Suppliers: Please STOP posting Facebook contests on the ECF!!!

[spacekitty]

It is really getting annoying to see that a lot of the Contests here are referring to one that requires a Facebook entry!!

I know that the ECF staff tries to stop them from posting a direct link... but no matter how good of a job they are doing, they can't catch them all...

This is really a slap in the face to the loyal customer base here, not to mention the fact that a lot of members choose NOT to be on FB for various personal reasons!!

I, for one, will no longer promote any of these contests... either here or on Facebook, and hope that other people will do the same!!

The Vendors need to come to their senses and realize where their true fan base really is...

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[Thrasher]

Whats really starting to get annoying is going directly to a website and they say check our facebook page for news and information...ummm no thats what i went to your site for.

 

[jefsview]

Thank you, Spacekitty!

I come to ECF, I don't go to FB.

 

[mattiem]

Thank you SK. I don't facebook, tweet or any of the other so called social places. I will also no longer register and receive newsletter subscriptions to enter a contest. That just seems like info gathering, for whatever reason, to me.

OK, off my soapbox now.

 

[mare ze dotes]

What mattiem said. It just calls more spam crud to my accounts.

 

[jefsview]

What I hate even more is when vendors only post their sales on FB and not even on their website...

If I am interested in a Vendor, I am more likely to visit their website -- not their FB page, since I do not use FB or any other type site. They are losing out on the sale and possible returning customer -- since I am more likely to try the vendor with a sale or coupon, but if it's not even on their own website...

 

[Jayvaps]

So don't take part in the contest!

Jeez. If the contest is free, I don't see what the fuss is.

Either choose to participate or don't. Do you call up publishers clearinghouse and complain that you don't want to mail them stuff back to participate?

This seems like looking a gift horse in the mouth to me. A vendor running a contest is not doing it simply to give stuff away. They are doing it for the hopeful new business it will generate. And social media is a common way for them to get word out.

Consumers get a chance at free stuff, the vendor gets free publicity.

And FYI, I rarely FB. Closed my twitter account years ago, and never had an instagram account. So I am not speaking from a personal level. I just think complaining about a FREE contest seems especially picky.

 

[Ref Minor]

So don't take part in the contest!

Jeez. If the contest is free, I don't see what the fuss is.

Either choose to participate or don't. Do you call up publishers clearinghouse and complain that you don't want to mail them stuff back to participate?

This seems like looking a gift horse in the mouth to me. A vendor running a contest is not doing it simply to give stuff away. They are doing it for the hopeful new business it will generate. And social media is a common way for them to get word out.

Consumers get a chance at free stuff, the vendor gets free publicity.

And FYI, I rarely FB. Closed my twitter account years ago, and never had an instagram account. So I am not speaking from a personal level. I just think complaining about a FREE contest seems especially picky.

I agree, entry is not compulsory, if people choose not to use FB then they choose not to participate in both the good and the bad aspects, people need to look at both sides of the coin and make an educated decision and then move on.

 

[JustMe2]

Am I the only one that doesn't Facebook?

 

[spacekitty]

So don't take part in the contest!

Jeez. If the contest is free, I don't see what the fuss is.

Either choose to participate or don't. Do you call up publishers clearinghouse and complain that you don't want to mail them stuff back to participate?

This seems like looking a gift horse in the mouth to me. A vendor running a contest is not doing it simply to give stuff away. They are doing it for the hopeful new business it will generate. And social media is a common way for them to get word out.

Consumers get a chance at free stuff, the vendor gets free publicity.

And FYI, I rarely FB. Closed my twitter account years ago, and never had an instagram account. So I am not speaking from a personal level. I just think complaining about a FREE contest seems especially picky.

I understand your point, but then why bother signing up, and paying, to become a Registered Supplier on the ECF in the first place??

It just seems like the old 'bait and switch' to me...

 

[Tvan]

Subscribed more out of curiosity. There is a lot being done for the vaping community on fb, twitter etc.

 

[Ref Minor]

I understand your point, but then why bother signing up, and paying, to become a Registered Supplier on the ECF in the first place??

It just seems like the old 'bait and switch' to me...

Seems like a good way to target your FB promotions at vapers to me.

