Terrors of Thalumbra Expansion Pre-Orders AVAILABLE NOW!

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by Roshen, Oct 1, 2015.

  1. Gelenor Well-Known Member

    Most Australian players are, whether they chose it or not, locked into paying in Australian dollars to Daybreak. So rather than let us pay in US dollars and let the credit card market rate work out the conversion, we are open to price gouging.

    The exchange rate being used by Daybreak for the new expansion is 0.63AU to 1.00US. The exchange rate has only come close to being that low once in over a decade,with a quick dip with the global financial crisis. We have had close to parity with the US dollar for the last 5 years, dropping since 2014.

    BEAGLEY, You are completely wrong to say that DBG lock in their pricing at a predefined exchange rate. The CURRENT conversion rate used by DBG for buying Kronos, DBG cash and membership in Australian dollars is 0.93AU to 1.00US.

    Almost 50% higher!

    And to say the Australian price includes VAT/GST or any other local tax is again way off the mark.

    When SOE did the same thing with Aussie players a few expansions ago, they admitted their error and adjusted it. I see no comment from DBG on this at all.

    I'll still buy, I'm an EQ2 addict and pretend raider. But for the first time since collector editions have been offered, my accounts will be the base package for this expansion.

    Gelenor
    VVV - Unrest
  2. beagley Well-Known Member

    I think you'll find that we are in violent agreement. SOE/DBG do lock their FX rates at predefined rates, Thats the problem because they then never seem to alter them unless the players point out they have gotten way out of line so still end up using somethings that is ages old rather than current. As you said later in your post a few expansions ago they admitted the mistake and changed the rate. Problem is I doubted that they would have then changed it since. Hence my post that the GBP/EUR prices being close but the Australian price being more variable. By more variable was my (perhaps too) subtle way of saying I mean "way out of line price wise" and not compared on the same basis as GBP and EUR.

    I wasn't aware (and it does seem completely odd though) that the effective FX rate for pricing this expansion is completely different for the rate they currently give you for Kronos and DBG cash. That's either incompetence pure and simple, or they really are taking the proverbial...

    Please read it again. I never said that VAT/GST is an issue on the Australian prices as I'm aware that for online purchases less than $1,000 these are tax-free in Australia. You therefore are in a market that CAN legitimately take the US price and apply the prevailing FX rate (rather than compensating for VAT) to see how much you're being gouged by as both quoted prices should be tax free! Sounds like this time around its a lot!

    Again, the quip about Austalian prices being "variable" probably wasn't worded sufficently strongly but I was trying to portray meaning without getting myself banned or having to revert to acres of Rotherian style footnotes!:D
  3. Cythemia Member

    think i will pass. Servers are still not merged, im not spending money on a game that has no population....still. not coming back till something is done, no more money till something is done. Im sure im 1 of thousands who feel the same way.
  4. Cythemia Member

    Think i will pass. Servers are still not merged, im not spending money on a game that has no population....still. For the first time in YEARS (@2005) i went free to NOT PLAY about 4 months ago (because of Population Decreases) and haven't played since. I will not be coming back till something is done, no more money till something is done. Im sure im 1 of thousands who feel the same way. Someone is putting the Cart Way in front of the horse on this issue and bound to fail.
    Also, i Feel we are no longer appreciated.
    This new progressive Nickle and Dime Marketing Team decided that we should pay for things we are already paying for. (xpac price and monthly sub) <---[this should cover everything] , The other Fluff items and add in content, that had been "incentives" and basic "upkeep" at one time, THIS IS what made the game great, kept people playing and often brought new players are now Purchased separately. Its kinda like buying a car the having to buy the steering wheel, Headlights, rear axle and the engine separate for more than what the whole thing used to cost. Very VERY unsatisfied. No longer consider myself eq2 Community Member but now just a Customer throwing money into a vending machine full of stuck candy.
    Merriel likes this.
  5. Merriel Well-Known Member


    When you compare this to car shopping, I think you went a little below the belt. The extra fluff items are not 'required' to play the game. What you are paying for with those items in the CE and the PE is the car stereo, the air conditioning, the reclining seats, and all the luxury items that you can get in the car. The steering wheel, the headlights, rear axle and engine are all required in order for the the car to run...that's the basic standard edition.

