[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

2 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

So how would YOU suggest LL increase their revenue?  I'm sorry but not a lot of people are going to be outraged you're paying an extra $12.50/wk.  That's all some can afford, period.

We all want this and that fixed or added but someone has to pay for those employees.  I want, I want, I want but I don't want to pay.  Not how business works and SL is a business.

Anyway, just my opinion and the last thing I'll have to say on the subject.

In this above scenario are you being impacted? I never said an increase wasn't warranted, I just said there should be a reasonable ceiling. If your costs wont increase then you have no valid input of justifying mine

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

25 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

I'm not telling you any such thing.  But we all make choices on how we spend our disposable income.  Perhaps they should have just increased their % of MP sales.  Charged more for land.  Increased premium membership.  Taken away stipends.  What they did do is spread the increase where it's more evenly distributed amongst the user base.  Most people buy Lindens.  Less people own land or sell on the MP.  Perhaps you have a reasonable alternative as to how LL can increase revenue.  At the end of the day, LL is in business to make money.  Period.

Problem with this response it that according to Linden Labs, the typical user purchases LESS than 2500 Lindens so their net cost will remain the same. The COST is not being distributed evenly, this is my point

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

You spend per month what I spend a week on Lindens. Easy for you to tell me to up that 4 fold, its not your money?

I understand the need to generate revenue for growth, but under what business model would this increase be justified? Common sense needs to reign here. If costs must be increased, then spread them amongst everyone. Easy for those of you with no add'l costs to just justify as only $1.65/day. Remember, that's not a total cost but the increase of the cost. Its always so easy to spend another persons money when it doesnt impact you. Most who comment here will pay NO additional fee but will benefit from the upgrades and expect others to foot the bill. So tell me this? Should we all pay or just those who spend more pay the costs to upgrade SL???

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

13 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

As has been noted within this very thread, some rental agencies actually offer direct payment to them through PayPal. If the one you are going through does not, I suggest you bring it up to them as an option or find one that offers such.

As for your question on the fairness of it? All you need to know concerning my view was summed up in my quoteless response to you a moment ago (in addition to the few other responses I have made throughout this thread).

ETA: To be somewhat clearer and ensure the wrong impression is not given, while I do understand the reaction to the fee change it is the staggering amounts being discussed by some here as their expenditures that has me nonplussed. In some cases that is a good chunk of my RL rent or a segment of my food budget for a given month that some are saying they're spending a week.

I did contact my landlord regarding this very issue and the fact PAYPAL can refund immediately anything up to 180 days old with no recourse for the landlord; they had to stop this offer (my landlord is the best I have ever had in SL and would never refute a charge) after they experienced some chargebacks (many landlords I have known have told me the same thing). I asked if I could buy Lindens from them directlyand I was told it is against LL TOS for them to sell them (except via Lindex where they get a cut). 

Trust me, I would prefer to pay my tier directly to my landlord and just spend money for the Lindens I use for purchases

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

7 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

 

You may not pay those fee yourself but others certainly do.  As it says, they are a large part of a banks revenue.  And it's all relative as to how much is too much.  An added $600/year is only $12.50/week.  Undoable for many but then so is spending 38200L/wk = $170.  Can't say I've ever spent that in one week, ever.

 

So, because I can afford it i can I should sit back an accept more? Pick any entertainment you enjoy and tell me if that is worth this add'l fee? You are telling ME what I should be willing to pay. Only I can make that decision and because I can doesn't make it right!

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

On 4/17/2021 at 6:26 PM, Drake1 Nightfire said:

Why are so many of you buying $L weekly? Save up and buy once a month. I mean, even before the hike i only bought once a month. 

well i spend about $200US/wk. Do you spend $800US/month? (monthly purchase).

SL is like RL to me. I justify the costs as a substitute for what I would spend going out to the pub in real life (gotta love Covid). 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

4 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I am not at all happy about the increased fee either - really, nobody jumps for joy over any increased fees. 

I can either spend the same amount of L$ as before with the higher fees or adjust my L$ buying and spending habits to at least minimize the impact or leave SL altogether.  At this time I am not willing to leave SL all together.  Thus, I will buy my L$ in some larger batches, while reducing my overall L$ spending.  I'll definitely pay more in fees than I am paying now, but I will simply manage it as best as I can.  

