very sad about the prize from a pin game. no fun at all

[Amandie1989]

Yesterday I received three pins from the minnie paris booster set. There are from a pin game.

I once bought the whole set for $7, not long ago. I paid $18 for one spot.

I know it is the fun of the game that I can't choose the pins I want, and I should accept them even if their value are way under the amount I had paid. This is totally fine when there are top prizes and worse ones. However, this is a different game, a zap game. There are only one grand prize and the seller said he/she will zap all the other players. This means that all the remaining spots are treated the same.

I am a seller myself. when I tried to set up a game, I calculate the total value of pins in the game, and average them to each spot. I hate to do this, but let's do some calculation here. there are 51 spots in this game, each cost $18. The top prize is the one and only prize that has been revealed before the game.

Since there are no numbers picked let's assume that the seller zaps everyone fairly. If he/she gives each of the remaining spots $4 worth of pins (like what he/she had send me)the total will be 4*50=$200. The seller had collected a total of $18*51=$918, that means the value of the top prize is $918-200=$718? I don't think so.

If the seller gives other players higher value of pins, this is not a fair game. We had all paid the same amount and as I had said, we trust the seller that he/she will pick reasonable prizes for us. If the seller gave other people LEs or Jumbos but only treat me with three pins from a recent booster set, I can hardly accept that.

The seller had run many games and he/she had a very good reputation. Someone even said that " I received my last consolation prize in the mail the other day and just about fell off of my chair because it was so amazing!!!! Trust me... you will be happy, win or lose!" I had been expecting the prize to arrive for a month and now I am very sad and hurt. I can't blame anyone and please let me know if it is my fault having a high expectation.

 

[echoharmony]

Im sorry you weren't satisfied with what you received. Instead of calling the seller out on the boards though, perhaps it would be beneficial to contact them privately regarding your disappointment?

 

[Amandie1989]

Im sorry you weren't satisfied with what you received. Instead of calling the seller out on the boards though, perhaps it would be beneficial to contact them privately regarding your disappointment?

I did PMed him. No reply yet... Thanks for reminding me about the name.

 

[Psycho Pixie]

This actually brings up a topic i have been thinking about. *i think too much, or so i have been told* The Buy in pin games are a game of chance. You are gambling that you will get the grand prize pin, and you are gambling on the game masters ability to give you a pin that is valued at what you paid. But Here's the rub, for the game master to make anything off the game sale, they need to be sure the total value of all the pins is below the total of money received...which means some folks are gonna get lower value pins. It is actually why I do not buy into any pin games... I do not gamble and won't spend my money on an unknown pin.

 

[BugCatcherJenna]

OP is still linked to the seller's profile. May want to edit it again.

Sorry you were disappointed.

I think we all have experienced this feeling before, but it's the risk of playing the game. :/

 

[docfish2u]

If I can't see what prizes are available and feel that it is worth the cost to get in, I don't. I am sorry you feel dissapointed.

 

[jazzytrumpet]

it's happened to more people than not.

 

[Nettiejeanne]

I bought that exact same set for the face value of $29.95, so if you figure it that way, the pins were worth a lot more. A big part of it depends on how much the game host paid for the pins. If they paid full price, you did get the full value of what you paid. I couldn't believe that the other person had those sets for only $7. That is very unusual and I wouldn't just the value of these pins on the amazing prices one person was able to sell them for. I know that I couldn't do that!!!

The host of that game is wonderful and I believe they will make it right. Just give them a chance. I'm the one who couldn't believe the amazing consolation prizes sent and I think you'll be happy in the end. If not... let me know. I'll make it right for you. I had very similar feelings playing in games hosted by other people and never spoke up and that has really soured me on playing again. This host has had the best games I've played and I don't want you to feel crappy about it like I did playing other people's games.

Please let me know how you are feeling after hearing back from this person.