    Believe me, however, when I say I am about as ticked off as you are at DBG at the moment, for their lack of communication and refusal to answer questions here. Going from 'Let's show the customers we care and promise them all these goodies, server merges, etc', to no communication at all, just shows that all this hype was just that...hype to get the community interested again...but it obviously did not last as we are back to where we always end up with this company...with a lot of ticked off customers. The company has been shooting itself in the foot for the past ten years and despite the name change, they are continuing this trend, and losing even more customers along the way, when they really can't afford to.
    Juraiya and Pipsissiwa like this.
  6. Ocarinah Well-Known Member

    Can we gift the expansions like last time? I don't see a link for gifting? Can someone please answer this question.
  7. Awkk Well-Known Member

    Todays exchange rate is 1 AUD to 0.72007 USD, or I USD to 1.38841 AUD. These numbers change every hour of every day. Maybe Daybreak had to set a fixed rate for whatever reasons, to have a cushion to be able to pay bank fees for conversion, to be able to avoid other fees for making hourly adjustments, to be able to have a set rate of income, to be able to pay taxes on their income, without having to include a separate sheet of paper for every single sale of every single expansion to an Australian, stating what the exchange rate was at that moment in time, and figuring the tax separately for each and every one. I don't know. But since it is a business, with costs, that has to make a profit or go out of business, and since banks are also a business, with costs, that has to make a profit or go out of business, and banks do charge fees for currency conversions and transfers between banks and between countries, maybe that all has to be taken into account?

    So if a Premium costs 139.99, round to 140, take off 14 for member discount, 126 USD would convert to 174.939 AUD at this exact moment. How much would you pay, if you actually bought it, right now, with the member discount?

    Source http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
    Last 5 years http://www.oanda.com/currency/historical-rates/
  8. Awkk Well-Known Member

    I

    Is that before or after the 10% member discount? Cos 218.84 - 21.88 = 196.96. XE right now gives 191.025 AUD for 140 USD. Looks like Daybreak could be charging you close to 10% more to pay their banks costs or whatever?
    http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=140&From=USD&To=AUD
    edited to say that this amount changed by a few cents every time I checked it. Currencies change constantly.
  9. Seni Active Member

    DBG could just query the current exchange rate before rendering the sales page. That way it's always current without anyone having to update it constantly, and the members who are purchasing don't get screwed with an out-of-date exchange rate. Not hard to implement (keep it on the server so nobody can mess with it) and could be done for all countries.

    Just a suggestion for DBG.. if anyone is reading, that is. From the lack of replies to the questions about the mount, being able to gift, and if we can upgrade to a higher expansion tier later, though, I'm doubting it.

    Right now there appears to be no way to gift and they haven't answered if they are going to put one in, so they are forcing people to have to log into the other person's account if they want to gift the expansion.

    I'm holding off buying anything until they answer the above questions, and I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting. Many people just don't post on forums so there are probably many more people waiting for these answers than those who have posted.
    Merriel and Pipsissiwa like this.
  10. Awkk Well-Known Member

    I don't mean to overdo this point, but the exchange rate changes very rapidly. It changed every time I updated the XE page. The exchange rate could be out-of-date before you typed your credit card number in. Also, what about any bank fees that may be involved in currency conversion transactions between countries?

    Not saying it's fair or right for other countries to have to pay about 10% more or whatever, just saying that it might be a reality of dealing with banks and credit card companies, which all charge fees, and it's probably not just Daybreak being mean to players. But I don't have any proof either way, so will just leave it at that.
    Seni likes this.
  11. Seni Active Member


    Yeah, I get that. It would just have to be understood that the price shown is what the exchange rate was at when the page was rendered. If it changes in the next couple of minutes it would still be closer (and fairer to members) to the actual rate at the time than one hard coded into their calculations three months prior.

    If they have foreign exchange fees, their formula fetching the exchange rate could tack that on, even if it's a percentage (although in some jurisdictions it's illegal to add the credit card fees - you're supposed to account for them in your original pricing, not add it if someone pays with a credit card. I've seen places do this; they give you a bill for if you're paying with cash or a cheque, then add 3% if paying by card. Illegal in the US at least, not sure about elsewhere. Merchant fees there range roughly* from 2 to 5% of every credit card sale. I'm not sure if that rule would apply to FE fees.)

    I was just saying that something along these lines is perfectly doable and is a very small change/effort to make - especially when the effort is compared to the happy(er) customers they would have afterward, rather than ones who are upset they are paying more for no good reason.


