Item Store Update - Duration Times

[EpicNPC]

We made an update to the item shop to allow us to more easily setup different duration times for certain items.

Below are the items that have been updated and now have multiple duration times to select from.

Username Glow - 90, 180, 365 days
All Thread title items (green, red title colors/glows) - 30, 180, 365 days

If you notice any problems, please let me know.

 

[Novun]

So this is basically a hidden price increase for the most loyal users like myself.
I don't like this.
I don't like this at all.

 

[EpicNPC]

It's not a price increase. The prices remain the same, we just added more duration options.

For example, 'Username Glow' was 90 days only. The price for 90 days is the same, we just added 180 and 365 day options. Same for the thread title colors and glow. The default options remain at the same price.

It's actually a price decrease since the 180 and 365 days options are discounted from the normal prices.

Example: Username glow
90 days - 250 (unchanged)
180 days - 450 (10% off)
365 days - 850 (15% off)

 

[ITALY]

We made an update to the item shop to allow us to more easily setup different duration times for certain items.

Below are the items that have been updated and now have multiple duration times to select from.

Username Glow - 90, 180, 365 days
All Thread title items (green, red title colors/glows) - 30, 180, 365 days

If you notice any problems, please let me know.

What a scam, you just increased prices.
I call BS on that, if you keep money grabbing / making people bid 240$ over an ad you gonna lose vendors therefore buyers. Player Auctions is getting better, i'd watchout.

 

[EpicNPC]

[MENTION=630102]copyandpasta[/MENTION] please see my post above. There is no price increase, we are just offering more duration times which are discounted, so it's actually a price decrease.

 

[Novun]

The Green/red Thread Title and red/Green Title + Glow were permanent.
Green/red Thread cost 500 and lasted forever
Green Title + Glow cost 1000 and lasted forever

Now, these are more expensive.

Do I remember incorrectly? I bought one like 2 days ago.

 

[ITALY]

@copyandpasta please see my post above. There is no price increase, we are just offering more duration times which are discounted, so it's actually a price decrease.

COlored thread name -> 500credits -> permanent
Colored+glow -> 1000credits -> permanent
You reduced prices lol?

 

[EpicNPC]

Ah, I see. That was changed a few months ago on August 29th, not yesterday.
https://www.epicnpc.com/threads/1187733-Thread-Title-Colors-Glow-Updated-30-days-only

In August, we changed the duration from permanent to 30 days and decreased the prices by 65%.

Green or Red Title: from 500 credits to 175
Green or Red Glow: from 1000 credits to 350

Most sellers didn't need permanent title color or glow, so the prices were expensive. Someone selling an account would sell it after a few days, so buying an item for 500 or 1000 credits that they only needed for a few days was very expensive. This is the main reason we changed it to 30 days instead of permanent.

However we then had some complaints from larger sellers, who keep long term threads, that they didn't like having to buy the color or glow every 30 days. This is why we added 180 and 365 days options.

Yes, for sellers that keep the same threads for years, it's a price increase, but it's still cheap.

You can get a Red/Green color + Glow for a year for $30. I don't think that's very expensive.

We also don't want every seller to have green or red threads. The more sellers that buy the item, the less usefully it becomes. For example, if you go to a forum and every seller has green and red on the first page, no one will be special. The colors need to expire so the threads that do have green or red stand out more.

 

[Novun]

I didn't see that thread, which is a shame.
It's been changed 2 months ago.

So I bought permanent upgrades for many of my threads. Designed my marketing strategy around that.
Now I have to pay 12*30= 360 USD each year just to keep my current level of visibility.

I'm not counting the new upgrades I bought/started in the last 2-3 days for a new project.

So if I don't do anything new I will be paying 420 yearly to keep this up. (I know this is not exact because of I can buy credits from other members and I don't use glow on all my threads, but yeah it is close to 150-200...)

 

[EpicNPC]

Aside from what I mentioned above, there were some other problems.

In very popular forums like Dota, LoL, Pokemon Go when it was really big, and various other forums, we see 50% or more threads on the first page with the green or red color.

The main reason why someone buys red/green is to make their threads stand out, but when more than half of the threads are green or red, it's no longer stands out. So we need the colors to eventually expire to keep these items useful.

The other issue was that members were requesting their threads moved to other forums. They didn't want to buy another green/red, so they used the same thread and got a mod to move it. Similarly, sellers were using the same thread and editing them so sell something else.

