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By bluemidget666 - 17 Years Ago
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Just what the heck is going on here, as you may know iv made several posts regarding Element 5 and the charges placed on content.I now find out that they do not concern themselves with conversion rates from pounds to dollars and other currencies but also find out that if I choose the option to display the price of content I buy from the Reallusion content store in dollars rather than pounds I reduce the price of a $199 package by £25 (remember this is just display the amount due in dollars not pay in dollars).I recon I have bought around $1000 worth of content (may be more maybe less but I will bechecking) and have always displayed the amount due in £ not $ therefore paid £25 extra for every $200 worth of content bought.. No wonder I cannot afford the content from the content store with DODGY stuff like this going on, so far I think Iv been fraudulently charged around £100. I have taken this up with the esailes team but have not had a reply. So to anybody buying from reclusion for god sake make sure you select display in dollars the amount due or face a hefty £25 for every $200 spent.I hope to god that Reallusion have no role to play in this and it is just an Element 5 issue.
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By Galfridus - 17 Years Ago
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As a U.K. Customer I sympathise. It seems that the UK government are aware that things are not all that they might be. The following is extracted from the BBC business news this week. Online pricing practices are to be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Which? magazine welcomed the investigation, claiming that some companies are misleading consumers in a way that would never be tolerated outside of the web. "We think consumers should be aware of the final price from the beginning". The pricing practices going under the microscope include: • Drip pricing - where consumers only see an element of the price upfront and end up paying much more due to optional or compulsory extras. OFT senior director Heather Clayton hopes that the investigation will help to protect customers while allowing firms to compete freely. "These studies will ensure that we keep up to date with the latest development and how new pricing and advertising practices are emerging and evolving online," she said. The OFT hopes to complete the investigations by summer 2010. Geoff.
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By Christy0 - 17 Years Ago
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Yeah guys, the whole thing is a big scam, euro and sterling are usually great value against the dollar, but most times we end up paying extra. You think it's bad in the UK, here in Ireland it's rip off big time. Reallusion's deal is great for all the extras, but then the VAT man cometh :angry: How I was stung, but I'm still having fun. :D 
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By surajit - 17 Years Ago
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Good that you took the lead and found out for yourself what I had. I have been experiencing this game of Digital Drain, err. Digital River, under different names like Element 5, Share It etc., and not only at Reallusion but also other websites which use their services. First pick USD, and better open a paypal account and pay through Paypal, they charge the lowest conversion rates and do not bungle up usually. You will find an option to pay through Paypal in Element 5. If you trust Element 5 or any sister organization of Digital River for the option of conversion of your currency, you get deluxe treatment and get upgraded to Element 5+ pronto.:D
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By bluemidget666 - 17 Years Ago
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What id like to know is do Reallusion know how their customers are being treated by Element 5, do they care, do they intend doing anything about it. Or do they know about it because they benefit from this treatment.
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By Gorz - 17 Years Ago
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I have asked myself many times if they care, very little answers and when answers come it is just dribble. The other thing they also LOVE is to hide what ever it is in these system of writing to service through a scilly system with some support tickets. ( I have had more than one dug away from answers! ) That is a perfect way to just throw away anything you don't want or can't answer ... I think that the best media is out in the open with an official report of what is going on and what is done about it. Mentioned fraud in my mind with prices is the reason why White Tiger does not add anything to any prices, you get these prices because Reallusion register their price + VAT at Element 5 while a shop like White Tiger send a price inclusive EVERYTHING to Paypal. On the other hand, what does it matter, our content will not work when their servers take a break and that is in my country looked upon as fraud. If you buy it, you should have non stop access to it, no omissions in any form. Gorz
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By bluemidget666 - 17 Years Ago
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I totaly agree with Gorz that this issue should be cleared up in the Forum out in open, I just want to know what the hell is happening with pricing. The content from Reallusion is (in my opinion) priced at the highest Id pay for it with out all these DODGY charges ontop. I do know that using words like fraudulent is very strong but I dnt know what else to call a system that can place an extra £25 pounds onto my order if i do not display the price in dollars. The issue here is DISPLAY in dollars not PAY in dollars. This should make no difference to the amount I pay and there is no mention on the website that this will effect the amount due. So come on Reallusion Step up and explain this in the Forum where other buyers can benefit from knowing, if theres nothing to hide there is no reason not to. I want to be using the forum as a positive tool for a program I really love using and supporting.
