Attached Link: http://secure.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=1

this morning I went to daz to see what was new and to see if there was a sale going one being the 4th of July week and I saw that the platinum club membership price dropped dramtically to $29.95 so I say WTF! I got mine when it first came out and paid $49.95 and thought I was getting a good deal on it. So I read a little more and saw it just wasn't $29.95 it is also a monthly fee of $7.95 to keep it. So I did some math: 29.95 first month = 29.95 7.95 each month after = 87.95 Total before vouchers = 117.40 5.00 Voucher Ea month = 60.00 Total = 57.40 Yes it is a great savings, but here is the thing I don't buy from Daz every month and I on certian months can't afford a 7.95 charge to my credit card. But I can save the month for the old renewal fee (which I have been doing). I think it is unfar of Daz to do this to members of the Platinum Club without warning. I'd rather pay the one time fee of 57.40 than pay a monthly fee. I hope that other members of the platinum club feel the same way as I do. Please if you are a member let Daz know your feeling so we can get this changed if you this is not right.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

I am quite disappointed in this new update. Not only will you be charged monthly (and sometimes I do not use the Platinum Club monthly but may splurge in one month and then not buy for several) but no longer will your gift vouchers be able to purchase anything in the Platinum Club..they will send you a $5 voucher but it must be used within the month and only on Daz products in the Premier Section. I won't be renewing and am really disappointed that they have done this. :( Irene

I am not a member. I was looking into using a $30 voucher toward the cost of membership. I basically wanted to stock up on a lot of $1.99 specials. I can't use the voucher in that way. However, considering that people joined with the belief that they would at least get a year's worth of buying items at $1.99 each seems like a commitment. Changing the terms for existing members doesn't seem right.

I wish they would give options... Pay monthly, or pay for the full year right off the bat. I much prefer to pay upfront. Heck, my first visit to Poserworld I just did the Lifetime membership. I am just SICK of monthly bills. I wish more subscription sites offered Lifetime deals. I am guessing that they won't start charging current Platinum Club members monthly fees until their subscriptions actually run out though. We;ll have to wait and see what they do.

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

So, let me see, are you saying that memebers that already bought this are going to have to pay 7.95 everymonth just to keep it? Well what if we don't want to be charged? Can we cancel our membership that I paid a year for? Will I get refunded for the rest of the year I didn't use? Not sure what is happening? Sharen

No I think that is for new members and renewing members

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

must go read this.....I would have thought that there would have been something in the newletter about this or maybe they did not have time yet. Gotta go read...thanks for the update. Sharen

There just aren't enough Original Daz Items every month to make the Vouchers that useful... Sharen, I'd imagine they won't start charging current members monthly fees until their current subscriptions run out- you've already paid! :)

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

Yes, I'm willing to bet we'll get a new Newsletter/e-mail with all of the info.

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

well if you are upset with this change please email daz at Sales@daz3d.com .

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

I hope this doesn't affect existing members otherwise I'll be cancelling my subscription. I got it during the initial special of $49.95 and I have to admit I've gotten much more than my money's worth including applying the discount to Mimic 2 Pro. I did receive a recent notice from DAZ giving me a $30 voucher for purchasing Mimic 2. I'm assuming this is because they were offering another discount which I didn't get at the time I purchased it. Yes DAZ, if you are out there, please explain if this is for everyone or just new subscribers. I'm certain it is the latter since this would violate our original agreement which I still have a copy of. They just aren't offering enough stuff that I'm interested in anymore. Too much Vicky 3 stuff. It's time for something new, and the additions don't appear to be coming as frequently and in abundance like before.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

Look at the bottom! I think this answers our question. I will dig up the original agreement and post it since it obviously doesn't exist anymore. Notes Already a Member? - No Start-Up Fee And a Gift! As a symbol of our gratitude to you, our current loyal Platinum Club Members, we will be granting you a $30 Voucher** as an anniversary gift from us to you for making the Platinum Club such a success! And, every month of continued membership will bring you a $5 voucher, as well as other Member Rewards which will be offered to you periodically as your membership continues. And as with all DAZ products and services, there is an unconditional, 30 day money-back guarantee on your membership. If you don't feel absolutely satisfied with your Platinum Club Membership, simply tell us that you want your money back. We will refund you immediately with no questions asked. And that's more than a guarantee. It's our personal promise. *Platinum Club Membership requires a one time payment of $29.95 and 11 monthly payments of $7.95 thereafter in order to maintain membership privileges. **Voucher will be granted automatically to the accounts of all qualifying customers once monthly and will be valid for the duration of that month only. +30% Discount only good on DAZ original Items. Not good on resell or brokered products. You will not receive a download after purchasing a Platinum Club membership. The membership will just change your account permissions so that you start receiving the Platinum Club savings. Each Platinum Club Membership allows for one purchase of each Platinum Club product at the Platinum Club price. Three downloads are allowed for each Platinum Club product purchase. Vouchers cannot be used on this product.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

well there is like 6 or 7 new items in the platinum club today but I am not getting any due to I can't afford it cause I am "hopefully" starting a new job next week.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

is that on renewal or just going to give it to us?

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

So, if you are a member already will you have to pay anything additional this year?

No you don't

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Agree with you or atleast send an email to the members about the changes

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Sent your complaints to DAZ. I just sent them one. I looked for my original agreement, but there didn't seem to be one. How clever of them. All I could find was their original advertisement on their site, but it got cut off when I transferred it to PDF. Another reason why I hate frame sites.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

You know I just got back from reading this and I did not see anywhere what the renewal price for existing memeber is....when I renew will I pay $29.95 and then $87.45 (11 months x $7.95 for the year? Let's see if so that would be $117.40 for the year....on top of it I will pay $1.99 for each model, so say I take an average of my purchases last year at $1.99 each, I am still saving money....these models are good quality models, very good quality, I have never bought a model from Daz and have been unhappy about it. I don't think I have a problem with this...I am still saving money the way I look at it. Sharen

I would like to here either from Dan or Someone in Sales about this.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

You're right, Sharen. The models at Platinum Club are extremely cheap considering the very good quality of them. They're well worth the price I think, regardless if it'll be a little less or a litte more than what I pay today. $1.99 per model + an annual payment of some $120 is nothing compared to what you pay per model at other 3D ressource sites (like TurboSquid or the likes). Remember, DAZ models are very high quality items, have any of you ever returned a purchase you made from DAZ? Look at it this way: The more money DAZ can make for their business, the more dedicated can they be at supplying us with great meshes on a weekly basis. I don't think I have problem with this either...we'll see where it ends, though. :) -Hanz

Me too. I don't like the idea of having my credit card charged monthly at all. I'd like to see a one time fee for the year.

What we do in life, echoes in eternity.

