Update: Regulation did reach out and offer a partial refund on the gas mask to anyone who felt misled. However, I still feel this is an important story to keep up. I've added a new conclusion to this piece.
If you’ve recently splurged on a new S10.2 gas mask from one of the many reputable fetish clothing outlets, you’ve been lied to. That’s right, your S10.2 isn’t an S10 gas mask, and it isn’t a reproduction of the famous S10, as many of us were led to believe.
Instead, companies, like Regulation store in the United Kingdom, marketed and sold their new FMJ08 gas masks as “S10.2”s. They did this despite the masks being Peoples Liberation Army-issued from China.
In this blog post, I’ll explain the shady marketing tactics companies like Regulation used to sell their new gas masks and how news of this scam is currently unfolding on social media.
My experience
First, I want to dive into my experience. I first saw the new “S10.2” gas mask from Regulation after the company posted about it on their Instagram profile on August 11, 2023. Their caption reads, “Two new gas masks have just landed in the store, S10.2 and MSX, and they’re already flying out again.”
I, like many others, was excited about this new mask. I immediately visited their website to check out the price and learn more. On their website, they marketed the mask as a new, sealed version of the famous Avon S10 gas mask, saying it’s better than the original for that fact.
This led me to believe that Regulation had manufactured a new version of the S10 gas mask itself. How exciting?
After dealing with a power outage at home, I placed an order as soon as I could. While shopping, I added a rubber harness and rubber belt to my order. I then eagerly awaited my new items from Regulation.
This wasn’t my first time purchasing from Regulation. I’d previously ordered a long-sleeve rubber t-shirt, a rubber tank top, some gloves, and a rubber bike mask from them. I’d grown to trust the brand and its products, as they have held up quite well. You could almost say I was prepared to become a brand ambassador, as I fully believed their company and products to be top-of-the-line.
My order shipped on August 14, 2023, and it arrived in the United States on August 17, 2023. I immediately opened my package and showed off my new items on social media.
Having never owned an S10 gas mask, I was confused by the design of it. I watched a YouTube video on it and noticed some design differences between my mask and the original Avon S10 in the video. They were essentially the same, but they looked slightly different. I shrugged this away as changes in the style due to the reproduction by Regulation.
I took some photos in my new mask the following weekend and posted some online. Regulation even shared my post on Twitter/X, which brought thousands of views to the tweet. I then went off on a road trip to do some hiking and sightseeing.
When I returned, I checked social media to find others calling me and Regulation out for calling the gas masks an “S10.2.”
Regulation’s shady marketing practices for the FMJ08 gas mask
Before I explain what happened next and how I became aware of Regulation’s scam marketing practices, let me share how they marketed this new mask.
As previously stated, I first learned of it from an Instagram post from August 11, 2023, calling it an “S10.2” gas mask. Their website shared the same name, as did the product description. They sold the mask for £107.50, or roughly $135.
Regulation shared another Instagram post about the mask on August 13, 2023, once again calling it “The new version of the classic S10 gas mask.” On these posts, they even used #s10gasmask.
However, the mask was never a reproduction S10, nor an “S10.2” as they claimed. The mask is identical to an FMJ08, a Chinese PLA mask featuring a different voice emitter/exhale valve cover, a modified drinking tube placement, and a different mold shape. While it is technically a clone of the Avon S10, it isn’t identical or new. These masks have been used in China since the mid-2000s. You can learn more on the Gas Mask and Respirator Wiki.
Regulation isn’t the old brand marketing this mask as such. Other brands touting this product include Heavyrubber Shop, The Kinksters, and Blackstyle (as the 41102 S10.2 Gasmask). Blackstyle sells theirs for $188!
Regulation has since renamed the product “FMJ08” on their website and reduced the price from $135 to $95.47. All the while, they haven’t said anything to customers who already purchased the mask nor offered a refund.
Learning about the scam on social media
I learned about the scam on Twitter/X once I returned from some time away on my road trip. I received a reply to my photo of the mask that Regulation shared on their profile from @BaikaPup, stating, “Its not s10.2…avon never made second s10s…do your research please.”
I was immediately upset, as I didn’t take nicely to being told to do my research. After all, all I did was share my new gear online, which Regulation said was an “S10.2.” What else should I have called it? I’m not a gas mask expert.
I immediately replied, “That’s just what Regulation is calling it. I never claimed Avon made another version.” I then shared a screenshot of my receipt, which called the product an “S10.2 Gas Mask.”
@BaikaPup tagged me in a thread from @Pup_Sky from August 21, 2023, which reads, “Hey @REGULATIONstore, please stop trying to trick people into buying your ‘S10.2s’ as if thats what they are. They’re Peoples Liberation Army-issue FMJ08s from China. It’s false advertising. They’re not made by Avon. They’re not S10s, nor are they reproduction S10s.”
@Pup_Sky then shared a screenshot of an AliExpress listing of an FMJ08 for $61.67; a fraction of the price Regulation sold theirs for.
While some users came to my defense against @BaikaPup, I let them know that I felt their original response was rude, but I didn’t think they intended for it to be. I understood that they just wanted me to become aware of the issue, though Regulation was the issue, not my post.
I then did my own research into the FMJ08 and was able to verify that it matched the mask in my possession. That, and Regulation changing the name and price of the product on their site after it sold out told me everything I needed to know. Regulation lied to its customers. Regulation lied to me.
Now what?
Now that we know companies like Regulation purposely misled customers in order to drive more sales for their new gas masks, I’m disappointed in them. I trusted Regulation and its products. Now, it seems you can’t trust their marketing at all.
While I still love my new gas mask, Regulation should be forward with its customers. It should issue an apology for tricking us. It should refund us the difference in price to match its current listing and ensure things like this never happen again. It should do this via email and social media instead of trying to sweep it under the rug.
Customer relationships are built on trust. If I can’t trust Regulation to sell me the products they are promising, then I may have to shop elsewhere in the future. There are plenty of competitors out there.
Thanks for reading my blog. I hope it didn’t come across as too much of a rant, as I wrote it in one go. Hopefully Regulation and these other brands can learn from their mistakes.
Update
Regulation offered a partial refund for the mask for anyone who felt misled. They also removed many of their posts marketing the mask as an S10.2. Hopefully they learn from their mistakes! I'm glad they recognized the issue and responded privately to customers.
