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VCP Huge Price Increase?...thought they would honor price for 1 year?

jeff8877jeff8877 Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Hi everyone,

Looked at VCP today and there is an alert to change service plans from $99 a year to $179 per year to keep the same level of service. I thought I read somewhere that they would honor your existing contract until it ran out? Anyone know about this?? Not very good business if they dont honor existing contracts.

Jeff
«13

Comments

  • PoppaJPoppaJ Posts: 2,818 ✭
    Jeff, you remember well ..... here's what VCP Bobby had to say on 7-26-08:



    "Saturday July 26, 2008 4:22 PM


    Just got back from Asia and to clarify things we are going to honor all existing memberships. Only when your term expires will the new price structure go into place. We have been at the same price since our launch 2 years ago. If you have been a member since the start you would have to agree what we offer now versus then are night and day. At the beginning we covered baseball only 1860-1959, now included is all sports and non-sports until 1989. We now have 3 servers in order to hold the 1,000's of images we are getting every day from ending auctions. The bottom line is our expenses are higher and we need more people to cover all the areas we are now and still do a good job.

    Please feel free to contact through our site or I will try my best to answer all question you may ask.

    Regards,

    Bobby"


    PoppaJ image
  • swartz1swartz1 Posts: 4,911 ✭✭✭
    $179 ....yikes


    Looking for 1970 MLB Photostamps
    - uncut


    Positive Transactions - tennesseebanker, Ahmanfan, Donruss, Colebear, CDsNuts, rbdjr1, Downtown1974, yankeeno7, drewsef, mnolan, mrbud60, msassin, RipublicaninMass, AkbarClone, rustywilly, lsutigers1973, julen23 and nam812, plus many others...
  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,340 ✭✭✭
    Everything is going through the roof now. Even those who dont have expense increases are doing so.


    $179? Way to much in my opinion
    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
  • StopYurWhiningStopYurWhining Posts: 719
    that seems like quite the ripoff.
  • JasP24JasP24 Posts: 4,645 ✭✭✭
    It also says this when you click on the Alert:

    "I agree to the new billing terms. I will not be charged until my next billing date (07/29/2009). "

    Wouldn't that mean they will honor your current contract of $99 until your membership runs out?

    Jason
    I'm here to question, not to inspire or build up. To live how I want, as I see fit,
    according to my values and my needs. Nothing holds dominion over me, I stand alone as the ruler of my life.
  • jeff8877jeff8877 Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭
    Jason...you may be right. I didn't get that far when I saw it. Would like to get some clarification from Bobby on this.

    Jeff
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    he had previously posted that the price would be honored until your subscription ran out, and there was a 2 week window where you could add add'l years at the existing $99 level.
    Besides, from what was posted on another board it's not legal to change terms in the middle of a subscription, and the price would have to be honored.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • scooter729scooter729 Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭
    You remain in gold status for the $99 price until your current membership is done. If you renewed for 2 years during the extension window, the $179 price doesn't kick in until 2010.
  • benderbroethbenderbroeth Posts: 1,699 ✭✭
    i hate to sound like a dumb&$$ but what is VCP?
    my t-205's


    looking for low grade t205's psa 1-2
  • DrKDrK Posts: 58 ✭
    I was on the fence at $99, I was considering giving it a shot.

    At $179 the probability of me signing up just went to zero.
  • LeiascardsLeiascards Posts: 3,233
    They would probaly make more if they would LOWER the price(attracting more subscribers). 99.00 is high, but 179.00 is outrageous and will cost them money in the long run.
  • SDavidSDavid Posts: 1,584 ✭✭
    I agree - they're free to charge whatever they think is profitable but this is a bad pricing decision IMO.
  • PoppaJPoppaJ Posts: 2,818 ✭
    see post below ...
  • PoppaJPoppaJ Posts: 2,818 ✭


    << <i>i hate to sound like a dumb&$$ but what is VCP? >>



    Vintage Card Prices.com

    PoppaJ
  • Goodsport40Goodsport40 Posts: 1,010 ✭✭
    The higher cost of gas must have caused this increase.image




