[DONE] (UPDATE #1 Posted - HH Info) PREBUY Info & Discussion - Indie Gala Magicka Happy Hour

[Enclear]

(See first reply here for the Update)

Please be sure that your order information is and remains accurate, and that you fill in (or request Caerbannog to fill in for you, if you don't have access to it) your country of residence or any other missing info into the spreadsheet here: Link To Spreadsheet[docs.google.com]

This info will help me estimate how much each user needs to send to cover any Paypal transaction and/or currency conversion fees. For more information about potential Paypal fees for members outside the US, and how to avoid transaction fees, webtax summed it up here (link). This website[thefeecalculator.com] can give you a tentative idea of what it might cost in fees.


Some things to keep in mind going forward:

- There is NO GUARANTEE IndieGala will hold a Happy Hour 4-for-1 gift bundle deal this time. All we can do is wait and see.

- PRICING INFO - The final per-bundle price is currently unknown because Happy hour is not yet live. Take note: the bundles will probably not be as cheap as they have been in the past because IG has changed some things. Each bundle is estimated to cost anywhere from $1.30 to $1.70 each*, plus whatever transaction or conversion fees are incurred by you to claim your bundle(s). *According to Caerbannog's formula for estimating: "HH 5x4 might cost anywhere from: (($25 to $33 * 4) + $6 initial cost) / 81 bundles = $1.30 - $1.70 per bundle." Keep in mind this is only a very rough estimate, and it will not apply to everyone.

- PAYMENT INFO - No prepayment will be accepted. If anyone asks you to prepay, they are not acting on my behalf, but potentially scamming you. Another reason for this policy is that HappyHour is not guaranteed to happen, and I don't want to collect money for something not guaranteed. Paypal is the primary/preferred payment method, though I will accept Amazon Gift Cards from a limited number of members, under the following conditions: 1) This method is prearranged with me and I have agreed to it beforehand, and 2) GC must be purchased from the US Amazon.com website only.

- WHEN? - If there is indeed a Happy Hour deal in the second week, the purchases will only be made toward the end days of the Gala. This is to ensure that we all get the lowest possible price because the lowest price tends to happen toward the END of the IG. I'm told that IG typically RAISES their prices at the very beginning of HappyHour. Obviously this would not be ideal for the group buy since it would be more expensive for no good reason.

- HOW MANY CAN I GET? - Approximately 40 bundles will be purchased up front, at my own expense. Funds from the distribution of those will be used to make subsequent bundle purchases, which will continue until everyone has all the bundles they want. The sooner you reply to the new thread and claim your bundles, the better, because by then IG will be ending in about 72-48 hours.

- PROCESSING ORDERS - "Definite/Confirmed" orders will be processed first so that as many individuals as possible get at least one bundle for themselves. As long as that goes smoothly, there's no reason everyone can't get all their extra/potential bundles as well. I plan to purchase an extra round of bundles, so there should be some available even after everyone claims theirs.

- DELIVERY - To minimize personal financial risk to myself, no gift-bundle URLs/codes will be delivered to the individual until the agreed-upon price+fees have been tendered and confirmed cleared/completed by Paypal (or whatever other payment method agreed upon). They will be delivered by email, so records will be kept to prove I sent your gift URLs/codes to the confirmed address you provided.


The best way to get info and discuss the Gala prior to Happy Hour announcement is here in this thread. I'll respond as soon as I can in the meantime.

[Enclear]

UPDATE # 1
UPDATE # 1 - SUNDAY - JAN 20
=========================

The first Happy Hour has come and gone. As suspected, IndieGala raised their prices right away. Specifically, the "Buy 5 Gifts for more than $22.19" jumped up instantly to nearly $27.00 at the start of Happy Hour. It's partly the reason I waited and watched rather than purchased then.

In any case, I now have an idea of how long the HH runs, the rate at which averaging lowers the inflated price, and about how far they will let averaging drop the price before shutting off Happy Hour. If they inflate the price again to somewhere around $27.00 per 5 Gift Bundles during HH, and I do not wait for the price to drop, each bundle could cost roughly around $1.45 USD (also includes the distributed cost of the BTA/first-week prepurchase), but this is not the final price yet. It could be slightly higher, or perhaps (hopefully) lower if the price drops more quickly.

---

GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT HAPPY HOUR

In all likelihood, most bundles will be purchased during the next Happy Hour. It will only last about 1.5 hours, if the previous one is any indication, so everyone who can send funds as a Gift to Paypal in USD without complications/fees is asked to be ready to do so once I've posted here that the first bundles have been successfully purchased (will include the email address then).

Being quick with the no-fee, no-conversion Gift payments to Paypal will allow me to purchase more bundles before the Happy Hour ends. Those who volunteer to send money right away will be the first to receive their "Definite/Confirmed" bundles once I start processing orders.

Odds are there will be 2-3 more Happy Hours before the end of the Gala itself, but the intent is to go ahead and buy all we can during the next one since it appears there will be no significant benefit to waiting (ie, IG will be inflating the price each time to make more money).

