As a review blogger I get the joy of helping companies spread word about their company and their products. I love what I do and although I do get items free in exchange for promotion, I do not review items simply for free items. I love meeting pr reps, helping out shops and knowing about all the newest products. I spend an insane amount of time working on my blog. Each review takes up at least 2 hours of my time, between emailing companies, trying out the product, taking notes on the product, taking pictures, uploading them, writing and editing the post, promoting the post (this takes up SO much time!) choosing winners, and emailing the sponsor back and forth at every step of the way, as well as emailing the winners at the end. It truly is work, much more so than I realized when I got started and much more so than others tend to realize.
I have been reviewing since December and have had so many great experiences. I love what I do. However, I recently have had a giveaway ‘go bad’ and out of frustration and no other options, I have decided to warn my readers about the experience I and the winners of my wild texas wear giveaway have had the last few weeks.
As many of you remember, I worked with wild texas wear. I enjoyed their clothing and felt that they were great quality. I was pleased to help promote their products. The giveaway ended July 23rd but was low on entries, which I felt was greatly due to the mandatory entry of requiring an email subscription, however I still felt bad and extended the giveaway 3 days. It was ended July 26th with 152 entries.
I was told by wild texas wear that I should choose winners and get their email addresses, and then send them to the PR rep who would double check that they did in fact sign up for the email newsletter. I chose winners, and emailed them the emails, asking them to let me know if they would contact the winners to gather their address information, or whether they would prefer that I gather their email addresses and send them on to wild texas wear. A few days passed and I didn’t hear back. I assumed that they decided to contact the winners directly and forgot to tell me.
I heard from the first winner who was curious why she hadn’t heard from me or the sponsor. So I forwarded my previous email to wild texas wear, which showed what I had said about please let me know if you want to contact the winners or if I should. A day or two later I had yet to hear anything, but then I heard from the second winner, asking what was up. I emailed the sponsor yet again, saying please get back with me, I need to know what your plans are and my winners are anxious to try out your products.
I still did not hear back. I decided to email the winners, hoping that wild texas wear had contacted them without letting me know. I have since heard back from both winners who have not yet been contacted. Wednesday I sent a final ‘last chance’ email, practically begging the company to PLEASE get a hold of me, and nothing.
It has now been a day short of 4 weeks and I still have not heard back from wild texas wear even one time. I feel that this is completely unacceptable. I am endlessly sorry for those who entered this giveaway, especially the winners. I appreciate the winners’ patience and understanding more than I can express.
If you signed up for the email newsletter to enter the giveaway, I would feel free to unsubscribe. I will be taking down the review and giveaway, as well as removing the company from my twitter and facebook. I do not care to have any association with a company who find it acceptable to make promises to provide giveaway prizes and then refuse to even reply to an email afterwards. My readers deserve better and I am sorry. I hope you all understand that I am the middle player and would never intentionally put myself or winners in a situation where the sponsor does not follow through.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This post currently has 18 responses.
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I won something from them on another blog and it will be 2 months in 3 days since winning that I haven’t received the item from them =( I have 19 prizes over 2 months overdue and 3 more within a week of 2 months!
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funnyfarm1995
That stinks that a company would do that. I will be sure to not do business with them, and will advise others against that company as well.
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Thanks for the heads up. I will know not to deal with this company in the future. I’m so sorry they treated you and your readers so badly. I’ll help spread the word on Facebook for you.
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cindi
AHHHH You have me worried. I haven’t heard back from him either. 🙁
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Oh that is so awful. I have hosted one giveaway and from that experience, even though it was a positive one, I realize how much time and effort you put into hosting giveaways. It is so unfair when they don’t follow through. They are getting advertising at a very very reasonable rate. Like Jennifer I to have problems with companies following through with their giveaways from the winning side. It is so disappointing when you don’t get to try out the product you were so excited about winning. When I win something I tell my friends, my family, and sometimes I even give my opinion to strangers in a store. That is the power of advertising on blogs. Mommy’s read them, try out their products, and spread the word. Sorry to ramble but this kind of stuff burns my backside ;D
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Niky @ Design It Chic
I totally get your frustration! I’ve had situations like this with companies that weren’t serious business! You did your best to fight for your winners rights.. the only thing left in your power was to apologize to your winners, which you did and then just move on! I’ve learned the hard way that dwelling on a matter like this that has no happy ending will only wear you out! So the faster you move on the better for yourself! Everybody gets bad business relations at some point so just learn and grow out of ’em:) Hope you will get better soon! Oh and I am now following your thanks to Follow Me Back Tuesday! Happy Tuesday!
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Hello! I am a new reader from Follow Me Back Tuesday. Looking forward to seeing more from your site! Please follow me back at The Nutritionist Reviews: http://couponclippingnutritionist.blogspot.com/
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Aww that stinks!! I won a few things back in May and have yet to receive them, so I know how frustrating it is from a winner’s perspective. I haven’t had a bad experience with a sponsor, and hope I never do, although I’m sure it will. 🙁
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That really sucks! I know how that feels from the winners perspective. I hope I don’t have to go through that with any reps, although I’m sure I will. I guess the good thing about blogging is when something like this happens you have the voice to tell your readers the company sucks! Thanks for the heads up, because I will not be working, or associating with them ever! Again thanks for the heads up, and as always I love reading your blog! 🙂
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courtney
hey chica! you left a msg on my blog as well, and you were wondering what company i was complaining about. well it was wild texas wear too! They totally scammed us! I have 2 winners with no prizes!! What jerks! I hope their company goes down the drain..
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I realize this is an older post, but just had to chime in. How disheartening that a company would do this. And not just to one blogger but quite a few. I hope others will post about them too…this is not acceptable at all!
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Great job explaining all the hard work that goes into a review, I think alot of people don’t realize how much WORK it is!
I won from Wild Texas on another blog months ago and never received my prize either. They truly are rotten
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Wild Wear Texas sounds ridiculous! I can’t believe they would do this! IT’s not fair to you, us, or the winners!
I’ll never shop from them!
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I was on the receiving end of this frustrating experience! From a big, well-known company also. So sorry!
http://littlesproutgrowing.blogspot.com/2011/07/post-i-didnt-want-to-write-when.html
This post could not have been more well-written, Emily. Anyone who has ever written a review and hosted a giveaway can attest that the whole process takes MUCH longer than it may seem.
And the fact that this company essentially used you for advertising and then has decided to not hold up their end of the deal is unacceptable. I do hope that every person who entered unsubscribes and makes sure to NOT do business with them in the future. Any company that has such poor morals is not one that deserves shopping.
Good for you for doing all that you could and I’m sure that your readers know that and realize that the situation is not your fault.