If you catch a X4 review with that "50 free selfie stick" promotion, chances are they are sponsored. Jeven Dovey caught one and guess what happened? >> www.threads.net/@jevendovey/post/C6g2BuCRa5l

@TomHofmann

Ай бұрын

Pretty much any review that comes out on launch date I assume is "sponsored". Even if the reviewer doesn't get any pay in return for a favourable review just by having early access alone makes a review questionable in my opinion. I really appreciate your honesty. Sadly I don't think a lot of other content creators have the same ethics.

@AdityaDixit03

Ай бұрын

I’ve been struggling trying to return my x4 since Apr30. There is NO easy way to return it, except for frustrating in app chat with support who have difficulty communicating in English and reply 3am at night. How are these KZreadrs endorsing this product that has such a shady return procedure and NO staff in US to help in timely manner? My first and last product from insta 360 and I am never preordering because these youtubers BS.

@DFMurray

Ай бұрын

What a surprise it's Roman Atwood... One of the many influencers caught up in crypto scams scamming their own viewers.

@hoover.studios

Ай бұрын

Peter McKinnon did one. I unsubbed and blocked his channel. That is a horrible thing to do to your audience.

@stefpix

Ай бұрын

@@hoover.studioswhat dine McKinnon do exactly?

What's worse, Insta360 and other companies asking people not to reveal their sponsorship, or the creators that oblige and lie to our faces in their reviews? Good on you for having integrity to drop them.

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

Did you realize how none of the tech outlets pick up this story?

@cameraconspiracies

Ай бұрын

@@iPhonedo I'll pick it up :) Been wanting to talk about sponsors for awhile.

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

@@cameraconspiracies Oh the board meeting for this has to be legendary.

@levelupwithmikenewman

Ай бұрын

@@iPhonedo I am posting a video tonight coming out and backing you up! They asked me to do even worse and I refused. I am showing my emails as well!

@TuckerPearce

Ай бұрын

@@cameraconspiracies please do.

This makes me so sad because I love my insta 360 cameras. Hopefully they can change their ways. Proud of you for standing up for not only yourself but other creators. Love you and your reviews, always!!!

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

If this doesn't fix Insta360, I have a 19 minute version of this video, I'll release that :)) Love you and you reviews too ❤

@worldtraveler8921

Ай бұрын

Meanwhile she shills.

@ZdenkaDarula

Ай бұрын

I feel the same Justine. I never had any of those emails from them so I am assuming it is just one rep that is not following the route...

@user1.ab.8

Ай бұрын

Justine :Anyway, you're not mentioning the sponsor in your video; instead, you're adding it in the description. It seems like you're following what Insts 360 dictates to you.

@user-jh3ul2fc6z

Ай бұрын

@@iPhonedoHope to see the 19 mins version and maybe tell us your whole thoughts on the Insta X4

This is SO COMMON, but usually not so obvious. ~13 years ago, a photographer showed me a contract from a third-party lens company that gave him a free lens in exchange for making posts in forums endorsing the lens, and it explicitely required him NOT to mention that it was free. The BIGGEST PEOPLE/CHANNELS in our industry get free cameras & lenses and they don't mention it in every video where they discuss the gear - even though they're required to. The FTC should enforce this, and they just don't. It's the consumers who pay - by buying gear based on undisclosed ads that the believe to be unbiased reviews. Thanks for speaking up, Faruk!

@robmcd

Ай бұрын

Tbh T&C we the viewers are so bored of these new equipment reviews.

@AndrewTSq

Ай бұрын

most youtubers today are nothing else than the third arm of the pr of the companies. "I got sent this for free" = You got this thing worth $500 which is considered a payment in many countries and should be taxed.

@DarkPa1adin

Ай бұрын

Toney 1.2

WOW this is crazy! I've never received any request like this, it's unheard of and unethical! How dare they mentioned "trustworthy" too... Thank you for you to speak up and expose them, and also make an example of what an "influencer" or content creator should and shouldn't do.

'There's no world where a company wants you to shill on a product, except for the insecure ones'' Absolute gold and so very, very true.

@TyQuinn

Ай бұрын

​​@@oas9174You sound like a person who either didn't watch or just didn't understand the video. Firstly, this video was addressing their business practice - not the product quality. Secondly, supporting a company while they were demonstrating good practice and then changing your support when their practice changes is the responsible thing to do - it does not mean iphonedo's previous videos 'mean nothing'. Third, yes he took their money but he also openly and transparently declared his relationship with insta360. What has changed is that insta360 no longer wants openeness and transparency and iphonedo wants nothing to do with such practice

@TyQuinn

Ай бұрын

@@oas9174 "One off case". Again you sound like someone that didn't actually watch the video. And who cares if it's one off - it's illegal not to disclose sponsorships. A company asking you to behave illegally is a sensible reason to drop them as a channel sponsor

It’s kinda sad they’ve made this move considering people generally seem to like their products. You’d think they’d just let the product speak for itself.

