The New Intimacy

#Announcement - Changes to the Review Program pt.01 (Ideas for the future direction)

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Contributor: Britt&Rich Britt&Rich
Quote:
Originally posted by Allison.Wilder
I think this is a good idea in theory, but it could lead to a lot of hurt feelings from people that haven't been here that long. I've been loyal to Eden for a year and that's nothing compared to people that have been here for 3,4,5 years. ... more
This is all I've been trying to say. If I knew about this site 5 years ago, I would have joined then.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
I do not mean to complain... EF is and has been incredibly generous. But my concern has to do with the shipping. Currently the free shipping on assignments has been a great thing and allowed me to place more orders than I normally would have been able to afford. Should this option go away, I was just wondering if there might be some way to split the shipping costs to make things more fair for us all.

Months ago, shipping was free only for 59$ orders or more in the US and shipping fees started at 15$ for Canadian residents. But when the US shipping rates decreased to free for 35$ orders, the Canadian and International shipping rates took a hit.

Would it not be more fair to split this difference somehow? I understand this might suck for US residents but at least it wouldn't feel like, as a Canadian or International customer, that we were such outsiders.

I would propose to either increase the total order cost to get free shipping in the US so the shipping rates for international and canadian orders could drop a bit. That, or maybe have free shipping for Canadian and International orders of some other value. Even if it were free only on orders of 100$ or 150$. To me, that would be fair.
03/28/2013
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
It will be up soon.

Here's another direction to think about for rank:
Instead of #.# ranks, what if it were like a three or four level jello mold with different flavors? Each layer has a different flavor (flavor = buy-out discount ... more
That's a cool idea! I see that on many message boards too - once you reach a certain amount of posts you receive a new title.

So it's somewhat similar while still being different. I will ponder this, but my knee-jerk reaction is that it sounds pretty good. No one would get upset over a 1/10 of a point change in their ranking that way either!
03/29/2013
Contributor: mjtheprincess mjtheprincess
Wow...you go to Vegas and come back and everything is different! I am all for the changes though, whatever keeps the community around!

Here's my request...is there a forum somewhere that summarizes all the decisions? I have bombed through about 6 pages on three or four different update forums (none of which are in the very top section of my updates, which is why i didn't see them until now!), and there are so many changes I am getting confused! I would love love love to see one forum with a list of all the proposed changes if at all possible...My little OCD brain wants to be able to organize and understand how my Eden experience will be changing!
03/29/2013
Contributor: ImaGodiva ImaGodiva
I think EF has been VERY generous with their programs and I can see that there may need to be business model changes as time goes on and their customer base changes.

However, I also love the reviews here that help me decide which new (or old) products to purchase. For the most part, the reviews I find on EF are the most thorough and helpful of any website anywhere, and the community members are very helpful with answers to questions. Honestly those things, plus the chance to contribute to the wonderfulness (and get a discount too), is what keeps me here. I would hate to see the quality and availability of the reviews (and reviewers) decrease. I think the "powers that be" at EF are showing that they know how important the reviews (and other member contributions) are by how they are obviously thinking this through and considering our input.

I hope there will still be a reasonable incentive to try new toys, write good reviews and/or edit reviews, and mentor others, since obviously a lot of work goes into this and the very active community members here are a very cheap work force for EF. I don't think anyone continues to do these things for very long if they are just in it for a free toy, but it is nice to be rewarded for a good effort, and I hope that the new model will allow for the people who deserve it to continue to be rewarded.

The free shipping is something I have always appreciated, and when I have a review order with free shipping I almost always use it to include something (or several things) that I have wanted for awhile that may be less than the $35 free shipping level. I wonder if these add-on purchases might make the free shipping worthwhile if EF could continue giving free shipping for review orders, but instead of using Priority Mail, use the least expensive option? Maybe even do it on a trial basis to see what the financial impact of this is after the changes?

