posted on January 3, 2001 01:43:56 PM new
Here's the first discussion:
Chat with the Yahoo! Auctions Team
Chat with the Yahoo! Auctions team about the new policy and site changes. The Yahoo! Auction team wants to answer sellers’ questions about the addition of listing fees, added services and the ban on certain hate material, or any other questions you may have about Yahoo! Auctions. Join us on Thursday, January 4th at 1pET/10aPT.
posted on January 3, 2001 02:38:09 PM new
I believe YAHOO wants a successful site and I have seen a number of changes over the past year that were an attempt (although not always successful)at making the process better and more productive for everyone.
I don't believe they have shown the same repeatedly negative attitude towards small businesses and drive for a larger part of the profits that is characteristic of eBay.
While I don't agree with the approach they are presently taking, I do accept it is their right and responsibility to make changes and attempt to generate income.
I'm torn between two paths of reaction. One would be to remove all listings, discontinue buying on the site and again seek an alternative to eBay elsewhere.
The second option is to stay, work within the choices available, utalize the classifieds, a web page and limited listings to try to salvage my own efforts and work with management as long as they are willing to remain open and flexiable in reaching both their own goals and the reasonable needs of sellers.
Maybe the sellers could sign-on to a brief statement outlining both our understanding of their needs and goals, our willingness to work with them in bringing about necessary changes and the specific concerns we have about the manner of their present plan for structuring fees, while not opposing all fees.
These chats can sometimes disintegrate into shouting matches with a lot of anger being displayed. That has merit in letting off steam but is not productive in the short term in reaching workable agreements.
If they would read the existing threads here and at OTWA/TSZ, agree to take our concerns under consideration, work towards a productive solution and keep communications open, I think this can be worked out.
I want YAHOO to succeed, I want to succeed at YAHOO and I'm willing to give it every chance.
On the other hand, I don't need YAHOO and if they make it clear I'm not the type of seller/buyer they want I can be completly and forever gone in 30 minute.
Can we sellers reach an agreement on a joint statement and speak with one voice on core concerns?
posted on January 3, 2001 02:50:42 PM new
I believe the fee structure is set in concrete. What I wish everyone would ask for is a better way of listing auctions.
If they would just go back to showing them by ending date I would gladly pay the fee. The hodgepodge listings are what drove me back to Ebay and I won't return until that is changed. Anyone else feel that way?
If they want a listing fee and still want fees for featured to keep your items from being buried forever then I definitely predict failure!
[ edited by lindajean on Jan 3, 2001 02:52 PM ]
posted on January 3, 2001 03:09:22 PM new
Why now, all of a sudden, is Yahoo supposedly interested in what we, the people, have to say?
Dozens (if not more) people have begged continually for key changes to be made to the site but to no avail. If a response was received, it was canned with a label, no doubt.
Is this a joke? All they need to do is read the posts on this board alone. If they still haven't seen enough, Yahoo's shortcomings get discussed on The eBay Outlook as well.
Have them read Granee's post - it tells it all!
With all due respect, I feel violated. The time to ask, if they really were interested, was before implementing some of the changes they did that killed their auction site.
posted on January 3, 2001 03:48:12 PM new
YAHOO CHAT with Yahoo Auction managers will be fixed. All chat a moderated by Yahoo employee, so out of nowhere they will be 25 out of 30 question asking about selling Nazi material on the auction. the rest of the 5 will be plants saying how they like the new .20 cents fee.
when celebrities and public personality does a Yahoo chat most question are planted by Yahoo employee logged under a new user name. and the rest of the question are screened. We will all ask about "how terrible this new fee is" and only question Yahoo will answer is "how wonderful this .20 charge is" from a seller is no rating.
They also used this Nazi thing as a smoke screen to avoid all main question. I know selling hate crime thing is serious and offensive, but this is not the big issue right now. Besides, Nazi sellers wouldn't pay .20 either. also why only Nazi? Skinheads and KKK are okay? They deleted Nazi thing earlier, why bring it up now?
All question asked on Thursday will be monitored. be prepared to see seller with (o) feedback say good thing about Yahoo's new prices.
posted on January 3, 2001 04:08:28 PM new
Toyranch, if I understand a couple posts over on SellerZone correctly, one suggestion was that Yahoo sellers could use their auction seller list (aka "booth" to point towards free classifieds listings using a few featured auctions.
I would question if anyone, even if a Yahoo employee, suggesting that concept had ever even looked at their classifieds setup.
The classifieds offer no overall list to scan; you have to search a limited geographic region with a keyword, and that itself within a general area like "cars." They invite buyers and sellers to exchange phone numbers and addresses and meet in person; they're limited to ten entries by each seller. Utterly and completely useless for anyone trying to be a businessman using the real power of the internet. Completely crazy to mention that Yahoo function as in any way shape or form useful to compensate for this auction terms debacle. Or did my scan through their setup a few minutes ago completely misread how it's organized?
