I overpaid for my u-he plugins...

[Urs]

the CEO regularly talks plainly with his customers about tech and strategy

If only those passholders would ever finish that damn Zebra update they were talking about

[excuse me please]

@Urs

Hmmm.. my suggestion is to name it "Alpha Zebra"
Just sounds better.

[Freaqpeak]

So the U-He website shows British pounds or something for the prices for me, despite me being in the United States. I've read about how they don't really have discounts or sales (from their own website) so I didn't look around for different prices or deals, just bought directly from the website a month or two back at the price listed on the website (after Paypal converting to USD during the transaction).

Now I was considering buying Presswerk kept seeing the price listed in USD in forum posts. Then I looked around and I see the U-He plugins selling on 3rd party websites in USD. Meaning after conversion I WAY overpaid for the previous plugins I bought by about $80 compared to buying from a third party that charges USD prices. This really sucks and I feel like I was mislead by U-He's own website.

Am I missing something?

You missed to search the Internet and the fact that resellers choose their own prices... this is nothing unique to U-he... Always compare prices before you buy...

[mholloway]

The part of the OP that makes zero sense is him asserting that he was 'misled' by U-He because they choose to show the normal, standard, unchanging regular prices of their products on their page. Uh....that's what anyone and everyone does, what else could they do?. It's not U-He's responsibility to inform us that some third party seller is offering a good deal on one or more of their products. That's on us, the shopper, to discover for ourselves.

[DoktorTenma]

I guess the OP need to add a few more companies to complain about as I don't see them mentioning that customers should look elsewhere either.

Comparing some product prices as of today buying from Thomann and the companies themselves. (Prices in GBP where possible as that is the currency I'm using.):

Steinberg Cubase Artist 10.5 (inc. e-licenser)
Steinberg web shop: £284 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £245 (inc VAT)

Steinberg Cubase Elements 10.5 (Download only)
Steinberg web shop: £85 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £75 (inc VAT)

Image-Line FL Studio Producer Edition
Image-Line web shop: £153 on product page. (£183.60 when checking out basket as VAT has then been added.)
Thomann: £168 (inc VAT)

fabfilter Total bundle
fabfilter web shop: £759 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £737 (inc VAT)

Blue Cat Audio Blue Cat's Analysis Pack
Blue Cat Audio web shop: 299 EUR (inc VAT) (£268.99 according to Google currency conversion now.)
Thomann: £260 (inc VAT)

Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-in Bundle
Lexicon web shop: $599.95 (£456.61 VAT?)
Thomann: £262 (inc VAT)

Toontrack EZmix 2 Bundle
Toontrack web shop: 249 EUR (£223.97 according to Google currency conversion now. VAT probably included.)
Thomann: £211 (inc VAT)

These are just some examples using one retailer for price comparisons.

[GRUMP]

Thx for this Lesson in "Customers suck". It's in you to check Conditions and chose the best Options - esp. on an international and diversified Market.

[briefcasemanx]

I guess the OP need to add a few more companies to complain about as I don't see them mentioning that customers should look elsewhere either.

Comparing some product prices as of today buying from Thomann and the companies themselves. (Prices in GBP where possible as that is the currency I'm using.):

Steinberg Cubase Artist 10.5 (inc. e-licenser)
Steinberg web shop: £284 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £245 (inc VAT)

Steinberg Cubase Elements 10.5 (Download only)
Steinberg web shop: £85 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £75 (inc VAT)

Image-Line FL Studio Producer Edition
Image-Line web shop: £153 on product page. (£183.60 when checking out basket as VAT has then been added.)
Thomann: £168 (inc VAT)

fabfilter Total bundle
fabfilter web shop: £759 (inc VAT)
Thomann: £737 (inc VAT)

Blue Cat Audio Blue Cat's Analysis Pack
Blue Cat Audio web shop: 299 EUR (inc VAT) (£268.99 according to Google currency conversion now.)
Thomann: £260 (inc VAT)

Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-in Bundle
Lexicon web shop: $599.95 (£456.61 VAT?)
Thomann: £262 (inc VAT)

Toontrack EZmix 2 Bundle
Toontrack web shop: 249 EUR (£223.97 according to Google currency conversion now. VAT probably included.)
Thomann: £211 (inc VAT)

These are just some examples using one retailer for price comparisons.

