When two bloggers signed on to a trip to IFA 2012 in Berlin with the Samsung Mob!lers program, they made it clear they would be covering their own stories. When the two bloggers found they’d be made to play booth babe for a week, they put their foot down. That’s when Samsung allegedly threatened to leave them there, with no help to get home. The story put a huge dent in Samsung’s reputation yesterday, and now a new email has surfaced indicating that the South Korean gadget giant is ready to apologise for its behaviour.
The Next Web has obtained a follow-up email from Samsung via the blogger at the centre of the Mob!lers affair which contains both a public statement and a private apology:
Dear Mr. Clinton Jeff,
On behalf of Samsung, I would like to reach out to you and deeply apologise to you for your experiences in Berlin, at IFA. We put you through undue hardship and are trying to rectify the situation.
Below that message was the public statement, which contained no such apology:
Samsung Mob!lers is a voluntary community of active Samsung mobile device users, who are offered the opportunity to participate in our marketing events across the world. At these events, all activities they undertake are on a voluntary basis. No activities are forced upon them.
We regret there was a misunderstanding between the Samsung Mob!lers coordinators and the relevant blogger, as we understand he was not sufficiently briefed on the nature of Samsung Mob!lers’ activities at IFA 2012. We have been attempting to get in touch with him.
We respect the independence of bloggers to publish their own stories.
Head on over to The Next Web to see the full email. [The Next Web]