eStore gone OVERBOARD?!

[LadyX]

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE everything in the eStore. I just can't imagine justifying their prices and getting, in my opinion, nothing for it. I don't imagine that I will always be playing Webkinz. I love to decorate for my webbies, and I think all the neat stuff they come out with in the eStore is really amazing, but where will all that money be when I'm gone from Webkinz world?

[pollywog]

Originally Posted by LadyX

I just can't imagine justifying their prices and getting, in my opinion, nothing for it.

I have thought that one out and it really comes down to entertainment value. I spend hours playing on WW and decorating with eStore items and playing with eStore pets is part of that enjoyment. As for "getting nothing", sure I am not bringing home a "real" chair to sit me plushie in, but that part doesn't matter for me. Sometimes I buy a pet just to get the PSI and I certainly don't keep all of my plushies, kinzclothes, lip gloss and so forth. I'd need to rent storage space. LOL

It is like going to a movie, being entertained for two hours without being given a copy of the movie on dvd to take home. I would never think it was a ripoff to come home without a dvd after I paid to see the movie.. the movie was the whole experience. I fel the same way about the eStore, just playing with the pixels is OK, like watching a movie in a theater is OK. KWIM?

[gma2r]

Originally Posted by LadyX

I know it's been posted before, but this seems like a good place to say it again: $12.50 for an eStore pet I can understand, but the prices on other virtual items is ridiculous. I think they would sell a lot more if the prices were cut in half.

That's the difference between someone spending, say, $50 at a dollar store (sure, it's only a dollar! I'll take that, too. It's only a dollar!...) and trying to justify $5.00 for CHAIR in the new room theme when it's only pixels! That's two gallons of milk, or a pack of bread and some lunch meat. Or five different REAL items at the dollar store.

I think Ganz missed the mark when they decided how much someone would pay for pixels on a computer screen.

I think this is well said. Currently, I am on a buying freeze (2 months and counting- so proud) because all of Ganz nonsense has gotten on a nerve but the estore pets really get to me. For less then a virtual pet from the estore, if I were purchasing, I can go online with Ebay and buy one of my grandkids a plush AND an online pet. The other items? I see no reason to put out cash for an item that,in the end, Ganz controls the use of as in you can't trade and you can't send it. I have yet to figure out a reason they can justify for selling us a product they do not let us use at our discretion (sp?). In what other area of life would we spend our hard earned money on a product only to take it home with a list of restrictions from the store as to how we can use it? Or that we could not give away when we wanted to?

I really find the birthday pets to be silly. The same pet every month, just a different color? They are making a lot of mney and the sum total of effort they make is to change the color? That is one direction I will not ever go.

[dragonbird]

This topic is discussed very frequently, there have been a ton of threads started about it.

Facts:

I do not buy estore-my choice.
Others buy esotre-their choice.
Ganz makes money off of estore-smart
We all benifit when Ganz makes money-happy everyone
Ganz has introduced many new items for the "Plushie Only" base recently

[mewditto]

Originally Posted by jagular

to me the estore has been in existence for over a year. they are just now bringing it up to speed in my opinion. in the beginning there were few items, mostly pets. now as popularity grows they are offering a larger selection.
but i too wish they would offer some rides in the wshop or as rares. and i hope the teaser about clothes is a whole revamping of wshop clothes. not estore or kinz style. they have added a lot of features to ww lately with weather, day & night, new themes. i hope they keep updating all the areas .

Day and night has been there for a while.

[JuniperBerry]

Originally Posted by LadyX

That's the difference between someone spending, say, $50 at a dollar store (sure, it's only a dollar! I'll take that, too. It's only a dollar!...) and trying to justify $5.00 for CHAIR in the new room theme when it's only pixels! That's two gallons of milk, or a pack of bread and some lunch meat. Or five different REAL items at the dollar store.

But the only person you need to justify the price to is yourself. The way anyone else spends their $5 doesn't affect anyone else but the person spending it. We all choose to spend out money they way we want. If someone wants to spend $5 on something at the estore that they're going to enjoy instead of $5 on say, a magazine, that they'll toss in the recycle bin a couple hours after reading, or spending some time in the arcade, or going to a movie, etc. who's to say they're wasting their money? We all spend our money the way we want. I'd much rather spend my $5 on something at the e-store than say, a grand latte or whatever at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, but I know there are people who can't live without their daily fix. Makes no difference to me and I certainly wouldn't suggest that they're wasting their money. I have no idea of their finances and really, doesn't hurt me if they get their enjoyment somewhere other than where I get mine.