Only time will tell if this move by LL ultimately results in a negative impact to them or not. Probably not, but one can hope that it does and that LL thus reduces the percentage a bit.

Only reply I can come up with is a bad 80's music video.....

..just sayin.......lol

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

1 minute ago, Solar Legion said:

Boy oh boy, how I'd love to be able to afford to do that .....

As I am sure a rather large segment of the user base would as well.

Does it really matter? Question is, do you feel it is fair?

Now the majority of my Linden purchases are for tier to private landowners who must pay LL monthly for that land. So Linden Labs; I pay 38200/week in tier (to a number of parcels and owners) of which the majority goes back to Linden Labs in the monthly tiers my landlords pay to Linden Labs. LL then charges me a fee for the ability to pay my tier. Ever heard of a company store? This is a perfect example

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

On 4/27/2021 at 8:48 PM, Rowan Amore said:

Financial institutions raise their fees all the time.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Bank fees are imposed by financial institutions on their customers for account set-up, maintenance, and minor transactions.

These fees may be charged on a one-time or ongoing basis.

Fees make up a big portion of bank revenue.

Types of bank fees include account maintenance fees, withdrawal and transfer fees, and ATM fees.

I dont pay any of those fees to my bank? ATM fees? No one wants to touch cash anyways these days...lol. Besides most merchants allow cash back when using a debit card with no fees added. 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

I only popped back on this post as I find it totally insane and short sighted. As a refresher, my gripe about this fee is that at my current buy rate it would yield an add'l $600US per year in fees to me.

Response: Buy more lindens to cut fees. Seriously? wtf! I spend over $150US/wk in tiers alone not to mention items i buy. I am told i can lessen the cost by spending $2400US at a time (roughly quarterly payments) to save on upcharge fees. First off, look at the number! No other game has usage fees that large. And I am not complaining as I have CHOSEN to indulge in this endeavor; but to then add a 7.5% service fee and tout  a $9.99 max is outright arrogant. I am NOT laying out a $2000-$2500/quarterly free loan to Linden so I can save on fees. And those that have suggested this $ outlay, have you actually done the same or just making a suggestion with other peoples money?

I would consider myself a good user of Second Life. I am good to others, spend Lindens to help others create living areas and make new items for others to enjoy. But, I would like a serious response to this from Linden Lab. Oh, and btw, I actually did create a ticket about this exact topic and ended with "btw, I rezzed in today as an orange cloud" (referring to SL issues). The response? Reply to this thread (seriously? I NEVER received a comment or reply from Reed or LL on this topic, ever) and then spent 2 paragraphs on troubleshooting links for rez issues. I only created a ticket to make my complaint heard and I'm told to instead place it in a forum that is never responded to by a member of LL. But the majority is responding to my obvious sarcasm of why spend so much more for something not working.

I have read a few replies (very few) of those leaving SL over these increases. Obviously I am in the minority as those who spend less are happy that SOMEONE else is paying for the improvements. Why should the basic purchaser pay the same but my costs skyrocket??? A user would only buys 2000 Lindens per week only spends $38.74US/year in fees, those who purchase in the 35K Linden range would pay an additional 1548% or $600US. HOW is this fair? 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

6 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Exactly.  The increase of $11.57/wk is less than some people pay for other luxury items in RL per day.   So, an increase of $1.65 a day?  Really?

Yes, $1.65/day seems a small amount; but we are talking the increase not the sum total increase. Wouldnt you complain if your coffee increased $1.65/day. We arent talking total cost we are talking the increase. None of you think an extra $600 per year is a large increase for the same product????

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

3 minutes ago, Alwin Alcott said:

thats not the same. It;s no added tax but a seperate cost.
The cost in total raise ; yes
the value of L$ stays the same.

