Buyer (and Reseller) Be-Aware
Submitted by akarobby on Tue, 12/11/2007 - 2:38am
If you are planning on selling any of your Logos Library resources or if you ever purchase used Logos Bible products or add-ons that other people are no longer using, like I have done on occasion to build up my personal library, be aware that Logos now charges a 10% "processing fee" for the transfer of any of their products. The specific language of the recently revised Transfer section of their End User License Agreement (EULA) is as follows:
At Logos' sole discretion you may transfer all your rights to use the Software, Content, and Documentation to another person or legal entity provided you transfer this Agreement, the Software, Content, and Documentation, including all copies, updates and prior versions to such person or entity and that you retain no copies, including copies stored on computer. There will be a processing fee charged on all transfers. The processing fee is subject to change without notice. As of 10/2007 the fee is equal to 10% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price of the products being transferred.
I discovered this new policy recently when I was exploring the purchase of a used Logos Scholar's Library with a Gold Upgrade last week on ebay. The bidding for the item started at $249.99. Before I could make a bid, the item disappeared only to reappear a few days later with a starting bid of $499.99. When I inquired about the change via email, the seller's reply was that he had to raise the price because he'd talked to Libronix and they told him that the license transfer fee cost for both the Scholars edition and Gold Upgrade was $200.
I won't speculate as to why Logos began charging a fee. Maybe it's to deter people from buying their products used or maybe it's a legitimate expense given their computer systems and a need to transfer each book individually. I expect that if Logos hasn't already communicated this significant change on their website or blog they will at some point soon, (I may have missed it). I just thought that IF you were considering either buying or selling a used Logos product in the near future and you were not already aware of the change, you might appreciate having this information BEFORE you incurred any unknowing and unplanned extra expenses.
Comments
I have been a loyal logos
I have been a loyal logos customer supporting them with many dollars but I am really not happy with this. There are a couple of major problems I see with this.
1) It seems arbitrary. Many packages diminish in value over time. How much would one get for an libronix package from the 90's? But when a package is no longer sold what is the regular retail price of the package? What its regular price was in the 90's? Over decades this kind of system seems untenable.
2) It seems unfair. Part of the reason why I buy logos is for the enjoyment of the books. Another reason why I buy them is because they are worth something (ie. they have a resale value). That is certainly the case with regular books. But making this switch recently decreases the value of my books. And as either the retail value (as opposed to the suggested retail price) goes down and the processing fee goes up (apparently could happen at any time) the retail value of my books becomes less and less. I can understand a flat fee but to tack on the % to it based on the suggested retail value seems entirely unfair.
How funny. I was looking at
How funny. I was looking at the same auction and had sent a message to the seller as well. While I believe a small fee should be charged, I would have preferred a flat fee, especially since some products have such inflated MSRPs that the transfer becomes a very large percentage. Then again, single books are cheap too transfer according to this scheme.
Logos Price Increase
I was making a purchase from Logos last week and the sales person informed me that Logos prices will be going up after the first of the year.
I love my Logos, but they are slowing pricing themselves out of the average pastor’s market.
Steve
Wait and See
I share your concern for how any price adjustments at Logos might impact each of us as a Logos user, but at least for now I am going to take a wait and see (and hope and pray) approach. I don't know the extent or impact of any increase, whether it might have to do with the next generation of Logos software or even if the sales person was using some sort of "generic possibility" to encourage a purchase before year-end, (the end of many organization's fiscal year).
That said, MY primary concern as a Christian, a lay church leader, a businessperson and a loyal Logos user is just as much in HOW they go about it as WHAT they end up doing. (You can probably pick that concern up a bit from this posting and my comments about the Library Builder 4-6 collection.) I understand the need to make sure that income meets or exceeds expenses (and the latter are always going up) and I'm trusting that Logos will act wisely in the future and communicate with their loyal customer base with equal discernment and forthrightness and be open to and consider constructive feedback because there is a lot at stake for everyone, especially Logos, and like it or not they have created a large group of people who have come to rely on their Bible-based products in ministering to, counseling and discipling many, many, MANY Believers in the Body of Christ.
Logos prices
"they are slowing pricing themselves out of the average pastor’s market."
I really like their tool, but there are so many things you can get for a fraction of the cost as pdf (through Ages) that I just can't justify spending 10 times as much just to have it integrate into Libronix.
I'm seeing something similar at work. We use a great computer system, but their competitor puts out a good enough system at a fraction of the cost and is selling like mad. One day I suspect they'll be the only game in town. I hope the same doesn't happen to Logos.