How do people feel about Early Bird Specials on Kickstarter?

[TheBucklandBrewer]

Despite the fact that I understand that the project-owners want to be sure as fast as possible if they can get it or not, or have to know how to plan their time (24hrs a day working further on their successful campaign, or sit back lazy and prepare to fail), I really hate to see what a bargain I sometimes missed and sometimes if the gap between earliest bird and the latest goose is too big, it turns me off to find another campaign.

 

 

But... if it turns me off in the end, I'll be probably not that interested (either because of my purse is too thin or because of a less intersting campaign)

[Rocketpropelledgames]

I for one will not be utilizing EB in my kickstarter, it sets a bad presedent. I would rather set the prices the same for everybody and use any extra money towards reducing the backers shipping costs. Especially for the international folk.

[KacyCrawford]

I'm not a fan.

[ferret]

I don't like EB although that may be because I never seem to find out about a KS until all the EB are taken. I don't believe that they serve any useful purpose since they rarely provide a substantial part of the amount required to fund a project. Although it would not be a deciding factor if I had a high interest in a KS project, I have passed on KS projects which I was considering because I felt I was being asked to pay a substantial premium for not being quick enough to grab a EB. I guess I would be less negative about EB if they were offered for a set time, such as the first full day, rather than as a limited number which can be gone within minutes.

[Jordan Peacock]

I can understand the reasoning behind it, but I personally do NOT react well to the phenomenon of "early bird" limited pledges in Kickstarters. If I'm late to the game (by only a day, perhaps!) and I see that I missed the boat on getting it at a discount, that's a negative mark in my mind -- and if I were to pledge, I'd be doing it with that nagging thought of, "I'm wasting $X, because I COULD HAVE gotten this for cheaper." It may not be logical, but then my involvement in pledging large amounts of money in the hopes of getting a bunch of plastic minis that I don't really "need" by any stretch of the imagination ... there's nothing much logical about THAT, either. ;)

[Qwyksilver]

Don't have a problem with Early Bird specials. I've gotten in on a few. Missed on others. No skin off my nose. If I am going to back a project, it's because of the project. Kudos to the folks that got to the site before me. EB get the ball rolling. Even if they saved a ton versus what I paid, not a big deal. They got lucky. I'll try next time. It's no different than any other limited number pledge. Whether it's an "early bird", "shipping queue", "super awesome limited one of a kind reward".

 

I also don't get mad when I get to a game on time, but miss out on the free bobble-head. It's cool. If I got it, I would keep it and enjoy it, but it's not like I am going to stomp away from the ballpark because I didn't get it.

 

EB are simply a reward. Whether it is saving some money, earlier shipping, or a freebie mini, I really don't care.

 

I'm backing the project for the project. It has something cool I want. If the base pledge is a good deal I am in. If I can snag an EB and save a little, get it earlier, etc, bonus to me for being lucky.

[Winterfyre]

I have never backed a project because of an early bird special.

 

I have NOT backed a few projects I was otherwise marginally interested in and might have backed had it not been for missed EB specials.

 

Its one thing to set EB's that get you up to the pledge amount and then go higher to compensate for overwhelming demand (maybe this should have been done for bones?) but its insulting to have EB's that expire within a fraction of the required funding and constantly escalating prices based on how early you get in.

 

I've seen projects with 3-4 price escalations for the same reward that were STILL short of the funding goal.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

 

 

I dislike them - and I camp out on KS. I would prefer they be for "first shipment" or something along those lines. I've seen some early bird specials worth over $100 discount. To me, that means if I pay the $100 more for the same thing ... I've overpaid. I don't like overpaying, so I won't.

Amusingly, this is one of the main complaints about Kickstarter. Why should you a cheaper price than someone who missed the Kickstarter entirely? Why should they pay full retail when you got it for a twenty to thirty percent less?

In essence you're usually providing money that otherwise would be a loan with interest or money from investors (who give it in return for being able to mess with your project).

Getting stuff cheaper for taking a risk, and essentially giving a no strings attached pre-payment, is a-ok in my book. I guess some people just enjoy complaining.

 

And here you've struck the core of the issue.

[CashWiley]

Indeed, Sarge. Also, people are cool with EB if they get them. Otherwise, boo!

 

[Berik]

That's not really fair. Myself and a number of others here have gotten EBs before and still don't like them.

[kay13]

I don't mind one way or the other. If the basic deal is good I'll go for it. If I get an early bird, well thats a bonus, if not, if its a decent price (for something I want) I will still go for it.

Shipping (international) is normally the thing that turns me off, not getting an Early Bird or not.

[Redshylock]

Early Bird for me is like going to the butcher shop, I want to eat the meat but don't want to see all those raw meat. Early bird is basically tell me at what price they could still make a profit and going above that make me feel stupid (unless I really really want it). Having said that I don't think I have ever not back a project just because I didnt get the early bird but because I don't really want it enough and the deal wasn't there anymore.

[smokingwreckage]

A lot of people here are saying, to my reading, that grumble grumble, YES they will back a marginally interesting project if the EB special is good enough. Seriously.

[trystangst]

Early Bird for me is like going to the butcher shop, I want to eat the meat but don't want to see all those raw meat. Early bird is basically tell me at what price they could still make a profit and going above that make me feel stupid (unless I really really want it). Having said that I don't think I have ever not back a project just because I didnt get the early bird but because I don't really want it enough and the deal wasn't there anymore.

Thinking that the Early Bird price is profitable and everything above that is gouging is a bit silly. It's entirely likely that EB prices are actually below a break even point. To allow everyone in at EB prices would fail the drive. You throw a few slots out there at a loss to generate momentum, and let the other pledges pick up the slack.

[estrus]

Also don't forget the carrot on a stick that gets people coming back to check the project to see if there are EBs open. There might not be, but the project has evolved to the point of convincing them to pledge anyway.