You've said this before. Are you selling antminers?
I agree that mining equipment is highly speculative, and everyone should be comfortable with their purchases, and understand the risks.
That said, I'd expected a slightly more enthusiastic turnout than the few inquiries I've received so far, especially after the recent price drop. The units are selling out, but not here. Is there something I'm missing?
I would probably buy directly from the manufacturer at this price point, or from a member that has a more established history of being trustworthy and organizing group buys. The biggest problem I have with this group buy is the trust factor and the fact that you are a relatively new member that hasn't organized anything like this before in the past.
If I understand this correctly, you are just the middle man between buyers and the manufacturer, but the manufacturer also is fairly new and doesn't have an established history.
Here are a few things that could possibly go wrong:
- Money never makes it from the group buy leader to the manufacturer.
- The manufacturer receives payment, but doesn't deliver the goods.
- The miners get caught up in customs.
- The miners arrive and don't work. Would we just be SOL or is there any warranty provided by the manufacturer?
- The miners are delivered late.
This seems like a lot of risk for a very small potential profit.
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, we are playing middleman, same as every other group buy initiator. We are doing more than taking orders, however.
There are other considerations if you want to order this unit directly from the manufacturer. There is a 20% price increase that the manufacturer is placing on all sales outside of China, as well as shipping from China, and clearing export customs. We have an established presence in China, and an agent who is handling this for us. We're taking care of the 20%, covering the shipping, and managing the export process. Participants in this group buy make a payment and receive a miner; the rest is our problem.
I have yet to have anyone ask for credentials and vetting. I will gladly provide these if anyone is interested. Send a PM, and we'll make arrangements.
Most of the potential problems you listed are a potential problem with every group, yet other group buys have gained traction. You do bring up a good point about DOA; I'll verify how that will be handled and post an update.