    Robert
  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭
    Maybe with the bump in price they can get someone to build a website that works better. It can be very annoying at times trying to search. Way too slow!
  • markj111markj111 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭
    I renewed for $99 during the window. Next year I wil renew for $179. You do not have to buy many cards for the service to pay for itself.
  • KbKardsKbKards Posts: 1,782 ✭✭✭
    Unless you're a professional collector or dealer doing this full time the $99 is hard enough to justify. At $179 current users will seriously consider whether it's worth renewing, and many will not. The reason a lot of people didn't pay $99 because the service wasn't worth that to them. If it was $49 a year you'd lose no current susbscribers and pick up a constant flow of new subscribers. At $179 the only thing that will be increasing is the number of posts asking for prices on VCP. Then it will be $399 next year based on the number of people left.
  • BobbyVCPBobbyVCP Posts: 755 ✭
    Membership is now in 2 levels

    Silver: 129.99 Monthly

    Gold: 17.99 Monthly, 179.99 Yearly

    The difference is Gold members get to see the image of the card if we can get it after the link dies out in 90-120 days.

    We gave almost 3 months for members to add up to 5 years of membership at the GOLD level. I think this was more then fair and we have always bent over backwards to help out any member.
  • fattymacsfattymacs Posts: 2,581 ✭✭✭
    Bobby is the extra feature I tried a few weeks back going to be introduced?
  • LeiascardsLeiascards Posts: 3,233
    You still would have been better off lowering the fees, this would have attracted more subscribers. There is a good chance you may run off 25 to 50% of your subscribers once their subscriptions run out.
  • bobbybakerivbobbybakeriv Posts: 2,186 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Membership is now in 2 levels

    Silver: 129.99

    Gold: 179.99

    The difference is Gold members get to see the image of the card if we can get it after the link dies out in 90-120 days.

    We gave almost 3 months for members to add up to 5 years of membership at the GOLD level. I think this was more then fair and we have always bent over backwards to help out any member. >>



    That is what you think. The marketplace will make the final call, Bobby. I think you guys have made a big mistake but what do I know? I'm just a collector.
  • chaz43chaz43 Posts: 2,140 ✭✭✭
    I don't need to see the picture. If they stay at $129.00, that's barely ok I guess. At $179.00, I am going to look somewhere else cause that is a ripoff. chaz
  • BuccaneerBuccaneer Posts: 1,794 ✭✭
    I tried VCP for a few months when I was actively buying but it did not affect my snipe bidding one iota, so in in that case, the cost far outweighed the benefits (same for selling, it has no value for selling in an auction). However, I could perhaps see the benefit if one were to buy cards without an auction, it would be useful to know what the baseline is - more of a cost-avoidance benefit. But I could see the benefit of alerting a collector for cards that come up on your Want Lists. That has nothing to do with prices, more a cost for convenience.
  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,340 ✭✭✭
    I considered it at $99, but thought that was borderline outrageous. $129 and $179 can only be justified by those wanting to flip cards for profit or wanting to see if a card will turn a profit if a certain grade is achieved.

    As a collector, the cost renders the site useless.
    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,012 ✭✭
    To have the same functionality as before these new levels, VCP is charging almost double monthly... $10.00 is now $18.00... all while the site performance issues have yet to be adequately addressed.

    That is a pretty steep increase for a site that is at times unreliable (hangs/crashes my IE) and more frequently slow to the point it is more frustrating than helpful if not downright unusable.

    I was considering not renewing my subscription due to the performance issues alone... but with this HUGE (percentage-wise) price increase and the unacceptable performance for a paid service... nope.

    I will go back to tracking auctions myself with a simple, but fast and reliable, spreadsheet. I know others do this as well and perhaps we could all throw these up on a site for everyone here to use "as is"?

    Snorto~
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,839 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Too big of an increase, IMO, for all but the most ardent set collectors. Even at $129, that's a 30% increase over the old price. A $10 increase would have been more reasonable. I think they will lose more subscribers (including myself) than the increased revenue they expect to see.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • DrJDrJ Posts: 2,213
    The new pricing is highway robbery. If someone wants to pay 5 years in advance at the current rates they are taking a major risk. This new pricing may run enough people away to the point of site closure and your money is gone.

    If VCP needs to buy (rent) better servers just come forward and say so. Right now it looks like a money grab which I will not take part in.
  • leathtechleathtech Posts: 3,191 ✭
    Like many others I ended my subscription to VCP - just not worth the money plus they have never been able to add some more modern stuff.
    image
  • DavidPuddyDavidPuddy Posts: 3,488 ✭✭✭
    I canceled my sub. almost two months ago.
    Part price, part performance.


