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New homes, new price


Sylvia Tamalyn
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44 minutes ago, Leninah said:

I have a lot of sympathy with Tootsie on this. It is not right that some premium members get the 'full service' and others a second rate one when we all pay the same. You can't dress that up to look better I'm afraid. The new homes were released first April 16th I think it was? 

The reason they ran out in 48hrs was because the demand was greater than expected. That excuse does not hold true for the second batch though which also ran out ridiculously fast. We're now two months on and there's still no adequate supply and worse still no date for resolution.

I've seen huge spaces in existing regions marked off as 'Linden Homes Coming Soon' and on forums people saying 'soon' a lot. The problem here, and what's causing many angst, is what does 'soon' mean? No-one can give a date when all those premium members wanting the 'full service' are going to be able to get it. Some idea of when just might placate people who are getting fed up with this.

Now, on-top of that you add this price hike. I calculate it to be as much as 46.5% if you're billed quarterly and 37.5% if you're billed annualy. The 26% I saw earlier in this post is for monthly billed only. Who raises prices in this age of austerity by 46.5% ?! Even the gas and electricity companies daren't do that!

I agree with some of the comments that prices do go up and you have to consider value for money. That would be a far easier decision if it wasn't a case of being asked to pay 46.5% for a full service you can't have anyway for an unspecified length of time. Why not tie the price increase to providing the full service for everyone that is paying for it? That would have some semblance of being fair at least.

P.S. If anyone feels like attacking me for punctuation, religion or spelling, go ahead, miss the whole point if that makes you feel better :)

 

Although some attempts were made, at the start of all of this, to downplay the fact that they had underestimated demand, it's clear now that they obviously did. Which is to say, they obviously realized the older homes were becoming too dated, but they clearly weren't expecting the enormous rush on these new plots, and the enthusiasm this would spark in a renewed sense of community. And even if they did, the question, of course, is, What can be done to remedy that? And the answer is: close to nothing.

Almost anything digital can be copied almost indefinitely... except Bellisseria. And that's because they chose not to go the cheap 'Copy & Paste' route. That's a major factor in what makes it so popular. The only way to make a plot available 'soon', for all 60,000+ Premium, is to start copying and pasting again... after which, ironically, ppl won't want it any more. Ergo, the situation is inherently unsolvable. Moles are diligently working, around the clock, to add more. But 'uniquely handcrafted' inevitably spells 'slow progress.'

You may think it's easy for me to talk, as I have already secured a spot. But, believe you me, if I hadn't, I would still ask them (maybe implore, even) to not do a rush job, mainly for reasons outlined above: if they did, I wouldn't be interested any more.

The situation isn't hopeless, of course. Even today, there are still like 1-2 plots vacated per day. Not much, but there's a chance the hype will simmer down a bit (also 'soon'), especially when they'll introduce their newly promised themes. You will get yours, one day, for sure. But maybe not tomorrow yet. And that sucks. But making something everyone wants, also means they're working on something beautiful. And that's surely a good thought to hang onto.

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@LeninahI'm sure some people will wait to get their premium account until they have a much better chance of getting a new home, especially with the proposed price rise. (I wasn't that patient and played the refresh roulette to get my plot) That doesn't solve the problems for existing account holders though.

With the new houses this feels like a good deal, but for many, myself included, without access to them it would be less so. So I guess this is a business risk. It doesn't look like the new plots can be produced any faster at current quality levels.

In the end it is up to you how to proceed, and I certainly hope you get a new virtual home sooner rather than later.

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@Blush I worked it out, and I am not a maths expert, but based on for Quarterly paid per month a current fee in US Dollars of $7.50 rising to $10.99 which is an increase of $3.49. Expressed as a percentage of the current rate that increase is 46.5%. Annually is $6 pm currently rising to $8.25 which is 37.5%. I don't mind being corrected if my maths is wrong, might even make me feel a bit better about it but unless I can get the 'full service' the price is moot anyway.