E-mail | Renderosity Homepage | Renderosity Store | RDNA Store

Let's all take a deep breath, I really don't think DAZ meant to cheat anyone or pull anything. Quality of models.....ARE EXCELLENT Customer Service......IS EXCELLENT Support......ALWAYS SUPERB Remember they are helping lots of people make money, not just themselves. They carry alot of weight on their shoulders and always support their products. They are a good company and we all rely on them, even me....I always love my purchases....I love their work and those that broker through them....lots of talent there. I don't think this is a flim flame, or they are pulling a fast anything. Let's just wait until they tell us something and I am sure they will. Sharen

Blimey! Last time I looked it was $99 for the year. Seemed a bit much at the time, but now $117.40 is a steaming pile! I suppose the monthly payments gaurantee them a monthly income. Maybe they're being hassled by the bank manager. H:)

here here HANZ...:-) also remember a holiday is coming, one we should all be thankful for....we all celebrate independance right? Smile, sit back and wait, alot of us walk in the same shoes, we all understand. Sharen

It's just unethical for them to change the plan in the middle of a subscription, especially without giving sufficient notice of the change. Why should we pay again when we've already paid. And what about the people who paid full price? DAZ puts out quality models and I've always been pleased with them, but pulling rabbits out of hats shouldn't be one of their initiatives. I don't buy as much as I used to because, like I said, they haven't had much in the Club that I'm interested in. I also don't want to pay a monthly fee if I don't buy anything for several months.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

hogwarden you may think that is a lot but what if we didn't have the Platinum club, can you imagine how much you would spend for some of these models, I purchased models I never thought I could afford and again am real happy about all of them. Sharen

whbos, I don't think they are changing the plans of the members they have until their subscription runs out. Sharen

The way I read it is this : for current PC subscribers Once your current membership expires, you will be granted FREE membership in the new structure...you do not have to pay the $29.99 to join or renew....you will then have to pay the $7.95 per month to stay active. You will also get a $30 voucher good for 1 month on Original DAZ product ...

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.
All things connect......Chief Seattle, 1854

Ok, let me get this straight. If you are already a member, it going to cost you a one time fee of $29.95. For doing so DAZ sends you voucher worth $30.00. Total cost to you $0.00. A monthly fee of $7.95 and DAZ sends you voucher worth $5.00. Total monthly cost $2.95, for annual cost of $35.40. Old annual membership cost $99.00. So what the problem? Seem like a good deal to me.

Sharen: Look at the post above I got from their site. It looks like it affects all of us. Sorry to repeat it again, but: Already a Member? - No Start-Up Fee And a Gift! As a symbol of our gratitude to you, our current loyal Platinum Club Members, we will be granting you a $30 Voucher** as an anniversary gift from us to you for making the Platinum Club such a success! And, every month of continued membership will bring you a $5 voucher, as well as other Member Rewards which will be offered to you periodically as your membership continues. I'm assuming the $30 is payback from our initial membership cost. And how can it be an "anniversary gift" when it hasn't been a year yet, or is this to take effect on the anniversary of our subscription? It isn't clear what they are saying. They do have great models and great customer support. I just think we should have this option at the end of our subscription, not in the middle of it (or near the end I should say).

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

Calm down. :D They're not changing stuff on those that are already members- from the site it looks like the changes only kick in when you renew or do a new subscription. Also, in the long run, it's actually cheaper because of the monthly vouchers. My main desire though is to simply have the option to pay annually as well as the option to pay monthly, and the option to sign-up for a lifetime wouldn't be bad. :D It would also be nice if the Vouchers were good for things besides Daz Original Items, because most of the Daz original stuff seems to end up in the Platinum Club, and the vouchers are no good there. I already sent Daz a nice polite e-mail. I'm not too worried regardless. No matter how I look at it, the Platinum Club is still a great bargain. Those are terrific quality Poser items at low low prices.

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

SAMS3D - I don't think this is a flim flame, or they are pulling a fast anything. NYGUY - Never said it was or that they where. I just said I think it isn't a good change ---------------------------------------------------------- judith - I don't like the idea of having my credit card charged monthly at all. I'd like to see a one time fee for the year. NYGUY - That is why I am upset with this change. I have bounced some check cause I forgot about a monthly charge. ----------------------------------------------------------- whbos- It's just unethical for them to change the plan in the middle of a subscription, especially without giving sufficient notice of the change. Why should we pay again when we've already paid. And what about the people who paid full price? NYGUY - I don't think that if we have a membership already that we will have to pay this monthly fee till we renew. Which I am not going to do unless I can pay for the full year upfront.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

There are a lot of people that can't afford the $99.99 as a beginning price. The new pricing structure will allow those that wish to get into the Platinum Club a cheaper and alternative way to do so. I've been a member of the PC now since it started, and I can guarantee that I could almost always use a voucher within 30 days. The only change I'd like to see on that is voucher use within 60 days instead of 30.

Boy did I open a hornet's nest with this thread!

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Look at it this way for a new guy... Pay the $30...buy all the current stuff el cheapo, and bid a fond adue....what a savings :)

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.
All things connect......Chief Seattle, 1854

nyguy, you did a good thing here, lots of points that should be taken into consideration....new memebers will read and learn and so will us old farts...LOL..Sharen

"There are a lot of people that can't afford the $99.99 as a beginning price" That's fine, and I understand that not everyone can pay up front. But then set it up two ways, one for those that would like to pay in advance. Almost every business that I've ever had a membership to has a pay-in-advance option, some even give deeper discounts to those that choose to pay that way. It's a pretty safe bet that if they don't allow for a one time payment, I won't be renewing either.

What we do in life, echoes in eternity.

E-mail | Renderosity Homepage | Renderosity Store | RDNA Store

The only thing I am really upset about is this change is the fact you have no option for paying the year upfront. If that was available I will renew my membership asap. I feel that they are taking a good thing and amking it worse like ford did with some vechials in the past (pardon spelling).

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Certainly my reading is (probably) Existing members get the $30 voucher (sometime) and the $5 voucher monthly (from when they start). When the current sub ends you pay $7.95/month, but no start up fee. It isn't crystal clear and I'd really like DAZ to confirm, but I think that's what it means. Where does it say the $5 can't be used on PClub items? All I can see on the subs page is "Vouchers cannot be used on this product", which I take to be the subscription itself.

Forgot to add my votes for: "More notice would have been nice" "Option to pay in advance please (though I'm not sure I would)"

I am looking at the page right now and I can't see anything that says you can't use the $30 or the $5 voucher on PC items I think they have to be Daz orginals. I am not to sure but that is what I am reading. But yet when I look at PC items I see (attached) which confuses me!

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

I'm pretty sure that this change is to try and make the PC more attractive to potential members, since the one-time $99 probably scared some people off. I do agree that I like paying a one-time fee more than a monthly one though, and I will probably not renew if that is the case when my subscription runs out. As far as there being primarily V3 items in it, I don't mind that too much...in fact, I wish they would make more male V3 clothing and morphs instead of Mike 3 - heaven knows we need yet ANOTHER figure that isn't completely backwards-compatible. ;) I've already tried putting V3's head on Mike's body (which didn't work well because of the different neck), but I think we've already got a really good start on a new male figure with V3 and her morphs anyway. Ah well, to each his own. :) Thanks, take care. SnowS

my DeviantArt page: http://snowsultan.deviantart.com/

 

I do not speak as a representative of DAZ, I speak only as a long-time member here. Be nice (and quit lying about DAZ) and I'll be nice too.

how's thius for an option... Pay upfront $2.95 x 12 = $35.40 No vouchers...just a cheap annual rate Plus if you're a new guy , the $29.95 up front joining fee.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.
All things connect......Chief Seattle, 1854

I like the Platinum Club as there are some great products to be had at low prices. However, I have more than one credit card and take advantage of flipping balances for lower rates. If I have transfered a balance to the card DAZ will charge to then I'm stuck with paying the higher percentage rate on the additional charges DAZ will make until I clear that card's balance. This interferes with how I manage my bills to my best advantage. I would prefer to pay my fee as an annual amount from a card of my choice. The card I may use when it's time to renew may not be the one I might use the month before, because as I stated I move my bills around for the best advantage. DAZ should give us options that satisfies everyone.

