UPDF - Asking for Paid Reviews and sharing my email address to third parties

[Sidox]

Name of Brand: UPDF

 

 

Description of your issue:

Since a little over two weeks, I get bombarded with mails from "campaigns.g2.com". I did not give UPDF the permission to share my email address or send me promotional emails - since I am located in the EU, that alone is an issue.  They are asking me for a review with a reward of a $20 gift card, which strongly implies to give a positive one in my opinion. I think this is not cool and will lead to a manipulated result.

 

Have you tried solving your issue through the brand's customer support channel? If so, what was the result?

No, I don't think you would do this by accident and do not expect an honest reaction.

 

What would an ideal resolution of your issue look like?

They should stop sharing users emails and remove all reviews written in response to this offer from g2. Since they paid for the reviews, they should be able to locate them. I also want them to make sure all data handed over to G2.com is deleted. 

 

[GoStormPlays]

I also get them piled up. The problem is you can’t submit a review unless you have a business email address…

 

when I finally get one, I’m gonna use the codes on the 100+ emails I’ve gotten and become an Amazon millionaire

[ARandomPerson]

7 minutes ago, GoStormPlays said:

I’m gonna use the codes on the 100+ emails I’ve gotten and become an Amazon millionaire

You could then make a PC even humbler than the Karl Jacobs PC, featuring iPad Pros as mini PC screens. As well as that one 3.5-inch 100TB SSD. 

[LogicalDrm]

Giving $20 Amazon gift card for review is not "paid review". That term specifically refers to situation where brand/company pays for positive reviews. Usually with much higher payout than $20 Amazon gift cards, like giving away product for the review. Here, the $20 is just incentive. Not that uncommon, and not really problematic unless they have fine print that demands it to be positive. If you can receive it regardless of content, then its not "paid review".

 

The email spam seems bit much though, and according to Privacy Policy, they do require your consent. Could you share whole email? Usually those have "unsubscribe" link at the bottom. If there is none or it doesn't work, then this is bit bigger issue.

[BiotechBen]

I'd like to introduce you to the desperation that is my spam folder. I made a single $5 donation, one time, to one local candidate that I liked. And now I get this from both sides. (This is NOT taking a political stand, not interested in discussing politics, this is mildly reinforcing the sell-to-everyone issue OP is facing).

 

You thought Fanatics was bad, (see sports branded tech video) welcome to America-land where as soon as you participate in your civic duties, you get spammed 24/7 with high pressure sales tactics and fear mongering. 

I really wish there was something that could be done about these behaviors across the board. I commend Gmail for being able to accurately filter when I mark as spam, great job, but can I get a "return to sender" option like with mail?

I specifically said NO to any further emails or contact after I hit submit, and this has been the reality.

[Sidox]

28 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

Giving $20 Amazon gift card for review is not "paid review". That term specifically refers to situation where brand/company pays for positive reviews. Usually with much higher payout than $20 Amazon gift cards, like giving away product for the review. Here, the $20 is just incentive. Not that uncommon, and not really problematic unless they have fine print that demands it to be positive. If you can receive it regardless of content, then its not "paid review".

 

The email spam seems bit much though, and according to Privacy Policy, they do require your consent. Could you share whole email? Usually those have "unsubscribe" link at the bottom. If there is none or it doesn't work, then this is bit bigger issue.

Well, I sure do think giving an incentive will make it so that people give generally more positive reviews in hopes of actually getting the $20 gift card.
I did not give consent to them sharing my email address or sending me emails like that, which would be required under european law. And yes, There is an "Update your email preferences" button in the bottom of the mail.

 

[LogicalDrm]

1 minute ago, Sidox said:

Well, I sure do think giving an incentive will make it so that people give generally more positive reviews in hopes of actually getting the $20 gift card.

Thats your perception, not reality though. If they don't have it anywhere that your review must be positive or it doesn't qualify, then its up to you. I know I'm being pedantic over this, but I really, really hate when people use these hot words to emphasize something out of proportion. Sharing email without permission to another site which then spams you is enough.

 

Besides, its not UPDF making that offer for gift card, its this review site which is sending you the emails.

[Erioch]

3 hours ago, LogicalDrm said:

Besides, its not UPDF making that offer for gift card, its this review site which is sending you the emails.

OP said he never gave them permission to share his email address.

[LogicalDrm]

4 hours ago, Erioch said:

OP said he never gave them permission to share his email address.

Which, if you bother to read my other posts, is something I've consistently agreed to be a bad thing. But OP is also specifically claiming that UPDF is asking for "paid reviews". That's not true since it's their partner with the spam emails and offering incentives. Just like LMG can't always know what kind of marketing their partners engage in, UPDF might not be aware of this tactic being used. Without pushing their support on this, it's all speculation.

[Erioch]

9 hours ago, LogicalDrm said:

That's not true since it's their partner with the spam emails and offering incentives.

You really think the partner is doing something that UPDF isn't specifically asking for?  I doubt UPDF is just saying "here's a batch of email addresses.  We don't want to know what you're doing with them.  Just do whatever you want".

[LogicalDrm]

2 hours ago, Erioch said:

You really think the partner is doing something that UPDF isn't specifically asking for?  I doubt UPDF is just saying "here's a batch of email addresses.  We don't want to know what you're doing with them.  Just do whatever you want".

I didn't say that. It's clearly meant as newsletter style. So promotions, new features etc. Without directly asking, we don't know whether intended use was for asking reviews on this other site and whether they are aware of the incentive or frequency of the emails. But all that is beside the main point.

 

The main point is that UPDF privacy policy states that they don't give personal details to third parties unless user so indicates. Giving email to another site is violation of that policy.

 

There's small asterisk that I have no interest of pursuing. Which would be the form of registration or purchase. As all possible answers would still give same bad/scummy result.

[Sidox]

For testing purposes I went through the registration and purchase forms with a new account and could not find any optional email opt-in forms. So there are no dark patterns used I could haven fallen into, but also that I probably did not give accidental 'consent'.

[LogicalDrm]

12 hours ago, Sidox said:

For testing purposes I went through the registration and purchase forms with a new account and could not find any optional email opt-in forms. So there are no dark patterns used I could haven fallen into, but also that I probably did not give accidental 'consent'.

There could be line with "agree with T&C and subscribe to mailing list" which is illegal in EU, and would also be in conflict with their privacy policy.