Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin: November 4,…
Update News for October 2016
Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin:
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Progress On Term4Sale Changes
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November 7, 2016, 9AM EST
Term4Sale Bumping Week Begins -
Standard License Subscribers
Option for 3 More Local postal codes -
One Other Way To Get More Local Postal Codes
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There Is A Growing Shortage of Postal Codes
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Reviewing Postal Codes Pricing For 2017
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These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin.
Our plans for those changes are unchanged, and you can read more about those here:
Term4Sale Bumping Week Begins
IMPORTANT: We define your “local” area as a circle with a radius of 20 miles from where you are located, based upon the address that we have for you in our database. We will “stretch” the radius where it is obviously from the Postal Code Analyzer that you are located in a rural, sparsely populated area. Decisions in that regard are based upon what we find/learn here:
That day will be very busy for us, and so we encourage you to do some preparation in advance. Make sure you have your list of possible, better postal codes, and if you call and do not reach us that day, email your requests to:
The reason for the choice of date is that all additionally purchased postal codes are sold on an annual, calendar year basis. If you pay to buy additional postal code listings, those postal code listings are your’s for that year. Further, you will have first right of refusal to keep those listings and renew them for the following year.
The only way you can lose a previously purchased postal code is if you get BUMPed from that postal code. You can ONLY* be bumped if someone who is physically located within 20 miles of that postal code decides to use one of their local postal codes (most only have 3) to BUMP you out. If that happens then you will NOT be invoiced for the renewal of that postal code for 2017.
So the first priority for EVERY subscriber is to ensure that they have taken full advantage of the ability to get the best 3 postal codes available in their local area. Once again, the time to do that is:
VERY IMPORTANT (again): A person who has a local postal code listing CANNOT be bumped from that postal code. They have a LOCK on the postal code as long as they remain a subscriber to the Windows PC version of Compulife. If the subscription is not renewed, for whatever reason, and we cancel the account, those postal codes go back into the pool of available postal codes.
Option for 3 More Local Postal Codes
While we have not finalized the changes for Canada, we are leaning toward making the pricing in Canada and the U.S. the same. Less confusion. That will mean a price increase for personal use subscriptions, although if you don’t care about postal code listings at term4sale, the price change would only be $149 up to $156. Standard License would move from $299 to $300.
Once again, while this is not finalized, we are leaning toward the U.S. pricing model, and with that in mind, here is what we told our American subscribers this month:
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- One of the changes that we will be making is that Standard License subscriptions ($300 per year) will no longer include the cost of 3 local zip codes, which can be purchased for $12 each. Once the price change takes affect, the Standard License subscriber renewal will go to $336 (which includes 3 zip codes) unless that customer does not want or need the zip code listings. If that is the case, the old price of $300 will still apply. Currently, those paying $300 are still getting 3 zip codes for free.
- As part of the change that we have announced, the Standard License subscriber will now have the option to purchase up to 6 local zip codes, not just 3. Once again, those postal codes will be LOCAL meaning that they can be used to BUMP paid listings from your 20 mile radius. For some standard license subscribers, in large urban areas, that will be VERY important.
IMPORTANT for Canadians: The option for standard license subscriber to buy 3 more local postal codes, for a total of 6 postal codes, is a change we are moving forward with.
Therefore, on November 7th, those Standard License subscribers who wish to do so, can call us with instructions on obtaining up to 3 additional postal codes (over their current 3 local postal codes), and they can elect to pay $1 per month per listing for the balance of their current subscription.
NOTE: Local postal codes will be added to the subscription price and are attached to your subscription. Purchased postal codes run on a calendar year basis ONLY.
Example: If you want 3 additional postal codes, and your subscription has 8 months months before renewal. We will take your credit card for an additional 8 X $3 = $24 plus tax. When your renewal comes up, you will be invoiced $372 for the following 12 months; $300 for software and $72 for 6 postal codes.
Local postal codes, when purchased with software, are eligible for the multi-year discounts of 10% for 2 years, and 20% for 3 years. Therefore, the $372 for 3 years would be: 3 X $372 X 80% = $892.80. That brings the cost of your local postal codes down to $9.60 each per year.
If you add 3 additional postal codes, and then elect to add 3 years BEFORE the price increase, you will be able to pay: 3 X $336 X 80% = $806.40
When your FREE period on that postal code ends, you will have first right to renew it as a paid listing. Before that, you will be able to use it as a local postal code to bump. The time to use the bump will still be the first Monday in November.
