Pearl Party SCAM. SCAM - Education page for pearl party folks. 'There is a sucker born every minute'.don't be a sucker. Autumn Pearl, Stoughton, Wisconsin. 1,162 likes 171 talking about this 412 were here. Salon by appointment only. Coffee and tanning hours posted! Autumn Pearl is a trendy hair and nail salon.
| Pearl's Peril | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Wooga |
| Platform(s) | Facebook (WebGL), iOS, Android |
| Release | Facebook: March 2013 iPhone/iPad: September 2013 |
| Genre(s) | Hidden Object |
Pearl's Peril is a hidden object game developed by Berlin-based Wooga. It was launched on 5 March 2013 on the Facebook social media platform[1] and on 5 September on iPad.[2] Pearl's Peril is Wooga's sixth game, and was the company's fastest growing game at the time.[3] Wooga also released a soundtrack to the game.[4]
Gameplay[edit]
Pearl's Peril is a hidden object (sometimes known as hidden picture) game. Players are given a list of items to find within a static scene. They then receive points for each item found, and score multipliers for completing the task quickly. Players can also use a hint feature to highlight items that they find difficult to see. In between many of the levels, puzzle levels require players to find and assemble specific items linked closely to the story.[5]
Pearl's Peril also has an isometric building metagame, in which players must construct buildings on an island. Some items offer rewards, such as ‘prestige', which is used to unlock further chapters in the game. Players must also expand their island by exploring, which requires three in-game currencies, namely coins, cash and compasses.[6]
The story was created by Steven-Elliot Altman,[7] the former games director at Acclaim Games, and later continued by veteran game writer Will Hiles (NCsoft), and Johanna Fischer. New chapters of the story are written every week.[8][9]
Narrative[edit]
Pearl's Peril is set in the 1930s, and opens with the titular adventurer, Pearl Wallace, receiving news of her father Samuel's suicide.[8] Shocked, she goes back to Artemis Island, her childhood home and home of all the Wallace clan, with her friend Iris Hillman by her side; Pearl cannot believe her father committed suicide. Her suspicions turn out to be true when her grandfather Edwin Wallace, who was believed to have died several years ago, shows up during Samuel's funeral feast proclaiming one of the attendants killed Samuel and he is going to find out who did it. Pearl joins in her grandfather's efforts and soon finds out that a mysterious society named the Chaos Veil was behind Samuel's death, and that the family friend and groundskeeper of Artemis, Léon, is involved with the Chaos Veil. Pearl swears to avenge her father's death and bring the killer to justice. Pearl starts a path full of adventures, deceit.. and peril.
Opening Pearls On Facebook Posts
Monetization[edit]
Pearl's Peril is a free-to-play game, using the freemium model of monetization. Players can use real-life money to buy in-game coins and cash. These can then be used to buy extra energy, which is required to play the scenes, and decorations, which are required to unlock new scenes.[10]
Popularity[edit]
One month after release, Pearl's Peril became one of the fastest growing Facebook Games, as measured by daily active users.[11] It reached 1 million DAU within 24 days.[12]
Wooga has released a sequel called June's Journey.
Reception[edit]
Reviews for Pearl's Peril are generally mixed,[5][10][8] with many reviewers praising its high production values,[13] and disapproving of its freemium monetization structure.[14]
As of March 2014, Apptweak lists the game as having an average user rating of 63%.[15] The game is rated 4.5/5 on the iTunes app store.
References[edit]
- ^'Pearl's Peril'. www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Pearl's Peril Original Soundtrack by Sound Of Games on Amazon Music - Amazon.co.uk'. www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ ab'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'quickgamer.net - Diese Website steht zum Verkauf! - Informationen zum Thema quickgamer'. ww1.quickgamer.net. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Pearl's Peril Preview'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ abc'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Preview Version of Oceans & Empires out Now on Google Play'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ ab'Yahoo!'. blog.games.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Pearl's Peril - Hey Gamer Lady!'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Pearl's Peril: Hidden Objects ASO Report'. AppTweak. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
External links[edit]
Live Pearl Opening Party
Pearl opening companies seem to be popping up all around the world, certainly in the UK and on facebook in the last couple of weeks or so.
