Kittys rant of the week.....

[Kitty]

- This is something I wrote up on TechPB and just wonderd the reaction from ballers back home. We all know a few companies do it (I am not naming or shaming), but how does it make you feel when you see this happen? Do you think something needs to be done?

I am not after a flame fest, just honest reactions.

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You know I am sat here doing my deals of the month thread, looking for good begininer package deals and I am getting so so sick of seeing great starter set ups combined with really ****ty masks!

These packages are designed to get new people into the sport - why not charge an extra $20 and give them a semi-decent mask with a thermal lense?
We want people to enjoy playing and be comfortable playing, we want them to be enjoying the game not moaning about having a ****ty ass mask that keeps fogging up, these are potentially future regular customers........... nurture them from the start, don't insult them by preying on their lack of knowledge about masks.

Masks are the most important piece of gear a player will own, all I ask is that you give them a mask with a thermal lense, or at least educate them about the difference and offer them an upgrade! The people you sell these kits to now are potentially the future of our community.

I swear every walk on I go to and see new kids / adults that have brought a good package from a well known company they always have issues with their masks - seeing their look of dissapointment eats away at my soul sad.gif

So companies........ please think about this when you publish your package deals!

 

[NSKlad]

I dislike any package with any kit below a certain standard, especially ones with cheap, shoddy markers (and masks) which should not even be sold. It's terrible to think some new player will lay their hands on it and get mentally scarred by terrible performance.


Off topic edit: That's a really nice pic.

 

[Mactoshdog]

i always thought that was wierd,
when two of my friends got thier first starter pack, it had a tippy bravo (alpha black if your a yank) came with an air system rather than C02, which was definatly an up side, but then it had a £15 - £20 mask, and a box of paint.
the paint realy didnt need to be included in the package, (especialy as are local site is site paint only) and i dont belive the mask had foam, just rubber.
luckely they made a deal, were as they didnt get paint, and got flex8's insted.

 

[Rider]

or the electro markers with grav-fed hoppers.....

 

[Bambulus]

I think it's a shame when any decent marker package is let down by just the one item, whether it's the loader, tank, mask, so on and so forth. Unfortunately it's a common occurrence, and once you've accounted for the upgrades that you'll no doubt be buying, it probably works out to be just as expensive as buying the decent kit individually.

That's not to say there aren't any good marker packages out there - they just cost more, which isn't really appealing to the first time buyer who isn't kit savvy. And the ones who are kit savvy can just avoid the package deals, or call up and get a tailored package.

I wish I'd spent more and got the high grade kit, but I was one of those non kit-savvy folk.

Ah well.

 

[onasilverbike]

It has to be said that most beginners/newbies, whatever you want to call them ar looking at a price point and the supplying dealers are looking to supply within that price point. Its the same for most recreational purists, cycling/golf/angling etc. Certain economies need to be made to fulfil the customers price restriction. Most reputable suppliers will give a choice of packages and offer one-one advice on the best package for the customers needs. This is the point where, on recommendation, the customer can upgrade to better equipment and still be getting a reasonable deal. Unfortunately with on-line only retailers this is not always the case, and with some outlets the staff will not always have the in-depth knowledge to recommend the best products at the best price. Also remember that retailers have a living to make, not all their first time customers will be repeat customers so extra discounting and free upgrades will cut in to their profit margin and their ability to maintain a working business.

Personally, I would always recommend that new players buy their first 'package' face to face, this gives them the opportunity to ensure that the kit fits and suits them and often the opportunity to barter any unnecessary kit for some upgrades (box of paint for flexes, as above).

Often, when players first come in to the sport, they have no idea of where it is going to take them, or what equipment they are likely to end up needing.

I always encourage players new to my team not to get hung up on the new kit cycle, I have a simple kit rule on the team, if the gear you have is up to the job then use it, if not we will talk about the most cost effective way for them to upgrade to kit that is. Personally I believe that this is more likely to keep them playing, with the money in their pocket to pay for the essentials throughout the season, than to come to the realisation that they can't afford to play as they have burnt all their cash on new shiny kit.

Back to the subject of masks, the burning issue with Kitty, remember, cheap masks with a single pane lens can often be upgraded with a replacement thermal one.

 

[Devrij]

Obviously, first time buyers will have price in mind so the package has to be cheap, but the retailer should keep it cheap in areas that aren't as vital as the quality of mask. Loaders are a highly preferential item, so why not have a cheap revvy or relaoder2, and a mask with a thermal lens (even if it's a cheapish mask) and let the customer choose a loader once they've outstripped the one that came with the package, rather than starting off with a piece of kit that is already below any player's skill level: a mask that fogs up.

In summary: I agree, it's a shame.

 

[dextrus]

To be honest a starter pack should consist of a

Low-end marker-Ion,SLG,PMR etc
A decent cheapish hopper-Reloader-eggy 2 etc
Air System MUST DEFO BE A HPA NOT Co2
Mask Which should be such as Kitty has said should have thermal lense's like the flex 7's/vforce profilers.
Paint is a add-on that should be allowed weather you want or not!

This is not a must but would be a good thing for the industry in starter packages to CHANGE!

This could be the start of something new.

 

[The Zambezi Kid]

Speak from the perspective of someone who has just moved from rental days to walk ons and bought my own kit, I have to agree, the package deals are a little dismal and were frustrating as they never really managed to offer what I was l after and the masks included did not look worth it. I was always thinking is the discount of the kit I want worth ending up with some stuff I do not want?

How about retailers add a build your own package system to their websites? It starts with a decent mask and an air bottle then you add other items, such as markers, hoppers etc, to the package using drop down menus. Once you have put together what you want, the system can then work out any discounts and present you with the price (I've seen similar systems for buying Computers in the past). That way you can tailor what you get to what you can afford, rather than someone else's guess.

Also, what about adding a buyers guide to websites, explaining the differences between types of marker, mask etc?

 

[Rat]

What about the 1st time baller who doesn't know whats what or what kit is what?

surely then any package deal is going to look appetising to them, without even knowing what they're buying.

only good thing about the packages is they can potentially be sold on if they don't like the hobby or they upgrade.

there are some shops that do a customer preference package deal or the "select from list" option mentioned above but in these cases surely the buyer would need to know what it is they're after, want to do?