You could say that they once again have acted like colossal douchebags; alternately, you could say that the sky continues to be blue. Read Epiphora’s account:
I’m completely locked out; I cannot access my profile, my wishlist, my past orders, anything.
But don’t worry — the forums [link removed by aag; I will not link to EF] have an explanation!
‘We at Eden work really hard for the community — making it a safe, fun, and informative place to visit and to be enjoyed by any person. This is a 24/7 job, which requires all of our passion, attention and collective efforts.
However, there is a member of our community, Epiphora, that is having an adverse effect on the positive culture at EF — we get continuous complaints about her drama, rudeness, and overall negativity.
Today we collectively decided to ban her from the community. The decision is final and supported by the owner.’
For anyone considering associating themselves with this company, let me make clear to you what you should expect. Your progress will go through seven distinct stages:
1. Romance: “We love your work so much. Come work with us. You’ll be awesome! In fact you’ll be so much better than everyone else.”
2. Honeymoon: “You are amazing. Your predecessor never did this kind of work. We want you with us forever and ever and ever and you’ll make so much money and have so much responsibility.”
3. Danger: “We have some problems with your work. This is not what we expected from you. You must do more, and better, and faster.”
4. Threats: “If you can’t do better we will cut your payment rate/ban you.”
5. Divorce: “You’ve not lived up to our expectations. You’re fired/banned. This is final. We will not discuss it with you.”
6. Condemnation: “That person was awful for the community because of this issue which we will explain in painful, humiliating (and largely fictitious) detail, as well as whole bunch of stuff you couldn’t possibly understand. But we wanted to tell everyone all about it because we are transparent! And we love everyone! Except for the increasingly long list of people we’ve banned/fired/not paid. Everyone! Really!”
7. Repeat: “Come work with us! It will be awesome.”
Every organization has a culture; unfortunately EF has demonstrated time and time again that theirs is anything but “positive.” Epiphora, I’m sorry you had this experience. I’m sorry that they chose to write ridiculous things on their site. I’m sorry that they closed your affiliate account with money still in it. None of these things should have happened.
Regardless of how many other wonderful things EF might have done, it has a long history of treating its employees and contributors poorly. Is this the kind of company to whom you want to give your money, your time, or your work? Are you comfortable having your name attached to them?
Do you think there is something so special about you that EF will not treat you the same way it has treated many others before?
————
For More Information:
from Epiphora: What the fuck, EdenFantasys?
from Britni: Bad Move, Eden Fantasys
from Essin’ Em: My Take on the EdenFantasys Drama
from That Toy Chick: A Tale of Intriguing Timing
from aag: Problems with EF and Update on EdenFantasys.com Problems
from Ask Garnet: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
from Sarah Sloane: Money, ethics, and real sex-positivity
After your epic fight with EF, you can be assured I’ve never purchased from them. However, I’ve heard good things here and there, and thought maybe they figured their shit out (but still didn’t buy). With the Epiphora thing, yeah, they are never getting a cent.
What do you, recommend, AAG? I’ve shopped at Early 2 Bed (brick & mortar and website), Tulip (same), and Babeland (web only). Any other sites with your stamp of approval?
Babeland has always been awesome to me. :)
It makes me sick to hear how they’ve treated so many wonderful people like crap — especially those who I admire and respect. But to have such a record? WTF, Eden Fantasys? I started writing reviews for them as a newbie to the whole sex toy reviewing thing. Now I’m ashamed to show my face there, and I feel that to be a part of their community in any way (paid or unpaid) is to be a co-conspirator in the ugly way they treat beautiful people. Thank you for spreading awareness about this! Do you have any other suggestions, not only about sex-positive places to shop, but also to work for or review for?
Good Vibes has just started up a review program.
Fascinations has one too, helmed by Essin’ Em. They’re also paying 30% commissions.
Anyone else? Please chime in.
Do you think there is something so special about you that EF will not treat you the same way it has treated many others before?
Indeed.