As you said, the cost in total rises. So to the consumer/user, the experience cost has risen. In my case, over $600 US per year! As a consumer I ask this then, what will I get for this increased cost??? This tax needs a lower threshold to max out or a lower overall rate...just saying

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

1 minute ago, FairreLilette said:

Are you able to buy all your lindens for the month instead of weekly?  If once a month, it's $9.99.  And it's capped at $9.99 so if you can afford it you could buy two or three months worth at a time and for three months worth for example it doesn't go past $9.99.

I agree, this is a rather large jump.  $4.99 may have been better but in the discussion it was felt it was going to have to go to $9.99 anyways and sooner than later, so they felt there was no way around it.

I'm sorry.  My SL has changed drastically with EEP, as EEP is not working on older GPU's now and I'm not spending 1.5K for a GPU any time soon.  Price gouging for GPU's right now.

 

Well said Fairre, All Im saying is this is NOT a modest increase! This is a signifigant surcharge and will affect all who purchase considerable lindens

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

4 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Which is more than some people spend on fancy coffee or cigarettes, alcohol, fast food in a day in RL.  Seems like a bargain for a weeks worth of SL.

You are comparing the increase in costs vs the overall costs of $23.57/day. That's a lot of fancy coffee in a day....lol

 

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

4 minutes ago, Alwin Alcott said:

nope

ok, is simpler terms. The state I live in charges $.51/gal tax on a gallon of gasoline. This gas costs $2.40/gal before tax is applied; so is my cost for that gallon of gas $2.40/gal or $2.91?

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

12 minutes ago, Alwin Alcott said:

the costs for buying L$ raise, not the L$ itself. So you as renter (no tier) will have more costs, but your landlord not, because he gets the same amount as always.
Many merchants upped their prices to cover the sales tax... and LL is happy, because the get their 10% on that raise too.. so not the merchant pays.. but the buyer....again you! (we) .. The selling side of L$ doesn't change.

if a stipend is added to the cost of buying a linden, then a Linden costs more; simple. My current tier obligations are L$38200/wk, which today costs me $154.29. Next week that same purchase will cost me $165.85. An increase of $11.57/wk; $46.29/mo; $601.64/yr. This does no reflect Lindens needed to purchase items in SL either but obvious that is a sizable increase added as well. I am not commenting on my costs is SL but the INCREASED costs. Let me ask this? Will I have a $600 better experience???

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

1 minute ago, Alwin Alcott said:

ehm... where did you get all of that? It's "only" about buying L$ ... nothing more this moment.

everything in SL is based upon the Linden; its currency. SO if the cost of a Linden increases how does that not effect the costs across the board? I rent a number of properties so therefore to pay for these lands i must buy Lindens. Now my cost to pay tier goes up. If I shop in SL (beside MP taking 10% from what I am told), those merchants must set up shop and pay tier so their costs go up. If Im a merchant and SELL my Lindens I assume the exchange rate will be in effect there as well? Sadly, I only BUY in SL and from my perspective my SL just got a large cost increase

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

If you sell Lindens LL takes a cut as well? Has that been impacted as well I wonder? Will private land tiers increase as a result? Merchants must pay tier so their costs will increase as they use Lindens for their stores (land/tier) so to assume LL doesnt get a piece of ALL transactions is a bit misguided. If the cost of a Linden has increased therefore the cost of SL has increased. So you focus on that portion of my comment? What about the focus of my comment which is the radical jump in exchange fees? Even their example in the blog is a 51% increase in the exchange rate! Yes, i purchase in larger amounts so I am impacted less, but that has ended and unsure adding another $400/yr in costs is worth it....Nope it isnt, I am releasing a full homestead now; thank you LL

[Buy Fee Change Discussion]

Ok, I'm a bit surprised by this modest (haha!) increase. Besides LL taking from all transactions, they are now increasing their cut from upfront as well???. I typically purchase 30k Lindens per week; so thats an increase from $1.49 to $9.42 per week or $7.92/wk or $412.08/year! That is  insane for a service that has become more unreliable. I will not take this increase and will throttle back my SL experience. Im a premium member and when I need assistance it takes DAYS to react. I tried to gift a friend a premium membership and that took over 2 weeks! Sorry but I dont expect the experience will improve, just a lighter wallet will result. At the volume I purchase, that is over a 630% increase to transaction fees! When will greed end?