 

[Dalamara]

I also agree that this person has the best games I've played... I think if you talked to them through PM, about how you feel, they may try and make sure you are a little happier with your prize

 

[Disney_Noir]

Smooth jazz notes drifted through the casino, mingling in the air with the smells of smoke and cologne. The sounds of muddled conversation and glasses clinking made this hotspot almost irresistible. I’m a gambling man, but that’s my healthiest addiction. I was supposed to be spying on an old goon, however tonight I decided to mix business and pleasure. I spotted two gorgeous dames across the room looking my way, but they didn’t deserve the baggage that came with an egg like me.

Suddenly, a man stood up sobbing like a newborn. His name was Jerry and he was a known patsy. He spent every last penny in this establishment, and his story never changed. He would sell his left leg for a little gambling money if he thought there was a market for it.

I sat aside dabbing my cigarette on the ashtray, trying to decide if I should go over there and give him a piece of my mind....

 

[imp]

The games are a gamble. I rarely play the games because I think it is rare that the average value of the prizes will equal the amount of your entry...that's not a criticism of the games...that's generally the case in any game of chance.

As long as the seller does not mislead people about the nature of the 'consolation' prizes, then I don't think he/she has done anything wrong. If you want to be sure that your prize will have a certain minimum value, it's best to stick to games that show all the prizes up front.

I think the concerns raised in your OP are valid, but it would be better to leave out the details of the game (ie. the major prize & price per entry), because it becomes pretty obvious which game you're talking about. I think that concerns about a particular game should be raised in PM with the seller. The open forum is a good place to discuss the issues in a more general way.

 

[Cjvandever]

Yay, it's Disney Noir! I'm always happy to read you.

 

[imp]

Smooth jazz notes drifted through the casino, mingling in the air with the smells of smoke and cologne. The sounds of muddled conversation and glasses clinking made this hotspot almost irresistible. I’m a gambling man, but that’s my healthiest addiction. I was supposed to be spying on an old goon, however tonight I decided to mix business and pleasure. I spotted two gorgeous dames across the room looking my way, but they didn’t deserve the baggage that came with an egg like me.

Suddenly, a man stood up sobbing like a newborn. His name was Jerry and he was a known patsy. He spent every last penny in this establishment, and his story never changed. He would sell his left leg for a little gambling money if he thought there was a market for it.

I sat aside dabbing my cigarette on the ashtray, trying to decide if I should go over there and give him a piece of my mind....

Why is Noir spying on Moe?

 

[Dalamara]

Smooth jazz notes drifted through the casino, mingling in the air with the smells of smoke and cologne. The sounds of muddled conversation and glasses clinking made this hotspot almost irresistible. I’m a gambling man, but that’s my healthiest addiction. I was supposed to be spying on an old goon, however tonight I decided to mix business and pleasure. I spotted two gorgeous dames across the room looking my way, but they didn’t deserve the baggage that came with an egg like me.

Suddenly, a man stood up sobbing like a newborn. His name was Jerry and he was a known patsy. He spent every last penny in this establishment, and his story never changed. He would sell his left leg for a little gambling money if he thought there was a market for it.

I sat aside dabbing my cigarette on the ashtray, trying to decide if I should go over there and give him a piece of my mind....

^ This is amazing

 

[starry_solo]

I think some people end up happy with the prizes they get and many others do not - for some odd reason, people are quick to praise what they get if they are happy and not say anything if they are disappointed.

Games are not for everyone and there will end up being more disappointed people than not.

 

[Amandie1989]

This actually brings up a topic i have been thinking about. *i think too much, or so i have been told* The Buy in pin games are a game of chance. You are gambling that you will get the grand prize pin, and you are gambling on the game masters ability to give you a pin that is valued at what you paid. But Here's the rub, for the game master to make anything off the game sale, they need to be sure the total value of all the pins is below the total of money received...which means some folks are gonna get lower value pins. It is actually why I do not buy into any pin games... I do not gamble and won't spend my money on an unknown pin.