    "The Sipe market is ridiculous right now"
    CDsNuts, 1/9/15
  • nam812nam812 Posts: 10,601 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Another annoying thing is that I am constantly emailing them corrections for the many mistakes and errors I find, and thats just on the few sets I am involved in. Imagine all the other mistakes there must be all throughout the site. I cant tell you how many email responses I get from Bobby that look like this:

    Fixed.

    Thanks,

    Bobby
  • brianwintersfanbrianwintersfan Posts: 3,626 ✭✭
    Looks like the bloom is off the rose!
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,839 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Another annoying thing is that I am constantly emailing them corrections for the many mistakes and errors I find, and thats just on the few sets I am involved in. Imagine all the other mistakes there must be all throughout the site. I cant tell you how many email responses I get from Bobby that look like this:

    Fixed.

    Thanks,

    Bobby

    You'd think you'd get a free month at least after all those corrections, or at least a more heartfelt reply. I have found that most times when faced with legitimate concerns, they make excuses, too.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • Carew29Carew29 Posts: 4,025 ✭✭

    Since i was never a fan of VCP to begin with, i guess i saved myself $99...errr $179....I shell out enough to "this" current website as is!!
  • PoppaJPoppaJ Posts: 2,818 ✭


    << <i> Another annoying thing is that I am constantly emailing them corrections for the many mistakes and errors I find, and thats just on the few sets I am involved in. Imagine all the other mistakes there must be all throughout the site. I cant tell you how many email responses I get from Bobby that look like this:

    Fixed.

    Thanks,

    Bobby

    You'd think you'd get a free month at least after all those corrections, or at least a more heartfelt reply. I have found that most times when faced with legitimate concerns, they make excuses, too. >>



    I thought I was the only one doing that! image

    (My monthly sub ends Oct 17th ... I'm not renewing either)

    PoppaJ
  • nam812nam812 Posts: 10,601 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I thought I was the only one doing that! image

    PoppaJ >>



    Thank goodness there's a "report a problem with this page" link at the bottom of every page, cause I find LOTS of them.
  • 123Slider123Slider Posts: 851 ✭✭
    I got real excited one day when my PSA 7 Brooklyn Dodgers card went way up in price, then I looked and it had a Mantle auction attached to it. I'm out, maybe if they come down again on price, I'll come back. Lots of errors, certain searches are slow as well.

    I'm not sure what percentage of cumtomers are related to this site, but seems the customers are not happy.

    The best pitch to start a hitter off with is always strike one.
  • jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,575 ✭✭✭✭
    at $179 I would definately say good-------bye
    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
  • gemmintraritiesgemmintrarities Posts: 218
    VCP must be hurting to raise the prices like this, and if not, they soon will be.
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    $99 was too high, can't see a reason any modern collector would join. You can buy a good stack of PSA 10 or BGS 9.5's for that from most modern sets.

    The logical move would have been to drop your price to $30-40 to attract more people. Increasing your membership would have had much better benefits over an short term membership fund increase. Plus lowering your price, and increasing membership, makes your product better fitting to PSA and its needs. How can you two possibly have a partnership now when you think your membership is worth twice what a PSA membership is, when ideally it would be a part of the PSA membership? I nominate VCP for the 2008 Score Board Award.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,144 ✭✭✭
    I signed up for the extra increase, but I was month to month anyway. I AM NOT happy with the increase, and will more than likely cancel, as my monthly fee went from 9.99 a month to 17.99 per month (around a 80% increase?).......With Ebay and now VCP raising rates, is everyone pricing themselves out of the market?? It is especially hard to do that now in this current economy, with higher unemployment, a declining stock market, and high fuel and food prices.....I dont think it was a very smart move on VCP's part.....
  • LeiascardsLeiascards Posts: 3,233
    What is going to happen to those members who extended their memberships for the next 5 years and the site closes in 2 which looks highly probable?
  • mknezmknez Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭
    What's going to happen when the membership #s drop and there is no one left to respond to the VCP help threads?

    For me, at $99 per year, it more than pays for itself in the time I don't have to spend in tracking cards, or when I jump into a new set or player, the background data for the first few cards that I wouldn't have.

    I agree the increase sucks, but even at the lower level, it's still worth it to me.

    just my .02

    ------
    stupid print dots

  • earlycalguyearlycalguy Posts: 1,247 ✭✭
    I am a fan of the site but not thrilled with the slowness at times, number of errors and the price increase isn't the best news. I would think VCP would want to keep the price low to attract more members. if you are an active ebay buyer and using their links to auctions then VCP is making much more than $10 a month from your membership. Ebay generally provides 5% or so for pass through purchases (referrals). I would make the membership very attractive to gain more members and increase pass thru revenue. VCP losing a $10 a month customer could cost them much more than $10, if that person is an active buyer and uses VCP links to access ebay.

    in addition, they've added more auction houses for sales tracking which the auction houses are paying a fee to VCP. again, I'd want to have as many members as possible as a selling point to the auction houses.


