To think Mumsnet doesn't hate Instagram influencers?

[jamoncrumpets]

And for prominent influencers who I will not name here for fear of them kicking off and getting the thread pulled to even hint that this might be the case is irresponsible on their part?

SO much gets discussed on MN every day. So much gets criticised. Social media influencers are a new and intriguing phenomenon - why wouldn't they be discussed here? For better or worse?

Many people have supported influencers for the way they earn money. That gets ignored. Many have politely criticised and pointed out ways it could be more ethical. This gets ignored. One or two have made comments that are personal or cross the line, these have been pounced on and discussed publicly.

The 'arguments' die down. People stop caring. Then prominent influencers go and start the whole thing up again.

Blaming MN is just lazy and irresponsible.

I’ve bought brand new with tags items off some influencers, and I’m not talking instamums with a few thousand followers I’m talking well known very prominent fashion influencers. I really hate the term influencers BTW. Not any of the ones mentioned in any of these threads, much bigger than that. And I feel partly happy because I’m getting high more high end stuff I can't usually afford, but I also think how sneaky it is, as I read all the gushing my fave coat ever posts, then a weeks later I’m wearing it....couldn’t have been your fave coat ever then!

It's seriously weird to set yourself up as some kind of internet police officer though and take it upon yourself to report when if there was anything wrong, ASA would be on it.

That's the whole point though, Cady. ASA most definitely were not on it and too many influencers weren't listening to the feedback. No wonder people have decided to take a more proactive approach.

Please don't treat me with kid gloves. I didn't even notice this until your message. I am not scrutinising every (or any for that matter) for evidence of disagreement and / disapproval. I make my points; this all I am interested in .

Actually people made lots of other points about the selling on of gifts but as usual you (Cady and M5) are focusing on one aspect and drawing the assumption that people are jealous. Some people may be. Other people aren't. There are lots of ethical angles and all are worthy of discussion. The pointed attacks on posters here always boil down to "you must be jealous", which really isn't the case.

WTF are you on about M5?

See I think the argument around selling gifted items goes more like this. Item was gifted so technically no mentioning or promotion of the product / brand is required. But we know that a lot of gifted items do get the desired "shout out" and most influencers like to tell us that they only shout out products and brands that the genuinely like or would use themselves. Fair enough. Influencer then decides that gifted product is no longer required / needed and sells it.

Yes that seems a bit grabby to me, making money off a gift. As long as the income is being declared as being generated from the running of business, then legally it's all good. But "ethically" it's questionable. And it's even more ethically questionable when it's done on a public Instagram sale page presumably in full view of the brand who gifted the product in the first place. How does the brand feel about that?

So selling gifted items doesn't sit right with me and I think it's very much our business as consumers if last week an influencer was raving to us about a product they received (in the hopes that we might go and buy one as well) yet this week they no longer love it and are getting rid. You don't see that as slightly dubious tactics? Many people would feel duped if they were influenced to buy something this week that was then discarded next week.

In non influencer terms, I see it as the equivalent of receiving a birthday present from a mate, thanking her and then a week later trying to sell it on a local Facebook page that you know she's a member of. Some [shameless] people wouldn't bat an eyelid at doing it, others would be mortified. And I guess that's the thing with this, we all have differing levels of what feels right.

Myothername - I didn't say all. It's clear that some (NOT all) do have a real issue with it though. Which says more about them than the influencers.

Yes but you keep banging on about it until you are pulled up on it, Cady.

@myothernamewasfunnier, do point out the ethics you consider arise as a result of selling on gifts, if only to educate @ABuckToothedGirlinLuxembourg who would appear to be benefiting from this market .

That's exactly how I feel about it 5oclock. Don't try to get me to buy something you don't even like enough that you can be bothered to take the tags off. It's duplicitous.

@myothernamewasfunnier, do not concern yourself, not everything is about you!

M5 I don't need to, as 5olock just articulated it perfectly.

Projecting again, M5

myothername - I was actually agreeing to this bit

the discussion around selling on of gifted items has been couched in 'how dare they double up the money'; the impact and or connection to influencer ethics has not been made thus far

and giving an example because if I'd have just said "I agree with you" somebody would have come along with "OMG, liar, that's just not TROOO."

It wasn't a comment just banging on randomly out of the blue.

@itsfiveoclocksomewhere, still not your business. Transaction between influencer; purchaser and brand. It is up to these parties to regulate this activity. If a purchaser wants to buy, notwithstanding influencer's delight in a product one week hence, who are you to judge? If this is a genuine problem, fairly certain the brands will take the appropriate action to prevent this happening in the future. Leave it to them; theirs is the only vested interest.

An interesting person came on one of the threads to talk about the tax implications of gifts. They are taxable. Is tax is payable for selling them on? I agree it seems unsavoury to sell them. The giveaways are a sensible way to deal with surplus. It benefits the brands and the followers.

Tax implications relating to gifts lie solely between tax payer and HMRC. Particularly the case where you do not possess any tax expertise .

@tvcabinet, unless of course you selling gift on yourself which strongly suspect you are not. For the love of God, stay away from tax affairs which are of no concern, and ought not to be, to you.

She's not trying to see someone's tax returns, just trying to understand the position So touchy, M5

This is a good blog >

www.tots100.co.uk/2013/09/26/back-to-blog-school-what-you-need-to-know-about-blogging-and-tax/

What a useful link Myothername. So tax is payable on selling items.

@myothernamewasfunnier, my comments are not made in the context of @tvcabinet's desire to view tax returns. The tax postion of IG influencers has absolutely no place here; in any shape or form. Your link above??? NO. JUST NO. This is a guide designed for individuals earning money from advertising on platforms such as IG. It is NOT intended for ammunition by MN users to then attack influencers. The tax position of IGers is none of anyone's business except IGers earning an income. Their responsibility; their responsibility. Seriously, you have no legitimate commenting on the tax position of these people.

their liability*

No one was attacking anyone, M5 (other than your rather over the top reaction directed at me).

We can discuss whatever we want on these threads, unless we breach the TGs. Stop trying to police the discussion.

@tvcabinet what is the reason for your over investment in the tax liabilities of IG accounts? There is a body of people (HMRC) enlisted with this task. What are you proposing to offer to the enforcement of tax liabilities, if anything?

I think she was just curious. Tax has been discussed on these threads before. Do you always lose your temper so quickly?