Thanks EF for reading & considering our input.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Peggi Peggi
Thanks for updating us! Well, while I am sad about the idea of no free assignments (correct me if I am wrong, that is how I understood this post) I can understand the logic behind it, and I do love the idea of more points for reviews and a bigger discount of the buy-outs! Really it seems it would almost even out over time. You get points for activities on the site, more points for reviews, then buy-outs are a higher % off...so in a way you could almost just pay for them with points entirely, if you write enough reviews and are active enough on the site! So I don't really mind at all. It will take adjusting, because I'm not usually a fan of change, but well-worth getting used to!
03/29/2013
Contributor: BornInApril BornInApril
Quote:
Originally posted by charmedtomeetyou
Not that I didn't like getting monthly things, everyone likes stuff for free, but this seems smarter. You write your reviews, get more for each review and then use that to do buyouts for things you actually want at a deeper discount. It all ... more
Yes What they said ^^^
03/29/2013
Contributor: jennifur77 jennifur77
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
I do not mean to complain... EF is and has been incredibly generous. But my concern has to do with the shipping. Currently the free shipping on assignments has been a great thing and allowed me to place more orders than I normally would have been ... more
Melan!e, not everyone in the USA lives in a place that can get $35 shipping. I have to order $70 to qualify for free shipping because although I'm on the East Coast, I am considered a "remote location".
03/29/2013
Contributor: jennifur77 jennifur77
Quote:
Originally posted by Heartthrob
Great! I love the Milestone Assignments.
What are Milestone Assignments?
03/29/2013
Contributor: Ms. N Ms. N
Quote:
Originally posted by jennifur77
Melan!e, not everyone in the USA lives in a place that can get $35 shipping. I have to order $70 to qualify for free shipping because although I'm on the East Coast, I am considered a "remote location".
This is true. I don't get $35 shipping either because I have a PO box. I live in an area where if my packages were left on my front porch, I would not trust them to be there when I got home.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Ms. N Ms. N
Quote:
Originally posted by jennifur77
What are Milestone Assignments?
Milestone Assignments are given when someone reaches 100 and/or 200 reviews. It's a gift Eden gives those reviewers for all their hard work - the person makes a list of a few items they want, up to $150, and Eden sends them one of the items to review. Neat, huh? Maybe I will get there someday...
03/29/2013
Contributor: Zandrock Zandrock
This sounds like a good idea. I always found the reviews to be a bit short on points. This will also allow me to review and buy some of the toys that were not eligible previously. I definitely like this new idea.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Heartthrob Heartthrob
Quote:
Originally posted by Gary
To the best of my knowledge, no one from EF has said anything about expanding the Milestone assignments, only that there is currently no plan to remove them.
I love the Milestone assignments so I am thrilled that there is no plan to remove them.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Heartthrob Heartthrob
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
It will be up soon.

Here's another direction to think about for rank:
Instead of #.# ranks, what if it were like a three or four level jello mold with different flavors? Each layer has a different flavor (flavor = buy-out discount ... more
Well, it could be a great idea. Could you expand on it in a future post to make it more clear?
03/29/2013
Contributor: Heartthrob Heartthrob
Quote:
Originally posted by jennifur77
What are Milestone Assignments?
Jennifur777, milestone assignments occur when you hit 100 reviews. Basically you are rewarded for all your time and effort put into Eden. They provide you with an item for review that is above the price range (I believe mine was about $100.00 value). There may be one for the 200th review. I am not sure on that.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by jennifur77
Melan!e, not everyone in the USA lives in a place that can get $35 shipping. I have to order $70 to qualify for free shipping because although I'm on the East Coast, I am considered a "remote location".
Thank you for clarifying this for me.

No matter how much I order though, Canadian and International shipping costs just continue to increase. I still propose that Canadian and International customers be offered free shipping on a certain order amount. Perhaps 100$ is still too low. If I had to order 150$ to qualify for free shipping, I would still be happy with that. At least it would be something.
03/29/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by Heartthrob
Jennifur777, milestone assignments occur when you hit 100 reviews. Basically you are rewarded for all your time and effort put into Eden. They provide you with an item for review that is above the price range (I believe mine was about $100.00 value). ... more
Yes, there is one for the 200th review.
03/29/2013
Contributor: jennifur77 jennifur77
Quote:
Originally posted by Ms. N
Milestone Assignments are given when someone reaches 100 and/or 200 reviews. It's a gift Eden gives those reviewers for all their hard work - the person makes a list of a few items they want, up to $150, and Eden sends them one of the items to ... more
Very cool! I only have ten reviews completed though. Maybe eventually. So many reviews, so little time. . .
03/30/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Gary
To the best of my knowledge, no one from EF has said anything about expanding the Milestone assignments, only that there is currently no plan to remove them.
Actually, and this may have been one of the things we didn't get a chance to talk about while everything was so crazy, I had decided to award points and bump milestone reviewers to gold (for a small period of time) after they hit the 300/400/500 mark.
03/30/2013
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Heartthrob
I've been reading the comments and thinking. I knew that at some point, the free assignments would become too expensive for Eden, so I understand the buy out option. So, I have been thinking about what everyone has said and here are my two ... more
I haven't commented yet. I agree with you about the seniority thing.