@ArgoFowl

Ай бұрын

cringe innit

@MrTechcat

Ай бұрын

cuz Insta360 products suck now. They make so much new models that do not add any value. They put bigger numbers but actual video quality difference is barely noticeable even two generations later. So they have to switch to scamming to even try compete with their own older products.

@heyspookyboogie644

Ай бұрын

@@MrTechcat it’s a sad trend considering they had a good thing going for them.

@FLG8r

Ай бұрын

true ... specs are top notch and market leading for the time being; the Insta360 X4 is my first product - have been a GoPro loyalist since its inception.

@MrTechcat

Ай бұрын

@@FLG8r I have the original X camera and still X4 cameras later there is no true incentive to upgrade. Even worse with Go3 being almost identical to Go2 in terms of video features/quality. They have lost the original vision too. Making easy, fun cameras with new interesting perspectives. Nobody asks/cares about 8K and other quality specs they are pushing on current products.

Good man. Sacrificing money for honesty should be a no-brainer for all creators. Insta 360 needs to do a 180 and remember where they came from.

Ай бұрын

Yes, this man's honesty will be an example for you too, you will stop sponsoring fraudulent color blindness glasses.

@RennieAsh

Ай бұрын

Hopefully it will be an insta 360. They went 180 with the request and then 180 with the backtrack lol

Faruk dropping bars in this video: "There's no world where a company wants yout o shill on a product, except for the insecure ones", "You need to do better. The only person not doing their jobs. Is you"! In all seriousness, shoutout to you Faruk for publicly making a move like this and maintaining your integrity!

That's crazy. The FTC would be very interested in hearing about this if the sponsorships are in the US.

@0LoneTech

26 күн бұрын

Feel free to go one step ahead: They have a guide named "Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers", in the plain language category. The request to omit disclosure is inciting a crime.

Thanks for standing for honesty, there’s been a number of action cam and drone brands pushing harder lately in this area, and unfortunately the vast majority of Day 0 (embargo release) content has become fully sponsored without disclosure. Good on you!

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

So happy to see you here and thank you for this message and you're in this field too, you proably know I'm talking about the tip of the iceberg.

@liew9574

Ай бұрын

Agree 100%. Pretty obvious who are the ones heavily sponsored and I’ve stopped watching their stuff knowing they’ll never be objective… That’s also why I hardly buy anything without checking out the review from iPhonedo…

@SingaporeUntold

Ай бұрын

Love your drone and sports review 👍🏻

@Seanonyoutube

Ай бұрын

I’m thankful to have a well developed intuition to the point where I just know which reviewers do and don’t have integrity. It goes without saying that i’m subbed to you Rain.

With brands doing things like this, and with creators buying views and subscribers at all levels, tech KZread feels very broken right now.

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

This video was 19 minutes. I removed 10 minute of it to keep it more to the point. In the long version, I talked about my suspicion about brands(!!!) buying views and comments as if creators buying views wasn't bad enough.

@PeteMatheson

Ай бұрын

@@iPhonedo Oh it's happening alright. Use viewstats and you can easily see when people spend money on their videos to bump views/subs. And you can look at the engagement. 500k views with 10 comments is not legit. We even had a chat with an agency recently who said they don't care if people are buying views, because their KPI's are to deliver views for the brand... 🤷🏼‍♂ Madness.

@yeswanthneehar

Ай бұрын

​@@iPhonedo will you release the 19 min cut anytime soon?

This was a huge mistake on the part of Insta360. They will have to do some real damage control after this. You dont go asking people to shill for them. That's just unethical!

@artistjoh

Ай бұрын

It is way worse than unethical. In asking people to break the law they have entered into a criminal conspiracy. I hope the authorities investigate them for this, and lay charges. Every person who asked for the law to be broken, plus thew CEO need to face court. And any YouiTuber who agreed to break the law needs for their channel to be deleted and banned from KZread permanently. I don't know if they can also be charged as co-conspirators in this crime.

@POVwithRC

Ай бұрын

​@@artistjohThat's a bit heavy handed. We don't delete entire bodies of work over nonsense like this. Get a grip.

@aphinion

Ай бұрын

and simply illegal (for good reasons), so they drag content creators over the edge of legality for their gain. Worst comes worse they loose their account (i.e. all their capital) on this while insta sit's relaxed outside of those legal bounds in China.

I’m so glad you shined a light on this. Definitely made me do a 180 on how I feel about Insta360.

@levelupwithmikenewman

Ай бұрын

I have had a scary experience with them as well. Didn’t want to go public about it, or even mention them by name…but after this video, I’ll just say my situation was even worse. I may have to disclose it just to help shed more light on ethical situations this company is trying to put us in

@samgriffin6221

Ай бұрын

I couldn’t give a shit, if I want a 360 camera, I would still buy the x3 or x4.