Heck I was willing to pay the renewal fee (if memory serves me correctly) of 69.95 with no incetives.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

I love that Daz is taking actions to make the PClub more afordable to people that only want it for a limited time period, lots of subscrition sites have 3 month, 6 month , 1 year subscriptions, seems Daz is just kinda falling in line. on intial reading it seems price of membership is higher, but so are costs. Tax in some states now, PayPal charges for each transaction, web site development costs, bandwidth costs etc. Seems they are only raising the price a bit and trying to keep same quality and service (kinda rare these days). Here is my big complaint. Daz does not create enough original products to justify the voucher system. especially if the vouchers are limited time. Daz has gotten their brokering system better and better and lots of new and fun things are showing up all over, the store has gotten bigger in just a few months. but it's like only 10% original content to 90% brokered. That's the way it seems to me anyway. Anton is a great modeler, ML too. Higher more Daz Content creators. Then it will be a more even division of products and the value of the PClub will shine. otherwise there may be a influx of stop and start Club members and mass buying every 6 months only. Most of the poser purchases I have made have been at Daz, lots of my money has gone there. I'm starting to see my money go more and more to other sites, or directly to content creators from their own sites. With DazStudio coming I'm sure that the Daz Store is going to explode and become a huge store, I just see this happening. Maybe the plans in the works, the wizard behind the curtain just isn't seen and all this will work itself out. I am concerned, but there really isn't much I can do about how it will be done. I'm just gunna wait n see before I slap Daz with email hate mail. We live in interesting times :)

I think I might drop membership soon. It'll become difficult to maintain. the actual cost per year is $29.95 + (11x7.95) = $117.40 So if the $5 voucher can only be used on daz stuffs, I don't think we can use them on $1.99 purchase, and expires every month, we might not use that at all since I often buy brokered stuffs. Thinking the new structure, it sounds like a price increase to me. And so far I've seen and think worthwhile are the cloths, hair models and a few texture packs plus the phoenix. hmm... but don't worry so much, these are just my opinion. :)

I'm not a member but was waiting (hoping) they'd put the membership on sale again, then I was going to join. But now it seems the price went up...from 99 to 117. I'm not counting the vouchers as they're too limited and I'd probably rarely, if ever, use them. I don't like the monthly charge thing, either. But I do like the content. I agree with SnowSultan...v3 is the way to go for both genders, IMO. And more v3 male stuff would be great. I'd like to see the $99 yearly fee stay as an option...no vouchers. And if they're really nice they can put it on sale for the 4th of July, being the patriotic, kind, decent people they are.

"Heck I was willing to pay the renewal fee (if memory serves me correctly) of 69.95 with no incetives." Ditto here.

What we do in life, echoes in eternity.

E-mail | Renderosity Homepage | Renderosity Store | RDNA Store

We are just about to release a more formal announcement regarding this which will answer the majority of your questions, at the same time, I'll be starting a thread in the Product Showcase forum here to answer your more specific questions more directly. So, just hold tight all your answers are coming, I promise! Steve Kondris DAZ Productions, Inc.

Me too. But I would like to be able to pay the annual fee upfront. My subscription is good until October....I think I'll wait and see if they refine this offer. As for the $30 voucher...yeah, I could spend that in a month in a heartbeat.

Thank you Steve for coming to us and read this thread.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Vouchers on DAZ original content... I, and many of you, just got the $30 voucher for the Mimic deal... I've been scouring the entire store, and honestly cannot find a DAZ orignal item that I really want to pick up..Sure, there are some items that I would maybe use, but overall..nothing that screams to be put in that store basket... DAZ needs to create more original content to make these vouchers worth anything. And of course, your mileage may vary.... But I have what I want now....there are TONS of brokered or PC items I would love to purchase, however.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.
All things connect......Chief Seattle, 1854

Lets give them a few minutes to read this thread. They just opened for the day. It's not like waiting for a new SR to a buggy program for months at a time (grin, couldn't help it). First, most of us don't have to renew for some time yet. No changes until we renew. We'd be silly to renew early. Second, Daz will likely come up with another option for payment. I expect a yearly fee based on the total cost of the monthly membership, maybe with a little discount for paying up front. Daz is very responsive to their customer base. I expect that after Dan sees this thread, he'll quickly come up with a yearly payment solution for those of us who don't or won't do a monthly charge. They may already have one, but haven't posted it yet to their page (remember, Daz isn't the best at quick web site updates). As for quality, very few can compare with either the Daz generated or their brokered products. For all we know, we can roll the vouchers up if we don't use them in a month. Sure, sometimes the club has nothing I can really use, but sometimes they have a ton of neat stuff. New members get a great deal with all the older stuff they have in the club, and a lot of the new stuff is worth the price. And don't forget the regular Platinum Club discount. That came in VERY handy wit all the V3 stuff I got. It'll come in even more handy when M3 comes out (Dan, when you read this... hint, hint). Right now Daz is the only company providing high resolution, usable human figures. They provide excellent support, and they're the ones we currently look for to provide the next generation of a Poser style program that actually uses a modern system's capabilities. Don't let a little thing like a payment plan freak you out. Special note to Dan: Good work on everything lately (I can even live with injection posing), but maybe a full year option would be a good thing. And while I've got your attention, Mike 3? Status? Huh? Male posing junkies wanna know.

Ladies and Gentlemn, Let us not forget they cannot charge your credit card without your express permission, through contract or other legel obligations. And I for one have not given out that permission except for purchases made. I don't think DAZ wants to get into a disputed charge card scenero.

I must remember to remember what it was I had to remember.

Now on Daz's web site Prefer to Pay For Everything Up-Front? If you prefer to pay the original $99.95 price upfront, simply contact sales@daz3d.com to place your order. You will have a full year's access to the Platinum Club, full-access to the Members Only areas of the DAZ3D website, and 30% off all DAZ Original Items. The monthly voucher reimbursements are only for monthly payment plan members however. All memberships purchased for a full year at once must be paid for using Paypal or a money order. Credit cards cannot be accepted.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

That seems weird...why would they prefer a monthly payment (and encourage it with vouchers) and discourage an upfront payment? Seems as if they really don't want annual payments. Why would a membership purchased for a full year not be payable by credit card? Weird. I know, I know. Wait for the other thread.

nickedshield Read the finprint on your account page Platinum Club Annual Membership Platinum Club Membership [The above item auto-renews and bills your credit card upon expiration. To cancel your automatic renewal, cilck here.]

Dialyn: Maybe they're planning to change the membership plan again and don't want any legal hassles with those who pay by credit card. It's like the old apartment lease thing. Once you go month-to-month, you're susceptible to rent increases, but with an annual lease they can't jack the rent up on you again.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

That has my attention also dialyn. And why then not by personal cheque?

I must remember to remember what it was I had to remember.

DAZ needs to create more original content, Also needs to be more diverse, Would like to see more products NOT related to Vic3 or Koshina. My voucher will be used at the last minute, nothing there now that I just have to get.

Hold on a minute !! So we can pay upfront $100....and get no vouchers... or pay 7.95/month...which is actually only for 11 months because of the $29.95 sign up fee the first go round...or waived if existing member...which is $88....plus get $5 voucher per month.... geez.... this is getting more of the wall by the second, here...

