Yep, I’m caving and going to Eden
Not many people realise just how easy it is to be sent free sex toys in return for writing an honest review of the product and posting it online. The number of online sex toy stores that send free toys to bloggers is so long that I don’t think I could list them all. The number of sex toy stores that are happy to send free toys to people who live in Australia, those I can count on one hand – but none of them are Australian!
My first review I wrote was for a product I had purchased, followed by a box load of toys I was sent for free from a US based store – but I paid for the international shipping. Then I got lucky and won a few give aways right around the time that my life fell apart. Loosing my income ruled out paying for postage to get products sent down under. So I contacted a number of Australian sites regarding writing reviews for them, but the best offer I got was to buy products at a discounted rate in return for my reviews – close but no cigar!
By this time I had shared the fact that I was reviewing sex toys with a few close friends & my younger sister – of course she wanted in on it too! But she went the Eden Fantasys route.
For anyone who doesn’t know Eden Fantasys are a large online sex toy store based in America that run a huge online community and sex toy reviewing program. They are possibly the only site that is willing to send toys to reviewers who live in Australia.
So why didn’t I review for them?
Earlier this year there was a big whoo haa about them in regards to them banning one community member, which was quickly followed by a shit storm regarding the way their site handled outbound links. Although I wasn’t involved I was vocal in my own way about the debacle. So when my sister started writing reviews for them I was unhappy with her.
But the truth be told… If you live outside of the US and wish to review sex toys on your blog your options are limited depending on where you reside. So for months I’ve sat back and watched quite jealously, as my sisters toy box grew & grew & grew, despite the fact that the only company that she is reviewing for is Eden Fantasys.
My resolve for taking a stand on an issue that didn’t involve me began to weaken.
I had received an email from Eden Fantasys asking if I’d like to participate in one of their reviewing programs (they have more than one!) as I had signed up for an account before the whole whoo haa occurred. The program that they contacted me about was their ambassador program. Once a month they send a product out to bloggers in return for writing a post about their site. If you want to you can review the toy, but you don’t have to. It simply has to be a post written about Eden Fantasys that includes the required links to their website,
So whilst I am being incredibly hypocritical by accepting free products from a site that I spoke out against negatively and in doing so I may loose some respect. (to the banned reviewer – if you do happen to read my blog I’m sorry) But hey… at least I’ll be getting off!
For other sex bloggers who are looking for someone to review sex toys for Eden Fantasys.com does send toys all around the globe and to the best of my knowledge they run 3 different reviewing programs. On site reviews – where you write reviews and they are published on their website, off site reviews where you write reviews on your website or blog and their ambassador program where you get sent a free sex toy once a month (you can choose from a wide range of products) in return for a post about their site that includes a link to their site and one of their banner such as this one….
So from now on you’ll get to hear about Eden Fantasys once a month and I’ll have a new toy to play with and review. For my first toy I chose the Lucky13 from evolved and will hopefully get a chance to post a full review of it soon.
Yeah, I had a hard time once I heard about everything that happened, but EF is just such a great way for me to get started. Not to mention, I love most of the people in the community.
Well despite the fact that I did speak out against them for both the banning and the linking issue they were still wanting to work with me and even put a positive spin on the fact that those negative posts are still on my blog. My sister has been talking about them for months and getting so many toys, now porn too, it’s hard not to say ‘yes please, me too please’. But I also can’t be bought, Ill say positive things if my experience is positive (which so far it has been) but will also say negative things equally.
I’ve had nothing but positive experience with EF and could care less about what kind of codes they use for linking. Have been reviewing for them since April and then joined the Ambassador program when it started a few months later. They offer so many discounts and giveaways for reviewers/ambassadors, I really don’t understand why anyone would complain. I didn’t know they shipped to Australia, thats awesome!
i really don’t blame you for heading over the Eden Fantasys.
honestly i would do the same if my blog was up to the standard that it should be.
sex bloggers in both New Zealand and Australia don’t have much choice, unless you want to pay for all the toys yourself
Yeah, you are right unless you pay for them there really aren’t many options when it comes to reviewing sex toys or any other type of product in this neck of the woods. The best offers I’ve had are to join affiliate programs and opportunities to get discounts
As for your blog, I love it and would gladly refer you to the ambassadors program at Eden Fantasys, I think you would rock as a reviewer!
Eden was once a really coolplace… because the front line of people working for them were cool, they gave away ridiculous amounts of stuff for free – I still dont understand why they didnt go broke years ago. It was also the most successful affiliate program I’ve ever participated in. Eventually they ripped me off, but considering I constantly felt like I was ripping them off. I’ve got thousands of dollars worth of stuff but never spent more than $20 there.
It was good whilst it lasted