Recommending My product when appropriate

Kent Brockman

Someone posted a question looking for a unique Christening gift suggestions.

I make unique christening gifts and recommended my product. I was up front about the fact that I make the product that I recommended.

The post has been deleted and I have got a warning. I think this is unfair as I was answering a request from someone who would be interested in my product ie I was not spamming but answering a request.

Another poster was asking for somewhere to have a party for an 80yr old, I recommended somewhere I have been before and found good. This post is not deleted.

I have over 800 posts on boards and contribute to many different forums, I am not here solely to promote my product and was a member here long before I started making my personalised prints.

There is regular requests on boards.ie from people looking for gift ideas who may genuinely be interested in the picture frames that I make.
I would like to let them know that my product is an option for them, when the request is made (without spamming).

There are many who recommend their own products but are not upfront about their connection to the product they are recommending. Their posts are left for all to see. Mine are deleted because I am honest about my connection to the product. I feel this is unfair.

I ask your permission to reply to posters who are requesting information/recommendations for gifts for babies/christenings/birthdays etc and to recommend my product (Personalised Art for Babies and Children). I only have one product but many different designs hence I recommend they check my website for the full range of print designs.

I hope you can understand my view point and look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks, Niall

Shield

Just to clarify so we'll know how to manage this one: Are you disputing the warning you received, or are you asking for permission to advertise your products when an opportunity arises? You have selected "Moderator Issue" as your prefix, yet the body of the post suggests something completely different.

Please clarify.

Thanks.

Kent Brockman

Apologies for not being more clear.
1) Yes I am disputing the warning I received and am requesting that my post be reinstated on the thread from which it was deleted.
I believe its deletion, and subsequent warning were unfair.

2) I would also like to be allowed to post similar answers to similar requests in future without fear of my posts being removed or receiving a ban.

I have stated in post #1 my reasons for posting i.e someone is looking for a recommendation for a gift and I have recommended a suitable option for them.

I feel that if I recommended someone elses product, the post would still remain there.
If someone else recommended my product would the post have been removed?
basically I believe the reason it was deleted is because I was honest about the fact that I make the product that I recommended.

Hope that is a bit clearer, Thanks

Shield

If you are disputing a warning or infraction, you must follow the dispute resolution procedure which is outlined here.

Do NOT start a thread in there until you have followed the procedure which is outlined in the huge colourful graphic, otherwise it will be locked without being addressed.

Secondly, you have stated that you want to be able to recommend your own product or service, and you are seeking permission to do this. This is something that a site administrator will have to adjudicate over, so I will mark this thread as requiring "Admin Attention" for that reason only. You must follow the dispute resolution process to have the first part of your complaint addressed in accordance with site policy.

Remember - you must read and follow the dispute resolution process in full, or your dispute regarding your infraction will not be addressed.

Now marking this for admin attention.

Zaph

When you signed up to Boards you agreed to abide by the Terms of Use, which include the following:

You agree NOT to use Boards.ie to:

* post any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising, promotional content, 'junk mail', 'spam', 'chain letters', 'pyramid schemes', or any other form of commercial publicity

The rules are quite clear, and had you been a first time poster you would have been sitebanned for your post.

Kent Brockman wrote:

1) Yes I am disputing the warning I received and am requesting that my post be reinstated on the thread from which it was deleted.
I believe its deletion, and subsequent warning were unfair.

If you wish to dispute this action then you should take it to the Dispute Resolution Forum. However I will say that personally I can't see any grounds for overturning the warning and there's not a chance that your post will be reinstated.

Kent Brockman wrote:

2) I would also like to be allowed to post similar answers to similar requests in future without fear of my posts being removed or receiving a ban.

Absolutely not. We have a ban on free advertising on this site, if you want to advertise you'll have to contact sales@boards.ie.

Kent Brockman wrote:

I feel that if I recommended someone elses product, the post would still remain there.

This is true.

Kent Brockman wrote:

If someone else recommended my product would the post have been removed?

As long as they didn't have any connection to you and weren't shilling, then the post would not be removed.

Kent Brockman wrote:

basically I believe the reason it was deleted is because I was honest about the fact that I make the product that I recommended.

No, the post was deleted because you were advertising your business.

You have a link to your business in your sig, if anyone is interested in your product they can click on it. That's as much advertising as we allow, and it's only permitted by virtue of the fact that you're a regular poster on Boards.

Kent Brockman

Zaph wrote: »

As long as they didn't have any connection to you and weren't shilling, then the post would not be removed.

As per my 1st post :"There are many who recommend their own products but are not upfront about their connection to the product they are recommending. Their posts are left for all to see. Mine are deleted because I am honest about my connection to the product."

I guess it is difficult to police this sort of thing and is probably a lot more obvious to me as I will check out peoples recommendations and look at their other posts. My honesty has worked against me in this instance and thats why I felt hard done by. I will stick to the rules.

Thanks Shield for your input, I will not be disputing the warning/infraction.

Thanks Zaph for taking the time to clear things up. I am a big fan of Boards.ie and appreciate the permission to have a link in my sig.

I'll not waste any more of your time.
Regards,
Niall

Spear

Kent Brockman wrote: »

I guess it is difficult to police this sort of thing and is probably a lot more obvious to me as I will check out peoples recommendations and look at their other posts. My honesty has worked against me in this instance and thats why I felt hard done by. I will stick to the rules.

I'll mark this as resolved then, but if you do suspect someone of shilling then you should report any such posts.