Surprise, surprise, EF sucks balls again. I’m constantly amazed that they are still in business, despite their stupidly spelled name and bad reputation.
I am reading this in Great Britain. If Epiphora has ben defamed on the EF site then she has been defamed in Great Britain. Therefore you can sue for defamation in Great Britain – The best place to sue for defamation in the world. With any luck she should be able to pay off her mortgage after the lawyers have taken their cut.
I am struck by the fact that most of the people who have come forward about their problems with EF have been women–strong, vocal, sexy women! I could analyze this, but the facts seem to speak for themselves. The way they “dispensed” with Epiphora was clearly an attempt to demonstrate their power. “Look what we’ve done, everyone! We’ll protect you.” is essentially what they’re saying.
Good thing there are so many other people-positive, body-positive toy companies out there.
See, and I was contemplating placing an order through them not long ago but hesitated, since I’d seen all the bullshit they put you through and hadn’t heard of it ever being resolved. Glad I thought twice and that we are fortunate enough to have a very vocal, very powerful, watchdog in you, Miss AAG!
Thank you, yet again, for speaking up.
Programs/companies I love and support:
Babeland
Good Vibes
and of course, the company to whom I personally am connected, Fascinations. Our new affiliate program also happens to pay 30% commission, with 5% referral. And if you ever think I’m treating people badly here, please let me know. I don’t ever want to be ANYTHING like EF.
Some things never change.
Let me tell you some things about eden fantasies that no one has any idea about because I never spoke of them before.
I was once in the adult industry myself. I was actually the owner of alternativealbany (a long time closed website). Within the first 2 months of eden fantasies having opened their doors, I received an email out of the blue (aka spam) asking me to check out their site, become an affiliate, and become a product reviewer.
Mind you I was spammed this completely when they first started, but thinking that perhaps they still might be on to something I decided to give it some test goes. I did sign up as an affiliate. I did not do any reviews however. Here’s why:
I used my affiliate link from a 3rd location to make a purchase of $300. The box I received was completely damaged when I received it. So first I contacted them as a customer asking for a refund on 2 of the items I received because they were damaged.
To put it bluntly I was refused… in the utmost rude of manners telling me that because the packages were open (actually partially ripped from poor packaging) I was not entitled to a refund. So then I contacted them as the affiliate… asking questions telling them of my “customers complaint”.
3 days after I sent that email my affiliate account was closed, with my commissions inside it. No explanation as to why. Whats worse after my account was cancelled, when I tried emailing my emails simply bounced. I had been blacklisted!
This was all from THEIR poor packaging! This was not even a postal issue. The box was perfectly in tact when I received it, everything inside was just kind of shoved in together with items spilling out of their packaging and so forth.
I am NOT a female with a powerful voice because… well I am not a female at all.
I shrugged them off as a useless company that would fall quickly the way they did business. Here we are some what? 5 or 6 years later? Could be more. I hadn’t thought about them until I read this post.
Its sad to see they haven’t changed one bit nor went broke yet.
I agree with another poster who recommended a lawsuit. I’m not familiar with UK law only US law however in the US I would say all these people should get together and talk to a lawyer about a class action suit. What they are doing is actually far beyond defamation of character, they are actually employing people, then refusing to pay them.
Imagine going to work for a week or two and then getting fired without pay? Would you file a lawsuit in such a situation? With the numbers reaching 10+ people not receiving payouts, a class action suit is certainly in order… again though this is based on US law I don’t know how the UK deals with such things.
Early days of reviewers, email spam…
Isn’t that back when Essin Em and AAG were workin’ there? :P
AAG and others might have had legitimate complaints about how the company was run then (as Carrie Ann points out, which might have coincided with when they worked there) but I am assuming they’re smart enough to recognize that EF has evolved and developed to an astounding extent in the last three years and is practically unrecognizable to what went before (in part due to the efforts of Gary, Victoria and Carrie Ann.)
If EF has “evolved” as much as you claim, it should
PAY ME
I was just trying to be slightly light hearted about this. It’s all difficult when you’re both employee somewhere and part of the sexblogging community as a blogger/reviewer.