@Kiramanell I can only agree with you that Linden Labs have woefully failed to calculate not once, but twice the level of demand for these new homes. Personally, that surprises me, because who isn't going to want to double their primage, at the time which was for the same cost? I also agree quality is important, but these homes are designed that way so it’s not an unknown how long it takes to put them out properly is it? However long it takes to do that properly can be planned and a date arrived at. All I am asking for is a date, so we have a reasonable idea, better than 'soon' which is completely open ended. I wouldn't call two months 'soon' myself but here we are. Surely it’s just a case of saying ok we need x many it will take us y long to do z amount so a date can be arrived at. Basic planning is all it takes. The fear here is they already did that and know either a) 'soon' is as specific as they want to get cause it’s a looooong time! or b) They aren't confident about hitting any date or maybe most hopefully c) They don't have the resources or priority to put into these at the cost of work on the new themes. Whatever it is it would be nice to be treated like adults and know.

@Raspberry thanks I hope so too. I have no Linden home at the moment (current process is you need to abandon your existing first, which is another irritation), although as the major benefit of premium, I am still paying for it and now a huge percentage more for NOT having it too, which is not really satisfactory. Like many other multiple premium account holders, I will be cutting back some accounts too as this is going on too long with no end in sight.

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41 minutes ago, Blush Bravin said:

nvm

Edited 6 minutes ago by Blush Bravin 
decided it was better to just keep my mouth shut

I agree with you, because at least Leninah's percentage calculation is correct. ;)

In many European countries, monthly or quarterly payments are also subject to VAT. Only the annual payment method is VAT-exempt. No idea how high the VAT is in Leniah's UK, in Germany it is 19%.

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58 minutes ago, kiramanell said:

And even if they did, the question, of course, is, What can be done to remedy that? And the answer is: close to nothing.

Agree, hiring more builders (“moles”) would just eat into their finances more. If this was the “heyday of SL”, that would be different.

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2 hours ago, Leninah said:

It is not right that some premium members get the 'full service' and others a second rate one when we all pay the same. You can't dress that up to look better I'm afraid. 

While I understand your frustration, I think you misstate the position, I'm afraid.

To my mind, all premium members continue to enjoy the same level of service as we did before, including the right to a new Linden Home should there be one available.    I use my and my alts' premium membership to maintain existing mainland commercial properties, and I live on a private region, so Linden Homes aren't much use to me.    However, should I decide I want one -- as I may do at some point -- then I can apply for one on the same basis as any other premium member.  But for the meantime I'm not going to be using any of the extra benefits we've recently gained.

That doesn't matter to me because I have become accustomed to the fact that companies have to raise their prices now and again, be it LL or my local supermarket or hairdresser or coffee shop, so I accept this as part of life in a free-market economy (I'm not yet so old that I spend my time complaining about much things cost nowadays compared with when I was a girl -- that was for my grandmother when she was alive) and I still consider the benefits of premium membership as good value for what I want, regardless of the price increase.

Furthermore, having spent several years in SL listening to people grumble that "the tier is too damn high" and having long been concerned that LL's business model of relying so heavily on income from land was unsustainable, I can't really complain that LL, now Ebbe is running things, are taking the necessary steps to reduce the price of land (as they have done, dramatically, over the last year or so, and increased the LI limits) and raise their income from alternative sources, including premium membership.

 

Edited by Innula Zenovka
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44 minutes ago, Leninah said:

All I am asking for is a date, so we have a reasonable idea, better than 'soon' which is completely open ended. I wouldn't call two months 'soon' myself but here we are. Surely it’s just a case of saying ok we need x many it will take us y long to do z amount so a date can be arrived at. Basic planning is all it takes. The fear here is they already did that and know either a) 'soon' is as specific as they want to get cause it’s a looooong time! or b) They aren't confident about hitting any date or maybe most hopefully c) They don't have the resources or priority to put into these at the cost of work on the new themes. Whatever it is it would be nice to be treated like adults and know.

You're assessing this like what they're doing is some kind of factory work. While often time-frames can be estimated, creativity does not follow a clear time schedule.

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@Innula No I don’t think I misstate the position. Two premium account holders pay the same and don’t get the same benefits they are both paying for, and both want. Not through choice but through lack of availability. That’s not the same level of service at all. Nor do I pretend that prices don’t go up of course they do but what else do you buy or pay for that’s gone up 46.5% in one hit? Yes I’m complaining that I’m being asked to pay that much more for something I can’t have or even know when I will get it, of course I am.