@levelupwithmikenewman

Ай бұрын

@@samgriffin6221 Nobody is saying their gear isn't good. I still think their Link webcam is a great webcam. this is about a company asking content creators who review their stuff to be dishonest with you the viewer. 👍

Let's be honest here. Sponsored videos are just ads.

@ricarmig

Ай бұрын

All KZread videos that KZreadrs got a sample for free, permanently, should be classified as Ads. I think that it should be MANDATORY to disclosure if the reviewed sample was given, just sent for review with any demanding or bought from the reviewer. About this issue I think that there are a couple of reps that did “their way”. But you can’t just fault the company and …. all those KZreadrs that accepted it? Now it’s only that rep’s fault? What about the power of decision of those KZreadrs? If I’m asked to do something illegal, unless I’m threatened physically, I can just say no.

@tednagel

Ай бұрын

@@ricarmig agreed

@peachxtaehyung

26 күн бұрын

That is how it is though. With the new ftc law that's been a thing for a bit now, you have to say whether you received a product for free whether it's for review or not, and if it's a sponsorship. If it's a sponsorship especially you have to say hashtag ad have it in the description box that it's sponsored or if you have received free product but unfortunately A LOT of KZreadrs don't do that stuff especially if it's "just" them receiving free product ​@@ricarmig

I literally did a video 2 weeks about about KZreadrs not disclosing and ironically have a insta360 email for a sponsorship in my inbox right now....

@0LoneTech

26 күн бұрын

Did you link to FTC's Disclosures 101 document?

@TravisMCP

26 күн бұрын

@@0LoneTech Not only that, but also the European one.

I used to love working with them when it was a smaller brand. Now I feel like they are chasing GoPro instead of paving a new path. I use my insta360 in nearly every video and find it to be the most useful camera. I’ve previously worked with them on partnerships up until the x3 and enjoyed it up until then. I bought the X4 because it’s one of the most useful cameras I have and find it to be a must in my bag. I am all for weeding out the bull shit in brand deals and firmly believe that if they keep going down this road then they might end up pushing themselves out of the very community that they need. Great video and it’s very refreshing to see somebody unapologetically open a topic of conversation that can be a source for others 🤘🏾. Keep up the great work!

@markr041

Ай бұрын

Could you explain what "working with them" means? Does it mean working for them to "review" their products?

This is exactly why I follow you!! The truth and honesty! One of my favorite KZreadrs out there! Keep up the great work!

@superstringsbro

Ай бұрын

I don’t know about that. He said they have been doing this for a while and he was still cranking out videos for them. And then still needed to talk to someone for advice on what to do 😮

Came here from Jeven Dovey, very impressed with your transparency! What’s hilarious is that the x-lineup seems to be popular because people genuinely love it. Finally with the x4, the image quality has increased on what was already (without having used one myself yet) a cool product, same with the ace pro (like having a waterproof flip screen, GoPro should have done it years ago), so all they’re doing is ruining their own reputation by being sketchy, despite the fact that the products speak for themselves. So weird!

This is why you are one of the first places I look for a review of ones of these products. Besides knowing the video will be in depth, informative, and concise, I know it will be an honest assessment of the product. No fluff, no BS, and you usually right at the very beginning state if you bought it or were sent it for free. Thank you for your high standards and honest content. It is much appreciated.

As a EDC reviewer, one of the biggest brand OLIGHT wanted me to collab and review their products and give me a commission link. After I finished editing the review, they wanted control and to edit things in my review. Also demanded me to post on my personal facebook account. Way too much asks and control. I broke it off with them and the rep went nuts and started calling me a liar and even commented on my videos that I’m a scammer etc.

Came over from camera conspiracies channel… nice to see honesty out there in KZread…at least once in a while , great video good sir👊✌️🇨🇦

Absolutely spot on! For years, I've relied on your product reviews, and without fail, your recommendations have proven true. Your commitment to honesty not only fosters trust but also ensures that your subscribers return to your channel time and again. Keep up the great work!

While I haven't dealt with Insta360, I've dealt with other companies who have some pretty shady practices in how they treat creators and their audiences. Hopefully other brands see this video and takes notes.

DUDE! YOU ARE A LEGEND FOR THIS! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRANSPARENCY AND HONEST! I have always noticed something suspiscious with the INSTA360 youtuber videos and have mentioned it many times in my own youtube videos. You essentially proved what I have thought all along! THANK YOU!

Commented on your IG post. Your authenticity is what makes you unique and trustworthy. I have purchased a ton of things you gave reviews to where you have been very transparent. Don't change dude.

Also this: kzread.infoUgkxLFCKaPF4wYELyLDw-3yGCXq0ZUlJpdej

@LouisD2023

Ай бұрын

I see that Insta360 replied, in that link. Looks like they want to make things right.

