Bargain Center: discussion, gossip, etc.

[concealed identity]

Yeah, this is simple. Just give a different free plugin to those who already own the synth. And then give away another plugin to those who already own the synth and the other free plugin. Of course this isn't fair for the people who don't own the synth but want the alternative plugin, so they should get that instead of the synth. Then, the people who want the third free plugin just need to get the first two. This isn't fair for the people who already owned the first two though, so really UA should just remove all plugins from everybody's account and then give away all of their plugins for free. For those who paid in the past, they can get a discount coupon to use for one of the other plugins.

[wangeroge]

Now that Steinberg's old eLicenser is finally gone, when does Antares remove their old CodeMeter stuff?

[VitaminD]

I'd prefer, if I get a coupon code, it have no minimum cost to use. There was a time UA was doing that it seems..

That would’ve been years ago. It’s been like this for a while. Anyway, the bundles are the best deals, and they’re all over $49.

It doesn't make it better.

As the end user, the customer, I look at this from a different perspective. If someone gives me a discount code, applies a minimum purchase amount, then lowers the cost of all the single items to just below that minimum purchase which purposely invalidates using that coupon for individual items, it really strikes me as a poor gesture.

Obviously the goal is to get people to spend much more than they would have initially. Which is a shady ploy regardless who else may or may not do this. It wasn't really a gift after all but just a marketing tool to get you spending big in the shop. No thanks.

But the bigger issue with UA isn't this, it's the lack of per plugin discounts of the bundles based on what you own. You end up with massive overlap if you're not careful, rebuying products.

[VitaminD]

Yeah, this is simple. Just give a different free plugin to those who already own the synth. And then give away another plugin to those who already own the synth and the other free plugin. Of course this isn't fair for the people who don't own the synth but want the alternative plugin, so they should get that instead of the synth. Then, the people who want the third free plugin just need to get the first two. This isn't fair for the people who already owned the first two though, so really UA should just remove all plugins from everybody's account and then give away all of their plugins for free. For those who paid in the past, they can get a discount coupon to use for one of the other plugins.

It's not really about a plugin given away for free or any hurt over people getting a plugin for free. It's about a coupon code that is so restricted that it is not really worth using.

They could easily resolve this by simply removing the minimum purchase amount from the coupon use.

[concealed identity]

Resolve what? What needs to be resolved?

[Uncle E]

It doesn't make it better.

As the end user, the customer, I look at this from a different perspective. If someone gives me a discount code, applies a minimum purchase amount, then lowers the cost of all the single items to just below that minimum purchase which purposely invalidates using that coupon for individual items, it really strikes me as a poor gesture.

Yup, I see what you're saying. It would probably be better for them to not have any $49 products, either lower them to $39 or raise them to $59, or just stop doing coupon codes altogether. Now they're just out of reach.

[t.o.t.s.]

Now that Steinberg's old eLicenser is finally gone, when does Antares remove their old CodeMeter stuff?

Im pretty sure all the codemeter junk is now out. It took a minute but I reinstalled the Antares stuff a few weeks back and dont see any code meter on my system anymore.

[Kurdish Mayfield]

It doesn't make it better.

As the end user, the customer, I look at this from a different perspective. If someone gives me a discount code, applies a minimum purchase amount, then lowers the cost of all the single items to just below that minimum purchase which purposely invalidates using that coupon for individual items, it really strikes me as a poor gesture.

Yup, I see what you're saying. It would probably be better for them to not have any $49 products, either lower them to $39 or raise them to $59, or just stop doing coupon codes altogether. Now they're just out of reach.