Right, I totally agree with you about it. What I tried to discuss is the fairness of the game. If all remaining 50 spots are treated the same, why someone received better pins while others don't? There are no numbers assigned and how did the the seller figure out who get better ones? I will say nothing if the pins have similar market value, but $4 and $40? I don't know.​

 

[Amandie1989]

I bought that exact same set for the face value of $29.95, so if you figure it that way, the pins were worth a lot more. A big part of it depends on how much the game host paid for the pins. If they paid full price, you did get the full value of what you paid. I couldn't believe that the other person had those sets for only $7. That is very unusual and I wouldn't just the value of these pins on the amazing prices one person was able to sell them for. I know that I couldn't do that!!!

The host of that game is wonderful and I believe they will make it right. Just give them a chance. I'm the one who couldn't believe the amazing consolation prizes sent and I think you'll be happy in the end. If not... let me know. I'll make it right for you. I had very similar feelings playing in games hosted by other people and never spoke up and that has really soured me on playing again. This host has had the best games I've played and I don't want you to feel crappy about it like I did playing other people's games.

Please let me know how you are feeling after hearing back from this person.

I think you are right.

The seller is a honorable member in the forum, I just assumed that they know the market ot trading value of the pin. I know a booster set cost $30 in the park, I had purchased it too, but I always trade of sell it according to their market value, not what I had paid for. Will you trade your PODM for my booster set if I insisted that I paid $30 for that? If the seller is not aware of that, I will definitely appologize. This is acutually what I hoped for. I don't want to believe that he/she plays the price game.
The reason why I brought it up here is that I felt that this is something worth discussion. I hope I do not offend anyone and If I did, I am sorry.

Thanks for your thoughts:angel:. I will talk to the seller maybe there are some misunderstanding or what.....

 

[MMiano]

Yeah I can vouch that the seller tries to pick good pins and sometimes if they can they will even look at your wants to see if you have a match. I've played their game twice and they are the only games I've ever felt comfortable playing in.

 

[Amandie1989]

The games are a gamble. I rarely play the games because I think it is rare that the average value of the prizes will equal the amount of your entry...that's not a criticism of the games...that's generally the case in any game of chance.

As long as the seller does not mislead people about the nature of the 'consolation' prizes, then I don't think he/she has done anything wrong. If you want to be sure that your prize will have a certain minimum value, it's best to stick to games that show all the prizes up front.

I think the concerns raised in your OP are valid, but it would be better to leave out the details of the game (ie. the major prize & price per entry), because it becomes pretty obvious which game you're talking about. I think that concerns about a particular game should be raised in PM with the seller. The open forum is a good place to discuss the issues in a more general way.

Thanks for reminding me about the details.
I don't want to dig it. I just have to say that the seller did mislead people(or at least me) about the value of the consolation pins. He/she had listed examples of pins given out in previous games and even mentioned about people who wanted to pass onto the consolation pins if they won. They never said that the consolation pins had such a huge price range. If they do, shouldn't him figure out a way(such as drawing) to assign different pin to different person, like all the other pin games?
Many people said that they got wonderful prizes from the game. It is just hard for me to think these pins are "wonderful". I though if I paid $18 I will get at least $10 worth of pins? am I wrong?

 

[Amandie1989]

I don't know....what will you feel if you received three pins from a booster set and they are not even on your want list?
What I had learned so far is that the seller picked good pins for some people, and really bad pins for others. It is just not fair.

Yeah I can vouch that the seller tries to pick good pins and sometimes if they can they will even look at your wants to see if you have a match. I've played their game twice and they are the only games I've ever felt comfortable playing in.

 

[Im gonna wreck it]

This is why I don't take part as I know I will be disappointed if I get a pin I'm not happy with so I would rather not take part than be disappointed

 

[ElysionsPrincess]

It is still very obvious who you are referring to in the OP. I personally don't believe that information should be disclosed at all. There can be a polite discussion without calling them out, I think you need to give them a chance to respond They seem to be quite busy and don't check the forum daily like some of the rest of us.