Seems that you haven't read the thread, so I'll update you. The entire reason I didn't check is because of the wording of the text in the FAQ. As I've stated many, many times through the thread, this is my fault, and in the future I will take any marketing copy from manufacturers with a huge grain of salt and make sure to do my research and try to read between the lines of any statements made by someone selling me something. I was not even aware that U-He plugins were sold 3rd party. I've only recently got back into music production and back when I was doing it 15 years ago you pretty much always bought plugins direct from the manufacturers site unless it was on a CD and from one of like the 3 major plugin companies.

I hope anyone new to the thread will fully read the thread and add something new to the discussion.

[zvenx]

Which clearly also should make you realise there exist resellers (third party stores) for u-he products too.

rsp

[briefcasemanx]

Which clearly also should make you realise there exist resellers (third party stores) for u-he products too.

rsp

I think I accessed the FAQ page through a google search that went directly to the discounts FAQ page. I read it and thought "Oh, no discounts, well that's reassuring. I don't have to obsessively price check everything or wait for a sale, I can just buy the thing and know i'm getting the best deal."

That's a pretty obvious line of thought given the wording of the FAQ. I actually loved that I thought I could just buy without research, it felt great to not have any purchase anxiety. But taking the wording of the FAQ to an obvious conclusion was incorrect of me. Lesson learned.

[Calenberger]

Lesson learned.

Another lesson to learn:
Currency payments via Paypal are extremely expensive.
Try using your credit card for such transactions.

[JsinOwl]

I think I accessed the FAQ page through a google search that went directly to the discounts FAQ page. I read it and thought "Oh, no discounts, well that's reassuring. I don't have to obsessively price check everything or wait for a sale, I can just buy the thing and know i'm getting the best deal."

That's a pretty obvious line of thought given the wording of the FAQ. I actually loved that I thought I could just buy without research, it felt great to not have any purchase anxiety. But taking the wording of the FAQ to an obvious conclusion was incorrect of me. Lesson learned.

I can honestly see your reasoning. If it were me though, I'd be frustrated with myself for making the mistake, not taking u-he to task for misleading business practices. I think that's where you're losing people who might otherwise be sympathetic.

[zvenx]

Still curious to know what you bought though that was $80 more than at a reseller.
rsp

[briefcasemanx]

I think I accessed the FAQ page through a google search that went directly to the discounts FAQ page. I read it and thought "Oh, no discounts, well that's reassuring. I don't have to obsessively price check everything or wait for a sale, I can just buy the thing and know i'm getting the best deal."

That's a pretty obvious line of thought given the wording of the FAQ. I actually loved that I thought I could just buy without research, it felt great to not have any purchase anxiety. But taking the wording of the FAQ to an obvious conclusion was incorrect of me. Lesson learned.

I can honestly see your reasoning. If it were me though, I'd be frustrated with myself for making the mistake, not taking u-he to task for misleading business practices. I think that's where you're losing people who might otherwise be sympathetic.

I understand where U-He is coming from too. Both of us, as customer and as seller, are in the game of trying to keep the most amount of money for ourselves. It's understandable. But like I've continually said, it's my mistake and a mistake I won't make again. And one that, if I am in the position of selling my own music software in the future, I will remember.

[jsp1979]

I can honestly see your reasoning. If it were me though, I'd be frustrated with myself for making the mistake, not taking u-he to task for misleading business practices. I think that's where you're losing people who might otherwise be sympathetic.

We have a winner.

[schpaeckulum]

Lesson learned.

No, you haven't learned your lesson.
- You purchased directly from the product maker, which is a form of support. You spoiled this by moaning as if something very bad happened and it's a big deal.
- They don't offer discounts, so you didin't overpay one euro cent.
- Currency transaction on paypal is expensive but that is not u-he's fault. When I buy something from the US, I pay customs duty and that is normal. Consider paying through paypal as a form of customs duty.
- Hey, there are resellers, there are also second hand licences here on the kvr market, which are even cheaper. So you 'overpaid' even more - why not buy a second hand license, if you're so stingy.
- Final lesson - ignorance will cost you money but that is normal, you can't know everything, noone does.

Why not move on to something else?