  • BobbyVCPBobbyVCP Posts: 755 ✭
    We get $0 from the auction houses, I wish that we did that way we would not have to increase the membership. We used to make some decent money via eBay but that is income that is getting less and less and not very reliable. Ebay was using a company called Commission Junction then last April they switched it all to in house. And every since that happened all providers are complaining about how they are getting stiffed by eBay. Our income from them has decreased 60% since last year and there is no reason for it, matter of fact it should of risen. If it had continued to rise then we never would of instituted a price increase, but that is not the case.

    We have been around for 3 years now and if anyone has reported any problem we have acted in a very timely manner to fix any problem or error. We just made some major upgrades to the pricing system which I think is a big improvement from the original. Next is to incorporate this new price structure into the My Collection to give you a much better representation of the value of your collection.

    We have narrowed down some of the things that makes the site slow and are in the process of fixing this to speed things up and you should see a big difference next week. Also we will be expanding the search feature to make it easier to find what it is you are looking for in less page clicks.

    Lastly, a few of you signed up for a special project to test we put that on hold for awhile but have our people back on working out the problems that you reported to us. Since it is such a important feature we are taking extra time and testing to make sure it works as perfect as possible.

    I see every one comparing the price increase to the GOLD package you can also choose the SILVER for $12.99 and still have basically the same service as you do now.

    We really appreciate everyone on this board and the feed back you provide and sorry we had to raise the membership fees. The extra money is going to be used to make the site better and better.

    Bobby
  • mknezmknez Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭
    Bobby,
    I was part of the beta (or maybe gamma) test pool, I thought it was great; can't wait for it to be rolled out. It won't save me any fees on other sites, but it will be an overall enhancement. The best thing you can do to promote your site is to speed up the response time and search time. The only suggestion I have is separate pricing by sport. May be able to break it up for those who are hesitant to keep their membership.

    ------
    stupid print dots

  • earlycalguyearlycalguy Posts: 1,247 ✭✭
    Bobbi, again I do like your site and use it daily. I mentioned revenue from auction houses because when leon started his auction company he was asked on net 54 if they were going to have VCP track their auctions. at the time Leon commented he wasn't sure as there was a fee associated with having VCP track the auctions. maybe I am not remembering correctly....or maybe leon did not have correct information.

    Bobbi - you do get a fair number of mis prices on the site...mainly do to qualifiers on cards listed as straight grades. with people (like me included) not paying extra for the pictures (the new premium service) many of these listings may not get fixed as you need the pictures to see the mistakes.

  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,012 ✭✭


    << <i>
    I see every one comparing the price increase to the GOLD package you can also choose the SILVER for $12.99 and still have basically the same service as you do now.
    >>



    That is because everyone was at the "GOLD" level before.... now you want people to pay much (~80%) more for considerably less (no pictures).

    With regards to the poor performance, I will wait and see... I have heard this promise before.

    I understand the need to raise rates, but moving everyone to "GOLD" for $12.99 would have been far more acceptable IMHO.

    Snorto~
  • nam812nam812 Posts: 10,601 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>........Our income from them has decreased 60% since last year and there is no reason for it, matter of fact it should of risen. If it had continued to rise then we never would of instituted a price increase, but that is not the case..... >>



    Not our problem, but thanks for now making it our problem.



    << <i>.....We have been around for 3 years now and if anyone has reported any problem...... >>



    If anyone? I think I've reported enough for everyone.



    << <i>....I see every one comparing the price increase to the GOLD package you can also choose the SILVER........ >>



    Call the packages anything you like, but EVERYTHING we used to get for $9.99 now costs $17.99

    I don't really care what you do anymore because after mid October I will be switching to my own package:

    $17.99 = gold package
    $12.99 = silver package
    knowing someone with a VCP subscription = free package
  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,012 ✭✭


    << <i>
    $17.99 = gold package
    $12.99 = silver package
    knowing someone with a VCP subscription = free package
    >>



    Or a "group package" perhaps?

    image

    Either way, gonna be a lot more of those "VCP help?" threads Bobby loathes so me thinks.

    Snorto~
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