait, there’s more! The top dogs could snatch a $1,000 trip to Pimax’s Shanghai headquarters. Now, that sounds wild, doesn’t it?
What did you have to do? Just whip up happy posts for Reddit or, you know, wherever you hang out online. Then send it to Pimax for a thumbs-up. Easy-peasy, sort of. Here’s a nugget of what the guidelines looked like. They got leaked too. What a surprise!
Think stuff like “Your First VR Experience with Pimax” or maybe “Tips for a Top-Notch Time with Pimax.” You get the drift. Shine that positive spotlight, folks! They even dangled points for chummy comments on their social posts. Feels kinda sketchy, yeah?
Here’s where it gets even messier. Pimax was quick to say, “Whoa, hold up—this wasn’t our official thing.” Apparently, some overzealous employees cooked it up on the side. They shut it down ASAP. Supposedly, they’ve never paid for nice words before, ever.
So, about nine Discord peeps got the lowdown, but only three got the full pitch and rewards deets. Enter stage left: Jaap Grolleman, the communications guy for Pimax. He’s been front-and-center for what—like three years? Telling Road to VR how those messages bypassed their usual checks. Whoops.
Jaap insists they’ve never demanded anyone to sugarcoat reviews. “Except,” he notes dryly, “those three little messages sent around May.” Big oops.
He called the whole thing a “major judgment error.” A nice way to say someone screwed up, huh? No reviews actually saw the light of day under this brainstorm, if you’re wondering.
Now, this wasn’t just a tiny slip-up. Even though only three people got the pitch, this could’ve trampled marketing laws around the globe.
Yup, according to the FTC (that’s the Federal Trade Commission for those keeping score), this kind of thing is illegal. It’s there in the fine print: you can’t pay for nice reviews without telling everyone.
The UK’s got similar rules, and so does the EU. They’re not fans of sneaky marketing moves, trying to make fake grassroots vibes, aka astroturfing. Yeah, that’s a thing.
So, what now? Pimax is in a bit of a pickle, but at least they fessed up. That’s something, right? Stay tuned for their next move. Or, you know, maybe not.
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