@rauliuxaa

Ай бұрын

@@LouisD2023 ofcourse they do, they ruined their face

@MartinBogomolni

Ай бұрын

@@rauliuxaa ^^ THIS ^^ ... when you respond only because you got caught, it's not an apology

All brands do this. Not just Insta360. There are some influencers who won’t even “review” any products for under a certain amount of money.

As one of Insta360's longest-serving users & reviewers, I agree about the sketchy ethical boundaries that they have around influencer collaborations. They try to control what you say in sponsored videos (especially around new product launches) FAR more than other companies do. That said, I'll add this - they've never asked me not to disclose sponsorship. AND... personally, I think it's very unethical to receive sponsorship for what is supposed to be an unbiased review. Every time there's a new camera, it feels like I'm one of the ONLY KZreadrs NOT accepting sponsorship money to make my review & saying it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Tutorials are the place for sponsorship, not reviews.

@gosamba

Ай бұрын

This is nice to know Ben, I've gotten a lot out of your reviews and side by side comparisons. Thank you!

@wvansluisveld3011

Ай бұрын

This is why I always look for your reviews first, fun to watch, very objective and honest. And they still convinced me to switch to Insta360 which makes it extra stupid of their marketing team to apply these malpractices. Keep up the good work.

Great video. The worst part is how many creators went along with it? So many channels are not professionals or journalist in any way and their sole purpose is to get as many sponsors as possible. That blow up over the Humane Pin smelled closer to flop sweat coming from creators terrified Marques had upset their cash grabs . It wasn’t “concern” about abuse. Manufacturers will ask ANYTHING, it’s up to the creators they make non ethical choices or not.

I love your honesty and reviews, this is why I always watch your videos and even look at your channel to see if I missed any if I don't see it one after a while since I know sometimes KZread does not push all of my subscriptions to the main page unless I go directly to subscriptions. Keep doing what you do and never change.

First of all, thanks for standing firm and holding true to your values. That’s really disappointing to hear they’re doing that and that’s the direction they’ve taken. We support your decision man and stand behind your decision. You’re doing the right thing. 💯

Thank you for this video, man. I stopped working with them towards the end of last year, for various reasons. But wow, this is next level bad. this behavior is not ok and you're absolutely right to address this.

So far, I’ve been pretty lucky as when Insta has sent me products. The only thing they’ve ever asked is to look over the product videos to make sure I’m not putting wrong information out. I have not had them tell me not to include something I don’t like about any product so far. They also don’t pay me so I don’t know if it’s considered a sponsorship. I’ve always just said what I thought about the product and used it for action sports showcasing its use. The non pay also frees me up to do it completely on my time line and schedule so if life gets in the way it is what it is. And I get back to it when I can to share my experience with my subscribers. I have been hearing what you said from a few others and hopefully they correct this with their higher ups. I actually like the Ace Pro. I think overall it is a solid addition to their line up. It has its pros and cons just like a GoPro and every other action cam does. Which is to be expected in my opinion.

@BenSeese

Ай бұрын

@seanozz They sent you products, and you don't know whether you're sponsored... 😬 This is the world that Insta360 is working within: the blind leading the blind. Neither the sponsor nor the sponsored understand the basics.

@dwmspace

Ай бұрын

That’s what I’m also trying to better understand. Is it considered a sponsorship if a product is sent and not paid? Say there is also no obligation to review. Then I can see this a bit differently and I think there is more to discuss here. However, if it’s paid then this is wrong. I wish there was more transparency about this here.

@alexkooistra

Ай бұрын

@@dwmspaceof course it is. Nothing is free

@noheadlights

Ай бұрын

@@dwmspace When they send you a $400 camera and you pay nothing you gain $400 in value, so you are paid. Also, even if they don't put you under any kind of pressure. If you don't do a (positive) video, you won't get another camera from them.... this goes for most companies of course. This story is a big step further, though. What they want is illegal in a lot of countries.

@dwmspace

Ай бұрын

⁠@@noheadlights I get that but in that scenario, I don’t think that’s still a sponsorship. So if I get sent a product, can I now say I am sponsored by Insta360? Technically yes but that’s obviously stretching it. I think in this situation it would just be better to say that one got SENT the product with no extra payment and ironically I think that saying it is sponsored is incorrect. If a reviewer makes a bad review and the company stops sending them a product because of that. So be it. That’s more on the integrity of the creator and the morals of the company. I think the discussion here should also focus on creators who just speak positive to keep getting products for free. Also I think there should be way more transparency and clarity from both sides about this.

Good on you for calling this out. This is why I love your channel. I trust your integrity as a reviewer. Not only would this be just a seedy, dishonest practice, but they are asking you to *put your own channel at risk* by violating the terms and conditions, and by betraying your audience.