Whats missing here is that the folks who got the coupon code (me for example) were given one because they already have the free synth and (in my case) got it during a give away. I have no right to expect yet another freebie just because I got the last one. Also the expectation that a coupon should cover the cost of whatever I want or its not fair, is pretty privileged to me since they also have a pick any 2 plugins (which are already on sale) and use the $25 coupon on that. UA has some good deals right now like the Empirical Labs Distressor and LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip for $53 after the coupon. This coupon is a great gesture to me although it clearly runs afoul of KVR's mandatory "look the gift horse in the mouth and anywhere else you can"

[ben_ita]

No one is saying that previous owners of PolyMAX had the right to have something else, but since THEY (UA) claimed that wanted to give something back to the ones that already have it too, this coupon conditions sounds a bit of a joke. They could have not promised anything, they could have given a 5% extra discount or a 5$/€ coupon without a minimun treshold, I think no one would have complained. So as it is FOR ME it is useless (I really don't need anything from them, but probably in case I would have thrown away 10-15$/€ to try something new), but I'm glad that someone found the offer usefull.
As a comparison, not long ago another company (not very well regarded here as far as I understood) gave away one of their plugins I already owened. Without any real expectation I wrote to the customer service to know if there was the chance to have something else instead. They asked me to send them the recipit of my purchase of the plugin on free offer and then activated in my account one of their plugins I said I was interested in. They didn't had to do that, but they kindly did. As a customer I felt they had a special attention to me and that I wasn't just a cow to milk... as a result a few weeks later I bought another of their plugins even if it wasn't strictly necessary for me...

[VitaminD]

It doesn't make it better.

As the end user, the customer, I look at this from a different perspective. If someone gives me a discount code, applies a minimum purchase amount, then lowers the cost of all the single items to just below that minimum purchase which purposely invalidates using that coupon for individual items, it really strikes me as a poor gesture.

Yup, I see what you're saying. It would probably be better for them to not have any $49 products, either lower them to $39 or raise them to $59, or just stop doing coupon codes altogether. Now they're just out of reach.

Or just not put a limitation on the coupon beyond one use per account. It would have generated another sale. Oh well.

Yet it's clearly not looking a gift horse in the mouth as some may claim. The customer isn't to blame for not appreciating the schemes of companies in attempting to generate sales with fake kindness. I'm not going to kiss the boots of corporates because I'm not beholden to their products.

[Kurdish Mayfield]

"Or just not put a limitation on the coupon beyond one use per account. It would have generated another sale. "

A $25 coupon used twice on a $49 product means UA would owe the user $1 cash back. This seems the only way some could be happy.

"Yet it's clearly not looking a gift horse in the mouth as some may claim."

There couldn't be a better example of looking a gift horse in the mouth unless UA was giving away a horse. Same old KVR traditional "I didnt get the freebie I wanted so I'll start whining" followed by "here's how the give away should have been done...." followed by a large dose of "all corporations are fake and evil, blah blah blah"

" The customer isn't to blame for not appreciating the schemes of companies in attempting to generate sales with fake kindness."

Yes, some dont appreciate anything at all.

[av_]

Yes, some dont appreciate anything at all.

Don't appreciate what? Straightforward manipulation or the "discount code" that looks like an insult to existing customers?
I don't remember people complaining wnen they were giving away LA2A and 1176.

[Proteinshake]

UAD isn't forced to sell, and nobody is forced to buy anything. But the way I see it .. it's just bad business. Some of the $49 plug-ins I surely won't purchase once they are back to "regular". But with discount applied, I might have gotten something, just for the sake of getting something. Would have been $24 profit for UAD, of which they otherwise would see none.

[Kurdish Mayfield]

The discount code works just fine...thats whats not appreciated. $25 off any 2 plugins that the user picks....it works. Folks need to stop whining if they dont get exactly what they want for free or pretend theyre being manipulated just because they'd have to make the slightest effort to take advantage of a sale (including spending a little money).

[av_]

The discount code works just fine...thats whats not appreciated. $25 off any 2 plugins that the user picks....it works. Folks need to stop whining if they dont get exactly what they want for free or pretend theyre being manipulated just because they'd have to make the slightest effort to take advantage of a sale (including spending a little money).

Every marketing strategy is a manipulation based on human psychology. Those who "whine" are just a bit more immune to it. They need more delicate aproach)