Q: Timing of Basic Member to Premium, and First Land

I have a Basic (free) membership, and would be willing to become a Premium member in order to own land. However, as we're all aware, First Land is a bit difficult to acquire just now. I'm perfectly willing to be patient, waiting for either a lucky break and snagging a First Land, or until LL is able to release more.

I'm not interested in paying the Premium fees WHILE waiting indefinitely for First Land. And I don't want to purchase NON-First Land, and permanently miss out on that option.

So here's my question: as a Basic Member, able to search for First Land -- if by some miracle, I see some available, get to it, and go through the motions of trying to buy it, will it let me purchase it, and automatically bump me up to Premium? LL does have my verified payment info, but I've never used it.

Or, will I rush over to the First Land, get there first, try to buy it, and then be unable to complete the purchase, because I'm still currently a Basic member, and then lose out to someone else who is already Premium?

I hope this doesn't become yet another First Land complaint thread, though -- we know there are issues <shrug>... I'm just trying to find out the proper timing of going from Basic to Premium, in coordination with (hopefully) obtaining First Land.

Thanks for any responses.

Theoretically, when you are basic and try to purchase first land, the system is supposed to prompt you to upgrade your membership automatically, so you become premium at the time you purchase the land.

However, I know no one who this has actually worked for since at least December, when I purchased my first land. I only got mine because I was able to open my account page in my browser fast enough and click through the motions in time to become premium and then purchase my first land.

Luckily for me, everyone else standing around trying to purchase the same land was still basic, trying to get the automatic upgrade to work like they had been advised to do, and wondering why they kept getting error messages. Or they were land sharks circling in wait to talk us into selling them our first land for half the market value.

I see from the forums and talking to other new people that the same problems still exist. Long story short - if you wait until you get to the land to try to upgrade, you're taking a chance.

One more thing: since your account information is already on file, it should be a pretty quick process to upgrade, since you won't have to re-enter everything again.

Annabelle, thank you for precisely the information I was looking for.

Now I just have to decide for myself whether paying Premium in the hopes of getting First Land shortly is worth it, or whether I'll just wait until it's more available. Sad to say, I don't think I "need" to own land badly enough to want to pay a fee for no good reason.

Though, perhaps I'll practice "going through the motions" of upgrading to Premium, in the off chance I get lucky, as you did. Congratulations, you landowner, from a landless serf !

Is it possible for Linden Labs to adopt a policy where they automatically designate a 512 plot of land after 24hrs to a new premium member? Can they set aside entire divided up sims just for first land or would that cost too much money? I'm confused as to why every premium member isn't offered new land within a reasonable amount of time. Maybe restrict the selling of first land until the owner has owned it for a month. What's the difference between a basic account and a premium account besides the land privileges? I'm confused about all of these land issues.....

You'll need to upgrade from the web. However, it is instant. So you can just go to your web browser and upgrade, then click buy.

Hmmmmmm, I believe I recall a close friend saying that he would never get a Premium membership, wonder if that IM is still around......

Hey, don't complain... Because if I were to join, a certain other person would get the referral bonus

Premium accounts get L$300 free per week.

The reason why they can't just allocate first land - basically, it wouldn't help, because the problem right now isn't to do with how the land is distributed but simply that there isn't enough of it. If there was enough first land for everyone, then the existing system would be working fine. If there was an allocation system in the condition now - when there isn't enough First Land - it'd be much worse; you'd have to sign up for Premium and then do without First Land for maybe a long while while you waited to get to the front of the queue for allocation.

Very likely you are absolutely correct.

But I was wondering, does anybody have trustable numbers on what fraction of "First Lands" are going to alts, who quickly turn them over for a profit, and then cancel their 1 month of premium fees? Is it a "big" fraction, >80%? Is it only a little bit, <10%?

If it's only a relatively small fraction, then you're right. Not much to do until there's more available.

But, if it's a "big fraction" (define that however you want), and they are only paying LL the premium fees for 1 month before cancelling the accounts, then perhaps LL would have more of an incentive to change their system of First Land? Presumably, LL wants premium members who actually stick around and continue to send them money, rather than one month of fees. And presumably, there are other people like me with Basic Accounts who are holding off on going Premium until the specific benefit of First Land is more likely to be achievable quickly.

I know people have proposed that maybe First Land could be kept somewhat "unsellable" for a certain period of time, to reduce turnover, with the potential problem of newbies being "stuck" with a first land plot they don't want.

What about a variation of that -- First land could NOT be sold for a period of time linked to both the monthly cost of a premium account AND the going rate for mainland 512 m^2 land parcels. In other words, if the average premium account fee was ~$6 USD / month, and the going rate for a 512 m^2 parcel was the equivalent of ~$36 USD, then the First Land could not be sold for 36/6 = 6 months. (I made up those numbers -- adjust them to whatever reality is.)

However, at any time, First Land could be abandoned, for a refund of L$ 512.

Seems like that would completely remove any incentive to acquire First Land for a quick profit, since the profit would be taken up by maintaining Premium membership fees, while also allowing people to abandon their land to get the pittance they paid for it back, and free up their tier.

I'm sure people will come up with lots of reasons why this is nonsense and unworkable

In the meantime, I'll just stay Basic and hope availability improves, before I pay LL for something I'm unlikely to benefit from.

According to another message here, they have re-introduced the limit on alts registered on a single card.

In Notecard no. 2, Basic Land, which I was given as a n00b, a couple of says ago, it actually says:

"PLOTS

When you have a premium membership, you get 512 sq meters of
land with no land fees. Land fees are US cash fees LL
charges based on how much land you own. Land fees are
justified by the fact that LL is supporting your lands
bandwidth and CPU usage."

