Testers for Mermaid Items?

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Hey all,

So once I have the materials I want to start doing trials for mermaid items I have in mind but have yet to sketch and design etc and I do have one tester already in Mermaid Selene!

I was just wondering if I need it down the track would there be anyone else here willing to totally promote what I do on Facebook/Youtube/Instagram etc in exchange for tester items which you will have to pay the cost of Materials and shipping cost??

You can keep the tester item however I would need full reviews and how it lasts etc if I did take on others as well as I want my products to be guaranteed quality so want to get my name out there for that but also get feedback about items and ways I could improve on them etc too!

If you were testing items for material cost plus shipping cost it could be anything from Tops, Wrist items, Armband items (planning on some special natural ideas there and hope to work out more with time), Jewellery and Hairpieces!

I would love to if my items took off enough to look into testing silicone down the track and doing tops etc with silicone!

Just wanted to find out if anyone would be interested in helping me out with this if I need more help other than Mermaid Selene down the track. However this depends on sales of items as I get to them! And if people want the items off me!

Also so people know this won't be buying you ownership of the designs! Just the tester as I will be keeping all rights to my designs.

Once they have been fully tested if I do take on others I would also love to be informed of the results and any improvements or faults I need to fix so I can then put it up for sale on Etsy! (hopefully there will be none but still doesn't hurt to test it)

I won't be able to use everyone for this if I do need testers down the track however it will allow me to select others for what I want testers for! So if you could please put down water types you swim in too it will be much appreciated!

Thanks all

P.S. If you want to follow me I will be posting my mermaid designs on my Mermaid Silverlilly Facebook page and later once my Etsy shop etc gets going I will also make a Facebook page for it! This page will only be incorporating Mermaid videos/items etc!

P.P.S. Please keep in mind that anyone from overseas that is interested in this that the shipping or items if it comes to it will be coming from Australia!

Thanks again

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Oh and if I choose you too I may ask for measurements to make sure things fit too! Just so people know to expect it!

[Talia]

would there be anyone else here willing to totally promote what I do on Facebook/Youtube/Instagram etc in exchange for tester items which you will have to pay the cost of Materials and shipping cost??


First of all, disclaimer: I do not have the time to be one of your testers. With that clarified:

Forgive me for saying this, but if the testers pay for materials and shipping, how are they different from paying customers? You are asking for their time, availability and ability to promote, but you still want to be compensated for your costs in making and shipping the merchandise. You cannot expect your testers to give you money for promoting your own stuff - after all, if you did not have testers, you still would have to spend money buying ads, or promoting yourself.

If you are concerned about the costs, I would suggest that you give your testers not-very-expensive items, and to select just a few people that live in Australia. Also, it would be cheaper if you were to do the tests for expensive items yourself.

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Fine doesn't matter sorry to put you out! I thought it was fair as I wasn't charging them for the time or effort I put into making the items but forget it then going to ask for this thread to be locked and will just stick with the person in australia who thinks it is fair! Wasn't expecting a reaction like that but I barely have enough money to make a living hence why I can't just go giving away materials I have spent money on that I probably shouldn't have spent money on cause I can barely afford things as it is since work is hard to find etc!

And also I can't just go giving away cheap items and paying for shipping either I can't afford it! Hence why this idea with a person who thought it was fair! But just forget it wasn't worth bringing it up! As it was a way I thought could benifit everyone as people end up with testers that I haven't charged my time for only materials and shipping so you are getting an item cheaper than it otherwise would be.

I wasn't expecting negitivity and have asked for this thread to be locked sorry to waste peoples time if you couldn't do it you just could have not responded I wasn't expecting people to say yes if they couldn't do it!

I see your point but I just can't afford to give anything away and I thought it was fair since I am not charging people for all the time I put into experimenting and making the items and so did Mermaid Selene so I will just stick with her then.

Sorry to bother everyone and waste everyones time I am exhausted have an early start and will be exhausted at my appointment tomorrow I just now can't wait for them to lock this thread it wasn't worth my time and idea where I thought people could enjoy the tester products at a cheaper cost.

And btw in relation to ads I couldn't even afford that with my income and how little I get hence why I offered this idea but just forget it. I see what you are saying but I thought and still think it is fair. Now after this reaction I feel it wasn't worth my time but thanks for your response

Please lock this I won't be coming back to it now!

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

I am sorry if I came accross abrupt too I am just really tired and I see your point I just wasn't expecting that response I am so sorry

[Mermaid Momo]

1) I get that you're tired but if you're going to blow up, then it's best to step away from the computer and go to sleep before posting/replying because your post is not only abrupt but also very rude.

