Let us talk about the AUAG chairs
FIRST: I was shopping for a chair to review, people seem to like budget office/gaming furniture reviews and I have not really looked at the lower budget spectrum recently. I still have a list of chairs I want to look at.
Coincidentally, Aukey e-mailed me and told me of their new brand for gaming (AUAG). They asked if I would like to sample one of their chairs and support the endeavor of a give away:
E-mail from Auag:
Hi, I watched the video on your youtube (one of my other chair videos). The video you made was quite special and thoughtful. Our company would like to cooperate with you to promote the product. AUAG is a professional chair manufacturer. We constantly optimize the product process according to feedback from game lovers. You can even sleep on your back in a chair. Our company plans to offer 50 chairs for you and your fans to experience.I hope fans can provide more Suggestions for our chairs. I will send you the sample. The sample is free of charge.
I look forward to a pleasant cooperation with you.
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When I received this e-mail I was cautious (or so I thought) the following is the majority of the conversation confirming details.
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My first response:
Well this sounds gracious.
I would be very interested in looking at your chair. I am also interested in how you plan to approach the 50 chairs for fans. Are you looking to host an entry style give away? I am interested in sharing this information once I know a bit about your details for providing fifty chairs :) I'm sure they would be appreciative and happy for a chance to acquire a new gaming chair.
What do you need from me to proceed?
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Their reply:
We will interact with the fans in the message area.
Give free chairs to those who contribute to this video. For example, share video to friends. Also offer 4-5 discount coupons for ordinary fans. (For the record I think you are all extraordinary fans :) )
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My reply:
So you will pick at random from the comment sections of the video, do you have a time cut off date or anything planned? Whatever details you have let me know so I have everything I need to know moving forward on this :) I look forward to this. I am really big on giving back to the community I am building. (Some of you that have been around for a while know this <3 )
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At this point the chair is ordered and I wanted to start following up with the plan while I was making the video. Next is my e-mail back reaching out for some details:
My message to them:
When we post the video we will reference statements from you for participating in your give away.
So that I am informing people correctly;
1. Will this be open to people in other countries? If so which countries?
People are already pretty excited, I've hit a few outlets to share the upcoming video once I have it completed.
2. Do you have any special conditions regarding this give away to viewers?
Keeping people engaged with Aukey's spin off brand AUAG:
3. Confirming you would request in the comment section, Aukey/AUAG would require observational feedback? Often times viewers like to say what they WISH a chair had, in the comments section.
4. What is the final date people can comment? Will August 31st be the last day you can do this give away? (They never answered this part)
If you have anything specific to add to this, please let me know now. I will reference your email and generosity in the video(s) when I produce them. People don't like surprise conditions :) (Oh, by the way, surprise, I guess they disregarded this completely)
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This was their reply:
Hi,
We will provide two give away gaming chairs per day for the luckier and 50% off for people who share the video Sep. 10.
1. The gaming chairs are stocked in USA, so open to the USA only.
2. request in the comment section observational feedback
3. At this time. We have not anything specific to add to this.
Hope the video is great,
Kind regards
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Cool, so far so good right? Several times we have discussed the procedure, there didn't seem to be any blurred lines at this point.
FLASH FORWARD A FEW DAYS.
Some people brought some now removed comments to my attention:
These comments were not at all what we agreed upon, they were attempting to buy reviews for 50% off codes from viewers. I woke up, I saw this, and I e-mailed the rep promptly and shortly.
My message: (Images are for context)
This was supposed to be a give away, not AUAG buying reviews from people.
I’m a bit disappointed at those comments.
My follow up message
Hey Donald;
I just want to be clear for the people watching:
50 chairs are 100% covered by Aukey/Auag
and discount codes 50% off for chairs leading up to the September date.
I don't have a problem with Aukey offering codes to people they select, my only problem is asking for them to rate it a specific rating in return for the code. That is not something we discussed, and not something I support.
I was under the impression this would be more of a public relation event to bring up the Auag brand. I still want to believe that is the case. The act of good will to supply and build a relationship and a following from people, not buy their favoritism with a product.
I hope this all works out well. Let me know if you need assistance, I feel like I have been open and clear on what was expected based on our conversations.
Thanks.
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Their reply, which ignored what I was trying to address:
Hi Matt,
Could you inform people of that when they share the review video, send link/proof to the email huangxiaolong@aukeys.com
Once see the sharing video, We will rely them with 50% off discount code.
Thanks for your assistance.
Kind regards
Donald_Aukey
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My reply:
What about the free 50 chairs you offered?
