Darkside Overland Business Policies

Find answers to the most common questions about our terms and conditions.

As our son reached middle school, having a way to have him experience the outdoors, learn how to fish, camp, and work on vehicles was at the front of our minds to keep him out of video games and have another way to “not be bored” That turned into what Darkside Overland is today.

Think about what you really want to accomplish. An $85,000 build is a LOT of hotel nights and rental cars. Plus, do you have the space to store your gear, vehicle, or trailer? Think about all the items you will have to supplement your vehicle to eat, sleep, cook, shower, and be safe.

Welcome to Darkside Overland, where we specialize in vehicle-based camping adventures, as well as clothing and small accessories that we have created to help with equipment we own.. Our terms and conditions are designed to ensure that your experience with us is both safe and enjoyable. We focus on providing top-notch equipment, shared experiences around destinations, and expertise to make your outdoor adventures memorable. Please take a moment to review our policies, which cover everything from product reviews and sponsored advertising around equipment usage and relevant options. Understanding these terms will help you make the most of your time with Darkside Overland.

Darkside Overland Review Policy

It is my intention to provide the most honest review possible for my viewers so that they can make an informed decision on potential purchases. To meet this goal, the following principles apply:

• I will not provide paid promotions. No money or other items of value can change hands to avoid any conflict of interest and any allegations of my review being biased. Where an item is provided free of charge for review, this will be disclosed clearly in the video description.
• The item provided must be the equivalent of what a regular customer would receive after making their purchase. If I suspect an item has been specially prepared to receive a favorable review, at the very least this will be disclosed in the video and likely be interpreted unfavorably by viewers. I also reserve the right to cancel the review.
• When encountering difficulties, I may initially attempt to consult user manuals, support documentation and community groups before contacting the company representative that supplied the review item. This will allow my experience to be more in line with a typical customer.
• Even when difficulties are resolved, it is relevant to include this part of the review experience in the final video. If it is clear the problem was an anomaly, this will be clearly stated so viewers can see the positive response from the company in rectifying such circumstances. If the issues are not rectified, this is also important to disclose to the viewer so they can see what type of experience to expect as a customer.
• Once the review is agreed upon, a poor experience during my review period is not grounds for the review to be cancelled or deleted to avoid negative publicity. As such, it is particularly important in these cases for the review to be publicly available to warn customers of less than desirable products. Customers expect to buy products that are adequately developed and tested to ensure performance, reliability and safety.
• In the case that I make a verified mistake in my process; I will delete the original video at the company’s request and upload an altered version to be fair and accurate. Reference to the problems of the original video will be made in the description to inform users of my error.
• I will not be held liable for any negative publicity, loss of sales, investment, etc. that comes from any review. It is the company’s responsibility to create a product that performs well against its competitors. If the product is not of sufficient quality, the review will reflect this.

Timeline and Communication

Any company agreeing to have an item reviewed by me does so with the knowledge that I am an individual with work, family and social responsibilities outside of my YouTube channel.

• For a 3D printer, a typical time frame from receiving the unit to releasing the review is approximately 6 weeks. This is a target, however, and actual time frames may be shorter or longer than this, depending on the complexity of the product and difficulties encountered.
• Issues that require replacement components to be sent will slow down the timeframe and extend the release date.
• Unless explicitly stated and agreed upon by all parties, there is no defined deadline for a review to be released.
• The company is welcome to contact me to ask how my review is progressing, and I will endeavor to reply to them in a timely manner.
• For any major issues, I will contact the company and seek their direction on how to rectify the problem.

Review Process – 3D printer

The following is a list of typical, but not guaranteed, steps undertaken when reviewing a 3D printer, that are likely to be included in the final video.

• Summary of the advertised features and capabilities based on product pages where the item is for sale. Content and multimedia made publicly available on the company’s website and/or social media channels may be included in the video.
• Unboxing, assembly, first print setup including levelling, loading of filament, etc.
• Evaluation of provided instructions, tools, spares and digital materials as found on an SD card or equivalent.
• Test printing of files found on the included SD card or equivalent.
• Test printing using included/recommended slicing software and settings.
• Test printing using alternate slicing software, if available.
• A range of test prints primarily in PLA filament, aiming to evaluate performance in terms of:

• Surface quality
• Dimensionally accuracy and tolerance
• Detail in small prints and features
• Long/large prints in vase mode, typically utilizing the maximum vertical build volume of the printer

• Tests print in other materials such as ABS, PETG and TPU, where the specifications of the printer allow.
• Testing of thermal runaway protection and any other relevant safety features.
• Testing of filament runout detection, power loss recovery and any other relevant features the printer offers.
• Availability of firmware source for the customer.
• Analysis of the support documentation and community groups available for the printer.
• Analysis of modifications and improvements publicly and freely available.
• A minimum of 100 printing hours is sought to adequately experience the typical operation of the printer.

Review process – Other items

The following is a list of typical, but not guaranteed, steps undertaken when reviewing other software/hardware, that are likely to be included in the final video. Those that are applicable depending on the nature of the product.

• Summary of the advertised features and capabilities based on product pages where the item is for sale. Content and multimedia made publicly available on the company’s website and/or social media channels may be included in the video.
• Unboxing, assembly, and first setup.
• Evaluation of provided instructions, tools, spares and digital materials as found on an SD card or equivalent.
• Installation of the item if it is a modification part for a 3D printer or other existing piece of equipment.
• Testing the performance, repeatability and reliability of the primary and additional purposes of the item.
• Testing of any applicable safety items or features.
• Analysis of relevant consumables and ongoing costs required to maintain the item.
• Analysis of the support documentation and community groups available for the item.
• Analysis of modifications and improvements publicly and freely available.

Review Summaries – Ensuring Fairness

My aim is to be fair and transparent when summarizing my opinion of a review item. To achieve this, the following principles will apply.

• A summary of all of the positives of the experience will be provided.
• A summary of all of the negatives of the experience will be provided.
• I will assess the performance of the item against what is advertised by the seller of the product.
• I will assess the performance of the item against relevant competitors based on my experience using them.
• I will try to avoid comparing the review item against competitors that I have not used firsthand. It may be relevant to compare the publicly available specifications of each item, but speculation involving performance comparisons will be avoided.
• I will evaluate the performance of the review item in terms of its price point in the market.
• I may attempt to describe a customer demographic that will or will not be suitable for the review item.
• My opinion will not be altered by whether I purchased the product or received it for free. My opinion will be formed using the criteria in this document as a guide to assessing the performance of the item on merit.

Publishing

To make the content of the video accessible and clear to viewers, and to maintain the financial viability of the channel, standard practices apply when publishing.

• The name of the company, the name of the contact from the company, and the name of the product may be included in the title, thumbnail, description, tags and any other metadata.
• Images of the product and company logo may be used on the thumbnail.
• A range of links to sites where the product is for sale may be included in the description. These will often be affiliating links, as is standard practice on technology-based channels.
• Videos on my channel are monetized via YouTube advertisements, as is standard practice for most YouTube channels. This will occur on the review video unless the company explicitly requests the video be demonetized before the review is agreed upon.

By proceeding with the review process, you hereby agree to all the terms presented in this document.