Maybe Yahoo IS about to be bought by eBay and this is one of the changes required to make the Yahoo auction function absorbable by eBay with no indigestion.
You have any indication whether this change was initiated by the auction crew itself or rather imposed on them by higher corporate powers?
posted on January 3, 2001 05:11:37 PM new
What a bunch of maroons, especially Ray.
Think about this? All they holding a meeting tomorrow is about is damage control. Why didn't they hold a meeting prior?? Open a board and discuss this with the folks whose money they expect??
No, they blew it. Anymore time is a waste on Yahoo as they will be swallowed up by ePAY and I'll take anybody's money in a wager at odds even!
I cancelled all of my Yahoo auctions. I'm tired of these companies messing up things I've worked hard at building.
I know I'm only one person but at least I put my money where my mouth is.
posted on January 3, 2001 06:26:36 PM new
Reston Ray, I agree with you to the letter.
lindajean, I agree with your post as well.
Ebay has been down all day. I haven't been able to get in to the site to take care of the business I need to take care of. THIS IS NOTHING NEW, EITHER. If Ebay is so great why is the site always down? Those of you who are leaving Yahoo and not even looking back, do you have a plan B for when Ebay is down or puts a big fat banner ad in your category or VEROs your items?
Personally I think we're all dead meat without some sort of alternative to Ebay. So I will maintain some listings here. However, I will be diversifying onto other sites as well.
I would certainly like to see time-ending order restored on Yahoo because I definitely can't afford to pay feature fees plus listing fees. I agree with lindajean that if this step is not taken immediately Yahoo WILL fail. And it might fail anyway...
Like Ray said, "I don't I don't need YAHOO and if they make it clear I'm not the type of seller/buyer they want I can be completly and forever gone in 30 minutes." YEAH!
posted on January 3, 2001 06:45:22 PM new
pyth00n~ I'm not sure, I've never used the classifieds. Perhaps they can enlighten us about some aspects of the classifieds that would benefit our sales.
My impression is that this move was initiated by the auctions team, but I'm not sure...
canvid13~ People with opinions that differ from yours are not 'maroons'. Ray, in particular, is certainly not a 'maroon'.
Why do you think ebay would buy Yahoo? Yahoo was looking to buy ebay earlier in the year.
ebay's market cap is $8.7 billion. Yahoo's market cap is $15.74 billion. Yahoo's net profit last year was over 4x greater than ebay's. Little does not usually buy big...
posted on January 3, 2001 06:50:31 PM newWhat a bunch of maroons, especially Ray.
canvid13
Your comments are insulting to another User and violate the Community Guidelines. Because you have already received an informal warning within the last 30 days, I am upgrading that warning to a formal. Please review the AW Community Guidelines before posting again.
posted on January 3, 2001 07:17:41 PM new
Toyranch, I sort of hinted at that "odd-on-its-face" Ebay-buy-Yahoo idea, too. I'd've thought about it your way, too, except I did see one of the talking heads on CNBC a week or so ago analyze the theory as revolving around *earnings* per share rather than a market cap basis. Ebay could issue shares, IF it stays in a certain valuation window, possibly still open now since eBay did go up about 30% today, such that the absorption of Yahoo BY Ebay would be *immediately accreditive* to Ebay's earnings per share. Yahoo is in fact making enough in earnings that Ebay could pay a premium, by a bit, to its present price and still gain financially when all the stuff was added up.
That was the theory. Frankly I suspect the added confusion of trying to combine two such companies would tank them both faster than they'll go south anyway...
posted on January 3, 2001 07:44:36 PM new
Hey, we're all concerned about this, maroon dosen't even come close to making the "top 100" list of how I've been described and I almost followed canvid13's lead in going out the door.
Maybe a combination of cancelling listing and offering to work things out will get their attention.
If things don't work out I'm likely following his footsteps and need his leadership next week.
I don't have much to lose. I can afford to give YAHOO every chance and leave later in a day, week or month.
I would like to explore even option for making it work before giving up, mostly because I believe a second strong site is important in light of eBays past performance and attitude.