[Enclear]

Reserved Post

[Enclear]

Reserved post

[Air]

Everything seem good, I just hope for you that nobody changes his mind and that you not remain with 30 bundles of people who haven't intention of buying finally.

[Enclear]

That's why I may limit the first round of bundle purchases to 40 rather than 80, in case the demand doesn't remain/some people change their minds.

If I start the initial HH purchases 3 days before the Gala ends, there should be plenty of time to buy additional bundles to meet any remaining demand for them here.

[Vondle]

40 is probably a good idea, I know for certain that at least 40 will definitely buy, and if some people drop out for some reason at 40 I'll happily buy a few more to cover. I don't know why people would pull out of ~$2 purchase but you never know haha.

[B3N4K]

Thanks and i see it similiary as Vand - if you buy more and it won't sell i'd buy some extra too to cover it ;)

[Brian_Farnet]

Thanks for the update Enclear, my info is correct on the spreadsheet and I'm ready to fire PayPal when the time comes. Much appreciate you doing this!

[Infinite and Unbound]

Originally posted by Enclear:

This info will help me estimate how much each user needs to send to cover any Paypal transaction and/or currency conversion fees. For more information about potential Paypal fees for members outside the US, and how to avoid transaction fees, webtax summed it up here (link). This website[thefeecalculator.com] can give you a tentative idea of what it might cost in fees.

Just on this point: The calculator linked shows the fees charged for transferring money from a linked credit/debit card with any part of the transferred funds, either fully or partially (even $0.01), being covered by the card, for both domestic and international users. The charge calculated here [flat fee (personally $0.30) + 2.4% to 7.9%] is for in cases where even some of the funds come from a linked credit or debit card.

These do not appear to apply when transferring through paypal from your paypal account balance or linked (verified) bank account. In this case there is no fee for domestic (US) transfers and a 0.5% to 1% fee on international transfers, depending upon your country.
Either way, be sure to check your local fees page for specific examples.

tl;dr
The fee calc linked shows when paying with a credit/debit card for all users. It appears to be much less if you're transferring money from your paypal balance or a linked bank account.

[bubblediboo]

Thanks for hosting Enclear! Will you accept Amazon.com gift cards?

[Enclear]

Originally posted by The Somnus Crow:

Originally posted by Enclear:

tl;dr
The fee calc linked shows when paying with a credit/debit card for all users. It appears to be much less if you're transferring money from your paypal balance or a linked bank account.

Everyone is indeed encouraged to use their Paypal Balance and select "Send as Gift"(paraphrased) if that is an option, so they can avoid any and all fees on their end. Those outside the US will be asked to check their Paypal account and investigate the possiblity of fees for sending the base amount. The links provided are an aid for getting a general idea ahead of time of what those fees may be in general, and thus what the total amount may be, for those who have no way of avoiding fees.

To be clear for everyone reading, I am not asking for or accepting charges for transaction fees - they are solely the responsibility of the individual member, to be paid on their end.

[Enclear]

Originally posted by bubblediboo:

Thanks for hosting Enclear! Will you accept Amazon.com gift cards?

That may be a possibility, though any Amazon gift cards will have to be immediately verified/delivered/redeemable electronically and be purchased from Amazon's US website. I'm not sure what their minimum dollar amount is, you'll want to check Amazon's Gift Card FAQ and let me know.

Because some of the later bundle purchases depend on funds paid to my Paypal account being used for them, bundles paid for through Amazon gift cards will have to be processed after Paypal orders have been completed.

I plan to purchase some extras for myself after the Paypal orders have all been processed, so I'm certain there'll be some available for you paid via Amazon gift card, provided it is a method that works for us both.

[bubblediboo]

Amazon gift cards are a nice way to avoid all fees for both parties. If you want the funds on your Paypal instead, in order to buy the bundles, that's understandable of course.

If you do decide to accept gift cards:
The minimum amount for an email gift card is $0.15. They are emailed directly by Amazon to the recipient, redeemable instantly. The sender never gets to see the gift card code.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LLIKVU/gcrnsts

[Enclear]

Originally posted by bubblediboo:

Amazon gift cards are a nice way to avoid all fees for both parties. If you want the funds on your Paypal instead, in order to buy the bundles, that's understandable of course.

If they are purchased from the US Amazon website I will accept it on a case-by-case basis (meaning, any member reading this needs to talk with me first before doing an Amazon GiftCard because I can only do this for a limited number of members).

I'll make a note on the spreadsheet to remind myself you'd like to pay through a gift card, and once the bundles are in we'll make further arrangements (email, etc).

[MangoTangoFox]

@Enclear I may need to do a Amazon Giftcard... My paypal is emptied and because of a birthdate mistake, which I am waiting for them to fix, I can't add funds from my bank yet. Sending paypal funds as a gift eliminates fees. I would use my debit card with paypal, but if Amazon would let me avoid any fees entirely, that would be better.