So you want to be a Sex Toy Tester....
Over the years one of the main topics of questions that get asked a lot are about how to become a Sex Toy tester. Hopefully this post will answer most of the questions that get asked and help people understand how and what and why etc.
First things first - Read this http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/community/testers/
If you still have questions - read on!
1. You need to set up a wishlist called Sex Toy Testers and make it public. If they can't see it then you won't get anything!
2. ONLY items from this list http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/community/testers/ are to be added to your Sex Toy Testers wishlist. Don't add everything that grabs your fancy as it simply doesn't work like that. The Lovehoney staff carefully select the items they want reviewing and put them on the list. They don't go through each profile looking to see what you fancy trying.
If you want to make other wishlists for yourself so you can keep track of what you want to buy or to share with your partner etc that's great but DO NOT title it 'Sex toy tester' as this is wastefully time consuming for the Lovehoney staff.
3. There are nearly 75 thousand people with tester wishlists. To increase your chances of being chosen there are several things you need to do and several things that will help you to be chosen (read further down for things to help increase chances). The main thing you NEED to do is start writing reviews of things you already own. Don't worry if these are things you have not bought from Lovehoney, if they are on the site for sale, then you can submit a review for it. The usual things to help you get going with reviews are condoms & lubricants.
4. Be detailed in your reviews. A reviews with three sentences is not going to get you chosen, neither is being overly graphic. To help you learn how to write good reviews that are more likely to get you chosen to be a tester read this http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/blog/2012/05/17/how-to-write-a-great-product-review/
Also check out the Review of the month winners for the past few months to get an idea of what they look for in reviews. You can check those in the blog section here http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/blog/
The more you write reviews the better you will get at it and the more chance you have of being selected. But you also have to BE PATIENT, as I mentioned above, there are a lot more testers than there are products. And remember...
5. It's QUALITY over QUANTITY. Anyone can knock out loads of two line reviews like "I bought this last week. It was great and gave me awesome orgasms" but it will not get them chosen to be a tester as it's not helpful to anyone. Most people tend to have written between 5 to 10 good reviews before they are chosen as a tester.
6. The items on the list change regularly. There is no set day or time that it changes, so check back often and update your list accordingly.
7. Only put items on your list that you know you can give a thorough test and write a good review for. Don't add them just because you want a freebie. Examples - Don't add normal condoms if you have a latex allergy.
8. If there is something on the list that you have never tried before but are interested in trying then don't be afraid to add it.
9. Make sure you get the sizing correct with lingerie. Don't add a one size 8-14 if you are a size 20, likewise don't add plus size if you're a size 8. Common sense applies here really. Nothing worse than reading a review of someone saying it didn't fit when they didn't check the sizing first.
10. Items stay on the list for varying amounts of time. It all depends on how long it takes to find the right person they want to test the item/s. Some stay for a few hours, some for a week.
11. When choosing someone to test the item, they could be looking for a number of different things. Sometimes they want someone experienced, sometimes they want a newbies perspective. Sometimes they want a couples view etc. It changes with each item.
12. Sometimes there will be posts on the forums asking for people to test items. These are usually items that are not yet stocked on Lovehoney and they want opinions before they stock them. These you answer within the thread your chosen preference and desire to participate. The staff will usually say when all have been sent out, so always check though the post to see if they are still available before adding to it.
13. Discussing items you have been sent. The rule of thumb is this - If it's live on the site then you can mention it. If it isn't then don't comment about it or blog about or talk about it. Especially if you have been sent an email about a secret tester. These happen occasionally and are usually only sent to people that have quite a few tester reviews submitted already.
14. My review isn't showing yet? If the item is live on the website then give it 48 hours to appear - if it still has not appeared then contact Customer Service. If it is a product that was posted on a forum thread or you were sent an email about, then your review will not go live until the product does. This can sometimes take months. Sometimes it doesn't make it to sale at all and in this case your review is counted as submitted but obviously won't be put on the site.
15. Should I delete old items off my list? This is a question that gets asked a lot and the response varies. A lot of people like to keep it nice and clean and delete things as soon as they disappear off the list. Some leave the items there for a month or so as (very very rarely) sometimes an item will reappear on the list if a review has not been submitted for it. In the past it was once mentioned that keeping a few things on your list helps for them to see what kind of things you are interested in. The choice is yours.
16. I haven't had a tester for a while, why not? Again BE PATIENT, just because you have had testers sent to you before does not guarantee you will always get them. There are so many people wanting to be/are testers that there are simply not enough products to keep giving everyone them all the time. Just keep writing your reviews of the things you've bought in the meantime and keep writing good reviews. Sometimes you can get several items in a couple of weeks and then nothing for months, it's just how it goes.
17. How long do I have to write my review? Usually you have a month to write your review. This gives you enough time to use the item you receive properly and give it a fair review. If you get close to the time limit you will be sent some reminder emails to ask if there is anything wrong. If you have not been able to write your review for whatever reason, just let the staff know. If you don't submit a review at all you will be put on the naughty list and not sent any items again.
18. I'm new to sex toys, does that matter? No not at all, in fact they often like to see reviews from people who are new to toys as it helps others that are new to toys too. It doesn't matter if you've been using toys for years, write a blog about them or have never used one before, all opinions and reviews are helpful to someone.
19. Does it matter how many items I buy, how often or how much I spend? Will that make a difference to what I can be chosen for? No not at all. Though don't expect to be sent an item worth £100 as your first tester. Be realistic, they need to find out what the quality of your reviews are like before starting to send you more expensive toys. Expect something small at first, do a good job on the review and you'll have more chance of getting the more luxury items later on.
20.And last but not least DON'T BEG! It makes no difference to you being picked for an item.