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.
All things connect......Chief Seattle, 1854

Well, I hate to "go opposite" of the majority of the posts here but let's not forget something: DAZ, more than any other company, energized the Poser community with HIGH-quality LOW-cost products. Maybe some have forgotten the prices that some companys charged for their products. (once in a while, I see someone post a picture of, say, a baseball that sold for $50 or so!) Also, the Platinum Club is NOT something you are owed. NOT something they MUST offer. I haven't done any calculations (other than reading the above) but what I have read doesn't seem so bad. Personally, I can't understand the complaint about being charged monthly as opposed to people wanting to be charged all at once. If you can't pay off your balance on your credit card each month (anyway), then you wind up paying more interest from a large charge at the beginning of the year (that you can't pay off) than if you got a charge added each month. Do some math. Perhaps DAZ should just cancel the Platinum Club. Then you could really whine! I realize a lot of people don't have the money to buy the 3D products they want to buy. If you are a hobbyist like me, then you need to weigh your money against your desires. I'll have to do that soon, as well (since the government has decided it's better to discard me and hire a contractor in my place). But, I think DAZ does a good job of balancing their business (and profits) while making products affordable to us common types. A DAMN good job!

the price increase is substantial, even without the initial fee (from about $70 to about $90). and if you are a pc member that rarely or never buys in the premium section, then the vouchers don't do squat. and a voucher for $30 is not a refund. that is me still being forced to pay $30 and maybe getting something I wouldn't have bought in the first place in exchange. and basically, after receiving newsletter after newsletter about mimic but no warning about a change in terms of service of the pc, i'm kinda pissed. poserworld has high quality models and textures, costs $50 per year, and has no subsequent fees. runtime dna offers a lot of quality stuff for $2.50 with no membership required. and whether this is still a good deal or not is kind of irrelevant to the fact that they snuck this up on their customers. and frankly, i don't want another monthly fee. i think they should rethink their changes and maybe offer different payment plans rather than forcing people who were willing to pay a yearly fee of $70 on top of the $2 cost per item to pay more and pay monthly.

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

Ok, we're about to send out a newsletter promoting the new setup and all the additional privileges gained by having a Platinum Club Membership. If you want to be up on all the latest happenings with DAZ, or get the first scoop on upcoming products, or have full-access to a Members Only Gallery and lots more, then becoming (or staying) a Platinum Club Member is a must for you. The new setup is going to destroy the barrier to entry of $100 that's always been a problem in the past. No one will have to save up $100 to become a member any longer. We feel that's a huge benefit to many of our customers. The ability to pay a much smaller monthly fee of $7.95 a month is much easier for most people to handle in our current economy - if you take advantage of the monthly $5 voucher, than your monthly fee drops to $2.95 a month. It doesn't get much cheaper than that, folks. :) The ability to pay for a whole year up front IS still available, but you may only pay through Paypal and direct money transfers (checks, money-orders, wire-transfers, etc.) due to restrictions placed upon us directly by the credit card processing companies. Those who pay for a year upfront will not qualify for the $5 monthly vouchers, however, that is a benefit for those who sign up for the monthly payment plan. (I'm sorry it wasn't on the page last night, that was my fault that it wasn't there like it should have been) There will be many DAZ Original products coming in the near future, I don't think anyone here wouldn't like to have 30% of Michael 3.0 when he comes out later this year. But, even cooler, in my opinion, are all the extras that Platinum Club Members will soon have available to them. We're going to be launching our own Forum soon, and there will be a special Members Only area with contests and other going-on's specifically geared towards Platinum Club Members. Soon after the Forum launches, there will be an Online Gallery for all Members, voted upon by Platinum Club Members (with some really cool prizes, btw). And as long expected products begin to show themselves, I think everyone will say that being a Member definitely has its privileges *wink, wink*. I hope this answers your questions and concerns. The Platinum Club Membership is really quite simple, pay $29.95 now, and then only $7.95 a month thereafter, and get access to everything at DAZ3D for a full year. With $5 Vouchers to boot. The only hard part left is deciding what to buy with all your discounts and specials once you're a member. ;) We are sorry for the delay in email response that many of you have experienced over the past few weeks. AnneMarie is no longer with us at all, she has decided to just dedicate her time to her family and their newborn, and as a result, we're all juggling quite a bit more than we used to while we make the necessary changes to handle the load she bore for us so well for so long. Any other questions, look for the email that will be coming to your inbox later today, and then please feel free to email us at sales@daz3d.com Thanks, Steve Kondris DAZ Productions, Inc.

I don't doubt the value of the models or the membership. I just find the financial arrangement to be odd. Forums and contests and galleries don't mean much to me since it is doubtful I'd have any reason to participate, but the value of the Platinum Club has been worth a lot to me. I just can't figure out why all the incentives are for the monthly payments since that has to be more bookkeeping effort than an annual membership is. Oh well, it's your show. No one is asking me for advice. I'll no doubt renew because it has been one heck of a good value. I hate the monthly payment idea...I prefer to pay my bills upfront and not have to think about it any more. It just seems...well, curious to me. Anyway, thank you for the update. I have till October to ponder it.

Thanks Steve, for the clarification. Pity we can't pay all the $7.95 monthly payments up front, but hey, every company has it's accounting limitations. Very sorry to see AnneMarie go. She was an asset to Daz and to all of us. She will be greatly missed. ...and nice sidestep on the Mike 3 release date... "Later this year" leaves a lot of room (grin).

It just strikes me as odd that the annual membership seems to be the 'red-headed stepchild'. Most places give you incentives to go for the long term plans as oppossed to the short term ones. Right now it's almost as if you're punished if you want to go for the longterm plan. sigh

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

I think it's a WONDERFUL opportunity. DAZ has expanded the Platinum Club into more of a community while keeping the price virtually the same. Though others might not care about the "fringe benefits", I think it's a nice move/gesture. To do a slight "turn", I wish I could buy stock in their company. I'm sure I'd be better off than with my current "losers"...LOL.

My complaint isn't about the value of the new system, but that it is still unclear whether present members are being forced into this arrangement now, or when they renew. The website is not clear on this other than to mention an "anniversary gift," which vaguely implies that present members are excluded from this new deal until their membership expires. And we all know that DAZ puts out the greatest products otherwise I wouldn't have bought so many of them, and the Platinum Club is a great value especially with all the discounts. I just wish this could have been announced via email to existing members before it was announced on the site. I wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't mentioned on Renderosity in this thread.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

Current members don't need to take any action until the time of renewal for them. No one has a membership that will expire within 30 days, so everyone has plenty of time to consider what route they'd prefer to take.

As for the "pay for a full-year upfront" being a route DAZ isn't pushing, you can blame that 100% on the credit Card processing companies. They are penalizing us like crazy due to the annual memberships. The reason why? They have to carry the weight of having thousands of Platinum Club members suddenly demand their money back if DAZ goes out of business (not going to happen, we're doing fine ;) ) but, they penalize us like crazy while we offer it, so we've been forced to come up with an alternative. We love offering these deals to our best customers, and we definitely didn't want to just drop the program.

Hopefully, the benefits of the program will clear up the other concerns you all have. It really is a no-brainer. Do the math:

If you spent at least $100 over the course of the past 12 months at our store, and weren't a Platinum Club Member, then you lost out on tons of products and savings. $100 in the Platinum Club would buy you 50 products compared to two or three without the membership. Not to mention the 30% off DAZ Products that you could have enjoyed.

Thanks again everyone,

Steve Kondris

• does the math * New members: $29.95 + ( 7.95 - 5.00 ) x 11 = $62.40 per year Renewing members: ( $7.95 - 5.00 ) x 12 = $35.40 per year I don't particularly care to be charged on a monthly basis, but at that price I guess I could live with the inconvenience. Well, no need to worry about it until October.

Thanks for clearing that up. I don't use a credit card, but a CheckCard where it comes directly out of my checking account. I guess the same rules would still apply.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

Am I missing something here. Has DAZ cleared up the question: Can you only use the $5.00 coupon for Premier items, or can you also use it in the Plat Club?

Yeah, I was going to ask about using the vouchers in PClub too. Was this perhaps a case of A saying "Shall we put all the PC stuff up?" (thinking of the new system) and B saying "Yes" (thinking of the new products)?

