Pimax Apologizes Following Social Media Incentive Program Controversy

Sure thing, here goes:

—

Brand ambassadors? Referral programs? They’re, like, everywhere these days — all trying to get us to buy stuff by pulling in influencers and their squads. But last week, Pimax, you know, the VR people, kinda messed up big time. So, they admitted to setting up a not-so-great plan. Turns out, they were secretly setting up a gig for folks to write positive things online. Basically, fake fan mail. But, oof, it blew up in their faces.

This wild ride kicked off when Redditor ‘Mavgaming1’ dropped some juicy deets last week. They shared private chats from Pimax on Discord. The deal was plain: Pimax wanted folks for their shiny new Community Engagement Program. It sounded nice, right? But really, it was about counting up points for rewards just by gabbing about Pimax on social. Kinda fishy if you ask me.

Before the plan fizzled out (thanks to the leak), Pimax confessed to Road to VR that it was for real. The rewards? Everything from a $5 Steam card to big discounts on their gear. Top-tier folks even got a shot at a trip to Shanghai HQ. Pretty slick, huh? All you had to do was write up a glowing post on Reddit or wherever, get it Pimax-approved, post it, and voilà, start earning those points. Mavgaming1 shared the juicy guidelines.

Oh, and they gave pointers like, “Your First VR Experience with Pimax” or “Tips for the Best Pimax Experience”—all sunshine and rainbows, of course.

And get this, liking or commenting positively on their social media? More points! Honestly, it’s like textbook astroturfing. You know, pretending there’s a huge fan base when it’s just smoke and mirrors.

Pimax’s response? They swear it wasn’t an official thing. Just some overzealous employees going rogue. They shut it down quicker than I can finish a bag of chips. Plus, they claim they never bought positive press. Hmmm.

All said and done, they reached out to nine Discord users, with three getting the full scoop on how the plan would roll.

Jaap Grolleman, Pimax’s main communicator for the last few years, explained to Road to VR that those messages bypassed their official processes. Basically, it was a rogue Discord op by some misled colleagues.

“We’ve never told anyone they have to be all love and flowers about our products,” Grolleman mentioned, “Except for those three rogue messages on May 22nd.”

Calling it a “big judgment error” is putting it lightly. And though they say no reviews came out of this, the whole thing is shaky ground.

More than just a whoopsie in marketing, this stunt could’ve crossed legal lines globally. Like, Section 5 of the FTC Act clearly screams that deceptive acts are a big no-no. Paying for good reviews without being honest about it? Not just shady—might actually be illegal.

Countries across the pond, like the UK and the EU, also have rules against pulling stunts like this. Their guidelines say no sneaky moves to fake real consumer love.

Crazy, right? Who’d have thought a few Discord DMs could kick up such a storm?