Thanks for sharing this. Too many people are oblivious to what happens in this business and too many creators are complicit in deceiving their audiences. Keep up the great work.

They aren't the only ones...I dropped a "niche" camera company for the same reason after 5 years. I still have the letter they sent with the product asking the exact same thing you highlighted.

Faruk, I never drop money on any product unless i have seen you review it, and have been subscribed for years. I value your independant, no bull approach to what you do. Please keep doing what you do, they way you do it!

Thank you for standing up, remembering why we watch and why you make incredible tech reviews we trust. Honesty is the best policy - learned in kindergarten. Often forgotten as an adult.

To play devils advocate, they said they would rather the video be made without mentioning of a sponsorship. We all know this is pretty common. Product placement is all over the place without mentioning of sponsorship. To also be fair, isn't it a somewhat safe assumption that when people see a "sponsored" post, they think "Oh well, this person is only saying good things because it is a sponsored post!." They even mention it would be more trustworthy, saying hey.. if you want to tell people our product is a piece of hot garbage.. go ahead! You can't do a sponsored post and tell people a product is garbage. As they even mentioned, "You can even make the videos the way you like!". This is because as you obviously know, on sponsored post they usually have strict requirements of a product. You've gotta get certain shots.. have certain screen time in certain places.. etc etc.. and any little thing can make the deal null and void if you don't reach the terms. It doesn't seem like they were being deceitful as much as it just seems like someone is creating drama from a bunch of nothing. Yet, everyone now days is so focused on how horrible and bad these companies are.. they don't realize it must just be an amazing product, that they wanted you to gave a genuine perception of... not behind the nasty word of "sponsored".

Well. That does it. I'm scratching Insta360 off of any list I'll ever consider buying. Thank you for the transparency. I've been asked by sellers on Amazon to review their products while asking me to give them a 5-star rating. I told them I cannot promise a rating other than one that is based on my own experience of the product. I haven't received anymore requests since. Surprise, surprise.

@ricarmig

Ай бұрын

I bought an Ace Pro and I’m very happy, also the support team have been very helpful. Is there a couple of reps that did “their way”? It seems so but you can’t fault the company for something that may not be the wishes of the entire company. I think it’s very dangerous to assume that and what I think everyone should do is to talk with another person in the company first! The thing is: insta360 (rep) is asking not to disclosure but….. those KZreadrs accepted it?!?! Now it’s only that rep’s fault? What about the power of decision of those KZreadrs? If I’m asked to make something illegal, unless I’m threatened physically, I can just say no.

they NEVER were better, even in the past. After my quite negative review of the One R (which just is a bad action cam) they never responded on any of my emails. Companies like those don't want honest review, no constructive criticism, they don't want to learn and improve. All they want is influencer who can be paid of, or call it "sponsored" to praise their product, they want nothing else. Why do they have to "sponsor" reviews, if the product is so good on it's own simply providing the review unit should be enough. Paying for a "review" is already a sign something is fishy.

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

One R was such a bad product that when I tweeted about it Insta360 asked me to remove the tweet. (I didn't)

You have restored some faith in the bigger review channels for me. Iv followed you for years and have always felt your content was genuine. Sadly in recent times its been hard not to see the "review" space around consumer tech turn to pure ads with blatant sponsorship being hidden and brands driving the direction of the content. New products from the likes of DJI, GoPro and others having amazing "reviews" with creators going on expensive trips or big budget shots to show features yet not a real word on who is paying for this. As a smaller creator I always get the "oh your bias as you got it for free" stiff however that's not even the tip of the iceberg of the issue with many big channels simply being marketing engines for these companies. The scary thing is most people don't realize the likes of DJI used to even offer substantial DJI Store Credit for "positive engagement" in reviews. This stuff needs to end. I have always had a simple rule of I control the content and I do and say what I choose and while that has meant some of the bigger companies wont work with me anymore its been by far the best thing from how I have built my community. Be open, honest and tell a brand no that's not OK if they try to pull this crap. Fantastic video man. Mad.

It was a pleasure to meet you briefly at an NAB. A great video, integrity means to lose out in the short term but it pays dividend in the long term and I’m so glad to see you do this video. Any video, that I see that shows a product, day one, tells me it’s sponsored and of little use.

Big fan of your channel! Appreciate your honesty!

Props for staying true the viewers, Faruk! I hope these companies learn a lesson.

I'm a small creator and just barely getting in to the world of sponsorships, but something I'm most afraid of is making mistakes in videos or something misleading in a video when I didn't mean to even in non sponsored videos. Doing a sponsored video and the brand asking to hide it or under play it definitely a big no no. Even if a brand sent me something and asked to do a review and not say they sent it would be a no. Honesty is always best! Appreciate you!

