Why Is An Invite Needed?

[Greg C]

I have been putting this question off for awhile now, but I have to ask: Why do people need an invite to get this phone? I know the marketing angle, but why don't people just buy one on Amazon, Ebay or a long list of other websites? Why play this OPO marketing game?

 

[Smply_Rcklss]

I've heard since it was a new company & they're afraid they wouldn't meet the request of buyers demand.

Tapatalk'n On The M8

 

[dizzle16]

Sometimes it's better to buy direct from the company. Warranty, support, etc. The purpose of the invite system was to control inventory and production costs. Being a startup they don't have the cash to mass produce so the sell as they can with whatever budget they're working with. I was prepared to buy 3rd party but I'm truly glad I didn't. Who wants to overpay or risk getting a international model.

Posted via my OnePlus One

 

[UJ95x]

Hype up the product.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.4

 

[Greg C]

Thank you all for your replies. I just never heard of having to get an invite to buy a product. Usually a company would want to sell as many.. as soon.. as possible.

 

[UJ95x]

Thank you all for your replies. I just never heard of having to get an invite to buy a product. Usually a company would want to sell as many.. as soon.. as possible.

Yup. It's certainly possible that they had trouble mass producing them, but seeing as they had the smash your device contest and had the never settle ads, etc. it seems more like it was a marketing play that didn't go well for them.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.4

 

[planoman]

oneplus is not making profit on this initial price on the one and this is their way of controlling demand.

I ordered mine Friday. I see a lot of them on swappa. Prices are about 400 to 425. The 64 GB was 350 and 15 to ship so about 365 to get one in the US. It may be better to get a used mint device since some have a yellow tint at the bottom of the screen and dealing with one plus is hit and miss right now.

Posted via Nexus 5

 

[qnet]

I think the invite system is a bad idea, but of course it doesn't frustrate nearly as much now that I have a phone. The phone came out in April so I guess it's working in a way, because people still want it. If it wasn't a great phone then they wouldn't be able to get away with it, but it is a very nice phone.

 

[vildafranek]

IMHO it's a great idea.. They dont have to make more phones than they need.. For a small company with just one product it's clever.

 

[kinghu]

And they are more likely to sell each phone (invite) as it makes the recipient feel exclusivity, a time sensitive decision, and the not wanting to miss out since there is no guarantee of getting another invite.

That buying one in China is easy as the 16gb model is on open sale on the Opo website and the 64gb model is on flash sale every three days tells me they have no issues making enough. And then there's the India plans gathering pace. If they couldn't make enough they would likely not be expanding so soon.

Truth is they are using the hype and invites in the west to generate sales, nothing more.

From my OPO