Ok, lemme get one point straight (I think I'm straight on all the others ;o)). Those that ARE PC members are limited to only 3 PC purchases per month? Is that correct? Cause I buy a helluva lot more than that from the PC per month. Laurie

Nope...forget my last post. I think I'm confused. It's three total download tries for each product. Not limit to 3 per month...hehehe. Laurie

All I saw was the existing policy: "Each Platinum Club Membership allows for one purchase of each Platinum Club product at the Platinum Club price. Three downloads are allowed for each Platinum Club product purchase." Where is the part about the three purchases per month?????

Hmm. The vouchers don't sound like a huge bonus to me if they aren't usable on Plat Club items. There are not that many Premium Daz originals that I usually want to buy. My current subscription only cost me 50 dollars or so on sale, which was very reasonable. Not sure I want to pay more a year than that really. :( I would be happy to give up the bells and whistles you want to offer in terms of galleries, etc. for lower subscription rates.

Don't get excited dialyn...LOL. I already corrected myself ;o). I'm just an idiot...hehehe. And easily confused ;o). Laurie

So that's why they no longer let you use vouchers on PC items, because of this new setup. Well I say that stinks...I seldom get premiere items, I don't like having to use a voucher and pay some money on an item I didn't really want. Before I would use vouchers to get PC items and the pay for brokered stuff. I also RESENT being told about it after the fact...I got oodles of ads for mimic, but squat about this stuff coming up. So it doesn't matter whether it's a good deal or not, this was bad and dishonest practice and I am dissappointed with a company that has normally had outstanding service and support.

Sorry, Laurie. I cross posted with you. Sigh.

The only thing about this new Platinum Club system that I'm lukewarm on is the vouchers. Limiting them to DAZ created Premiere content and 30 days seems a bit restrictive. I tend to pick up a few things at DAZ every week or so and I've been a happy member of the Platinum Club since it started. But, aside from upgrading to Mimic 2 Pro, I haven't gotten that much DAZ created Premiere content in the past few months. Most of my purchases at DAZ have either been brokered items or Platinum Club items. If the $5 monthly vouchers either didn't expire after 30 day limit or if they could be used for Platinum Club items then I really have a problem. I'm not crazy about having a monthly $7.95 charge on my credit card but the Platinum Club has usually been worth it so far (some weeks more so than others).

I think y'all are forgetting the Special Interest section of the store. There's a lot of Daz orginals in there that you can use the vouchers on as well. Kate (who is adopting a "wait and see" stance on this one)

So, does this mean that if we have a Pay Pal account via our credit cards, we can't use that either to renew? I'm confooosed now.

I'd like to ditto what jkm said--the new Platinum Club financing system seems good in some ways, but it's really a shame we can't use vouchers on Platinum Club items anymore. After getting that $30 voucher for upgrading Mimic, I was looking forward to loading up on Platinum Club items, but now I'll have to restrict it to some other DAZ item and buy less in the Platinum Club. Membership is still nice because PC items are only $1.99, and the discounts work well for big-ticket items like Mimic 2 and Victoria 3, but since most of my purchases are in the Platinum Club, it would be nice to be able to use the vouchers on them, too.

PayPal is like a checking account. you can deposit money in the account, attach to a checking account to transfer money, or setup a credit card. A lot of venders are going PayPal (or other system) so they do not have to deal with all the banks and credit card companies which slam and make it a lot of work for a vendor. You can use your CC via PayPal to pay for just about anything, it should work to renew the PClub, or even the monthly payment plan either way. PayPal just makes it easyer on Daz, much easyer than dealing with all the CC Companies, now they only need to deal with one system. That's my take on it anyway.

Hm, I've been wondering why I got billed for three Platinum Club items that I bought yesterday while I had a $10 voucher...guess I know why that happened now. :| And I have to agree, there's so much good brokered stuff that I wish I could use vouchers on. LOL...couldn't we use the credit to handle the DAZ half of the item's cost and pay the brokered artist the rest? ;D Thanks, take care. SnowS

my DeviantArt page: http://snowsultan.deviantart.com/

 

I do not speak as a representative of DAZ, I speak only as a long-time member here. Be nice (and quit lying about DAZ) and I'll be nice too.

This sounds OK for a renewing member like lyself but I agree with the voucher issue. There are simply not that many Permier items issued which you could use them on and they are always more than $5! So you will have to SPEND money to get the saving at all! Besides, I mostly buy Plat Club stuff only. The Loft stuff is occasionally Daz Creation but there is not often stuff I want.

I don't mind PayPal too much, but they are definately not without problems of their own. But I also know that they still get hit with a fee per transaction on a CC that's why I was asking.

I'm not a member, though there are many things I want in there. The price has kept me on the fence, though I've bought way too many things from Daz. And most likely would have saved a bundle in the long run. I've read through all this very carefully trying to see if there is a deal in there. Sorry, but the montly thing bothers me. And you can do the math all you like, but if those vouchers have restrictions, then it's still expensive. I'm a Canuck, so I have to add that wonderful exchange rate. What I'd like to see is the pc items available outside of membership. Of course at a higher cost. But I'd think sales would increase. Like that hooded cape. I love that, but I'm not going to join to get it.

OK, I'm confused! I guess since I don't have a CC I'm simply stuck with $100 a year and no extra benifits? This math is giving me headake. Well, at least I don't have to pay the CC charges or worry about buying more than I can actually afford..

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

Everyone: Anyone can buy a new Platinum Club Membership, or renew an existing membership with any payment method that they wish with the new monthly payment plan. IF someone wishes to pay the $99.95 up front, then you may only use PayPal or a check/money order/etc. Voucher ARE good on ANY DAZ Original Item, whether it be in the Premier, Platinum Club, or Special Interest sections of our store. If you had trouble using your vouchers this way over the past few weeks, it was probably a bug in our new store with the vouchers. Our programmer found a couple of small things yesterday that were related, and we've since tested vouchers and they work fine on Platinum Club items now. This is my last post today as we are about to put out a newsletter with all the information on this just like we did with Mimic. Thanks for your patience, and please do not jump to any more conclusions until you've taken the time to find out the facts and not just the hearsay. Steve Kondris DAZ Productions, Inc.

"please do not jump to any more conclusions" Steve don't know us very well, do he? hehehe Just kidding...or am I?

I don't like the voucher restriction. I have a $10 voucher I'd been saving for over a month and had planned to use it this weekend.

Daz, you need to realize there really isn't enough original stuff to use vouchers on and there really isn't enough new items regularly a month.

...... Kendra

(Plus a few of my own.) 1) Do the $5 per month vouchers have a time limit (e.g. 30 days)? 2) Can these $5 vouchers be used only on DAZ original items, or with DAZ and Platinun Card items as well? (I know it won't be good for brokered items.) 3) What payment options are available for the monthly membership renewal? 4) Someone mentioned an anniversary gift for current Platinum Club members. Do you get that gift regardless of how you decide to continue your membership (i.e. monthly or yearly, or is it only for yearly people?) 5) Is there any possibility of putting some of the Platinum Club items in the Premiere area as well (albeit at a higher price)? This would allow people who are not Platinum Members to get some of the great stuff in the Plat Club, would allow us Plats to use the vouchers if the items are DAZ originals, and would open up more business for merchants who create add-ons for Plat items. (Non-Plat people might run out and get the item to take advantage of the add-ons offered.) 6) Can some sort of arrangements be made for people who do not have credit cards to do monthly payments since there is a financial incentive for them to do so? (E.g. they can send a check for 3 months at a time to ensure continuous service?) I'll also toss off an e-mail to DAZ and if I hear anything before they post here, I'll post the answers I received. Did I miss any questions so far? Cheers!

