Pimax Issues Apology Following Controversy Over Secret Social Media Incentive Program

Sure thing, let’s dive in with a fresh spin on this story, messy bits and all.

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Okay, so here’s the scoop. Pimax, you know, the folks with those funky VR headsets, kinda stepped in it last week. They’ve been saying sorry a lot, admitting they crossed some invisible line in the sand. Why? They got caught up in a wild ride, trying to secretly enroll folks into a sorta “say nice things about us online” club. Craziness.

So, get this: it all blew up thanks to some Reddit detective—user ‘Mavgaming1’ to be exact—who decided to spill the beans. He shared a juicy convo from Pimax’s Discord. And dang, the plot was clear as day. Pimax wanted people to rave about them on social media to earn points or whatever. Points for praise. A little sneaky, if you ask me?

Right after the cat was outta the bag (thanks, Mavgaming1!), Pimax had to own up. Yep, genuine program, they said, even before they yanked it down post-leak. They dangled all kinds of rewards—laughs—a few bucks for Steam, discounts, and get this: a $1,000 trip to Shanghai, just for hitting that top cheerleader tier. Bonkers!

All participants had to do was write something glittery and lovely about Pimax on Reddit—or, y’know, wherever—and wait for the thumbs up from Pimax. They handed over guidelines, which now live on infamy through the screenshot shared by our Reddit whistleblower.

The topics were kinda leading, not gonna lie. Stuff like “Your First VR Experience with Pimax” or “I Promise I’m Not Getting Paid to Write This,” okay, maybe not the second one, but you catch my drift.

The plan was basically a secret fan club, where you’d earn goodies for dropping positive vibes on their official posts. Sort of like astroturfing—making it look like everyone loves them like crazy, by design. They even teased about new toys like the Crystal Super and the sleek Dream Air.

But then, screech—hold up, says Pimax. This wasn’t officially a thing, more like a rogue idea from the peanut gallery. They quickly buried this Frankenstein project six feet under. Never paid for good press before, they claimed. Hmmm, slight eyebrow raise.

Turns out, only a handful of people got that golden invitation to contribute, officially anyway. Pimax’s go-to spokesperson, Jaap Grolleman, chipped in to say the whole thing bypassed the usual checks and balances. Reached out to nine folks via Discord—three of whom got the full shebang.

“We’ve never twisted anyone’s arm to sing our praises,” Grolleman insists. Except… well, those few exceptions in May. Uh, oops? He called the whole thing a blunder from some misguided minds—not a great look, pals.

Legal stuff alert: This wasn’t just a clumsy marketing faux pas. It could’ve stomped all over marketing laws—big no-nos in loads of countries. FTC’s got this rulebook about no shady moves in business. Pay for praise without disclosing it? Yeah, that’s a huge red flag.

Globally speaking, watchdogs like the UK’s CMA and the EU’s directive are all about cracking down on this fakery. Pretending to be “grassroots” when you’re not? Just, no.

So yeah, a little hiccup for Pimax. Or a big one, depending on where you stand. What’s next in this saga? Only time will tell, I guess.