Rorschach said:
Yeah, but with the AH board you're guarenteed to get the item you are paying for. Here you pay but you might not get the win and the item.
You're paying for their time not the win. It's clear when offered. If it's a good offer or not depends on each individual's alternatives. For example, if you're not in a linkshell that would do DM, and not going to be in a linkshell any time soon that would, your alternatives is this, random pickup or better offer of a DM run by another BLM group.
If no other BLM groups are offering and you can't get a random pickup group, then it's this or nothing. If I want, for example, a pair of koenig hands, and I don't wish to join a sky linkshell or am unable to find one, simarly, I might find myself paying a linkshell for the right to lot on one of their drops. Perhaps I don't want to join an entire linkshell for 1 piece of gear, maybe I'd rather just buy the gear. Maybe I don't enjoy hunting sky, or doing DM, maybe I prefer crafting for gil and consider that a better use of my time.
Any potential customer of that BLM run has these alternatives in mind. How else can I get this item? What would I rather do?
They don't care to experience the fight... then that's their choice. I don't see what someone who's not interesting in doing business with them has for a reason to be pissy about the whole thing. We all have different situations and enjoy different aspects of FFXI, the fact that from your perspective, this is a bad deal is fairly meaningless, and to attack all who participate is simply close mindedness.
If the deal is so shitty, and 200k spread among 17 BLM is so valuable that you can find 18 other BLM jumping for job to offer a better deal than no guarantee on a win, go with those BLM. As for me, I'll pass on that.