Cross-post with Steve. Hopefully the newsletter will answer the questions above. Of course, I'd also love to know why DAZ always does this just before a big holiday, but I didn't think it would be polite to ask. ;-)

I am glad that Steve has straighten out a few things about the "new" platinum club membership issues. The only thing that I have a problem with is the monthly charge on the card. I might bit the bullet and renew.... still undesided on this.

Poserverse The New Home for NYGUY's Freebies

Okay... now the vouchers are covering the DAZ Original items I wanted to buy from the Platinum Club, but they still aren't being applied to the brokered PC products. And it used to be that all PC items, DAZ Original or otherwise, could be bought with vouchers. Is that going to be fixed too?

Something sooooooo simple and they had to go and complicate it. :( I suggest a flat fee for Platinum at $60/yr or $35/6 months. New members and Renewers pay the same. Renewers who buy a full year get a $20 voucher, 6 mos get $10, for DAZ orig products only. No monthly charges. If the CC processing is costing DAZ trouble and money, okay make us pay for our membership with Paypal or check, etc. Raise the Platinum item prices to $2.50. And where's my newsletter. Haven't seen one for weeks :(

Platinium club renewal for existing members at $35.40 per year? Woo hoo, I'm there Steve! (Like later this year, when M3 comes out) Meanwhile, I gonna clear out DAZ's existing stock of $1.99 items...muhahaha!

greenbd vouchers were never usable on brokered items. and sorry folks I think this is still a deal for what you get even without the vouchers. for months i've been hearing people complaining about the 99 dollar membership fee, well now you can have it either way pay the 99 bucks up front with paypal or a check cheeper rate but no vouchers, or get a monthly deal with the slight inconveniance of actually having to remember to deduct it once a month. or if you want it both ways how about putting the 117 into a paypal account and have that debited once a month? then you get the vouchers and its not coming off your card once a month.

deducting every month is not a slight inconvenience for some of us.

Food for thought. Why doesn't DAZ do away with the PC and use a $2.50 area like RDNA . Items at that price for a limited time before they are sold at regular price. No fuss,, no muss. sneeks away to put on flak jacket......

I must remember to remember what it was I had to remember.

Agrees with Nickeshield. DNA's way is really nice. Keeps me coming back. ~L~

68. Back to your Questions,.. by SKondris on 7/3/03 11:48 [snip] With $5 Vouchers to boot. The only hard part left is deciding what to buy with all your discounts and specials once you're a member. ;) Or perhaps rather finding something you want to put the $5 towards before it expires. 75. Re: Platinum Club at Daz membership change ATTN ANYONE FROM DAZ by Little_Dragon on 7/3/03 12:19 * does the math * [snip] Renewing members: ( $7.95 - 5.00 ) x 12 = $35.40 per year NO - actually it's REALLY 95.4 per year, with up to $5.00 x 12 = $60 discount on DAZ original products. Which is not quite the same thing at all, though at least it now appears that THESE vouchers will be redeemable against DAZ original PC products.

Oh I forgot - the "No Start-Up Fee" is blatantly untrue - you get a 30 voucher after you've paid your $29.95 annual fee. This voucher will probably have at least one of the catches of all the other vouchers from DAZ, namely cannot be used against brokered items. I'm starting to get really wound up not about the offer/s, but about the "spin" or inaccurate descriptions of the offers. To be polite. Something which is free doesn't come with costs or catches, by definition.

The reason I'd suspect for the rebate mentality rather than the straight out pricing is because it is often known that people will tend to miss using the vouchers and thus Daz will get more money than if they offered the PC club for $33 a year straight out. Since rebates have become the lay of the land, this doesn't surprise me that much.

I do think that a $29.95 startup and $7.95 a month is a lot easier for most people to handle and will at the very least get people to try it and maybe stay. A lot of people I know don't want to hang out $99 at the start. Also if you do use the vouchers, then you've got an added bonus that you wouldn't have with the $99 as it is now, which can only be good. Also, if you decide the PC club isn't for you, you are only out $29.95 and not $99...

I was on the edge about whether to resubscribe for $99, since the current trend has been less of the standalone models (that aren't of the cute variety, which are fun admittedly) and props, but rather addons to various products and only of value if you want to spend the money to buy that product. If you don't have V3 for instance, you are out a lot of the PC items as of late. So this gives me a chance to see how the trend goes...

All in all, it's a pretty decent deal, especially if you use the vouchers and much easier, BUT Daz needs to explain it as it is, not how the marketing says it is (IE: You still lay down $95.40 a year whether you use the vouchers or not).

My 2c
ShadowWind

I still have problems with the need to pay for a membership fee, then also pay a fee for each item. And if you haven't yet joined, you'll be paying $7.95 a month just to have the privelege of spending more money. On the other hand, you can pay a one-time fee for PoserWorld or PoserStyle, and download all their stuff for free during the term of your membership.

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

A Newsletter has been sent out which contains all the information that the Platinum Club Membership product page contains, and hopefully explains it even more clearly.

Who3D: You are absolutely mistaken, what has been said by DAZ is 100% accurate: If you are a current member and wish to renew, you may do so WITHOUT any startup fee and ON TOP OF THAT you will get a $30 voucher as a thank you for having stuck around for a year already as a member. So, there is no "hidden fee" or something "free that's not really free". There's no need to renew before your expiration date, either, btw.

wdupre is right, except you don't even have to remember to make your payment each month. It is automatically done for you. We debit your card automatically each consecutive month, there's nothing you have to remember to do except buy things at 30% off when your friends are sitting around saving up for things that they have to pay for without any vouchers or discount.

It really doesn't get any better than this in my opinion. 30% Off anything DAZ releases. That means 30% off Michael 3.0, that means 30% off the Millennium Cat that's coming. You also get some vouchers each month to take the edge off of some purchases to boot - for doing nothing by the way - simply because we thought you might enjoy them (but you won't be forced to use them, of course ;) ) And you get full-access to TONS of Members Only benefits. The upcoming galleries, the upcoming forum, a monthly newsletter, and the inside scoop/first look at upcoming products (has everyone forgotten what "highly talked about" products DAZ has coming up?....Am I the only one who thinks this is worth a lot, too?)

Okay, okay, I'll get off my soapbox. I think the math makes this such an obvious decision that none of the "extras" even matter, they just make it that much more fun. I mean think about it, how many of you have spent between $100-$200 at DAZ in the last 12 months? Well, being privy to our business records, I have a pretty good idea, even if you don't have your receipts all stored away nice like the IRS suggests ;) And if you've spent about that much or somewhere close over the past 12 months, you'd have to be blind not to realize that you can spend that same amount of money as a Platinum Club Member and TRIPLE or QUADRUPLE the number of products you'll get over the next 12 months.

I hope the newsletter helps clarify most of your questions here. We have a long weekend ahead, and yes, I'm afraid there won't be too many more DAZ posts until Monday morning. But I think the majority of the questions related to the Platinum Club have been answered. The rest we'll get to as we hack away at our inboxes come Monday. :D

Have a Happy 4th of July everyone, and enjoy yourselves.

Steve Kondris
DAZ Productions, Inc.

Have a great Holiday, and thanks for the replies. :)

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

Having read all the above, and still getting a bit confused, I thought I'd wait until the actual DAZ newsletter to read what actually was said. But when it arrived in my inbox - it was all BLANK. I use a hotmail account for things like this, and have had no problems at all with recieving the newsletter before. Has anyone else had the same problem ?

Does anyone recieved a Newsletter so far?

Every organisation rests upon a mountain of secrets ~ Julian Assange

I'm really confused... In an earlier post you said vouchers CAN be used on Plat. Club items (if they're DAZ orginals) but the store images say that vouchers can't be used on plat. club items. So which is it, because both things can't be right.. :O( Cookie

Still haven't got mine Maus.. haven't seen a DAZ newsletter in a while for some reason.. :O| If you ever get yours could you by chance forward it to me? :O) Cookie

Yes Cookie, will do that when it arrives over here :-).