Thanks for speaking up, Faruk! I’m so tired of brands trying to get away with this. We need more transparency in our industry!

some chinese companies also ask us to give them a good review for a discount on sites like amazon even though it is against amazon policy.

@linorics

Ай бұрын

Yeah I give them a good review, get the discount, then make a horrible review.

@CharlieVN

Ай бұрын

Pretty much every company that relies on Yelp these days

Dude you always rock. Keep up the epic work. We watch every video

Well to be honest ive not watched many of Your or many of my subbed KZreadrs videos for a few years and i certainly done put a comments on when im bathing......as i am now. This vid shows your integrity and willingness not only to be bought out but to name and shame such companies. I have no doubt that shaking this tree will make the other sponsors and KZread makers more aware of thier truthfulness to the end user/consumer. I hope you have a great response to this video and it making a great snowball effect the all concerned. Well done to you sir from a English man, in a bath, in Brisbane Australia.

Thanks for making this video Faruk! Very well spoken 🙌

Wow, bravo for speaking truth!!!

@RageStudios

Ай бұрын

Unlike you, right?

WOW! - You might have instantly become my FAVORITE content creator! THIS is honesty! I have had nothing but bad experiences with the cameras and the company since I got my X2 back in the day - the main issue to me is their LYING - they market the camera as an ACTION camera and it is NOT. They shoot debris at the lenses and use it in all these extreme ways - they send FREE cameras to content creators and tell them to make ACTION video - because they dont have pay for broken lenses when it happens - or maybe they do and that is another racket. The REAL Shame is that the camera is actually really cool - and if they were just honest - it would probably do really well.

Thank you so much for having the courage to stand up for what is right. I saw you at NAB and was going to come over and talk to you but by the time I got there you were gone. Would love to shake your head and thank you next year.

Thank you for your integrity.

I like the X4, so I don't understand why Insta would do such a thing. Seems to me they should be proud of the product and happy to send them out to be reviewed by tech content creators. Someone in the company is scared of something it seems. Not good Insta. not good at all. My question now is, what do you really think about the X4? Thanks for speaking out. We need more of this and less of the suck up for free crap reviews.

Appreciate your upfront honesty! I recently seen a tweet by someone who mentions a similar note they received from a company asking him to not disclose the fact that the video was sponsored...

Thank you for continuing to be one of the best!🎉 I do the same with my sponsors. I get so many messages from these "gambling agents" asking me to promote their shady mess of an app at least 4 times a week. 😂

I noticed that no one mentioned the low light in the X4. (That is really bad) I guess this is why. It's sad that they chose this route. Still I think you should make an honest unsponsored Review of their products!😊

@0LoneTech

26 күн бұрын

Hugh Hou did mention low light... by advertising some other post processing software after noting all "action cams" suck at it.

spill that tea

@iPhonedo

Ай бұрын

this, as you know, is the tip of the iceberg.

This shows your character and I massively respect that. You have earned my subscription and goodwill. Further, should an insta360 review show up on my thread I will ask the reviewer point blank if they were asked to hide their sponsorship. Kudos my friend!

I appreciate your honesty! What you've done is really valuable in terms of transparency and building trust. Brave and honest individuals like yourself deserve recognition. Wishing you continued success 🙏I've been following you since the iPod Touch video. :)

Crazy. You'd think the products would sell themselves, with how good they actually are.

This is a real shame. Every product I've ever bought from Insta360 has exceeded my expectations. I don't know why they need to feel that they have to do this type of influence, but it is wrong in so many ways. Which points directly to the type of people who are actually running the company.

This is so important. This feels like a line in sand moment, you've draw it for all of us. Thank You.

Strong work, Faruk. One can see how difficult this decision was for you. Good for you leading the good fight. Please keep doing you. Your content is always crazy good. One thing that I learned in business that would seem to apply here. You only come in and go out with one thing. It is reputation. If you trash your reputation, you will spend the rest of time trying to get it back.

Ugh. That is so wrong. I haven't purchased an x4 yet, and now I'm thinking I won't.

PS. If the product was so good, they wouldn't need influencers to sell it. It would sell it self. Lamborghini was once asked why they do not do commercials. Their response? "We don't do commercials because our target audience isn't sitting around watching TV." Meaning they are out working for a living AND they know what they are getting.

Mad respect. This is why you have been one of my favorite creators for as long as I can remember. Keep up the honest good work. I literally was about to buy the new x4. I don’t want to spend my money at a company that is dishonest like this. I will find a different camera solution. Dji, when are you going to make a 360 cam? I love my Dji Pocket!

Bravo!!! Two Enthusiastic Thumbs UP!! Thank you for your integrity! I noticed many Insta360 reviews here on KZread seem to conveniently not mention some key shortcoming in their videos and had me wondering and questioning the KZreadr's integrity and now had me questioning ALL their content.

