New sponsored sub forum for Bargain Alerts

People need to grow up here. In your job do you throw a hissy fit if something doesn't go yere way.

Ah how much do they pay you?


They're not a good company, they have good prices on some of their products. It's all the lying and false information, not to mention zero customer service. If you have a problem you're as well throwing it in the bin than trying to get any help from gearbest.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I was going to to try and explain to you what shilling is and what went on here with it but then I saw your join date so I'll save my breath

I know what shilling is, if your dumb enough to fall for non bargains it's your own fault.

If it actually is a bargain then what's the issue?

Krusty gets applauded for being an anti-establishment comedian, but when he strikes a deal with Canyonero to blatantly promote their product during his shows he is perceived as a sell-out. Krusty, however, likes the fact that he is back on top in show business better than remaining true to his ideals.

Kenjataimu wrote: »

A shill could be benefiting by posting a referral link.

Yes I get that, I'd rather a shill posting a bargain link rather than not knowing about the bargain at all.

Sure a company is making money off you by purchasing from them. What difference is it if a middle man is making a few cents by referring a good bargain?

Look at some companies selling electronics in electronic stores at bargain prices even though there still 100 euro online or off the retailer who producea the product or amaxon etc. Isnt that the same as shilling?

Wonzy wrote: »

Care to explain? Will just have to agree to disagree. Its effective advertising.

That's exactly the problem: it is advertising. And according to the ASAI, advertising should:

• be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
• be prepared with a sense of responsibility both to the consumer and to society.
• conform to the principles of fair competition as generally accepted in business.

Undisclosed paid-for comments meet none of the above standards. More than that, though, they ruin the whole point of an opinions forum.

A while back, I did a bit of research on Boards regards a website I wanted to buy from which I hadn't used before. Reading the positive comments left by other posters gave me the confidence to go ahead and make my purchase. I'm very happy I did, and I've bought a few bits from them since (not Gearbest, for reference; I'd actually missed the whole shilling thing and I'd never heard of them before this thread).

If not for feeling that the comments made here about the company were genuine, I would not have trusted them with my money.

I have no personal problem with people shilling: they are simply trying to make a few bob, which I can't hold against them, because I am likewise trying to improve my own finances, keeping as much of my money as I can and making sure that what I do spend is going to companies who treat their customers fairly.

However. When someone is being paid to promote something, you can no longer depend upon, or believe in, their honesty. They now have motive to be untruthful. Plenty of people would still be honest... But equally, plenty of people would not-- and on an anonymous internet forum, it's very hard to tell the difference. Of course people can be dishonest without being paid, but why would they bother? Where is the motive? When money is not involved, you have a far better chance of getting a genuine, honest opinion, whether negative or positive.

While I have no personal beef against shillers, the absolute reality is that shilling, as a practice, ruins the cooperative environment of an anonymous forum. It fosters mistrust and thus nullifies any benefit of sharing information in this manner.

Referral links are easy to spot, but people posting paid-for reviews and positive comments aren't, especially if the brand in question has the intelligence to approach people who have a posting history, or who insist their shillers develop a posting history before posting their sponsored/paid comments.

What more research can you do online beyond soliciting opinions and asking about people's experiences? And if those answers have been bought and paid for, how can you trust them?

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder just how much Dav's integrity cost Gearbest? Was there a specific amount?

Doubt it was Dav's decision

kaizersoze wrote: »

The admins seem to be steering clear of this thread since Niamh made the announcement. She must have drew the short straw.

Nothing to do with the admins. Commercial decisions are made by HQ alone afaik. Admins are volunteers like the rest of us.

kaizersoze wrote: »

Niamh, Dav et al is who I meant. Maybe should have said managers rather than admins.

Ah ok. It seems to be Niamh's area more than Dav's.
The sponsored sub forum is one of the advertising options boards offers. There are a few around the site. I would guess that these are a cheaper option than talk to.

FanadMan wrote: »

Been watching the replies from GB in their page here. It's like reading a transcript of a Three support call. Why not get AliExpress or DealExtreme involved as well - their language is just as good and the prices are the same!

Maybe its just me, but where is this page?

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, I don't like this at all..

.. just give them a Talk To forum like all other businesses - what gives them a right to have a forum in the community driven (and always has been) Bargain Alerts.

Spamming their own forum with deals.. and the place will be a ghost town anyways.

While I buy off Gearbest occasionally, this decision just goes strangely against the norm for Boards.ie and I can't see a good outcome.

In summary - leave Bargain Alerts to the users!

Couldn't agree with this post more. Whatever about the morals of what has happened with Gearbest one thing I don't like is them (or anyone else) having a subforum on Bargain Alerts. BA works so well when it is community driven with people sharing genuine bargains. Allowing any company infiltrate this means that they're paying Boards.ie money for the traffic that goes to the BA forum. Thing is the objective of the traffic is seeking genuine bargains whereas the objective of Gearbest (or any company) is to make as much money from users as possible, irrespective of whether their products are bargains or not.

Put simply there is a conflict here and Boards.ie is facilitating it. I've no problems with Gearbest or any company having a Talk To forum. The U-turn by Boards.ie on shilling makes me go :rolleyes: but I can let that slide. But allowing them to be a part of the BA forum I think is a bad mistake. Any user now who says something positive about Gearbest is going to be suspected as a shill and not trusted by other users. If people can't feel they can trust what is being posted then the very ethos of a community driven forum falls apart imo.