    Prices shown on the web site are pre-member-discount. I'd be interested to see what the calculation is if it's added to the cart - that's where the discount is shown (if you're signed in at the time). Probably be the 196.96 above, unless they take the member discount off the 140 first which would be a better way to do it.

    as Awkk stated, 218.84 - 10% = 196.96
    Taking the discount off first: 140 - 10% = 126 * 1.39247 = 175.45


    *Rotherian-style footnote: "Roughly" means I don't have actual percentages or which ones charge what percentage. When I had a merchant account the percentages charged were within that range.
  12. Tetrol Well-Known Member

    Seni your calculations fall over because dbg are using a conversion of 1.55 not 1.39. Use 1.55 and the price will be identical. What stings even more is that the foreign transaction fee is charged on top so add another 3%. The fee is due to it being offshore not because conversion is required.
    Seni likes this.
  13. Gelenor Well-Known Member

    Your defense of DBG and their use of the non existent exchange rate based on 'rapid exchange rate changes' doesn't explain why for over 2 years the rate to buy Krono,membership and in-game currency has been set for Australians at a rate of $0.93AU to 1.00US and that is STILL the current rate today within the game.

    Even the last three extra content purchases were done at that rate (RC, AoM and ToV)

    Yet for the latest expansion they drag out an exchange rate of $0.63AU to 1.00US. A rate that since EQ2 has existed, has only been that low once for a short time in 2008.

    And we do not get a choice. The DBG account has most Australian players LOCKED to purchasing with only the Australian dollar and no option to change it to the US dollar. Those few who avoided being switched over and can still buy in US dollars from Australia are ironically given an option to lock to the Australian dollar for purchases.

    Its a raw deal from DBG and I see no problem is pointing that out. 'Caveat Emptor'. I also understand that given the drop in the Aussie dollar since 2014 they can adjust their exchange rate, but the rate DBG have used just does not exist.

    Given they have completed auto-debits for pre-order, I doubt they will either acknowledge or fix it, as many have already payed.
    Malleria and Seni like this.
  14. Seni Active Member


    I knew they had to fall apart somewhere - the numbers calculated come nowhere near to what they are charging. It's why I said I'd be interested to see the pricing while it's in the cart. Anyone care to take a screenshot?

    Out of curiosity I looked up the current laws on surcharging and convenience fees (and I don't know which one foreign exchange fees would fall under). Charging a surcharge is illegal in California where DBG is headquartered; even if it were ok, the fee would have to be disclosed. http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-convenience-fees-cost-surcharges-1280.php

    Either way, that exchange rate is nuts and they need to fix it. The high price of the expansion is bad enough without adding insult to injury in this manner.
  15. Csipi Active Member

    I wish I could pay $218 for the expac. $140...honestly that is chump change. DBG should consider raising the prices. The eq2 players will be willing to pay more.
  16. Hirofortis Active Member

    ok, so here is my question, will we be able to upgrade to the ce if we decide to go with the standard now? I used to buy the CE every year but with no pre-order discount I just can't do that big of a price jump. :(
    Juraiya and Pipsissiwa like this.
  17. Ingerimm Well-Known Member

    Hi, will there be any new AA points or similar?

    Where's the individuality of the players in our RPG?

    ... it is but the tinkering makes a RPG, to make everything without actual variances, as most recently with the linear and monotonous "classes prestige trees" is not very useful. ... it takes one very much in the game depth and fun. A little more difference in the meaningful development opportunities of the player would be nice already.

    Equipment starr at random to revalue, a rigid passive points system with the choice of 3 passive opportunities for the gods, I personally see as too little, in order for a long time, to be interesting. Everyone maximizes all characters in part of the possibilities are all from, and at the end of the same or at least similar.

    Earlier with the substats and the much larger selection of any gear, EQ2 was much more interesting and offered many opportunities of for character development now everything is linear and is always linear, do you think that as developers really interesting and motivating for the players?

    It would be really nice if you again would offer many things us, where you must also test and thinking and there are no pure linear only development option.

    What is interesting and challenging an RPG is its non-linear complexity.

    Thank you
    best regards
    Ingerimm of Valor
    Zacatl Coatl likes this.
  18. azcn2503 Active Member

    I hope that there will be some awesome stuff for us crafters to focus on :)
    Pipsissiwa likes this.
  19. Pipsissiwa Well-Known Member

    Yeah, other than the recipes in the CE. I hope there are some nice ones to actually quest/play for rather that just throw money at.
  20. Wards Member

    ingerimm das neue deity system werden praktisch die neuen aa