Every company has issues.
I’ve listened to reviewers complain about babeland and every one of their product managers.
Same with good vibes.
And Adam and Eve.
And sextoy.com.
Same goes with EF – no matter who the product manager has been thru the years.
Some of the issues are serious. Some, not so much.
EF, at this point, does take returns. But you know what? No brick and mortar store I’ve ever seen does. If the package is open? You’re fucked. So, really, that’s standard in the industry and nothing to be wadded up over 3 years later.
It’s also fairly standard for a company not to pay you commission on your own purchases – just ask FYN.
As for the rest? I’ve only been working for EF for a year, reviewing for them for 2.5. I work from my living room in WI. I have no inside knowledge of what happened in the past.
I’m trying to stay out of this drama but, perhaps wrongly, Viral Admin’s comment tickled my funny bone and I couldn’t resist.
Have an exit strategy, Carrie Ann. I wish you the best.
And that’s all I’m going to say about it.
As an aside, regarding the email spam, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither AAG nor Ess were responsible for that. I personally know that the person responsible for the mass cut-and-paste spam emails attempting to link-exchange with blogs from all areas (meaning both legit well-written blogs and…otherwise) was an employee in Moldova.
What both of them were responsible for was building an unprecedented amount of reviewers, revamping and hot-fixing a lot of issues on the then-baby forums, review program, and even enduring a WHOLE lot of aborted attempts at cybersex from people abusing the live chat feature when it was first introduced. I didn’t do the social end of things, they did, and I can say for sure that they were both excellent at what they did and continue to do. I doubt Fascinations would have picked up Ess to represent them, or Jane’s Guide and a myriad of others would continue to employ AAG if the case were otherwise.
With all due respect (and I do mean that), I expect you to defend and side with the people signing your paychecks on matters happening right now (i.e. the Epiphora thing). However, as you were a newer (if you’d joined at that point, I don’t know when exactly you joined) reviewer at the time and not an employee, I’m a little confused as to your casting aspersions – however lighthearted – has a bearing.
Just as a note, Fascinations’ brick and mortar stores take returns and exchanges.
Also, I worked there 21 months ago. Apparently the “evolution” that started 3+ years ago ran right over me, eh?
To even try and say that something like this experience by one person, in the early days of an internet site is still indicative of their expected service is a bit……well, ridiculous.
I’ve ordered things from EF….I’ve had review items shipped…not a one has arrived damaged (but if it did, it would be the fault of the shipper and if it’s UPS well….that’s not surprising.). I’ve never had anybody I’ve referred there report back anything negative. I’m not saying this is a blanket statement and that no one should ever expect problems. But I’m saying that I wouldn’t personally use the above comment to shape my opinion of a company.
Very true, but in the interests of the much-ballyhooed “transparency” I published his comment.
People may take it or leave it as they see fit.
I just took down all my links. I also took screen caps of my articles, just in case.
Damn. I am going to create my own no bullshit company, and then I can be THE MOST special person at all times.
You are my own special little snowflake, perfectly unique just like all the other little snowflakes.
Oh, my GOD, your little time line of employment there — well, let me just say I wish I’d known that back in October. Thankfully their condemnation (which bordered on defamation, actually) fell on completely deaf ears. But what a suck ass four months of my life that was.
You worked there? And they condemned…who, exactly? Will you email me, please?
Hey Carrie Ann, remember that time you accused me of using my moms cancer to drive traffic to my blog?
Karma is a fucking bitch isn’t it. Like aag said, hope you had an exit plan cause you are royally fucked.
My mom says hi!
Ok so I know this is like a year later then the rest of these comments but I just wanted to say eden is still at it and there is still a bunch of pricks working there. My friends profile recently got deleted from there because she went into the forums and spoke her mind and didnt hold back and they didnt like that. They even went as far as blocking her IP and sending her E-mails calling her retarded and stupid after she asked why they deleted her. Real classy eden is huh.
I’d love to see these emails. Have her write me, will you?