Quote from: Dyaheon on July 06, 2013, 08:31:01 AM

I would certainly be tempted. Note that a steeply increasing difficulty can have the same result though.

Now, miner manufacturers might start refusing refunds like BFL is doing now. Although I'm not sure how legal this is, probably wouldn't work in the EU at least? Also, people getting refunds and buying BTC could stop the slump and make the price increase again, just like the current downtrend is probably partially caused by ASIC sales, where BTC is converted into fiat, which the companies need to build the units.

I would probably do it if price approached $30 and manufacturers would grant the refund. I wouldn't feel bad for not adding hashrate to the network; there's plenty coming and I could pocket the difference, waiting for better btc values / more reasonable asic prices and try mining again then.

Yeah good point. The 2 determining factors are the BTC paid vs BTC purchasable after refund delta and the expected lifetime BTC ROI of the machine. Higher difficulty would lower the lifetime ROI and thereby allow a lower delta to still make the refund profitable.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if higher difficulty and longer assumed lead times with BFL products are causing refunds for this exact reason. The one thing they do have going for them is that many of their orders were made when BTC was < $20. For these people they will take a BTC loss by refunding unless the price continues to drop to extreme lows. However any person with an order made while BTC was high that is also later in the queue with reasonably predictable long lead times that is also halfway decent with numbers is likely trying to get out as fast as they can.

I was also looking at a $20-$30 range. I'm a nice guy, however not so nice I'm willing to suck up a $7k loss just so some other random stranger doesn't. The vast majority of KNC orders up to this point were made when BTC was triple digits, this will make refunding very attractive starting at ~$40 and under I think. I won't be the first out but will watch to see if the writing is on the wall.