DMs Guild DMs Guild: do you think it is okay to charge some people more than others?

[Giant2005]

I may have phrased that question a little badly and it probably comes off extremely click-baity because of it, but I genuinely have no idea how to ask the question better in a concise manner.

My issue is that I want to reduce the price of two of my products down to PWYW, but plenty of people have purchased those same products with an actual price tag. I feel like I'd be ripping them off by forcing them to pay for the products that I now intend to give out for free.

Do you think reducing the price would be unethical?

 

[Devilbass]

I would say no, it would not be unethical. Most products people buy experience price changes over time. The people that purchased your material in the past were not tricked out anything, and made the decision to purchase it. It's the nature of buying and selling a product.

 

[Auramancer]

No, reducing the price isn't unethical. This assumes you haven't made a future commitment to those customers to update these products, or that your decision to lower the price to PWYW doesn't reduce the likelihood that you would be able to deliver on your commitment.

You're trying to see what the market will bear, and how to monetize it. Your past customers may become a touch more gun-shy, as patience would have been rewarded. Unless they were dissatisfied already, I don't see a price drop causing ill will.

 

[FrogReaver]

I may have phrased that question a little badly and it probably comes off extremely click-baity because of it, but I genuinely have no idea how to ask the question better in a concise manner.

My issue is that I want to reduce the price of two of my products down to PWYW, but plenty of people have purchased those same products with an actual price tag. I feel like I'd be ripping them off by forcing them to pay for the products that I now intend to give out for free.

Do you think reducing the price would be unethical?

You cannot make everyone happy. Yes it sucks to buy a product and then see it go on a massive sale. You may can give something free to such a customer if they complain to you about it. Otherwise, they were happy to pay the price you had for the product, that you change it after they have bought it shouldn't mean anything to them.

You do risk having a few customers who recently bought being agravated they didn't wait. You also run the risk of making some people a little more gun shy on future for money purchases thinking you may eventually lower your prices. Overall a minimum risk IMO and nothing unethical regarding such a business decision.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

I might shy away from it if you were planning to sell stuff in the future. It totally depends on what your long term goals are. I don't think it is unethical though if it was a change of mind done in good faith.

 

[Giant2005]

I don't think it is unethical though if it was a change of mind done in good faith.

That is the problem though - I'm not entirely sure I am convinced that my change of mind has been done in good faith.
In hindsight, I think I was merely using these people for the sake of market research. The product that I left as PWYW seems to be doing better than those that I am selling for cheap and that is why I want to shift those back to the PWYW format.
I don't think any of that really constitutes good faith.

 

[BoldItalic]

You can salve your conscience with a little double-think.

By going PWYW you're allowing generous customers to pay more if they want to. It is very noble and warm-hearted of you to allow them to express their gratitude in this way. Warm fuzzies all round.

 

[Giant2005]

You can salve your conscience with a little double-think.

By going PWYW you're allowing generous customers to pay more if they want to. It is very noble and warm-hearted of you to allow them to express their gratitude in this way. Warm fuzzies all round.

That is actually exactly why I want to drop them down to PWYW! It seems to me that having a low price doesn't encourage anyone to pay if they weren't already willing to pay, it just serves as a limit as to how much those that are willing to pay, are able to pay.
Though I'm not sure I am capable of the level of self-deception is requires to convince myself that I am giving them a privilege by giving them the ability to pay more.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Price drops happen. Honestly, on DMsGuild I'm not even sure anyone will notice, and somehow I sincerely doubt anyone would care.

 

[BoldItalic]

That is actually exactly why I want to drop them down to PWYW! It seems to me that having a low price doesn't encourage anyone to pay if they weren't already willing to pay, it just serves as a limit as to how much those that are willing to pay, are able to pay.
Though I'm not sure I am capable of the level of self-deception is requires to convince myself that I am giving them a privilege by giving them the ability to pay more.

Good for you. You are an honest man.