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Topic: Editors Taking Advantage of Samples
| Author | Message |
| weiss | Posted – 12/1/2008 5:27:55 PM | show profile | email poster So, I sent out Holiday press packages with an opportunity to try out our service. One editor found a really sneaky away around our offer and now we're stuck fronting over $1000 order. In my experience, when an editor agrees to try your service or product, it's a good sign that they will include it in a future piece. However, this is obviously not guaranteed. Do you find most people who take samples are likely to include your company or client? Has something similar ever happened to any of you? Thanks for your input! |
| snuffleupagus | Posted – 12/1/2008 7:15:23 PM | show profile Maybe he decided it was a terrible product and thought it best not to write about it all? That said, it's shameless and unethical for an editor to keep a product he plans to write about. He should either pay for it or return it when it's done. |
| linjohn | Posted – 12/1/2008 8:00:24 PM | show profile I think it depends on what the product or service is. If you are sending out samples for editors to try the product and then, hope that they will write about it, I think you just have to factor that cost into your budget. If you are inviting them in for a service, then, yes, I have found that usually most will go only if they plan on writing about it or are considering writing about it, but again, I think you want as many people as possible to come in and experience it. You never know what might work for someone next month, or even next year. I have had editors take advantage of services with no intention of ever writing about it, but they are very few, and I do factor that in to the cost of doing business. (Their magazine may not cover the service now, but they could freelance or move somewhere else that will. PR is as much about making connections as it is getting stories.) That said, $1000 is a lot of money, and if someone "found a sneaky way" around your offer, clearly they are taking advantage. Without knowing what the service is, all I can suggest for the future is either putting a cap on an offer, or offering a media discount for something exorbitant. Also, the longer you work in the industry, the easier it will be to spot fakes or those who are looking to take advantage of you, and you'll often be able to prevent it before it becomes an issue. |
| Louisewasnothalfbad | Posted – 12/2/2008 1:10:56 PM | show profile Is the order $1000 retail? Or cost to your company? It makes a difference. Can you make sure the erring editor gets some sort of document which will force him/her to declare this as income? The person might think twice if taxes have to be paid on this. |
| onmyown | Posted – 12/2/2008 3:03:18 PM | show profile I don't understand. If you make an offer, how can an editor find "a sneaky way" to get what was offered? |
| weiss | Posted – 12/2/2008 6:55:02 PM | show profile Thanks so much for all of your input and support, I really appreciate it! Since it is a service, trying it is the only way for someone to really experience it. Therefore, returning it afterward isn't an option. As for them being sneaky, without going into too much detail, the directions were disregarded. The service cost would have been $1000, but it's only $600 out of pocket. Still though-that's not what we bargained for. In the future, I will include fine print with a cap to the offer or something of the sort. I do realize that connections matter and hopefully we will fit into a future story regardless of time frame or publication. As someone fairly new to PR, I guess I'll just have to take this one as a learning experience. |
