Employees buy user reviews: VR manufacturer Pimax in need of explanation
Pimax representatives have arbitrarily introduced a reward system for positive user reviews. A Reddit user gives an insight into the details.
With the Crystal Light and Crystal Super VR goggles, Pimax aims to appeal primarily to simulation fans among VR enthusiasts.
(Image: Pimax)
Chinese VR goggles manufacturer Pimax has apologized for a secret bonus program designed to reward users for positive posts on social media. The controversy began when a Reddit user posted private Discord messages in which Pimax representatives introduced a "Community Engagement Program". A hard blow to the company's credibility.
Targeted recruitment after support calls
According to the published information, a Pimax employee initially contacted the Reddit user about driver updates for their VR glasses. The support call was followed by an offer to join a program for "content creation and setup guides". After joining the Discord, the user received detailed instructions.
The program's guidelines were clear: "At least 70 percent of the post should contain positive descriptions" to qualify for rewards. Templates of what such a post could look like on Reddit or other relevant forums were also provided. The rewards ranged from 5-dollar Steam vouchers to discounts of several hundred dollars on future Pimax hardware. The highest reward level included a $1,000 subsidized trip to the company's headquarters in Shanghai.
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"Extremely damaging" – Company in need of explanation
After the incident came to light, Pimax confirmed the authenticity of the program on its own company blog. However, according to Jaap Grolleman, Head of Communications at Pimax, the program was "a major error of judgment in several areas by some individuals" who nevertheless represented Pimax. A total of nine Discord users were contacted, three of whom received the full guidelines and reward structure.
When asked by heise online, Grolleman emphasized the damage to the company: "I think the main issue for me is that it's so extremely damaging to us. Two colleagues thought this was a good idea but didn't fully consider all aspects and also didn't follow the company process to get this approved by the manager and then by senior management."
Grolleman went on to explain that the program was stopped as soon as it became known: "No reviews were created from this program." The key question for the company now is how this could have happened and what can be done to prevent it in the future.
Pimax fights against loss of credibility
In the case of the US Reddit user and content creator "Mavgaming1", such an approach would even be illegal and would violate Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, which require paid content to be clearly labeled as such. Similar standards are enforced worldwide, including by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Union's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC, both of which prohibit misleading or covert marketing tactics.
"Going forward, we have strengthened the review process for any contact and have also reminded all our employees that they can represent Pimax at any time – even when sending DMs via Discord or elsewhere," explained Grolleman. "We have emphasized that these mistakes are inexcusable and extremely damaging to us as a company as well as to everyone in the VR industry."
The controversy comes at an inopportune time for Pimax, which is currently looking to launch its new flagship Crystal Super and slimmer Dream Air and Dream Air SE models. For consumers, the recommendation remains to consult several independent sources when evaluating VR products and to always be critical of paid content.
(joe)
