What's the point in paying more for Proz com? Thread poster: Pamela Brizzola
|
|---|
I suppose that most of us have paid approx. 120 dollars for Proz com Platinum membership.
Why is now being offered at 99 dollars?
This offer has been reproposed twice in a couple of months.
Can anyone explain to me why I had to pay more for the same service?
Thank you
Pamela
| | | | Ralf Lemster 
Germany
Local time: 23:06
English to German
+ ...
| Special offers are a common marketing tool | May 11, 2004 |
Hi Pamela,
I'm sure Henry will respond to this, but here's my view.
I suppose that most of us have paid approx. 120 dollars for Proz com Platinum membership.
Yup, same here - except that I paid part of it in BrowniZ, IIRC. But that was quite some time ago - when did you purchase/extend your membership?
Why is now being offered at 99 dollars?
For the very same reason that your local supermarket will sometimes offer stuff cheaper: to entice more people to take up the special offer.
Can anyone explain to me why I had to pay more for the same service?
Correction: you did not pay more - others took advantage of a special offer that wasn't there when you bought.
Quite a normal marketing campaign, methinks.
Best regards, Ralf
| | | | Monika Coulson
Local time: 15:06
Member (2001)
English to Albanian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Dear Pamela,
I have paid full price too. However, the price of 99 dollars is a promotion, or a Sale price. Don't you feel the same when you buy, let's say a pair of shoes, and the next time you visit the same store, the same shoes are on sale for 50%? I do feel exactly this way but I guess I bought the right pair of shoes at the wrong time ... See more
| | | | Pamela Brizzola
Italy
Local time: 23:06
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Not quite convinced | May 11, 2004 |
I'm not quite convinced of your reply.
It doesn't seem a reply but a mere justification.
We are not in a supermarket and if I new that Proz would offer a special price just two months after I bought my membership, I might have waited for it.
It's only 20 bucks, so it is not much, much the principle is not fair.
I would also say that I'm very happy of being a Proz member and I also take pride in it.
Next year, I won't renew my membership at 120 euros, but wait for t... See more I'm not quite convinced of your reply.
It doesn't seem a reply but a mere justification.
We are not in a supermarket and if I new that Proz would offer a special price just two months after I bought my membership, I might have waited for it.
It's only 20 bucks, so it is not much, much the principle is not fair.
I would also say that I'm very happy of being a Proz member and I also take pride in it.
Next year, I won't renew my membership at 120 euros, but wait for the offer.
Is it feasible? ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Bob Kerns (X)
Germany
Local time: 23:06
German to English
| Renew now if you can afford it | May 11, 2004 |
Hi Pamela,
I can sympathise with your feelings since I recently bought a new notebook and one week after I bought it the same model was reduced by over 150 euros.
I can only suggest that if you're otherwise happy with your Platinum membership you should renew now for another year at this reduced price. Who knows, if you wait until Jan 05 (I just checked your profile) to renew, the standard price might then be 130 rather than 120 or even more.
Please note th... See more Hi Pamela,
I can sympathise with your feelings since I recently bought a new notebook and one week after I bought it the same model was reduced by over 150 euros.
I can only suggest that if you're otherwise happy with your Platinum membership you should renew now for another year at this reduced price. Who knows, if you wait until Jan 05 (I just checked your profile) to renew, the standard price might then be 130 rather than 120 or even more.
Please note that I have no financial interest in ProZ. I just save where I can and for that reason I have also recently renewed for a further year, even though my previous membership wasn't due to expire until Jan 05.
Regards from Germany,
Bob Kerns ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I suppose that | May 11, 2004 |
Pamela Brizzola wrote:
Can anyone explain to me why I had to pay more for the same service?
Thank you
Pamela
it is just a limited offer ending next Saturday...as any other special offers! A promotion to get more clients and nothing else. I have made the most of the opportunity since my membership was expiring!
I'm just guessing
| | | | Pamela Brizzola
Italy
Local time: 23:06
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I repeat that... | May 11, 2004 |
Talking marketing...
..I'm happy with my membership.
That's the reason why I posted this question. I'm a "happy" client and I wonder whether my "happy" supplier tries to frustrate my "happy" feeling of being a satisfied client.
I might consider renewing my membership now for another year (ending January 2006) but spending 99 euros with a year in advance would not be much cheaper than spending 130 after a year.
I didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest.
I was just won... See more Talking marketing...
..I'm happy with my membership.
That's the reason why I posted this question. I'm a "happy" client and I wonder whether my "happy" supplier tries to frustrate my "happy" feeling of being a satisfied client.
I might consider renewing my membership now for another year (ending January 2006) but spending 99 euros with a year in advance would not be much cheaper than spending 130 after a year.
I didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest.
I was just wondering....
To Monika:
Maybe I'm a too recent member to know that Proz is like a supermarket. It is a common practice for supermakerts to put articles on sale, but is it the same here?
[Edited at 2004-05-11 17:15] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I understand you feeling, Pam | May 11, 2004 |
Pamela Brizzola wrote:
Talking marketing...
... I'm a "happy" client and I wonder whether my "happy" supplier tries to frustrate my "happy" feeling of being a satisfied client.
.
but "business is business"..exactly as it happens in any supermarket all over the world. If you're lucky you get the best opportunity, if not...
I'm not sarcastic, believe me, but this is a business from which we can get our business in turn, so...
Good luck!
Giovanna
| | |
|
|
|
| This is a "sale" to get people to try platinum membership | May 12, 2004 |
The current 99 eur/usd sale was proposed by a moderator. We decided to do it to give those considering a membership a reason to try it now.