This pearl opening thing has been around for years. Every so often someone will come up to one of us and say they got this pearl at some place which had a tank of oysters and they picked one and it had a pearl in it. In one place in America I heard of boys diving off a pier to get the shells, which is a dramatic bit of scene setting.
They cause our hearts to sink. The pearls are invariably low quality freshwater pearls, but the customer will have been told that the pearl is worth £££ and is rare and very valuable. I never know whether to be honest and blow the smoke away or just gush about what a wonderful pearl etc etc
You can have the poor oyster in a tin – $1 a time.
These set ups are always a money making scam to some degree or other. I have yet to see one which sells genuine akoya pearls of any value. Mostly they sell low quality freshwater pearls in plated findings for – I just saw one on facebook – £35 which is outrageous
You can have them in a box, with a silver tone finding for $1.30 (min order 100)
The scam goes like this. The operator buys pickled oyster shells from either a wholesaler in the UK or America or direct from china. They are vacuum packed and dead. The poor things have had a random freshwater pearl shoved into them. The process is that the pearl is inserted into a live young akoya oyster shell which opens as it dies. The corpse is then dumped into a chemical bath which shrinks the adductor muscle so it slowly closes, and preserves it. Then it is vacuum packed or tinned and sold to one of the companies at the top of the supply pyramid.
There is one company which has been recruiting sellers hard and promoting these parties, because they are selling the preserved shells and findings at a huge mark up and controlling the drilling and setting of the pearls. Big profit for them.
References[edit]
- ^'Pearl's Peril'. www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Pearl's Peril Original Soundtrack by Sound Of Games on Amazon Music - Amazon.co.uk'. www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ ab'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'quickgamer.net - Diese Website steht zum Verkauf! - Informationen zum Thema quickgamer'. ww1.quickgamer.net. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Pearl's Peril Preview'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ abc'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Preview Version of Oceans & Empires out Now on Google Play'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ ab'Yahoo!'. blog.games.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'insidesocialgames.com'. www.insidesocialgames.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Pearl's Peril - Hey Gamer Lady!'. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Pearl's Peril: Hidden Objects ASO Report'. AppTweak. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
External links[edit]
Live Pearl Opening Party
Pearl opening companies seem to be popping up all around the world, certainly in the UK and on facebook in the last couple of weeks or so.
This pearl opening thing has been around for years. Every so often someone will come up to one of us and say they got this pearl at some place which had a tank of oysters and they picked one and it had a pearl in it. In one place in America I heard of boys diving off a pier to get the shells, which is a dramatic bit of scene setting.
They cause our hearts to sink. The pearls are invariably low quality freshwater pearls, but the customer will have been told that the pearl is worth £££ and is rare and very valuable. I never know whether to be honest and blow the smoke away or just gush about what a wonderful pearl etc etc
You can have the poor oyster in a tin – $1 a time.
These set ups are always a money making scam to some degree or other. I have yet to see one which sells genuine akoya pearls of any value. Mostly they sell low quality freshwater pearls in plated findings for – I just saw one on facebook – £35 which is outrageous
You can have them in a box, with a silver tone finding for $1.30 (min order 100)
The scam goes like this. The operator buys pickled oyster shells from either a wholesaler in the UK or America or direct from china. They are vacuum packed and dead. The poor things have had a random freshwater pearl shoved into them. The process is that the pearl is inserted into a live young akoya oyster shell which opens as it dies. The corpse is then dumped into a chemical bath which shrinks the adductor muscle so it slowly closes, and preserves it. Then it is vacuum packed or tinned and sold to one of the companies at the top of the supply pyramid.
There is one company which has been recruiting sellers hard and promoting these parties, because they are selling the preserved shells and findings at a huge mark up and controlling the drilling and setting of the pearls. Big profit for them.