2)Talia has made a very good point. I've done things like this before and I have never paid for an item so far that I've reviewed. The shop sends it to me free of charge because I am providing a service of reviewing their items for them and advertising for them (if the product is good and the review is good, my last product I reviewed was terrible haha.) The plan you have put together is basically them buying a discounted item, If you want to go that route, I suggest you first save up money and create a business plan and create the items first and then sell them for full price and just include a note asking for reviews. Or do that and then when you have the time and funds to create extra stock for your shop, send it to someone in the community free of charge with the requirements that they have to provide a full honest review on some platform (when I do this, I post my reviews on my blog and link the company to it for proof and so they can share it)

3) I'd just like to remind you that you have to spend money to make money. I get how you feel about being too broke to make stock, I really do, I run a shop too and it costs anywhere from $40-$80 in materials alone to create one item but I save up the money to have things to sell in my shop. It's tedious and sometimes I feel bad when I get emails asking when I'm going to restock an item or if I'll make a duplicate or new item to put in my shop and I have to reply with "I currently don't know when the shop will be restocked but I offer custom pieces too."

Trying to get a shop off the ground can be very tedious and labor intensive and can put you in the poor house,so I get your frustration. One thing to do is to make the items for yourself first then use those as proofs, calculate selling cost, and use the photo of your item as the stock image and make the item made to order. You won't loose any money making stock that'll sit there for ever, and you have a cool item for yourself.

[AniaR]

I was a tester for my mermaid creations tail ( for all the good it did) I paid shipping. But nothing else

[Talia]

Wow. If you respond like this to a mere suggestion, how will you respond when you have a problematic customer? Because they will come, you know.

I put the disclaimer that I cannot be a tester so nobody, including yourself, would think that I just wanted free items. I get that you are struggling, but you cannot expect to launch a shop without investing some money on it.

I am glad somebody else agrees with me. Probably draggersprez explained the situation better than I did. It is not a question of negativity. It is a question that there are a lot of people here that have their own share of problems with money, and I think it is unfair for them to pay for items that may not be ready to be sold.

If they are happy to take you up on your offer, good for you, and for them. I just think it is an unrealistic expectation.


Please lock this I won't be coming back to it now!

Seriously?

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Look I am sorry all I didn't mean to respond like this I wasn't thinking clearly and I appologise I won't be like this to a customer and as I said I thought it was a good idea but I won't worry about it now as I really can't afford to give things away as I am spending money I don't really have on items for this! And I accidently get definsive over suggestions at times its something I am working on and have difficulty with especially with my disability. I am sorry

I am sorry and as I said I wasn't expecting people to take it up if they didn't want too I didn't want this going into an all out disagreement cause honestly I hate arguements and would rather be the other side of the room than be in one hence why I have asked for this thread to please be locked!

I see what you are meaning but I honestly didn't expect that type of response to it so of course it got my guard up I wouldn't be that way with a customer and I appologise for it all as said above

I can see your point Talia and I thank you for it guess I just hadn't thought things through hence why I won't be bothering about this thread I was hoping people would just let it go and drift off the page cause I felt embarassed about the idea at your response.

As I said I am sorry I won't bother with it anymore it was a stupid idea of mine!

[AniaR]

okay just so everyone knows if you want a thread locked you have to press the ! at the bottom and report it and in the text field ask for it to be locked. Just typing it in a thread doesnt mean mods will see it.

Silverlily, it's not a stupid idea just a naive one ;)

[Miyu]

Some crafters/businesses ask for a small fee to apply as a tester, which I assume helps cover some of the cost of materials. A lot of these businesses ask you to pay shipping and that's it. Otherwise, it's not considered a "tester" so much as a "discount", if all you're not charging for is time.

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Thanks all for your advice yes l was naive and didn't know better and l have sent out apologies to those people who l needed to appologise too! Thanks for the advice Raina l did ask for it to be locked using the ! At the bottom guess maybe they felt it wasn't needed or maybe l said the wrong thing there too either way l feel dreadful about it and hate causing this stuff!

Miyu thanks for the advice good to know for the future l have learnt a lot from this thread and l appologise for reacting before thinking my compulsory thing for my employment agency is covering this today and l hope l can mend bridges that need to be mended as normally this isn't me.

Thanks for the small fee advice Miyu if l am ever in that position l will take it on. I really didn't know it wasn't the norm as l am still starting out with everything but want to make it succeed. Thanks for all your help l can see more clearly now

[Mermaid Momo]

It's not a stupid idea at all! It's a good idea, just not thought through all the way and with a little kinks in the plan :) That's what the community is here for, to help you knock out the kinks and do the best that you can :)

I think the fee for applying is a good idea! I think Siren's calling just did that didn't they? a non-refundable $5 USD application fee.

Just make sure if you continue with your tester plan that you make sure your testers are capable of taking very good photographs with the camera they have on hand to show off your products.

[Mermaid Silverlilly]

Thanks Daggersprez! Much ppreciated I wont be going with testers yet but i now know the right way to go about it for the future thanks to you guys!

Thanks for the help and finding kinks with the plan