Normally, booster packs retain their value (for the most part). So in all honesty, I still believe the set you received is worth what you paid for the game. You found it for once, cheaper, but that doesn't happen all the time. If you were actively hunting for the pins and had to try and find them on eBay, for example, you would probably be paying more than you paid for the game. You know what I mean? I hope this is making sense haha, I'm exhausted and probably shouldn't be typing. :rofl:

I normally figure, if I play a game, I know I usually am not going to get a very amazing prize. But I play for the excitement of trying to win the grand prize, which hasn't happened yet, but if it ever does I know it will be very exciting! So long as my prize has a positive trade to want value, I figure if I don't like it, I can use it as trade fodder at the park.

Just my take on it! I'm sorry you feel upset, but I really would try to get in contact with them and resolve this before alluding to their game on the forum. Who knows, maybe you can come to a solution that will benefit both of you?

 

[dawny]

this is well said. I actually didnt ever play a game and do the math to compare what i paid to what i won. I hate gambling and i dislike the auctions and most of the games unless they are for a cause, because then i feel im donating with a bonus! I was told a long time ago BUYER BEWARE. This applies when you trade or buy from people with poor ref. or when you play a game that doesnot show all the possible prizes up front. Now if ya paid what ya paid and won the Jumbo pin grand prize......well would this thread exist?

 

[Jazzy B Bunny]

It's gambling at the end of the day

 

[PrincessBecky]

I know it is the fun of the game that I can't choose the pins I want, and I should accept them even if their value are way under the amount I had paid. This is totally fine when there are top prizes and worse ones. However, this is a different game, a zap game. There are only one grand prize and the seller said he/she will zap all the other players. This means that all the remaining spots are treated the same.

I'm not understanding where the member running the game said that every remaining spot would be treated the same? I went back and looked at their game rules, info, etc. and all it says is everyone who plays would be zapped for playing. You were zapped with three pins. While they may not be the most desirable pins, you were still zapped.

I copied and pasted this from their game page...

This is my last game I am going to zap everyone for playing. The winner gets the grail everyone else gets a consolation pin/pins.

the seller gives other players higher value of pins, this is not a fair game. We had all paid the same amount and as I had said, we trust the seller that he/she will pick reasonable prizes for us. If the seller gave other people LEs or Jumbos but only treat me with three pins from a recent booster set, I can hardly accept that.

If you don't win the grand prize...you are taking a gamble on what you will receive as a consolation prize (especially in the games, like this one, where the consolation prizes aren't revealed). Again I don't see where it says everyone is getting "equal-valued" pins for playing. Maybe the member running the game had the grand prize, a few jumbos, a few LE's, and booster/rack pins...and you were just one of the unfortunate ones that were chosen to receive booster pins. If all the prizes were revealed beforehand it would be different, but only one prize was revealed while the other 49 were a mystery...you knew that going into the game.

seller had run many games and he/she had a very good reputation. Someone even said that " I received my last consolation prize in the mail the other day and just about fell off of my chair because it was so amazing!!!! Trust me... you will be happy, win or lose!" I had been expecting the prize to arrive for a month and now I am very sad and hurt. I can't blame anyone and please let me know if it is my fault having a high expectation.

I personally feel like you set your expectations too high. Yes, it is unfortunate that you did not receive a more "valuable" consolation prize, but based on the sellers rules and info all they were required to do was send each player a zap for participating in their game.

I also don't think it's fair to automatically value the booster pins you received at the $7.00 price tag. The member running the game could have paid retail price ($32.95) for the set, which would make each individual pin $4.70. So if you received three pins from the set it would total around $14...which is only $4 less than you paid to take a gamble in the first place. That doesn't seem incredibly terrible to me.


I personally don't participate in the games because I don't want to spend money to most likely get nothing I want in return. Some people enjoy the risk, and of course SOMEONE has to win the big prize, so I can see why it is fun to take the chance. It sounds like you wanted to take the gamble, but also get something awesome just for playing. That would be nice, but the member running the game did not reveal the consolation prizes, nor did they state that the consolation prizes would all be limited edition or hold a certain value. The only thing stated was that everyone would be zapped for playing.