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By Gorz - 17 Years Ago
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bluemidget666 (10/17/2009)
I totaly agree with Gorz that this issue should be cleared up in the Forum out in open, I just want to know what the hell is happening with pricing. The content from Reallusion is (in my opinion) priced at the highest Id pay for it with out all these DODGY charges ontop. I do know that using words like fraudulent is very strong but I dnt know what else to call a system that can place an extra £25 pounds onto my order if i do not display the price in dollars. The issue here is DISPLAY in dollars not PAY in dollars. This should make no difference to the amount I pay and there is no mention on the website that this will effect the amount due. So come on Reallusion Step up and explain this in the Forum where other buyers can benefit from knowing, if theres nothing to hide there is no reason not to. I want to be using the forum as a positive tool for a program I really love using and supporting. I agree with bluemidget666 completley, without any reservations! Gorz
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By animagic - 17 Years Ago
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Some RL products are sold through the DAZ 3D store. If they are better for users outside the US, there is no reason why all SW and content could not be available through DAZ 3D. Using Element 5 is RL's choice and not a very happy one from what I hear.
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By bluemidget666 - 17 Years Ago
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I totaly sypathys with Reallusion if they are tied to Element 5 for contract reasons and would feel better when buying content knowing if this is the case. I think the support from Reallusion is good, the forum is a lively helpfully place and the community built up around this product is excellent and I love the product, but I come away from the contents store with a bad tast in my mouth that I hope Reallusion play no role in as that would leave me feeling that customers are just cash dispensers. At the end ofthe day even though I have ranted on about this subject some what all I asking for is a good product at a fare price.
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By surajit - 17 Years Ago
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Oh, you get a "fare" price alright, - for a ticket to bankruptcy. Now, if you are talking about "fair" then consider the following: Pack "Medieval Peasant Life" broken into 4 volumes, each volume costing $19.95, at Daz3d for Daz consumers, by Vendor Reallusion. Each volume containing both Daz and iClone installers. Total price - a little bit below $80. This is no promotion or discount but the regular price. Same pack "Medieval Peasant Life" all-in-one available at RL store for Reallusion loyalist consumers with only iclone installer at the sweet and fair price of $99.95 only. For being a loyalist, you have to shell out the entire money at one go, no breaking up into volumes for you, and you do not get extra installers for Daz in addition to iClone because you love being macho and getting hurt. This is Reallusion's own content policy for its own consumers and Element 5 does not dictate that. (I added this line after bluemidget's reply, but did not post it as a reply for I do not want it to seem I am usurping this thread. Only the issue he has raised has touched a chord inside me that had been pent up for long) The extra 20 USD is to test the strength of your loyalty and whether you are willing to sacrifice for Reallusion. And then the 5th element of Element 5 will enter the equation as a bonus. This situation has been there for months. At the same time, the content policy for RL developers say that developers supplying to RL store cannot sell the same products at lower prices elsewhere. But apparently Reallusion does not believe in applying the same rule for its own content. So, if you are talking about "fair" and "cash dispensers" then...:D
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By bluemidget666 - 17 Years Ago
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I can not argue with Surajit's reasoning and I do think that loyal customers should see that they are valued. But If Reallusion can get packs into Daz3d at a cheaper rate than Element 5 please get them (ALL) there and I will buy them.
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By Galfridus - 17 Years Ago
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Being an RL user and an RL customer is not necessarily a homogeneous experience. As a user, I find RL`s outstanding innovative software inspiring. As a customer, too often, I feel mislead, duped, uninformed or simply abandoned. It is a strange and uncomfortable dichotomy. Bluemidget666 hits straight to the core of the issue “customers should see that they are valued”. I do see I'm valued and confident I'm respected as a user. It's in the way I'm treated as a customer that I find the contradictory evidence and regrettably not just in the pricing anomalies. I hope the distinction is clear to RL and they will soon take action to address the imbalance. I want to enjoy the experience of being both customer and user without feeling my loyalty to the company is being unduly tested. Geoff.
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By rgathje - 17 Years Ago
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I have been a DAZ customer for several years (back before version 1.0). I was looking to buy iClone 3.0 when DAZ put it on sale. With credit I had in my account I ended up paying less then half price for it. I was very upset after buying "Medieval Pheasant Life" at Reallusion and then finding I could have gotten both the DAZ and iClone version for less through DAZ. I now am very carefull about buying anything at Reallusion. I did do the upgrade for Version 4 here but none of the so called bonuses. I may miss a sale at Reallusion but if it shows up at DAZ it will be less anyway.
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By wires - 17 Years Ago
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You should also check out the Digital Juice Partner Products site. I purchased WidgetCast and popVideo from them for $149.96 - same price as the Preimum Member offer from RL, but without any VAT. With the € to $ rate I got a really good deal. I also purchased CrazyTalk 5 from them with 50% off, and again no VAT. The WidgetCast & popVideo offer is still available here.
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