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How Often Have You Been Unable To Apply To A Roadtest Due to Country Exclusion Only?

rscasny

There are some situations where a roadtest is not global and specific countries are excluded from the roadtest. If this happens, a person whose country of residence is excluded would not be able to apply to the roadtest.

These are the most common reasons why a country would be excluded:

1. trade sanction: some countries our company does not do business in. Iran is just one example, but there are others. Anyone who would live in a sanctioned country would not be able to apply to a roadtest. This is always checked before shipping to a roadtest. We are required to verify this by our Trade & Compliance department. This department has to approve all of our roadtest shipments.

2. sponsor's request: sometimes a sponsor requests that it obtains roadtesters from a certain country or region. This is generally due to the sponsor being licensed to do business only in a specific country or region.

3. shipping problems: there are some countries that may not be on our trade sanction list, but yet have been difficult to ship to. Sometimes custom departments ask for payments from the roadtesters. Sometimes the product hangs in customs and is deemed abandoned and is destroyed. Sometimes we just have problems getting the package delivered. It regularly happens that my colleague Sean has spent hours on the phone with shippers without a satisfactory resolution. At this point, we discuss considering not shipping there. But I generally talk to my boss about it prior to implementing it.

4. product operational limitations: some products work only in certain areas. This happens with wireless products. I go back to the sponsor when this occurs. The sponsor will report back to me and if necessary, we modify the country list.

5. marketing cost purposes: Like any company, we try to use our marketing budget wisely. So, there have been a few countries (Solomon Islands is an example) where we have never got an application from that we would exclude. 

What To Do If Your Country Is Excluded

If you ever encounter a roadtest that you would like to apply for and are not able to see it due to where you live, then leave a comment on the roadtest page or message me at rscasny. I will modify the country list so you can apply.

I would invite you to vote in the following poll. Thanks.

Randall Scasny
RoadTest Program Manager

  • About 3 weeks ago, we added Colombia to the list of included countries. The roadtests currently in enrollment include Colombia. 

  • There have been a couple of contests and maybe road tests that were only eligible to EU countries, but it is rare.

  • I suspect that those who would vote in this poll may have already bounced away from the Community to not come back because of being excluded and may not see this, so for those in the peanut gallery I wouldn't take this poll as de-facto state of the membership.

  • I'm in the UK. I can only think of a few road tests that we're sensibly restricted by location by things such as mains supply voltage or mobile network compatibility.

    It's nice that E14 is generally very good a doing things globally. Other sites and companies frequently have promotions, offers, etc. that turn out to be US only when you dig into the details.

  • It doesn't sound like this has been a substantive problem. But I am reviewing the country list with my colleague, Sean, who helps me administer the roadtest program. It's been awhile since I've reviewed it. Thank you for taking the time to vote. 

  • We are adding Syria and Belarus to our sanction country (excluded) list after conferring with our Trade & Compliance department. This shouldn't affect any roadtester that I am aware of. We're also updated this new info on our Terms and Conditions. We've also included a place called Aland Islands. I never heard of the country before we looked it up. Does any member hail from Aland? (I wonder how much it would cost to ship there?)

  • I am in South Africa and seem to be on the excluded list. Guessing it is because of trouble shipping here

  • I have applied to a fair few road tests and never been selected. I am in the UK. Not ever been told my country is excluded, specifically - bit it's either that or the road tests seem to be limited to a select few. 

  • in reply to tarna

      "Select few"?  Not so.  Do the research.  Each Roadtest is an individual opportunity.  Roadtesters earn the opportunity by making a good case for why they should be allowed to be the one to test the product.  Sometimes it is a creative approach.  Sometimes it is a detail test plan.  And sometimes it just flat out benevolence of trying to give a new member an opportunity.  Those are the risky ones because not everyone produces a "detailed review of the product" - or a review at all.

    Some of the most helpful members have published what they do in applying for a Roadtest.  It's good guidance.
    And... they also wear the badge of "not selected".
    Welcome to the club.  Leverage your skill, not your disappointment.  Participate in the discussions.  Help a fellow Community member with a problem.  And...
    keep trying.  Most Roadtesters applied a bunch of times before being selected.  I know that I did. Laughing

  • in reply to kmikemoo

    Apologies, it seems my post was rather ambiguous, I meant a select few countries, although even so I have not fully checked the inclusion list (done my research). I did not intend to come across negative  I do keep trying :) 

    Regardless, your response was a good one, thank you.