Uhmm message is from 2023. No word of this on twitter. Videos of the x4 or what 4 weeks old on YT. The math ain't mathing somewhere. Edit : also nothing to find of erin posting this

@canyonblue737-8

Ай бұрын

the message is in regards to the GO 3 launch from last year. it was only posted recently and since Faruk experienced similar (and heard others did too) issues with the Ace Pro and X4 launches he decided to not support the X4 launch and publish this video.

Tell the FTC

Thank you for always being honest! Companies that do this need to be called out, that is not an acceptable business practice.

Good job man. Extra sad thing is that they’ve had plenty of time to respond, yet have remained silent. Ugh.

I don’t think we have to read too much into this. It’s not the whole company, it’s one dumb person in the marketing department. If they’re a good company they will fire this person and set things straight.

@autonomoushologram6072

Ай бұрын

You really have no idea how big companies work, do you?

@noheadlights

Ай бұрын

Their silence speaks volumes. If it was like you said, they would already have reacted, because stories like these hurt the brand massively.

@yourmagicfilm

Ай бұрын

If it was 1, then where's the big response and update? It's their culture. I just bought X4 and now I have a bad taste from them.

@Nurr0

Ай бұрын

This is is the corporate get out of jail free card of choice. 'It was just one bad apple', despite the fact that they hired and oversaw this for however long and conveniently only have a problem with it when they're called out publicly. The rot comes from the top.

@ryans6982

Ай бұрын

Are you serious? How do you know that?🙂Pls don't try to hide the truth.

Thanks for having the balls to post this video! Someone in their marketing team will probably get fired (as the sacrificial lamb) and Insta360 will claim that person's actions were not in line with their companies standards.

Thank you for being honest. We appreciate your integrity and admire your commitment to doing what is right, even in difficult circumstances that could damage your reputation.

Hearing your morals come first and dropping the f bomb in the first video got my subscription. Haha thank you for your hard work

In a world filled with shills, be like Faruk!🔥

That is dirty practice. But i do think they must have a large set of outreach people, and not all of them are doing this. I've had a difference experience. It was in the contract with my latest Go 3 sponsored video that it needed to be mentioned and marked as sponsored in the first 10 seconds. There was also no hard-sell, or any points I had to hit or talk about they just wanted my honest experiences in my own style. I totally agree with you though! - I would absolutely not sign with them if they asked me to hide a sponsorship! I'm glad I'm working with a good correspondent

I was looking forward to your X4 review. Your in depth and relatable content from your previous videos is why I come to your channel as the go to. I will continue to come back but it's sad what they have requested. So much respect for you. Thanks for always being transparent.

such a bummer, I've been really interested in picking one up. thanks so much for bringing this up, Faruk!

Sponsored by DJI lol

Great job on the video! Very important topic and more creators need to push back against companies doing these types of things.

Full respect. 👍🏻 no BS episode. Shows how “Utuber behind the scene” looks like. Much ❤ man!!!

I was sent a Mavic 2 Pro back in the day from DJI and was told that I couldn’t say anything negative about the drone. Then when I emailed them back regarding lack of product features, pixel binning etc they asked me to specifically not mention things that I brought up. So I returned the drone and refused to make a fluff video about them.

@infox6671

Ай бұрын

Sounds like BS to me. They wouldn’t send a drone to a low sub guy like you.

@CaliforniaPhantom

Ай бұрын

@@infox6671 Think what you’d like. 2018 was a long time ago and a different time then. I figured the DJI fanboys would rush to my comment.

@CaliforniaPhantom

Ай бұрын

@@infox6671 I’ll give you another peek behind the curtain. You’re absolutely right guys like Faruk are at the top of their game. They get paid for their influencing capabilities on these reviews, plus a generous commission off each item sold through affiliate links. The difference for a guy like Faruk and an influencer like me is I get zero compensation for my review, and either get the product for free or the product for a substantial discount and a much lower commission per item sold. That’s how it works in reality. And yes why I only have 7K followers, I only review products that I myself use, pay for or support. When I earn a commission it is very small. Its honestly not worth my time to do any review, but I do it for the love of content creation and KZread, and I do it because I believe in and or support the product(s). That’s my 💯

@postandfly

Ай бұрын

This is 100% BS DJI does not send drones to channels like yours and they do not tell you what do you have to talka about. So stop your lies

@aarn7397

Ай бұрын

Just cause he has low subs doesn't mean it's bs, he could also work(ed) as a journalist for a bigger review website

Insta360 is "Mediocre on their best day"... You are being too nice. 😂

I just got back from NAB in Vegas and I gotta say.... Every KZreadr I recognized there is in the back pockets of these companies as simply a marketing person. If you get early or free products, you can't be unbiased at the risk of getting removed from these lists. People just need to understand that you are watching commercials for these products not "reviews."