Every organisation rests upon a mountain of secrets ~ Julian Assange

Thanks Maus :O)

Can you pay the Platinum Club with PayPal? And if so, how are the monthly payments made?

FREEBIES! | My Gallery | My Store | My FB | Tumblr |
You just can't put the words "Poserites" and "happy" in the same sentence - didn't you know that? LaurieA
  Using Poser since 2002. Currently at Version 11.1 - Win 10.

I am REALLY confused now! The Daz letter has not clarified everything at all. On one hand, we have Steve telling us Vouchers can be used yet Daz FAQ states something quite different. The best deals to be had at the moment are at RDNA or PoserPros....no start up fee and great deals! I understand competition and it's great for us buyers!! We'll go where we get the best deal. I'd much rather see Daz going this route with no start up fee, but low prices on quality items. :) Irene

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12356&Form.ShowMessage=1318526

FYI, I started the attached thread about the vouchers. I placed my order around 6:20 P.M. Central time last night. Before I hit the place my order button, the total showed $0 [I even have a screen shot :)]. After the order was processed, $1.99 was charged to my credit card.

cookie. I just got the newsletter and it has a link back to DAZ where you have to read all about the new changes. It does get confusing.

I must remember to remember what it was I had to remember.

My newsletter was blank too, Hotmail like Freyfaxi. I tried clicking the "Forward" button and got a readable version - you just have to negotiate the >s.

Milamber42: yes, apparently there is a further bug with the vouchers again. I will get it looked into and let you all know once it's fixed. Thanks, Steve

I'm glad to hear that the monthly vouchers will work on Platinum Club purchases. That pretty much ensures that I'll be able to use them each month.

I got the usual Friday night DAZ newsletter showing new items, but there was nothing in it about the Platinum Club. I'll have to look at it again to see if there's a link back to their website. Did I hear the "Millenium Cat" is coming out soon? I have a feeling this new Plat. Club thing has been designed around the release of a number of new products that won't get released until after we renew. I'm just not crazy about a 7.95 charge to my credit card (check card) every month. Unlike a credit card, I have to remember to deduct this every month at a certain time or I will overdraw my account. I don't use credit cards anymore. And there seems to be too many restrictions for the $5.00 certificate each month. I guess I'll have to wait and see what is in this newsletter that I didn't get.

Poser 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Pro 2014, 11, 11 Pro

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com/products/platclub.php

The newsletter has a link for news on PClub with a link which I have put here. Funny thing is the freebie says V3 pointy shoes which is this weeks freebie but the picture is of the dragonfly saddle. so many changes so quick and things are starting to slip. Daz, please slow down. wow there is so much happening my head is spinning.

comments by SKondris
A Newsletter has been sent out which contains all the information that the Platinum Club Membership product page contains, and hopefully explains it even more clearly.

Steve, mate, "even more clearly" ??? Another publicity gaff from DAZ is hardly clear - or do the "Weekend Confusion" escapades attract enough attention that DAZ does them on purpose now? *Who3D: You are absolutely mistaken, what has been said by DAZ is 100% accurate:
*Err... I can accept that I'm wrong, but DAZ being 100% accurate?
If you are a current member and wish to renew, you may do so WITHOUT any startup fee and ON TOP OF THAT you will get a $30 voucher as a thank you for having stuck around for a year already as a member. So, there is no "hidden fee" or something "free that's not really free".
Steve Kondris
DAZ Productions, Inc.

Kewl. It's still a damned site more confusing than it need be - even with the current scheme it could all be presented in Plain English with the sums pre-done rather than let everyone come up with their own interpretations (mostly made possible by the lack of clarity in the announcements) and - let's face it, neither your record with Pay Pal nor the reliability of vouchers working with PC products is exactly spotless.

Meanwhile - DAZ Studio and (perhaps more importantly) the add-on modules. I'm surprised that DAZ appears to be changing tack on DAZ Studio "beta for all" (if it is) just as Poser 5 is settling down to being a distinct benefit to a sizeable proportion of Poser 5 owners (even if sadly way below 100%). I have, based on this years customer services, much more faith in DAZ than I had last year - but we could do with getting the English "real story" first time IMHO, not hours or days later.

Are they changing tack on the beta for all? At the risk of having the same effect as Corporal Jones running around saying "Don't panic! Don't panic!" I read the members' previews bit as a limited access version of Product Showcase, rather than special access to the D|S beta release.

I keep biting my tongue and limiting my comments on topics such as this ... but in general I find the Poser community frustratingly unequal. That DAZ should give benefits to paying club members is only right and proper - after all, they're (we're? I'm a PC member) paying money that others aren't, they should get SOME appreciable benefits. That is why I haven't carped on about PC-only products/benefits being made available to non-members - they aren't because they're a benefit of signing up and chucking money at DAZ and then praying it'll be worth it. So far the prayers have largely been answered (I don't know of a PC member who is unhappy with whats/he has got from the old PC deal). I am however concerned with deals that appear to change, making the DAZ scene a bit like quicksand. For example, a $30 MIMIC2 rebate that, it turns out, is useable on only a fraction of items from the store. Or "hints" that suggest that we PC members will get some form of early / preferrential / benficial treatment with regard to upcoming "Big" events (of which I can only imagine Studio and perhaps Mike3 must be a part). Perhaps the marketing hyperbole is on overdrive, and the actual intention is considerably tamer and more consistent - in which case I could do with less marketing and more plain English. I don't want to be schmoozed, I want the facts, just the facts. If the truth is good, it doesn't need to be heavily sold because it'll sell itself.

Many of us have been DAZ customers for years before the Platinum Club arrived. We've been treated as the worthy customers we are. Now suddenly we have a PC Club, and us "poor old regular customers" will be left out of the Preferential Treatment PC Club members enjoy. The money from our "regular purchases" is not good enough? Wow, that stinks.

OK, how about we take this thread in a new and positive direction (err... yeah...). Let's say DAZ hadn't created the Platinum club yet but were going to do so. Their aim is to take money off of punters, naturally (they're a business). What shuld they give PC members for their money that would be distinctly beneficial (for teh members) but which will not upset people who didn't hand out their cash "on faith". After all, even with the new system PC members will be handing over money BEFORE finding out what they get for it. This is probably scary as all hell to many because that's also a standrad part of many, many classic con schemes. PC members give DAZ money first, then they get the rewards (usually as a result of handing over more of their money, but this time knowing specifically what for). I'd be most interested in what people think DAZ could offer that would please PC members without upsetting non-PC members (many-if not all-of whom were DAZ customers previosuly). Or, indeed, whether there's just an anti-Platinum Club contingent regardles of how much it costs or how frequently it's paid for.

I think there's just an anti-Platinum Club contingent regardles of how much it costs or how frequently it's paid for. ;)

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But there are an awful lot of forums and, how to put this diplomatically?, most are quiet and restrained places - I doubt R'osity is quaking in its boots. DAZ are hardly going to cut non-PC members off with NO product previews, presumably we'll just get more/earlier. The forum/preview/newsletter stuff DAZ are offering may or may not prove to be interesting, but I very much doubt it's going to be so earth-shatterlingly wonderful that the great unwashed will fall on Vicky's sword.

so.... not so much "anti-PC" as against missing out on PC membership "features" just because one doesn't pay to be a member? Quality is in the eye of the beholder - there's a huge swathe of $1.99 modelos that I don't own because I simply don't want them, even at that price. I have, however, had my values worth so far in more expensive (less frequent) items.

