Interested in a "Sample Pass" thread?

[Mindflux]

On some cigar boards I frequent they do "Cigar Passes". What this is is someone collects a bunch of cigars from established members and boxes them up. A List is made of people (newbies a lot of the time) that would like to participate.

The box is then shipped in a sequential order of the users interested. The first user gets the box, opens it and removes a single sample to review, is given a week to do the review. The user also puts in a sample of something ELSE, reseals the box and sends it to the next person on the "pass" list. Each time it's shipped the shipper must provide the delivery confirmation code from USPS (or Fedex/UPS) to prove the box was shipped on.

The cycle repeats until there's no more interest.

Any thoughts on doing something like that here? I think it'd be really cool.

If the sample sizes were large enough we could also just have the user use the sample, review it and pack the box back up and ship it off to the next person so that they could chose to review the same product (if it were interesting enough).

We could also keep the samples "blind", aka someone holds a master list of the sample bottle contents. They're labeled simply as "sealant #1" or "wax #1", so that if we got a wonky person that thinks they want to just take the best items out of the box they'd have no way of knowing which items those would be until the pass is completed and the owner of the master list reveals what each item was. (this is easy with cigars, just remove the bands)

 

[Dubbin1]

Sounds like an easy way for someone to score a box of goodies for free.

 

[Mindflux]

Sounds like an easy way for someone to score a box of goodies for free.

That's always a possibility, but when that happens on cigar boards the user is banned permanently. But in general most folks have more honest intentions when they participate in a "pass" like this. I'd actually like to get a moderators opinion on this and whether they'd support banning a user that breaks a rule like keeping the whole box.

 

[Matt S.]

Sounds like a great idea to me! If we keep the samples small I think it would work out pretty well. I can't imagine why someone would want to ruin all the fun just to steal a box of 2 ounce sample bottles.

 

[Mindflux]

Sounds like a great idea to me! If we keep the samples small I think it would work out pretty well. I can't imagine why someone would want to ruin all the fun just to steal a box of 2 ounce sample bottles.

I agree.

If someone were to break the rules, do you think the moderators (ie you/meghan) would be willing to lay down banishment for such an event?

 

[Matt S.]

I agree.

If someone were to break the rules, do you think the moderators (ie you/meghan) would be willing to lay down banishment for such an event?

I don't see that being a problem.

 

[Mindflux]

I don't see that being a problem.

Well hopefully it's not a problem, but there should be repercussions if such an event should occur. If the user just gets off nilly willy then others might think they could do it too (if another pass was ever made)

As long as AGO is on board with this I think it could be real fun! We have a pretty laid back user base here. :dblthumb2:

 

[Maldini]

Sounds like a great idea! I can't say I would participate given my lower level of experience, but I would certainly enjoy reading the reviews.

 

[Mindflux]

Sounds like a great idea! I can't say I would participate given my lower level of experience, but I would certainly enjoy reading the reviews.

Well part of the whole idea behind the pass is to let newbies and veterans alike try something they may not have tried yet. It might be more exciting for newbies since a lot of veterans have had their hands on.. well everything.

 

[Fly bye]

Sounds like an easy way for someone to score a box of goodies for free.

:laughing:

 

[Mindflux]

Of course, why would you want to keep a bunch of 2oz samples when the person who shipped it to you is privy to your name and address. That would suck if it got shared to people who wanted the sample box back to keep the pass going

 

[Dubbin1]

Of course, why would you want to keep a bunch of 2oz samples when the person who shipped it to you is privy to your name and address.

LOL it happens all the time. I think its a great idea as long as we don't get some bozo stealing it all. You also have to factor in the shipping cost of the box of goodies. It may be cheaper just to buy the product you want to try

 

[Mindflux]

LOL it happens all the time. I think its a great idea as long as we don't get some bozo stealing it all. You also have to factor in the shipping cost of the box of goodies. It may be cheaper just to buy the product you want to try

That's not the point of the pass though.

 

[Bullitt AK]

say i did send the box to the next person...next person could just have to say that they never got itn and then they would think i kept the box...wouldnt really work

 

[CEE DOG]

Really cool idea. The bottles not being labeled would add a whole new twist as it would remove any bias towards/between products. Of course some would be recognizable by smell and look.

 

[loudog2]

Didn't Meghan do this a couple years ago??? I found the link, it was called the traveling bag.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/16197-traveling-bag-hold-ups.html

 

[Mindflux]

Didn't Meghan do this a couple years ago??? I found the link, it was called the traveling bag.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/16197-traveling-bag-hold-ups.html

Yeah it looks like it went sour. I had never seen any 'passes' like this on detailing boards and I thought it would be fun to try it. But apparently we have a userbase full of shady individuals.

 

[Dubbin1]

Really cool idea. The bottles not being labeled would add a whole new twist as it would remove any bias towards/between products. Of course some would be recognizable by smell and look.

How would anyone know how to use a product if they don't know what it is?

 

[Mindflux]

Really cool idea. The bottles not being labeled would add a whole new twist as it would remove any bias towards/between products. Of course some would be recognizable by smell and look.

Sure if a more veteran user got ahold of the box. This is really intended for veterans to fill it with sample goodies and newbies to try one and post a review. Then the product can be exposed since the bottle is gone from the shipping box.

 

[Mindflux]

How would anyone know how to use a product if they don't know what it is?

It would be generically labeled.

Small 2oz bottle, simply labeled "sealant #1" (or #2 or whatever) or "qd #1" or "trim treatment #1" etc etc once they review it the person with the master list (of what each product is) would post what the product was. Like CEE DOG said, it could remove bias based on the branding.

of course this would require cooperation from the individuals putting new items in there as the box pass continues, they'd have to label is accordingly "sealant #x" (whatever is next in number) and tell the person with the master list that "Sealant #x" is actually "Product Z".