 

[Kandicat]

What I hate even more is when vendors only post their sales on FB and not even on their website...

If I am interested in a Vendor, I am more likely to visit their website -- not their FB page, since I do not use FB or any other type site. They are losing out on the sale and possible returning customer -- since I am more likely to try the vendor with a sale or coupon, but if it's not even on their own website...

I also hate this. Searching the web for coupon codes should not be a prerequisite for some of these venders since they are so well known, now, and respected.

 

[Jayvaps]

I understand your point, but then why bother signing up, and paying, to become a Registered Supplier on the ECF in the first place??

It just seems like the old 'bait and switch' to me...

Again, publicity. They are vendors. If they can go thru the process of becoming a registered supplier, then they get a special forum for themselves and can get their name out some more. Especially in this industry, word of mouth drives business. Having your name out in as many places as possible just makes good business sense.

But from a consumer standpoint, what I like about the supplier forums is that it gives me a place where I can interact with the vendors on more of a 1 to 1 level. I can ask questions and have them answered. I can see what other people are saying about the vendor. It also gives me a little bit of reassurance knowing that they are a registered supplier here rather than some random vendor I found thru google. I know, if I DO have an issue, I am more likely to have it resolved than if they were not registered here, as they dont want a bad review sitting in their forum here.

It was one of the reasons I became a supporting member here. ie, thanking the forum for providing a place that all of this occurs. I get far more back from this forum in cost savings and knowledge than the $2 a month I pay. Having registered suppliers here is probably more beneficial to us then to them in alot of ways, but I would assume a supplier gets registered here mostly for the advertising aspect of it.

I personally dont see any 'resemblance to a 'bait and switch', but that is just my opinion.

 

[DC2]

When faced with the choice of having to go to Facebook for any reason...
Or finding a different vendor to provide what I'm looking for...

The other vendor wins instantly.

 

[spaceballsrules]

God forbid a business try to increase sales by advertising in more than one place. Do you get angry at businesses that use TV ads AND radio ads AND billboards? Companies pay good money to promote a Facebook page and have an ECF vendor's forum. They have also have every right to use one to cross promote the other. Maybe the company wants to keep their promotions concentrated in one advertising venue, and they go to the other venues to tell people about it, which is actually kinda nice of them to do so. You don't have to actively participate on Faceboook if you don't want to. There is no need to upload a profile pic or any personal info or have any friends. All you need is the account and to click Like on a vendor's FB page. Is that so hard? If so, don't participate. That way, my chances of winning are better.

 

[mattiem]

I think this is because there are a few bad apples in the barrel. Those that post a contest with a set end date and then forget that they have a contest running. It seems to be happening more and more lately. Those that require that to enter you have to pledge your first born are asking a bit much.

I love the ECF contests. Get to meet a lot of great people and sometimes win a gift. Lots of times a sample of a venders product leads me to being a very good customer for them.

I was taught one should never look a gift horse in the mouth but we must all realize that these contests are good advertizing for said venders. It is a win win for both the vender and the winner. JMHO

 

[Recycled Roadkill]

Am I the only one that doesn't Facebook?

You are not the only one. But we may be the only ones!

 

[spacekitty]

I also hate this. Searching the web for coupon codes should not be a prerequisite for some of these venders since they are so well known, now, and respected.

And since a lot of them wouldn't be where they are today without the help of the people on the ECF!!!

I joined Facebook about 10 years ago, at the request of some old friends I had just caught up with, to see some pics of their first Grandbaby...

And since then, I have found a lot of old HS chums (dragged a lot of them over from Classmates.com... LOL!!) and other people I had lost track of through the years... even some relatives I never knew about... Recently, I had added a few ECF members that I felt a connection with outside of the vaping world, and even managed to switch a few of my old friends over to ecigs...

They were all happy that I had given up smoking, and were cheering me on... but I'm sure a lot of them got tired of seeing nothing but ecig stuff being posted on my wall. Not to mention having people I have never heard of asking to be my "friend"!!

So I finally made an alternate ego with a different name to take care of all the vaping stuff... but it shouldn't have to be that way!!

 

[spacekitty]

Companies pay good money to have a Facebook page...

Since when???!!! Last time I looked, FB was still FREE for everyone and everything... LMAO!!!