Architect Archive
Thread: A question of ethics
Twitchie wrote:
Yeah, everyone has a different idea. To my mind, price gouging is if you were sitting down charging 12k for a 2500 buff, and I sat down next you and started charging 10k, I'd kill your line. I always try to make it a point to ask the other doc if they're staying or leaving. If they're staying, I'll match my price to theirs, if they're leaving soon anyway, and there's a huge line, I'll charge my usual.
I would just check out your server, spend a day fighting, and check out any docs you see hanging around, and match to what the average seems to be. I generally charge 10k, for a 2500-2510 3:25 buff, 12k for 2540 or higher, and I don't really use anything higher. Too hard to find, and since I sometimes spend 3 hours buffing, one set might not last. I'll add 2k-4k for poison/disease, depending on how much they cost me. I've seen some docs charge more, up to 20k, but generally, they don't last, or decide not to buff in public anymore.
I would have to disagree with you on this one. Price gouging is, by definition, running up prices simply because you can. After 9/11, some gas stations ran their prices up based on some scare/fear, and the president had to order it stopped, etc. You get the idea.
Adjusting prices to other docs in the area is more competition than gouging. For you, you feel a sense of loyalty toward your fellow doctor, and choose to adjust prices to him, (based on what you said). Ordinarily I am more inclined to charge my normal price, despite the other doctors in the area, and simply wait to see who chooses my services.
However, during those timesI'm out to get customers, I may charge less for the same services, simply as a service to the consumers.
For example, I usually charge 12K for 2500 and up, however am thinking about offering a lesser strength buff, (or buffs with varied durations/strengths), for say 6K-8K as a service to the newer players. I very much remember the days when 10K was a lot of credits, and chose not to buff at all but take easier missions and use stims, simply based on prices. I may have been inclined to get a buff if it was cheaper, etc...
As you and I are both on Eclipse, it will be interesting to see how we operate when we're the only two docs outside CNET... lol.