Donald lets clean this up some, I will help you.
"We will interact with the fans in the message area."
- This isn't working well. I will handle interacting with them for you. I'm not really sure what you are attempting to achieve here.
"Give free chairs to those who contribute to this video. No less than 50 people. We will provide two give away gaming chairs per day for the luckier"
- Generate the coupon codes for Amazon, make 50 one time use 100% off coupon codes
-Send this list to me.
-I will start selecting people and having them contact me for their special code, I will also start with the people you have already attempted to contact.
"Also offer 4-5 discount coupons for ordinary fans"
The sharing phase we will work on through Twitter and link tracking. When people share the video via Twitter we'll know. I can also handle contacting them on Twitter.
Right now people are not trusting you (Didn't mean to speak for you guys but I was definately not trusting them at this point), and I do not blame them. I was told several times in e-mail "50 free chairs" and all that was needed for them to begin was observational feed back.
So far your end of the agreement has fallen short and people are wondering what is going on.
My proposal is generate the codes for 100% off, provide them to me, and I will start selecting people for you. We'll move on to the second part after that with sharing for 50% off.
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The next will just be the few messages leading up to my frustration and backing away from this rep.
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Their reply:
Hi Matt,
As a company, Aukey have rules,
And we have to apply for policy and buget.
According to the AUAG/Aukey rules.
1. We offer 50% off discount to those who share the review and send link/proof to us.
2. We offer 100% off discount to those who share (their own) review video to more than 50 people and send link/proof.
We would like to make it easy and you can help me select the people. But our accounting department have to check the links.
Look forward to your understood.
Kind regards
Donald_Aukey
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My reply:
That's not how the first e-mail came across.
I will be issuing an apology to people and telling them about this.
I will likely remove the video as well.
I asked very specific questions and made sure that was all that needed to be done before proceeding, now you are telling me that was not the arrangement. This is a sour and unfortunate ending to what could have been good.
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Their total bullshit reply:
Hi Matt,
"We will interact with the fans in the message area."
You can handle interacting with fans.
"Give free chairs to those who contribute to this video. No less than 50 peoples. We will provide two give away gaming chairs per day for the luckier"
We offer 100% off discount to those who share review video to more than 50 people and send link/proof.
"Also offer 4-5 discount coupons for ordinary fans"
We offer 50% off discount to those who share the review and send link/proof.
but we have to see the sharing links from people.
Kind regards
Donald_Aukey
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My reply:
Look, apparently there was a severe miscommunication on AUAG/Aukey’s part.
An explanation hilighting all the emails will be made in a video. I will show people what happened here.
The original video will be pulled from my channel because I don’t support this behavior from a company.
I will offer condemnation for the tactics used here in order to obtain a review and gather feedback on hopeful viewers.
It will solve our problems while leaving hopeful viewers sour at whatever the hell it is you were really trying to do.
This is a prime example of why I choose not to work with companies, and remain largely independent in my participatory events.
I find this to be unacceptable and I did not anticipate this behavior from a brand like Aukey. I questioned, I told you my exact game plan, and I even asked for further confirmation on how to proceed before we proceeded with this event to hopefully get people their chairs.
You fooled me, shame on me.
The end.
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Their reply:
Hi Matt,
We sincrely look forward to wok with you and help you inrease your fans.
If people share the review video, you or your fans can send sharing link to our email and then we send you discount code after checking.
It is hard for the starting of cooperation. Once we find solution and understand each other, everthing will goe smooythly and easily. (The solution is don't fucking mislead people)
Kind regards
Donald_Aukey
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My reply:
I’m terminating our cooperation. I guess I wasn’t clear in that last email.
You/your company lied.
You were misleading to me and in return had me mislead viewers.
I will remove that video and I will tell people about how you mislead us all. I will post the majority of the emails and offer them an apology that I let you fool me in to fooling them.
I’m also going to return your chair. I want nothing to do with your brand.
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Their reply:
Hi Matt,
Sorry, we have misunderstands because of my broken english. (I like how the english got progressively worse and then BOOM used as an excuse. Piss off with that.)
At the moment, we have to calm down.
If peole share review video, we shall provide them with discount code.
We should not lose trust from people. (You lost mine)
Kind regards
Donald
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I did not follow up with a reply after this. I am sorry, I wanted this to work out for everyone. It's too bad the rules of the game progressively changed as AUKEY and AUAG were advantageous of a non contract agreement. Sometimes I don't wonder why I am a pessimist.
I'll have a give away soon enough in the next few months. RUN BY ME.