Quote:

I think Ganz missed the mark when they decided how much someone would pay for pixels on a computer screen.

Plenty of posters at WI at least seem to be enjoying the e-store just fine.

Quote:

where will all that money be when I'm gone from Webkinz world?

Where is all the money after you do a lot things? For many people, the value is in the enjoyment. Not everyone needs a physical item to be satisfied that they got their money's worth. Or what pollywog said.

[KeyLargo]

In the beginning, way back, I bought some charms; I have not bought anything from them like that since. They are spending too much time {and 'manpower'} on estore items instead of working on a site that after, what, well over four YEARS still does NOT work right {and their constant excuses and denials and refusals to fix the problems when they are repeatedly told about them does not help, at all}. I have had problems, major and constant ones {several, over a couple of dozen} on my main account for well over a year; they could take that money and time in employee usage and put it toward programming the site, fixing the site programming, and getting people real customer service {of which after over half a dozen calls, over a couple of dozen site mails, and over 3 dozen emails I have personally gotten all of about 3 single not dozen form letters and that is the extent of their 'help'} plus that is only on my main account, not counting other accounts where they claimed that less pets {only one pet}, another zone {have 1 each zone} and so forth would make a difference. It didn't, and it won't, until they FIX the site and all its problems {which they are NOT working on}.

I am one of the ones that while I agree it is someone else's money that is being spent at the estore it still does affect those who do not spend there -- those who spend {some spend constantly/a lot} 'prove' to the company that 'enough' {their profits/bottom line for them} will keep making them real money for fake/virtual only items regardless of how very badly the actual site works or how poorly the offerings are/can be. They then keep taking at least that much of the workers' time on doing things for estore at the expense of the site itself as well as general areas w/in the site.

There is also no reason beyond their profit scheme to charge a full plush amount for a totally virtual-only 'plush' or any item that the buyer {owner} can not do what they want to w/in the confines of the site usage.

In addition many of their actual, real {tangible} items for sale out in the real world have been discontinued {Cares} for higher priced but not better made items {Caring Valley}, Signature line pets {which are all of up to a whole 4 inches 'bigger'} and so forth.

There are plenty of places such as hospitals and police stations that accept 'unwanted' physical plushes for kids, by the way, so that side argument about 'waste' due to having all that 'stuff' is not valid; there are plenty of stocking stuffing items such as unopened lip gloss and such {even sans code for glam bag or whatever} that could be donated as well.

[funkyc63]

I agree.
I think they need to do a serious W-shop revamp before they add more things to the eStore. Most people don't have the money to buy all that extra stuff.....and they always put some of the best things there.

I would like to get good stuff in WW without having to buy more things with real cash. The clothing is the area with the most abuse lately. When was the last time there was clothing added to the W-shop ?? All the clothing has been in the e-store or in games that you pay to play.
They need to throw more than an occassional 'bone' to the basic webkinz user.

[kayembee]

Originally Posted by gma2r

I have yet to figure out a reason they can justify for selling us a product they do not let us use at our discretion (sp?). In what other area of life would we spend our hard earned money on a product only to take it home with a list of restrictions from the store as to how we can use it? Or that we could not give away when we wanted to?

I think the reason they have for this is to protect the young ones out there who sell things in the W Shop without knowing what they are doing. Can you imagine the calls they'd get everytime someone sold that precious eStore item or traded it in the Clubhouse? I do find it a nuisance at times to not be able to transfer things between accounts, but it's not like I don't know up front that once it's on my account - it's there to stay. They are very clear abou that when you make your purchase.

Originally Posted by gma2r

I really find the birthday pets to be silly. The same pet every month, just a different color? They are making a lot of mney and the sum total of effort they make is to change the color? That is one direction I will not ever go.

I wholeheartedly agree that the same pet every month is not making the Birthstone pets very appealing. I briefly considered collecting them but I really don't want all of the same pet in different colors. I can buy all the labs for that

[KeyLargo]

Originally Posted by funkyc63

I agree.
I think they need to do a serious W-shop revamp before they add more things to the eStore. Most people don't have the money to buy all that extra stuff.....and they always put some of the best things there.

I would like to get good stuff in WW without having to buy more things with real cash. The clothing is the area with the most abuse lately. When was the last time there was clothing added to the W-shop ?? All the clothing has been in the e-store or in games that you pay to play.
They need to throw more than an occassional 'bone' to the basic webkinz user.

This is a spoiler thread so if you don't really want to know what should be happening soon do NOT click LOL but it talks about clothes {and I won't say more than that, but very interesting}.

http://www.webkinzinsider.com/forum/...oilers-555316/