Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Beckett increases price of OPGs

[bob_TCC]

I wanted to share this e-mail that I received from Beckett on Tuesday:

Personal Note To Our Loyal, Good-Hearted OPG Subscribers...

So we here at Beckett were sitting around the other day, working over our sources for the latest market values, when our boss comes up to us and says we have to raise the price of the Online Price Guide to $4.99 a month. Now you know as well as we do that you'd get your money's worth out of the OPG at twice the price, but it's the principle of the thing, right? No one wants to pay more than they have to. We were determined to thwart him.

We brainstormed for a couple of hours to figure out how to keep both our customers and our bean counters happy (mostly to take full advantage of the buffet lunch) before the answer hit us: you commit to us, we'll commit to you.

Here's how it'll work. If you want to go month-to-month, it'll cost you just $4.99 for access to more pricing than we could slip into one of our monthlies if we bumped the page count to 250. Seriously, it's all there, including FREE access to the very popular New Release Pricing feature. That means you get the first look at market values before they appear in print and gives you the advantage you need to come out ahead on every buy/sell/trade deal you make.

However, if you're smart enough to take advantage of our need for a serious relationship, you can pick up a six-month sub to the OPG for just $24.99--that's like getting one month free! And it doesn't take a Mensa member* to recognize the advantage to signing up for a full year of OPG access for just $39.99 (*Not a Mensa member? That'll save you $19.89 a year, amigo!)

Click here to sign up and get these savings now!

You know what you love about the OPG: the ease of searching our comprehensive database for the most up-to-date pricing, along with access to our complete player and card set checklists. You can still get it all if you want to go month-to-month, but why not go for the reduced rate? We love you enough to commit all of our resources to bring you the most comprehensive pricing and information package in the hobby. Won't you commit to us?

Your accomplices in saving money,

The Beckett.com Customer Care Team

- End e-mail -

2 general questions...

1. What do you think of the new fee of $4.99 per month? Too much now?

2. What do you think about the tone and/or professionalism of the e-mail that was sent? Proper way to inform customers of increased fees?

Tell us what you think!

-Bob

[KHarmon]

The price of the OPG is worth it....but I think that a $1.50 increase is a bit on the steep side. The person who sent the E-mail comes off like an a$$ for a lack of a better word. Just my opinion though.

[bob_TCC]

The person who sent the E-mail comes off like an a$$ for a lack of a better word.  Just my opinion though.

I'm not sure what audience they thought this type of e-mail was going to "connect" with, but it certainly didn't with me. If a company needs to raise their prices, then that's fine. Explain it to me in a reasonable, professional way and then it's up to me to decide if it's still worth my money. Instead, they want to be "cute"?

Not handled very well...

-Bob

[KHarmon]

Like I said in one of my other posts on this subject....the guy comes off like a used car salesman....almost makes me want to go respond to the E-mail and ask him if a free tank of gas and new white walls come with the deal.

[northicehero99]

2 general questions...

1.  What do you think of the new fee of $4.99 per month?  Too much now?

2.  What do you think about the tone and/or professionalism of the e-mail that was sent?  Proper way to inform customers of increased fees?

Tell us what you think!

-Bob

1. Beckett keeps raising prices on all their magazines and giving less why should the online service be any different?

2. The add was not professional, but I think they did it that way to keep it from sounding like they were sticking it to you. Could it have been written that way based on the demographics of the average Beckett reader? That is why I think they did it this way. Everyone, is going to keep hitting us with price increases to cover their costs due to the overall market price increases created from the gas crisis.

[bob_TCC]

1.  Beckett keeps raising prices on all their magazines and giving less why should the online service be any different?

Simple. Online delivery of content is the cheapest way for any company to provide services. Therefore, profits increase when you sell more online services. What I would have done is couple the removal of the free card lookup with a promotion of special, reduced pricing on the OPGs. Why? Increase the number of users of the OPGs.

Then, after you get a large number of collectors hooked on the OPGs, you begin to increase the prices.

Instead, they've made everyone mad - those that were getting the free ride and those that had been paying for the OPGs already.

-Bob

[Sheesh]

Again, why pay for something that is flawed (i.e. inflated BVs) when the REAL value of a card is what others are selling the same card for on the market?

Additionally, the catalogging software that I am using has BVs (although, too, inflated). Why pay for the OPG when you can pay for a catalogging program instead?

Lastly, sometimes using book form price guides is even faster.

Anyway, I haven't been nor will I subscribe to a pricing feature that, really, is redundant and irrelevant to the going price of a card.

[bob_TCC]

Again, why pay for something that is flawed (i.e. inflated BVs) when the REAL value of a card is what others are selling the same card for on the market?

I totally agree on what the real value is. However, it's not that easy currently to check large number of cards against data from completed auctions, etc. This will change in the future though.

Additionally, the catalogging software that I am using has BVs (although, too, inflated).  Why pay for the OPG when you can pay for a catalogging program instead?

This may be a viable alternative. How often do they say their pricing data is updated?

-Bob

[Sheesh]

The developer said that they provide monthly updates, but I have yet to see one. But, I haven't had the program for a month yet, either

[snowblink]

These days I just use the single card lookup and that's still free (the best price)

Being a staunch fan of sarcasm: I find the e-mail entertaining.

The bottom line: What's new about a company not really caring about a price increase for their customers? At least they tried to do something unique with the announcement.

Personal note: In the last four years I've had a price decrease from only one (1) company that I do business with. (interestingly, it also came with a nice level of service increase )

[bob_TCC]

These days I just use the single card lookup and that's still free (the best price)

Are you sure? Click here.

-Bob

[bob_TCC]

In addition to the price increase, Beckett also removed the discounts that used to apply if you purchased multiple OPGs at the same time. For $19.99 per month, I had been buying all of the OPGs. Here's what it costs now:

Beckett Diecast Collector Monthly 1 Months Included Free!
Beckett Baseball Card Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Football Card Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Basketball Card Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Racing Collector 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Kenner Starting Lineup 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Hockey Card Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Pokemon Collector Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Dragon Ball Collector Monthly 1 Months 4.99
Beckett Golf Collector Monthly 1 Months 4.99

Total Price: $44.91

Nothing like a 225% increase in one month! Absolutely incredible.

This helps to further show why the "cute" e-mail didn't go over very well with me since their "reward" to me as a "loyal customer" was to drastically increase my cost - even if I went with the 12-month discounted option.

-Bob

[KHarmon]

I just got approval from my finance manager (the wife) to renew my subscription for football and baseball only!!!!! So I'm going to go to beckett.com and renew those two by the end of the week.