Bio Engineer Archive

So today I log in to restock my shop, been out of town this weekend, got all my DNA and headed to my shop to make pets on my super powered crafting terminal. As I come over the ditch and my shop pops into view I notice a new PA hall in front of my PA hall. Curious about new neighbors I check out their shop. As I enter the main area what should I see but a vendor with the word ANIMALITIES over it. This obviously sparked my interest so I check the vendor. Now let me preface it by saying its not a big deal to me if another BE sets up shop near mine but this particular BE is now selling mounts at a fraction (about 10% of my standard price) of my price. Now I have built up a good reputation on Scylla people send me emails daily for orders and I can never keep my shop stocked.

I must be doing something right because I am making quite a bit of money and I am not exactly a cheap merchant. I sell my pets at a nice profit (dewbacks 10k, banthas 8k etc) and I sell out daily because of A) reputation for quality and B) quality products. I price pets based on how much work it took me to gather DNA. I don't gouge people using crap DNA and selling for high prices. I stock both yard trash DNA pets at low prices for newbies and high quality refined DNA for the high end player.

Now I have this new BE shop in front of mine selling debacks for 1.3k credits. Banking on my reputation and Global Ad 3 vendors to attract customers so he can steal them from me.

Am I off base to be furious about this or is this a cheap tactic to bank on other peoples hard work? Now I will have to move my shop, I am not going to allow this person to steal my hard work from me. I know that if I ask them to move they will just ignore me or come up with some crap about "its a free world" or even better try and extort me to move his shop.

You have every right to be upset. You are paying for the advertisment, he did build next to your establishment that was easy to find out what you sell.

It is sad that you are the one that has to move, since many of your customers will most likely stop by your former location and find his shop.

Hi Bosskt,

Yes, indeed it was either a marketing tactic that they're using (since customers trottle to you so theres a consumer trafficaround your shop), or it was blatant ignorance which you should probably converse with your new competitor about. If you are truthful about your continuous sales and orders, then your customers can trust you, regardless of the prices. I'm obsessive when I buy products, "has to be THIS brand or nothing, has to be THIS store etc etc.", so hopefully your current, past, and potential customers will feel the same "nativity" with your products. Only the broke or cheap n00bs or wandering shoppers will buy your new rival's goods.

Whats that saying again? ... all's fair in love and war. I don't agree with the tactic but it's perfectly valid if a little unscrupulous.

So, you're angry that you have some competition in the area?

Such is life. Ever seen a store that u always went to because there were no more around then poof, a new competitor builds across the street and starts selling for less? Its called capitalism. I feel ur pain as u sound dedicated to your profession and this pa dweeb is ruining your business. But that is how the game, and reality, is set up. Hopefully your quality and customer service will see u through.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. He'll have a hard time keeping his vendor full most likely. I've found that the bio-engineers come and go. I just keep churning along.

Erais on Scylla

Yes, just keep up the good work and try to ignore the other guy, your rep and quality will pay off in the end, and anyone chugging out cheap product will likely lose interest quicker and move on.

-Jexx

Kind of lame, yes :/

When I picked the location for my shop I picked a spot nearby to a very popular Weaponsmith's store, heh. I did also run around to make sure there were no other BEs in the area as well. I would get mad if any BE moved in next door to me I am friends with all the BEs I've met on Ahazi, just don't want to be neighbors with them is all, heh.

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XpNsVe wrote:

Don't worry, reliability usually outweighs some newbie vendor...

I had the same happen to me on my server.. so you know what I did? I bought him. He now works for me.

Simple as that, try buying him. Buy dna from him.

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Good strategy. Or, at the very least, you can buy him out. Find out when he restocks. Buy up his inventory at those wonderful low prices. Put the inventory on your newbie vendor. When customers discover that his vendor is empty everyday, they will have no option but to continue to you. In time, any customers that he might have attracted will become yours.

The time that you have put in to develop a reputation shows that you are dedicated, but we have no idea the dedication level of the newcomer. Perhaps he will get bored and go away. Or change his product line. But before that, he will begin to raise his prices since he is selling out daily. At some point, his prices will raise to a level comparable to yours. At this point, your reputation will win out, since you have not allowed him to build one.

Um I don't think he's angry about competition in the area. In fact, since I believe he explicitly stated he didn't mind a BE setting up shop there, I'm rather sure of it. What he seems to be mad about is that this competition is taking advantage of his Merchant Skills to get placed on the global map and his reputation thus far, so that people will come to this other BE without him having to take up Merchant to get placed on the map or get a solid reputation first.

Personally, I think it's terrible someone would do this, but it's also one of those things that you have to deal with in the game. There's nothing really "illegal" about it. Whoever it is seems to be a conniving jerk, but other than bad manners that's all you can say.

i agree.

when i used to sell pets in front of the starport (yea i know, shut up ) and people would come along selling rock beetles for 4k when i wastrying to make enough money selling gualamas and banthasto buy meat just so i coud continue to level in BE i just bought them. i would buy whatever pets they had for sale and sell them higher right in front of them. it sends the right message.

buy all his 1.7k clones and set up a second vendor called "good will" where you sell them for 3k. yea, he will still be making money justfrom being next to you, but now you will be making money from it too.

Yep, that's what i do, I see someone selling cheaper than me and I KNOW I can move it in my shop for a higher price, I buy it and stick it on my vendor, no reason for just him to make money. I like the "goodwill' vendor LOL