Now that sounds as if I, as a Premium member, should be entitled to a piece of land? Like many others I am very disappointed, specially as I signed up for a three month membership on the expectation that I would get a piece of land. I feel as if I have been had!

It seems that the land issues should be mentioned BEFORE people sign up, so they know what they are getting for their money.

And what happened to the L4L program?

"Landless (L4L) program. This is land that is set aside by
LL and made available to anyone who applies."

L4L is the old First Land program. Back then when there were a few dozen new players a week, they hand allocated it. You'd send a message and they'd send you a LM to the land and it would be marked for sale to you only.

I have a suggestion. You say you are a "payment info on file" basic account which means you are a verified resident ( a very good thing in my book). Why not buy a token amount of lindens and become a "payment info used" basic account? I believe that may put your account in the system and make it more likely to be a speedy process when you do find your first land and make the purchase and become premium at the same time?

Just an idea.........good luck.

And why not simply skip the First Land option? Several messages for newbies suggest it is a great deal... but I'm not so sure. Depends what you want to do in SL. I read one message from a guy who owns 4096 sq. meters, and considers the monthly fee to be far less than he was paying for DVDs and other entertainment, that he uses a lot less since being on SL. That, to me, was the voice of reason. So I skipped First Land and went straight to Premium membership and bought land directly. First Land seems to sell for roughly 8000 to 16000 L$, depending on where it is, so, yeah, I lost out on a "freebie" of 10000L$, but that's about 40$US. I now own about 2500 sq. m., so the 40$US is a small part of the total cost. I'm not saying everyone has the cash to spend this way, but the numbers don't seem so horrendous to me, compared to other forms of entertainment.

I've been in SL for three weeks, and have four different builds going on. Yes, I was impatient, but I'm convinced this was the right choice for me

It's very much horses for courses Magellan. For those with a clear view of what they want to do, buying or renting a large plot or multiple plots then as you point out, the First Land system just doesn't really matter but it was introduced for the 'little guy/gal', the one who just wants a little patch to call home.
This was what it was for me but I quickly realised that a mere 117 prims on a 512sm plot just didn't quite represent a comfortable home for me so I needed to just double it. If only the First Land had been this 1024sm and 234 prims it would probably have satisfied me and a lot of others.
Some might argue that the 512sm/117 prims is a clever ploy by LL to tempt users to buy more whereas if we all had to buy full-price from day 1 many wouldn't .. but then they are in it for the money?

Thank you Elspeth for citing your source for this information! I've been trying to track it down, asking other people who had the impression they would automatically get the land upon going premium. You're the first one to give some detailed information. Following up, I found that the Stickied thread at the top of this very section of the forums (the FAQ one with the word "note cards" says pretty much the same thing.

MODERATORS: Check that thread and edit the part that is misleading so many, and if those same note cards are being distributed to newbies in some sort of official way change that too! Thanks!

Well looks like it is all moot now.

No first land for anyone. And the land prices are still going up.

Don't say here and there have good reason. May be SL customers was bound by contract. What they do is not to create but to destroy customer. There are now much more virtual world coming. People will vote by their foot to leave here. People will keep talking and expose it to whole world.

May be I miss some point. But I don't have interest to read infinity discuss within this blackbox.

Milissa

i felt cheated too.
linden definitely led me on and pulled a bait & switch on me. not the greatest way to start out a customer/provider relationship.

OK, I agree that LL handled the First Land thing badly, but you both started after the program ended in February, so I'm not sure I understand how you were personally affected.

There were plenty of references around regarding first land when I signed up.

How about we make a plan.

We prepare the following:-

1. We will write blog to disclose the matter.
2. We will ask people to cancel their or duplicate account.
3. We now ask to tell me who still owe first land to sign and calculate how large it is
4. We write letter to ask to assign a piece of common land or join own land for us.

If they do not give us answer, we will implement our plan.

Our plan can raise the support from outside, the advantage are:

a) the media will interest this issues and influence people to cancel. I am sure they can not afford to lose half population here.
b) stop new people to be cheated join member.
c) the infamous would let the potential investor back out.

If you are interest the plan, contact me at [email]milissarossini@gmail.com[/email], and my blog is milissarossini.blogspot.com

To fight against this, we have to use outside connected to hear our voice.

Be the justice with us.

Milissa

The only one thing they should do is honest their promise and treat us sincerely. This not just a game, there is the symbol of virtual community-Linden claim this.

Personally, it is not a matter of lose money. I feel hurt. Like nerves shock can get the money compensation bigger than physical injury.

Milissa

in regards to the original question: no you cannot buy land while not a premium member, nor will it allow "pending" or a hold or anything similiar. it's a bit of a first-come-first-served proposition.

and if you have a slow connection, you might lose the land you want to bots if you happen to find some fairly priced land inbetween their sim scans.

and, if you DO decide to upgrade to premium, and then downgrade, and then decide to buy or upgrade again, be warned that you cannot do any of that until the 30 days downgrade is complete. this action might cause you to have a coronary and even possibly pee your pants.

speaking from experience here. *laff here please*

I suggest we should re-engineering the way of thinking.

1. If we are customer, they should honest their promise us as we possess right of a customer.
2. If we are citizen, we possess our natural right as a member of community

Unfortunately, we are both and being treated like second labor.

Land is one of problem which is a sight of the fundamental issues- our right have being manipulated.

Milissa