We don't want members hanging onto the same threads forever and editing them over and over again, so this is why we removed the permanent option.

 

[Novun]

The main reason why someone buys red/green is to make their threads stand out, but when more than half of the threads are green or red, it's no longer stands out. So we need the colors to eventually expire to keep these items useful.

The reason why half of the threads are green or red on the first page of popular forums is because all of those sellers are big sellers, they update their threads every 6 hours unlike normal one-time sellers. They will buy the upgrades no matter the cost so they will simply pay more and nothing will change about how the forum section looks.

The other issue was that members were requesting their threads moved to other forums. They didn't want to buy another green/red, so they used the same thread and got a mod to move it. Similarly, sellers were using the same thread and editing them so sell something else.

We don't want members hanging onto the same threads forever and editing them over and over again, so this is why we removed the permanent option.

This will not change. If someone buys the upgrade for 180 or 360 days they will use the same thread over and over like before. And they can't even use the buyback option anymore. The 30 days solution does fix it.

But then why not leave in the permanent Thread Titles for the same price as it was 3 months ago and simply add a cheaper 30 day option. This might have been the easiest solution.

This is a price increase for the long-term, big-time vendors (coupled with the changes 2 months ago), but you have every right to do that.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, it's funny because when I was deciding back then on which forum would I advertise more and build up my rep I decided on EpicNPC because most the upgrades were permanent and no bullshit. Unlike OC and rest where you have to pay over and over again.

- - - Updated - - -

So to summarize <Then I won't complain more >

You should increase the price if you feel it's necessary, but I don't like the fact that my already purchased upgrades were changed as well. (I would not have bought some of them for example, Etc...)

Regards,
Novun

 

[EpicNPC]

This will not change. If someone buys the upgrade for 180 or 360 days they will use the same thread over and over like before. And they can't even use the buyback option anymore. The 30 days solution does fix it.

Some sellers will continue to do that, but most won't. As you say, they won't want to pay for the item at this increased price. However this is what we want. Less threads using the green/red colors so the threads that do have it, are more unique. Members that need it buy the 30 day, then it expires. So less threads have the green/red at the same time.

- Small sellers that need it for short term greatly benefits because the prices are much lower now.
- Large sellers have the option to buy for 6 months or 1 year now.
- Permanent is removed so threads that have red/green will be more unique

The benefit of the lower prices and multiple duration times out weight the negative affects. It's also been over 2 months since the change and there have been very few complaints about the change, so I think the vast majority of members are okay with it.

 

[Eloboostarena]

This doesn't make sense.

I have purchased visibility upgrades for my threads (Glow+Color) a year ago. They were permanent up till now.
I have always had them and never had to refresh them over the past year. You're telling me with your recent changes my visibility upgrades will eventually expire, and i will be forced to purchase a time-limited upgrade this time?

So i purchased a permanent upgrade that ended up not being permanent at all? This is my only problem with this update so far. Super sketchy.

 

[EpicNPC]

Yes, if you have an permanent thread color/glow item it will expire on Aug, 29, 2018, but you can get a 50% refund by selling it back anytime before that as stated in the original announcement thread.
https://www.epicnpc.com/threads/1187733-Thread-Title-Colors-Glow-Updated-30-days-only

Old Items:
For all members that currently have purchased any of these items, we're going to keep them as is for one year, until Aug 29, 2018. Then they will be permanently disabled. The buyback is still enabled, so you can sell back all of your thread title items for a 50% credit refund. If you're going to do this, I suggest waiting until next August to get the most use out of the current items.

I think this is a fair solution because members get a full year out of the current items, even if you purchased one today, plus you get back 50% of your credits back once you sell the items.

 

[Eloboostarena]

I didn't see the original announcement thread. That's completely fine with me if you're giving us a full year from the date of announcement.
I thought the changes were made just a few days ago and that we'll be forced to re-buy colors/glows on our threads very soon. A year long period for previously purchased permanent visibility upgrades and a 50% refund offer is solid.

Thanks for quick reply.

 

[EpicNPC]

Yes, this was announced on Aug 29th, 2017 and we are giving everyone a full year from then. The permanent items will be removed on Aug 29, 2018 and members can sell back the items for a 50% credit refund at any time during this year.

 

[stree]

At first, I like removing permanent perks, forums should become cleaner, funny to see how people hating this.
I have a lot of colored perks bought myself and I still support this change, because some forums are just overhelmed with this.
And this store update is also nice.