Some of us have been Eden members for years, but don't and can't crank out 3,4 or 5 reviews a week. Many of us have a medium high rank, but just can't review at the same level as some for various reasons. (Personally, I'm very meticulous and if I feel my reviews are near perfect, I don't post them. That leads to stress, and at this point, writer's block. Not really relevant, but still, I'm still here after years of loyalty to Eden.)

But, I do think loyalty over time to a company should be rewarded. I haven't bought from anything (aside from high level S&M products that Eden has made clear they will not carry) from an other company in years.

I agree that our loyalty and time on the site should be taken into consideration. It shouldn't and isn't the only thing taken into consideration, but it should be considered of course. If one is loyal and continues to participate, they will eventually be a long time member. Patience is a virtue.
03/30/2013
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Gary
A review that you do, on an item you already own is called a 'Not Assigned' review. You can definitely still do these.
Will points still be increased for "Not Assigned" reviews? Many of my reviews are of this nature, and I have not ever requested a buy-out. (The process kind of intimidates me, so I used to just wait for sales for expensive stuff I wanted. At that time, some of the better sales were equal to a buy out discount and I could take my time with the review. With a higher discount for buy outs, maybe this will change for me.)

If points for reviews are going to increase to make up for no more free stuff (and fewer points for other site activities,) it makes sense that all review rewards, even for "not assigned" reviews" will be increased.

I'm not even reviewing at this point, but I think the question bears asking.
03/30/2013
Contributor: PassionCpl PassionCpl
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
Will points still be increased for "Not Assigned" reviews? Many of my reviews are of this nature, and I have not ever requested a buy-out. (The process kind of intimidates me, so I used to just wait for sales for expensive stuff I wanted. ... more
I think all of your points & questions are good ones and they're certainly things we (as a couple) have wondered too. Besides, we're like you and can't write reviews to order (ours take an average of a day per review to write anyway).

However - as a generalisation - I still wonder whether we're going to see an influx of 'generic' reviews from anyone and everyone, purely because that's where all of the points are going to be. It's great to reward 'better' writers & reviewers, but if other people are here just to make points then they won't care about the extras that might come from EU reviews or from higher ranking. I'm still seeing some new reviews (often using the Extended template) that are literally a sentence or two in each section. Hardly useful, but still worth 50+20 points a time. Personally I'd rather let people get points from playing games on a tucked-away part of the site or posting 'Following' on walls (really, how much harm does that actually do? It's a pretend wall, that's all) than clutter up product reviews with rubbish.
03/30/2013
Contributor: melissa1973 melissa1973
Any idea when the changes wil take effect?
03/30/2013
Contributor: PeaceToTheMiddleEast PeaceToTheMiddleEast
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
Will points still be increased for "Not Assigned" reviews? Many of my reviews are of this nature, and I have not ever requested a buy-out. (The process kind of intimidates me, so I used to just wait for sales for expensive stuff I wanted. ... more
I would like to know the same as well. Most of my stuff is "Not Assigned" because I like to do my reviews at my own place and not have to be rushed all the time to get something in free or for a buy out. I do the frees and buy outs but I always feel like I have to rush to get it done, then to be able to take my time.
03/30/2013
Contributor: Pumpk1nPatch Pumpk1nPatch
I am extremely grateful to even have used the buyout program, so whatever changes you guys instill, I support.
03/30/2013
Contributor: loveme loveme
So no more free assignments? That's what made Eden special
I think this is what encourages people to write good and fair reviews.
Oh well, good things don't last long.
03/30/2013
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Quote:
Originally posted by PropertyOfPotter
I think a fair solution would be to assign one DR assignment, and one push assignment for each new item. That way, no one is requesting (it's a fun surprise if you receive one!), but there are two reviews on every product. This would make it so ... more
I think, in terms of numbers, this would be really difficult. There's just too many reviewers to do that many push assignments outside of the DR program.

However, I rather think that points and better discounts are an AMAZING idea. Seriously.
03/30/2013
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
Not really a way we can tell. We can find plagiarism pretty easy. But short of coming to someone's house and demanding to see their sex toy collection, there isn't a verification process that would work.

(Where do you keep your dildos!)
Hahaha!
03/30/2013
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
I haven't commented yet. I agree with you about the seniority thing.

Some of us have been Eden members for years, but don't and can't crank out 3,4 or 5 reviews a week. Many of us have a medium high rank, but just can't review ... more
I agree with you, here.
03/30/2013
Contributor: Adriana Ravenlust Adriana Ravenlust
Quote:
Originally posted by loveme
So no more free assignments? That's what made Eden special
I think this is what encourages people to write good and fair reviews.
Oh well, good things don't last long.
It lasted for over five years..
03/30/2013