I just never could see paying $99 up front, and getting absolutely nothing for it. It's still not much better with the current scheme of things. I'd be paying $7.95 a month for the privilege of spending more of my money. The $1.99 price isn't always so hot. It appears they've broken up some packages that had gone together, or would have gone together if they hadn't broken them up. Why buy 3 packages of textures for an item when you only bought one in the past? Didn't DAZ offer "non-PC" customers 30% off DAZ-created products in the past?! They called it a "Sale." We didn't need to pay $99 to get a sale price. Again, I can pay $30-50 for a membership at some subscription sites, and immediately gain FREE access to everything they make. So why would I want to pay $99, or $29.95 down, and $7.95 a month, and get NOTHING for my money?

yes several packages have been broken up in the PClub, but if you bought say 3 $1.99 to make the 'regular' package you still saved over a non-PClub purchaser. Those that didn't want all the items in a package got to pick the items they wanted and saved even furth. non-pclub purchasers did not have this option. sale? yeah non pclub get intial sale pricing of 30% off on inital release, but PClub members get additional reduction of 30%. There have been releases that were just dirt cheap for pclub members. V3's release comes to mind. There are also items in pclub that will never be in the general store and can only be bought by being a pclub member. another tid bit, pclub items don't go away and are always $1.99. over time items have been pulled, retired, etc in the general store. Pclub items are there when you want to purchase them. There have been several items that I have boughten way after the initial release in pclub, only month later to find that I really wanted them. so I got them for $1.99, not full price like a general release that is reduced on inital release then marked up to full price. there are several items in the general store that I want but they are just too damn expensive to justify the purchase for a one off render for me, not so with the pclub. yesterday I took some time to reread this thread, do some calculations on how much I spent at Daz and how much I would have had to pay not being a pclub subscriber. I was floored. After spending almost $600 in less than a year at Daz, I've managed to save myself almost $1200 had I not been a member. And also got several items that couldn't have been bought had I not been a member. is it pay for the privilage to buy? Has been. Looks like the new system is givin a bit back with the $5 vouchers, and they are trying. I started looking around at other sites, prices and Daz still is one of the lowest cost, high quality sites for poser and models. I can justify the costs, savings, and quality. if anybody can't justify it, then by all means they should not join or reup their memberships to the pclub. no amount of slamming Daz is going to change the fact that they are a store, their to make money, and so far have greatly helped the poser community and inovations. I'm looking forward to seeing how this year folds out with new toyes, new art and a lot of fun, and I think my experience has been greatly improved due in large part to Daz.

to add to what MachineClaw has said... Only the initial releases are available in both Platinum and Premier. For several moths and hence more items release into the Platinum Club are only available there. Platinum Club members will soon begin to have access to features, more exclusive products, galleries, forum, and contest and information not available to anyone who is not a member. Platinum is considered a valuable comodity and the PC members are entitled to priviledges accordingly for their commitment. Non members will get the same low prices and features they always have. Platinum CLub members are not paying for new features. They are getting them free because they are members. Platinum CLub items are as high or higher in quality than standardly created items. Just becoause they are $1.99 does not mean they are not of the highest quality. The whole point of being a PC member is being apart of something special. --------------------------------------------- On a personal note: Respectfully Daz has shown its appreciation many times with constant low prices, 30% off intros, vouchers and storewide sales through out the year. Daz product don't stop selling. They do not put them on sale because they are pressed for sales but because they want to say thaks for the support they receive. People don't just give Daz money. :) they are getting a high quality item for their money at the lowest price around. Seems like that makes everyone fairly comphensated.

-Anton, creator of ApolloMaximus: 32,000+ downloads since 3-13-07
"Conviction without truth is denial; Denial in the face of truth is concealment."

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Don't worry so much, the instant one person knows anything everyone will. :)

When I mentioned that Platinum Club members would get the inside scoop on the latest gossip and happenings at DAZ, I by no means meant that there has been any change in plans for the public BETA of DAZ|Studio. As Anton pointed out, nothing at all has changed for the regular customer who is not a Platinum Club member. But, we're going to try to provide some interesting tidbits of corporate information that will be released monthly in the upcoming Platinum Club newsletter whether it be about products or other issues as well. Thanks, I hope that clarifies things a bit. Steve

It sounds more than fair to me- nothing changes whatsoever for non Platinum Club members. New things are created for the Platinum Club members... as in, added benefits.. Makes sense, they're paying for more. Heck, even without special forums and galleries, and whatnots it's well worth joining, financially speaking.

Calypso Dreams... My Art- http://www.calypso-dreams.com

Renderosity Gallery

Can you pay month by month with PayPal? I realize that this can't be done automatically, but I am not allowed to use my creditcard online any more (paranoid hubby ;o) ) - however the money I make on my Poser stuff are mine to use on whatever I want :oD

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You just can't put the words "Poserites" and "happy" in the same sentence - didn't you know that? LaurieA
  Using Poser since 2002. Currently at Version 11.1 - Win 10.

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

I have to apologize for the confusion regarding vouchers. I was right in stating that the normal store vouchers are good on Platinum Club DAZ Original items, but I was very wrong in not understanding (even myself) that the vouchers being issued to Platinum Club members on a monthly basis after signing up for the monthly payment plan are separate and distinct from the normal store vouchers. The Platinum Club Vouchers are a cross-promotional voucher designed to give platinum club members an extra boost in buying items from the Premier and Special Interest sections of our store. I apologize for the huge confusion this became. Unfortunately, I was confused myself on this. Hopefully, this post will clear up the rest of your main concerns. As I explained above, Platinum Club Vouchers are separate from the normal store vouchers and may be used on all non-Platinum Club DAZ Original products. These vouchers are only given to Platinum Club Members who choose the monthly payment option. These are a gift to each member every month they remain a member and are good for that month only. Due to many requests from our customers, we have added a new payment option for joining the Platinum Club. Now instead of having to come up with $99.95 at once, you have the option to spread your payments over time and join for only a $29.95 start-up fee and $7.95 a month after that. And as a bonus, everyone who joins via the monthly payment plan will automatically receive $5 Platinum Club Vouchers each month (good for one month). Or, if you wish, you may enjoy the Platinum Club benefits by making a single payment of $99.95 for a full year of membership ($69.95 for renewing members) vouchers not included. Full-year up front payments are accepted via Paypal or a check or money order. By joining the thousands of people already members of the Club, you will have full-access to the Members-Only Galleries and Forum areas, enjoy a sneak-peek of upcoming DAZ Products, and hear all the latest happenings with DAZ3D in a new monthly newsletter. And get an extra 30% off of hundreds of DAZ Original Items - even when theyre on sale. Since the start of the Platinum Club in October 2002, we have released over 40 DAZ Original Items that total over $1,000. As a Platinum Club Member you could purchase all these items for over 45% off by combining the introductory sale prices with your 30% Platinum Club discount. That means you could have purchased every one of those 40 products for under $600. There have also been many people talking about how they dont like the fact that they cannot use their credit cards to purchase the full-year upfront membership. As hard as it may be to believe, the companies we work with to process credit cards (NOVA services and CSI) will not let us process thousands of year subscriptions without paying hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, we do not have that extra cash floating around to appease the credit card processing companies. We do hope that each customer that wants to join can now do so under the new payment options. Were really trying hard to make the Platinum Club more accessible to our customers, as we realize that the more it benefits our customers, the more it benefits us as well. Thanks, Steve Kondris DAZ Productions, Inc. We are also working hard to get caught up with our email and hope to have our customer service back up to par soon. Reba Vest is helping us part-time while we work to get our heads back above water again. We are confident that there will be less bumps throughout the rest of the year.

... Just back from vacation, need time to digest all backed postings.