IMPORTANT: You have until November 7th to make referrals, earn your additional FREE local postal code, and use it to bump on:
To counter that problem we will be increasing this years price for “paid” postal codes listings from $12 to $15.
IMPORTANT: We are not trying to penalize subscribers so much as we are trying to make sure that ALL subscribers get a kick at the can. We want term4sale to benefit ALL Compulife subscribers, not just a few subscribers a lot.
NOTE: Virtually all contacts use the contact 3 method. There was a way to contact individual agents, but that is being removed from the new version of Term4Sale which will be introduced in October. Only those with ulterior reason for contacting our subscribers seemed to be using it.
In addition to email contacts, your name and phone number are displayed in the listings. If a consumer calls you directly, and we KNOW some do, then we have no record of those contacts and that is icing on your cake. For the new guarantee this does not factor in, simply as we have no way to monitor such activity.
For the first time we are going to GUARANTEE the One for Three result. Here’s how the guarantee works:
If you get to the end of December, and you did not have have at least one email for every 3 postal codes you have, we will reduce the cost for you to renew those postal codes for 2017.
EXAMPLE: You have 14 postal codes, three local and 11 that you purchased. For 14 postal codes we expect: 14/3 = 5 contacts (4.67 rounded up). Let’s assume that you had only 3 email contacts (note: we do not count duplicate or BOGUS contacts) On November 15th, we would have invoiced you $162 (11 X $15) for 2017 renewal. However, you really only got the activity we would have expected for 9 total postal codes, which would have been 3 local postal codes, and 6 additionally purchased postal codes. Therefore, we will credit your invoice DOWN to $90 (6 X $15) and give you the same 14 postal codes for 2017. In other words, you will have 5 of those 11 paid postal codes for free.
If you did better than 1 for 3 (many have) then you owe us money. NO, we’re just kidding. This is a minimum guarantee.
IMPORTANT: There are NO REFUNDS, simply a reduced renewal cost for the SAME postal codes for the following year. You can add postal codes, and pay for those, but if you substitute any of those postal codes then the price of renewal for those will still be $18 for the year.
This guarantee is designed to act as a way to retroactively balance out the cost of postal codes listings that are NOT as attractive or not producing.
Remember, you have last year’s email traffic, and the postal code Analyzer, which is found here:
Yes, at some point we will build a system to give you better information about postal code contact performance, but we will introduce a new pricing structure at the same time. So while you’re thinking about some of the work this involves, we think you will eventually look back on the “good old days” when we make those changes (not in the short run).
Once again, when you are invoiced for 2017 renewals, you are NOT required to renew any postal code. If you decide to drop all or some of your postal codes, those postal codes will come back into the pool of available postal codes on January 9th. In fact we expect that will happen, giving subscribers who are hungry for more, better listings a chance to jump in.
IMPORANT: We give subscribers from November 15th to January 6th to pay their postal code renewals. That means you can decide in which year to expense the cost for tax deduction purposes. Yes, term4sale listings are an advertising expense and you can deduct them from your commission income. If you think you may benefit from the one in 3 guarantee wait until late in December to make your claim and pay your invoice.
In addition to being able to buy an additional 3 local postal codes for $12 each (for 12 months), Standard License subscribers can buy an additional 60 postal codes over the first 20 that all Windows PC subscribers can purchase (most Compulife subscribers buy the personal use edition which only allows 3 local postal codes).
The price per postal code, for postal codes over 20, will be the same increase, $1 to $1.25 ($15 per year). In the U.S. we actually add a surcharge of 50 cents per zip code per month, but we are not doing that (yet) in Canada.
We deeply appreciate your business, and want to make sure that Compulife remains profitable for you. On the other hand, we need to free up space for other subscribers who want to participate but simply can’t find good postal codes to be listed in. We are doing this in small yearly adjustments, trying to find the right balance.
Here’s a Tip: Personal use subscribers may want to upgrade from personal use to standard license to take advantage of the ability to get those 3 additional local postal codes (for a total of 6), and to be able to purchase more than 20 additional paid postal codes. We can do that upgrade for you on November 7th, when you call to maneuver into 3 additional better postal codes in your local area.