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I like the idea of an electronics kit with instructions. But (and I'm sorry if this sounds negative but I'm just FED UP) I'm so SICK of freaking subscription s

I like the idea of an electronics kit with instructions. But (and I'm sorry if this sounds negative but I'm just FED UP) I'm so SICK of freaking subscription services. Can't you guys just rely on interested customers coming back if they want to? The way I see it, there's absolutely no relation between the message you have on the site to teach people electronics and make a few bucks while you're at it, and the need for customers to have accounts, registration, subscription and all of that crap. Just let me buy the kit I'm interested in and be done with it! With so many subscription services around, I'm following a policy of immediately disregarding anything following the same model, specially if there's really no need for it. Make a one-time purchase option, with no registration or crappy spammy emails and I'd be interested (yes i know you won't share my details with 3rd party but you'll hammer me with emails on every freaking occasion I know.)

pc86 10y ago
Ability to buy multiple kits on demand = requirement for inventory = higher overhead = higher prices. Theoretically. You can tweak the inventory need but that still increases overhead (less) while simultaneously cutting into your margins. Any time you see "$400 value for $10/mo!" it's marketing garbage, but you really can get for $20/mo what would probably cost you $25 or a little more if you bought it on-demand.
- beshrkayali 10y ago
  I'm okay with that extra 5 bucks for their inventory cost if they allow me to opt out of permanently saving my details on their servers. No matter how many times I unsubscribe from their emails, they always start a new list and I'm strangely on it again.
ProZsolt 10y ago
Adafruit has some great kits, if you intrested. https://www.adafruit.com/category/203 https://www.adafruit.com/category/203
- beshrkayali 10y ago
  Thanks. Yes I'm familiar with the great stuff on Adafruit. Unfortunately though since I'm not based in the US, It always amounts to more than what the item would be worth considering customs in Sweden and shipping cost.
brentis 10y ago
Was thinking the same thing. Businesses are saying let's milk the elearning space with subscriptions. No visibility into the projects or anything. Tap on a subscription and you are immediately presented with a $100 add on for a soldering iron some clips, and $20 worth of goods. Nope.
reitanqild 10y ago
Agree. Also not wanting to pick on this particular project but: I have burned myself - and seen others got burned - too many times on subscriptions. Feature keys? Thumbs up. Commercial with 15 days trial? Fine. Pay for online storage? Only if you provide a better alternative than Dropbox, Google or AWS. Monthly payment for static apps? Bad. Creating an online experience (syncing in your proprietary "cloud") to justify monthly payments? Yuck. I want my apps to work without constantly having to pay a protection fee to a vendor. This of course goes against what every make-a-SAAS-tutorial will tell you but I am speaking here as a consumer :-]
xemdetia 10y ago
I think the thing that bothers me more about the subscription plans right now is that I don't have an expectation of what I am going to get for the first few months. There is no schedule, no 'theme' or anything like that listed on the OP but I feel (recently) that every time I am presented with a new subscription service I have no idea what I am getting even the next month, which defeats the point.

pc86 10y ago

Ability to buy multiple kits on demand = requirement for inventory = higher overhead = higher prices. Theoretically. You can tweak the inventory need but that still increases overhead (less) while simultaneously cutting into your margins. Any time you see "$400 value for $10/mo!" it's marketing garbage, but you really can get for $20/mo what would probably cost you $25 or a little more if you bought it on-demand.

beshrkayali 10y ago
I'm okay with that extra 5 bucks for their inventory cost if they allow me to opt out of permanently saving my details on their servers. No matter how many times I unsubscribe from their emails, they always start a new list and I'm strangely on it again.

ProZsolt 10y ago

Adafruit has some great kits, if you intrested. https://www.adafruit.com/category/203 https://www.adafruit.com/category/203

beshrkayali 10y ago
Thanks. Yes I'm familiar with the great stuff on Adafruit. Unfortunately though since I'm not based in the US, It always amounts to more than what the item would be worth considering customs in Sweden and shipping cost.

brentis 10y ago

Was thinking the same thing. Businesses are saying let's milk the elearning space with subscriptions. No visibility into the projects or anything. Tap on a subscription and you are immediately presented with a $100 add on for a soldering iron some clips, and $20 worth of goods. Nope.

reitanqild 10y ago

Agree. Also not wanting to pick on this particular project but: I have burned myself - and seen others got burned - too many times on subscriptions. Feature keys? Thumbs up. Commercial with 15 days trial? Fine. Pay for online storage? Only if you provide a better alternative than Dropbox, Google or AWS. Monthly payment for static apps? Bad. Creating an online experience (syncing in your proprietary "cloud") to justify monthly payments? Yuck. I want my apps to work without constantly having to pay a protection fee to a vendor. This of course goes against what every make-a-SAAS-tutorial will tell you but I am speaking here as a consumer :-]

xemdetia 10y ago

I think the thing that bothers me more about the subscription plans right now is that I don't have an expectation of what I am going to get for the first few months. There is no schedule, no 'theme' or anything like that listed on the OP but I feel (recently) that every time I am presented with a new subscription service I have no idea what I am getting even the next month, which defeats the point.