Note that what we have really done is put the cost of new membership on par with the cost of *renewing* membership. (It normally costs 100 eur/usd to renew; we have also reduced that in the current sale to 95.) The less expensive "partial platinum" options are another story.
It is possible that we will have periodic sales like this ... See more The current 99 eur/usd sale was proposed by a moderator. We decided to do it to give those considering a membership a reason to try it now.
Note that what we have really done is put the cost of new membership on par with the cost of *renewing* membership. (It normally costs 100 eur/usd to renew; we have also reduced that in the current sale to 95.) The less expensive "partial platinum" options are another story.
It is possible that we will have periodic sales like this in the future. Also, as Bob pointed out, it is possible that we would raise platinum rates in the future. But so far we have been able to hold the cost at the same level for over 3 years now, even as our operating costs have risen.
We will continue to offer the best value we can at ProZ.com, and have no plans to raise the platinum membership fee at this time. But there is an advantage to upgrading now, and (probably) more advantage to purchasing a multi-year membership. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Pamela Brizzola
Italy
Local time: 23:06
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you anyway | May 12, 2004 |
Thank you Henry for your reply, which however is not convincing me.
I think that, by posting this "unconfortable" question, I expressed the feeling of a good number of Platinum members (see how many people have viewed this forum) since I thought we deserved an explanation. Your explanation is "marketing". I share your view and the effort to try and get more non-paying members become Platinums.
I confess that I'm considering renewing my membership at 95 usd, taking advantace of this ... See more Thank you Henry for your reply, which however is not convincing me.
I think that, by posting this "unconfortable" question, I expressed the feeling of a good number of Platinum members (see how many people have viewed this forum) since I thought we deserved an explanation. Your explanation is "marketing". I share your view and the effort to try and get more non-paying members become Platinums.
I confess that I'm considering renewing my membership at 95 usd, taking advantace of this offer. Just because I'm a Platinum and I'm proud of being a part of this site and want to support.
But, think about cash. If a good number of Platinums and Platinum-to-be members pay now for, say, 2 years, you get a lot of cash now, but nothing from them for the next two years.
Being a member of an association (solicitors, notaries, etc.) is not like buying a pair of shoes. If you have the qualification to become a member of this site and make profit from it, you don't expect that your membership fee is going to reduce.
Does it happen the same with solicitors' registers? No, never.
We have spoken about quality for ages in this site, and the fact that clients must consider us as a "professional category" of people. How can clients do that, if we are the first to play our professionalism down?
In any case, I hope you understand that I raised this point not simply because of the 20-usd difference. There was something bigger and more important behind this.
I hope you, and all our colleagues, got it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | frustrated customers... | May 12, 2004 |
I was cheesed off as well, if you want to know...
Regards,
Giovanni
[Edited at 2004-05-12 09:12]
| | |
|
|
|
Pamela Brizzola
Italy
Local time: 23:06
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Giovanni.
You are the first one to openly support me.
I got some sympathy from another colleague too, but in private.
This means that I'm not nuts.
Thank you
I was starting to doubt it myself!
| | | | | I understand what the original poster means | May 12, 2004 |
For I had the same experience elsewhere. It was like this. There was this business magazine in India from a prestigious organization. Their fortnightly cost Rs.20 per issue and there was this tempting offer for a five year subscription with a caller id telephone set as an incentive. The offer cost an amount which represented a good saving plus the handset as above. I took up the offer and within a month the price dropped to Rs 10 per issue and again there was this 5 year offer for quite a reduce... See more For I had the same experience elsewhere. It was like this. There was this business magazine in India from a prestigious organization. Their fortnightly cost Rs.20 per issue and there was this tempting offer for a five year subscription with a caller id telephone set as an incentive. The offer cost an amount which represented a good saving plus the handset as above. I took up the offer and within a month the price dropped to Rs 10 per issue and again there was this 5 year offer for quite a reduced amount plus the same handset as gift. What was worse, there was no facility to renew at this price with renewals from the date of expiry of the first subscription. I represented to the management but they just ignored me. I get this cheated feeling every time I get this magazine.
Regards,
N.Raghavan ▲ Collapse
| | | | | It's the way the market works! | May 13, 2004 |
In theory, Proz.com has a certain level of overheads, regardless of the number of paying members.
Then there are some costs that go up and down depending on membership, the prices of electricity and other commodities, and the levels of activity on the site.
Still in theory, the more members, the lower the costs per member.
So now and then, when there is a little money in the kitty, there is a special offer to encourage more members to share the costs and k... See more In theory, Proz.com has a certain level of overheads, regardless of the number of paying members.
Then there are some costs that go up and down depending on membership, the prices of electricity and other commodities, and the levels of activity on the site.
Still in theory, the more members, the lower the costs per member.
So now and then, when there is a little money in the kitty, there is a special offer to encourage more members to share the costs and keep them down for everyone. Those who have already paid are offered the same reduction as everyone else. It's a free world...
The more members, the better some of Proz.com's offers get - more outsourcers, more experts to choose from etc.
OK, in some languages there are already plenty, and this is not the main issue. But there are still forums, powwows and all the rest, more Blue Board entries, more solidarity on rates for translation... or offers like cheaper tools and software, where the sellers take advantage of lower advertising costs and increased sales through using Proz.com to contact customers.
Either you get a better product at the same price, or you keep the price down for everyone, including beginners and those who for one reason or another need help, but may later be able to help others.
The price is not unreasonable, but for lots of us Proz.com is about many other things apart from money.
There is no point in paying more for Proz.com, so enjoy the offer while it's there! ▲ Collapse
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » What's the point in paying more for Proz com? | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
, or whenever I needed them (it depends on which thought you want to dwell
Login to reply/comment 