But I don't do a good imitation of a door mat and I've installed some new spin filters.
posted on January 3, 2001 08:03:39 PM new
Look, this is simple. Yahoo needs to take some of its site assets and get fee income. The market is telling them that their 80% revenue from advertizing model has some weaknesses. The Yahoo management has seen some momentum because of Ebays complete disregard for its sellers. Yahoo feels the timing is right for this play. I think they are premature. I believe that if they had waited another 6 months they could have done something like this and they would have clobbered Ebay. I do not believe this was the correct way for them to institute an initial fee charge either. Since the bidding is so light and sellers have a very small chance of having a successful auction the fees initially should have been on the FVF side. Everyone can agree to share the wealth when there is success. Nobody wants to pay, work and then get nothing. I know that it is probably a pride thingie with the folk at Yahoo central but I think that you should listen and take this message to heart. A couple of the companies I own were just ready to give Yahoo a chance again but now I do not see a reason. I do wish you all luck over at Yahoo because I sure like competition.
posted on January 3, 2001 08:17:39 PM new
Words are cheap, Yahoo is making a HUGE mistake, and will loose loyal customers. Corperate greed at it's finest.
posted on January 3, 2001 08:18:33 PM new
Geez Michelle! I don't think I was terrorizing by using the term Maroon. I really wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Mostly a tongue in cheek rebuke in these turgid times.
I mean, if I really wanted to break a rule I could come up with more colorful terms which I won't use here. I guess you can't hear tone in writing...
I'm willing to take people's bets that Ebay will attempt and maybe even suceed in either merging or buying Yahoo within the next 365 days.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a smaller company swallows a larger one. Sometimes it's not about market cap but cash on hand?
I never said it would be a smart thing, just what I feel is going to happen.
As for pulling my auctions on Yahoo, from the reaction on AW boards not too many people are putting their money where their mouths are.
If you truly are upset about what yahoo has done (or what any of these corporate hack companies do) then you have to take action.
They usually count on a bit of sqawking and then people rolling over to get their tummies scratched.
Emails don't work. Metrics do!
And Michelle, please don't get too zealous about warnings. It makes me not want to post and feel sooooo unwanted...(humor, honest, ok, a bit sarcastic but I digress)
Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill out of these auction house improvements. I mean, it's only money and most of our livelihoods! Including AW staff!
posted on January 3, 2001 10:45:04 PM new
Yahoo's decision to knuckle under to a french courts demands as to what is on their American site is filled with down the road implications, basically the deal is this a group of french radicals brought suit in french court claiming that a person in france could to go yahoo's american site and see a nazi or similar item and that this was illegal under french law. thr french court agreed and fined yahoo apx 1,500.00 but ordered the corporate giant to modify their american site so people in france could not go to it and see or order this stuff, Yahoo has decided to simply knuckle under and cancel all nazi or kkk or what ever else the toad on the french court decides.Now then lets take this a little further, suppose the year is 2002 and China passes a law that says the sale of books tapes photographs or manuscripts or whatever that portrays the Chinese government as a bunch of marxist thugs that murdered the kids fighting for freedom at Tiannemen (hope I spelt it right) square is illegal under chinese law, and that they use this to sue the current biggest auction site corporatefatcatandbankers.com so the chinese court in their ever present impartiality and with the blessing of the walmart republicans
and give their steel mills aid democrats decide that yes this violates china's laws. does the site corporatefatcatsandbankers.com then ban the sale of any and all materials mentioning the murders of the Kids fighting for fredom? I have News for you No one is going to come up with a machine gun and take away your freedom instead it's much more likely to disappear in little bits at a time
now we have legal precedent for this mind control type of stuff. Hey French judge it's none of your business what is on an American site! So My message is this freedom is only free if given to each and all, Let this go down and some day for sure you will be directly affected and you can take that to the bank (except xcom)
posted on January 3, 2001 10:55:37 PM new
I have tried using yahoo classified ads to sell instead of Yahoo's auctions. As mentioned earlier in this thread, the classified sections are terrible. Try to add a rectangular shaped foto to your classified and it resizes itself into a a square. Maybe I did something wrong each time I tried it over a month's time. Just imagine a retangular foto of a barbie resized into a square. I hope I am making myself clear. anyway, If the management of Yahoo would like us to use their free ads instead, they really should consider some serious updating of their site.
posted on January 3, 2001 11:28:59 PM new
auroranorth- I find it a bit disturbing too. Of course I am not thrilled to see Nazi memorobilia for sale, but ignoring history certainly won't make it go away...
paloma- the seller zone is one of Yahoo's clubs. It is dedicated to online auction sellers (kinda like this message board here actually). It is unfortunately not as easy to navigate as this forum at AW is, but otherwise it is a great source of info for sellers.
posted on January 4, 2001 12:16:48 AM new
has anyone tried Fair Market? I saw it mentioned on SZone it said "Fair Market Network seem the most likelydestination for most sellers, not wanting to pay listing fees." I think i might check it out!!! Has anyone had any experience with them?
posted on January 4, 2001 10:03:53 AM new
Well, here I am at their site ready to see some chatting but NOTHING is going on! I have tried refreshing my screen and even lefta comment but nothing is happening. anyone else having the same problem? Or does everyone else but me see "actual" chatting going on?
posted on January 4, 2001 10:44:13 AM new
I went to the chat but it immediately froze my computer, so I haven't gone back. I guess I'll just read about it later.
to point towards free classifieds listings using a few featured auctions.