The party works by someone signing up to buy some of these tinned oysters and associated stuff and told a load of nonsense about what they are. They organised a website and facebook page and get people to join an online video ‘party' where with a lot of whooping and hysteria, the huckster then opens one of these in front of a webcam and – wow – you have this pearl. The huckster will give a ridiculous appraisal that the pearl is worth much money. (no it is not)
Or the opening is done in the shop or the end of the pier. But the pearl inside is yours. And, not only do you have this pearl now, but you can buy the finding -some basket pendant holder usually – to display it. And it only costs £££.
I tracked down one UK wholesaler. Roman legion games. These pickled and vacuum packed shells cost between $1 and $2 a pop. Never more, even when packed individually in a box with a silver tone finish pendant finding. That wholesaler is selling them for £80 for five! I am in the wrong business.
The operator opens the pearl and tells you your pearl is worth £££.
It is not.
Vacuum packed, so you can opening them in front of a webcam- popular on facebook. $1.20 each
There are also suspicions that there is some pyramid selling going on, and I heard over the weekend of two people in America who have thought they would start up these horrible operations and have lost their money by being sent empty boxes
I've not yet seen a website with one of these companies which complies with UK and EU law on returns or on contact details . These are invariably low quality freshwater pearls – akoya pearls do not come in shocking pink or peach, and certainly not ready dyed black! Plus the chemical liquid in which they are preserved is probably toxic.
If I sound cross about this nonsense and scam it is because I am. It is dishonest and wrong
Opening Pearls On Facebook Profile
Just another example. These were the cheapest – 85cents US each
If you want great pearls talk to us – We go to Hong Kong to personally select every single pearl on the website. Our business is open, pays its taxes, is a ltd company with bona fides, complies with all the UK law, you have an address for me, you can talk to us, make returns, and we've been going for more than 15 years.
Shop here for finished jewellery
Shop here for bespoke commission work
Shop here for loose pearls to make into jewellery
Update
Information for a class action is being gathered in the USA. If you have had involvement with this nonsense either as a buyer or seller in the US please contact https://www.classaction.org/vantel-pearls-lawsuits who will be taking action in the ninth circuit.
In the UK contact Trading Standards and the Citizens' Advice Bureau
Latest
There's a new video on youtube debunking the claims by sellers of these pearls that pearls change colour when wet/dry .They don't. The sellers are lying, they are sending out different pearls to you. More scam, more deceit. Pearls do not change colour when wet.
There is no such organisation as The National Pearl Association of the United States. In America you have the Cultured Pearl Association of America. In the UK we Have the British Pearl Association. The NPAUS is a made up thing to try to add credibility to a pearl opening wholesaler company's totally ridiculous and fraudulent pearl value chart.
This chart, being shown to pearl opening punters, assigns values to pearls. The values are absurd, not going to happen. No respectable pearl dealer would have anything to do with such a chart. Every pearl has a different value. arrived at by negotiation and with experience. If you are shown such a chart it is okay to laugh. Tell the person showing you that we said it was okay to laugh cos the chart is a joke with no basis in an honest pearl business
Finally…We've looked at some of the websites supplying pearl parties. They hide. They want your money but they do not give a mail address, just email. Ask yourself – does any reputable business hide where they are? Of course not.
November 2017 update
Remarkably I am still getting emails and enquiries about this. People still starting up businesses ( not spotting that their next big thing is the week before last's fading craze).
There's also been a revelation that the preservative liquid is definitely toxic in at least some shells – it is formaldehyde. Used to preserve tissue . UK safety people are investigating and import may well be banned
Finally for this update I got this email this morning from a pearl opening supplier. These are the prices your pearl opening facebook lovely friend is paying for these shells – work out their profits for yourself then browse our website for genuine top quality pearls at great prices…pearls selected carefully and in person by us.
work out for yourself that you are being played for a mug by the pearl openers