Much respect for your honesty! Didn't expect this from insta360... 😮

I stopped working with them 3 years ago for the same reason. Plus, their cameras are the most glitchy and unstable cameras on the market. Instead of improving the firmware, they are churning out a bunch of new models. In order to review the ONE R they had to give me a 3!!! cameras, so the other 2 simply died during the shooting of the review. I don't recommend this garbage to anyone, you'll just throw away your money.

Unfortunately, one of their competitors has asked me to do worse things (IMO) than not disclose sponsorship. I had to sign NDA before they even told me what they want me to do, so I can't talk about it. The sad thing is that multiple channels (much larger than mine) have done exactly what was asked. I have only had good experience with Insta360. Much like other companies, they provide technical guide and list of features they consider to be important. They have never asked me not to say something specific or to omit weaknesses of their products. Insta360 has never offered me any money, my channel is probably too small to be sponsored. They have provided some of the products that I have reviewed, which was disclosed in the videos. They have never asked me not to disclose that. Importantly, they have never required me to submit the video for their internal review before releasing it (they did ask whether it would be fine by me, I said no and they accepted it), which is not the case with all of their competitors and a red line for me personally.

I really appreciate this kind of honest statements about the reviews and sponsorships. I hope there will always be some creators like you to disclose the problems and lies of the companies. Thanks a lot!

Finally! Camera reviewers are now realizing this, because I kept watching multiple creators gushing over the mediocre Insta360 cameras, even though the quality is terrible, compared to Dji and Gopros. Thank you for putting this video out.

this is not the actual story I heard, hope to see more evidence

@toadlguy

Ай бұрын

Yeah, what did YOU hear!

Love your videos, but Wow, cancel culture at its finest. Guy, they didn't force you to let them ship you something, and try it, and have fun with it. I don't own any Insta360 products, but they seem to be liked and great products. If you think what they are doing is slimy, sure, don't review them anymore. Your stand isn't going to stop thousands of other reviewers from giving these good products good reviews, what's the point in this, other than to look like a petty revenge nerd? "They didn't treat me like I like to be, so I'm going to make a video wasting on them, because I chatted with my other reviewing friends, and they are doing the same!" Sure, great idea. Let's say you succeed, and they go out of business? How will you feel then? Justified? Proven, correct? Socially powerful? I'm sure you're all nice people, but you realize you could be destroying a product, with good people who have good jobs because you got your feefees in a bunch? Other reviewers I respect have made videos similar to this, but they don't name the product. They just say " I don't like how they do business, so I no longer review their products, which are good, but I don't respect how they treat reviewers". I expected more from you.

@Wildridefilms

Ай бұрын

Lol, they asked him to not disclose a sponsorship, which is plain illegal.

@spazoq

Ай бұрын

@@Wildridefilms 2 sides to every story.

@markr041

Ай бұрын

​@Wildridefilms So the correct response is to not review their products? How does that benefit us, the viewers? This video is a confession that this guy is paid by manufacturers to review their products. And when he doesn't like the manufacturer he stops reviewing their products and stops taking their money. How about reviewing the products and not taking any money? That is integrity.

@Wildridefilms

Ай бұрын

@@spazoq what they did is literally illegal. It doesn't matter what "their side of the story" is.

@Kampy_

Ай бұрын

God you sound condescending. "I expected more from you." ugh, stop trying to talk down to him like you're his mother- it makes you sound like an insufferable douche. "Cancel culture at it's finest" ? Seriously? Another Chicken Little crying "Cancel culture! Cancel culture!" every time someone calls out shitty behavior... just what we need. Another parrot. And yes, asking a product reviewer whose entire value is built on honesty and transparency to NOT disclose things is shitty behavior. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission not only requires ads / sponsorships to be disclosed, they require such disclosures to be "clear and conspicuous" and have a whole set of guidelines warning against being "vague" or "subtle" which is exactly what Insta360 kept asking him to do. Obviously (well, obvious to most, maybe not to you), he isn't trying to make Insta360 "go out of business" as you suggest. Insta360 is a giant company, not some tiny startup. Which is why they should know better than to pull this shit. I personally like Insta360 cameras... I've bought 3 of them over the years, and will probably buy the X4 eventually... but this is disappointing. Partially because they don't NEED to do this (imply that sponsored reviews aren't sponsored)... their cameras are solid enough products that they should allow their creator partners to be 100% transparent.

Thank you for dropping them. I will never buy a camera that asks you to "activate" it online before it allows you to shoot. I do not like this company, neither their products.

So yeah, Insta is not as good as we thought ! Everyone is throwing mud at the other companies that make action cameras, but it seems that's not really the case, Insta is not above everyone else as it is advertised everywhere, even their 8K is not such a big deal !

This has no effect on me and any decision I make to buy one their cameras. Just saying

Sorry, disliking because of F-word. It is not that kind of quality I’m expecting from this channel.