@AngieRath Yes we have VAT at 20% here in the UK. I don’t know if our annual payment is exempt I’ll have to check that!

@Love Not since then no 😉

 

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@Luna I would agree with you if these were being designed and initially created yes that would need to consider creativity. That may well be applicable for the new themes but not for these homes this is in the repeat phase. All the creativity has been done and it’s a case of re-producing more.

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4 minutes ago, Leninah said:

@Luna I would agree with you if these were being designed and initially created yes that would need to consider creativity. That may well be applicable for the new themes but not for these homes this is in the repeat phase. All the creativity has been done and it’s a case of re-producing more.

They are not reproducing cookie-cutter layouts for the additional regions. My understanding is that a significant percentage of the new regions will be unique layouts, and from my years of experience creating layouts I'm aware this is a time-consuming process, not easy, and requires creativity.

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@Luna IF as you say they are adding more of the same houses as new bespoke designs rather than repeating what is already there just more of it, then I would say that’s not addressing the problem at hand. I certainly would be happy with a new home of one of the existing designs. They are not ALL unique, there is already variation with repetition included, so I and I expect a lot of other people would be happy with one of those ‘nowish’ rather than wait indefinitely for a 'new creative design’.

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11 minutes ago, Leninah said:

@Luna IF as you say they are adding more of the same houses as new bespoke designs rather than repeating what is already there just more of it, then I would say that’s not addressing the problem at hand. I certainly would be happy with a new home of one of the existing designs. They are not ALL unique, there is already variation with repetition included, so I and I expect a lot of other people would be happy with one of those ‘nowish’ rather than wait indefinitely for a 'new creative design’.

What you are desiring does not fit in with the overall plans for Belliserria, and I believe the overall goals are more important and will create a more interesting and beautiful continent with a greater amount of unique features in the landscape for residents to live in and explore.

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27 minutes ago, Leninah said:

I certainly would be happy with a new home of one of the existing designs.

Even the copypasting of an existing region requires an integration with all the regions surrounding it, which is actually one of the complexities that makes creating continents more difficult than some imagine.

I do understand your frustration of wanting a new Linden home immediately, seeing the excitement on the forum regarding the new continent is very infectious and no doubt you want to be part of it.

Edited by Luna Bliss
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@Luna I appreciate your understanding of the frustration, thank you for that. I don’t follow the idea however that this can be that hard to replicate more homes of the same type and integrate them. If it is that hard then the overall design is simply not scaleable and therefore flawed. It’s not meeting the demand by a long way so beautiful or not, its not fit for purpose in my opinion, and I accept that is an opinion not everyone will share.

@Angie Thanks yeah I saw that but with my annual renewal not due till Jan 2020, and given all of this lack of clarity and basic information about the future, I’m hesitant to commit and pay up front to Jan 2021 at this point. The only thing that rivals this for lack of clarity is BREXIT !! 😉

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2 hours ago, AngieRath said:

In many European countries, monthly or quarterly payments are also subject to VAT. Only the annual payment method is VAT-exempt. No idea how high the VAT is in Leniah's UK, in Germany it is 19%.

VAT is not the responsibility of LL. If you have a problem with VAT take it up with your politicians and government officials.

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2 minutes ago, Blush Bravin said:

VAT is not the responsibility of LL. If you have a problem with VAT take it up with your politicians and government officials.

I wasn't making an issue of VAT it has been applied consistently to old and new prices. 

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6 minutes ago, Blush Bravin said:

VAT is not the responsibility of LL. If you have a problem with VAT take it up with your politicians and government officials.

Now it's dawned on me. Tyvm! Unfortunately it's too late now. ;(

And ... I don't have  problems with VAT, btw

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42 minutes ago, Leninah said:

@Luna I appreciate your understanding of the frustration, thank you for that. I don’t follow the idea however that this can be that hard to replicate more homes of the same type and integrate them. If it is that hard then the overall design is simply not scaleable and therefore flawed. It’s not meeting the demand by a long way so beautiful or not, its not fit for purpose in my opinion, and I accept that is an opinion not everyone will share.

I can accept your opinion, but it's annoying just the same when one person judges another unfairly.

Did you ever entertain the notion that you could be wrong in your judgement of LL because you haven't done this before (created continents) and so don't fully understand it?

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