Amoral Business Practice
Beady has exorbitant amounts of hidden costs, takes advantage of susceptible users and relies heavily of the concept of begging power. Beady has truly found a way to make the micro transactions, found in the gaming industry, transfer into the realm of physical toys. It’s amoral and basically a despicable scam.
First you buy the starter kit – or in our case, your kids get it gifted to them on their birthday. Your first thought is likely ‘hey, neat idea’. It’s even advertised right on the product (and on their website) how to app is free. Only when you start to use the app, you’ll learn that using patterns, across the whole app eco-system, will cost a proprietary currency (this practice is well known to take advantage of susceptible users, as the proprietary currency does not feel like real money). You’ll find that advertised features like making a portrait with beads is also hidden behind a paywall. But really worst of all, only when you spend the time to make your own pattern you’ll learn that you have to pay in order to use the pattern, you’ve made yourself. This is in no way sufficiently clarified neither on the physical product nor on the website
The idea is great and the product even so, which makes it so much harder to put away. Our kids now suddenly like making bead plates. However the “free” options are very limited – again something that Beady is not transparent about from the get go. This will quickly lead kids to beg for them to be able to make the pattern they’ve already made. The cost of the virtual “goods” in the app (which you do not own – you rent them) comes on top of buying the physical items. They already earn from you needing the special bead plates, the comb as well the beads with the right fit. This is not only greedy, it’s straight up false marketing.
In short; Beady lures you in while withholding information about what you’re actually buying into. From there they hide the true cost in a maze of dark patterns and proprietary currency and lastly rely on users staying by exploiting the concept of begging power (the product in targeted kids). Frankly Beady should be ashamed of their own amoral practices. I hope this write up, will keep more gullible parents – like myself – to let their kids get sucked in this scam.
Reply from Beady.Fun
Dear Bo
Thank you for your review of Beady. We are glad that you think the idea is good and that your children enjoy being creative with beads. This is exactly why we have developed Beady as a platform for bead lovers.
On the other hand, we are also sorry that you don't think that our concept is communicated correctly. Transparency is important to us, and our marketing is in the process of ensuring that the communication on our website is reviewed to avoid misunderstandings.
When you buy our physical product, you get access to our platform through the Beady app, and you get Beady Coins as well. In the app, and without payment, you currently have access to more than 400 free patterns, use the Beady Paint drawing program for patterns up to 4 pegboards and the Beady Cam for patterns up to 9 pegboards.
Patterns purchased with Beady Coins are permanently yours and can be used indefinitely. It is therefore not a question of microtransactions, as you know it from the gaming industry, where you buy the same thing over and over again.
The beads are quite ordinary HAMA beads, which can be bought everywhere, and Beady also works well with beads from, for example, Artkal or Nabbi.
A lot of work is being put into running and developing the Beady platform, and the designers who design patterns for us must of course be paid for their work. We use professional bead designers to ensure that everyone gets the best.
The use of Beady Coins are only required when you want to lay patterns larger than 4 pegboards in Beady Paint, larger than 9 pegboards in Beady Cam, or buy the non-free patterns made by the bead designers. In other words, there is plenty of opportunity to use Beady without it costing extra.
We are always interested in finding a solution, and you are welcome to contact us at hello@beadysystem.com.
