posted on July 8, 2001 11:02:10 PM new
[QUOTE]Why don't we adopt a bit more of a "wait and see attitude", is it a good idea to try and kill this thing before it gets off the ground? Who would benefit from that other than eBay?
I am NOT a paid endorser of the site. I am just waiting for a good alternative to ePay. If these guys are able to do what they say they want to do, I am all for it.
As far as questioning their credibility, who among the "big boys" of the auction world has any credibility to begin with? And should we really care? Business is business folks, I for one, am all for a new up and comer to smite the large gorilla.[/QUOTE]
I agree with Sugar on this one. I've been waiting for a good alternative site and this one looks good to me. I have the time and inventory to give it a shot. We've been looking for a great new site for a looooonnnngg time and this just MIGHT be it!
posted on July 9, 2001 04:41:43 AM new
To those of you who think gegy has a shot at becoming a viable alternative, why do you think it does when no one has even seen their regular auction software perform yet?
Is it because of the promised advertising?
If that is the case, does anyone remember AuctionUniverse?
posted on July 9, 2001 06:19:30 AM new
relayerone - I still insist that I don't mind spam.....delete. I do mind pornographic spam. JMHO.
toollady - You hit the nail on the head. There is nothing different between any of the "new" sites except that gegy has promised a massive (7 figure) advertising campaign to "attract buyers". Hopeful sellers are salivating over this promise - not over the green guy, software, ease of use, or integrity of the site.
posted on July 9, 2001 03:19:13 PM new
Very well said, Twinsoft & Stockticker.
One of the main reasons I'm not selling on the big site is because of their 'morals'. It's okay to turn a blind eye to one user (or a group of users) while suspending others right and left for the same infractions.
It's okay to set up on bunch of rules for yourself, but expect your users to adhere to a different set of rules.
To my mind this type of thinking just doesn't fly. I'm an honest person and run an honest business. In my mind when I use a site for listing my auctions I'm basically placing a seal of approval on that site--or endorsing it. I can't, in any way, endorse a site that has proved itself unethical in its business practices as their practices reflect on me.
Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to take my pitchfork after anyone or rile up a lynch mob. Someone at Gegy has already proven to me that they will lie if they feel it suits their interest. A lie, even in the very tiniest form, is wrong.
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posted on July 9, 2001 08:52:20 PM new
Am I to believe that this group thinks that eBay and Yahoo have never lied to you!!!!!!!!
The bottom line is, will the Gegy site produce. Yes, I highly disapprove of lies, and a number of other things, but I can't investigate every site I post at to see if they have ever lied. I use a site for one reason only and that is it produces for me.
If I quit using eBay tomorrow it wouldn't stop their lies, and the same with most sites; in fact it is probably true of Wal-Mart too.
I am not saying I approve of lies, all I am saying is that the other sites lie too, you just may not have caught them as yet - the test of the Gegy site is if it can produce - then we will see if all their hype is just "hot air" or if there is truly substantial funds behind it – AND an understanding of the auction market.
Some of you may recall the old Auction Universe – they had major newspaper funding behind them, and they never made it – it takes more than money it takes , it takes an understanding of the auction market and particularly of the auction buyer – sellers will come if a site can draw the buyers – we will see if Gegy can bring in the buyers.
A site can offer sellers everything of their dreams, BUT if they can’t attract the buyers it is a worthless site.
posted on July 9, 2001 10:50:55 PM new
I'm sorry but, this is getting pathetic, gregery or what ever they call themselves is imo not going to even come close to the market share of yahoo let alone touch ebay. they would have to spend millions to do that, even then, you have to have sufficient sellers to keep buyers coming back, this is the true barrier to entry that any company trying to rival ebay has to grapple with.
Lets assume that gregy spend millions and millions of dollars and became the second largest auction site in the world. They will then have to charge the second highest fees.
After all, you don't spend that kind of money because you love the auction community. You spend that kind of money to make even bigger money, which only comes from charging fees.
Which means that even if gegey acheive their goal WE the auction community won't win. Our best bet for a reasonably priced auction site will only come from a co-op which it seems (from recent post) that there is not one. or from a member supported site like libertybid or some kind of non-profit site. The bottom line is, our best hope is from within NOT from without.
posted on July 10, 2001 01:52:50 AM new
mfcwizzard-6 months ago there was a group of us who realized that the co-op idea was a viable one for a niche site. I honestly don't know how well it would translate to a general site with such a variety of interests.Co-ops are basically businesses for people with a tighter area of interest.But, if someone can mobilize a crosssection of sellers whose main interest is self-automony- I say Go For It!
I do know that having a say in fee structure and site rules makes for a stable selling enviroment. But coops are businesses like all others. They need capital to build, run and advertise their site.They have employees and insurance payments and phone bills like all other businesses. I am glad that you mentioned a "reasonably priced" site. With a co-op you can build in a fee structure that with projections is a basically "break even" with some bill money in the kitty. Extra money just goes back to the shareholders. Savings from group buying is an added bonus.
But, there is one big drawback to a cooperative.It requires that extra effort on the part of the members to participate.You give your opinion and vote. You give your time.You give your skills.You give your money.But in the end it is worth it, because you have a selling enviroment taylored by sellers for sellers with the courting of buyers as a primary goal.You also have a site, while isn't free, is lower priced than other pay sites.
I would encourage any seller to at least consider the cooperative as a viable alternative. Cooperatives work! But they work by member input!
posted on July 10, 2001 07:12:26 AM new
Gee, I hate to be a “wet blanket” but I can’t see a co-op as an answer to anything. No co-op is going to have the funds, or most likely the time and business know how to create any type of a viable general auction site. Personally, I can only see professionals, with lots of funding, with the ability to hire the best tech’s etc, can put together any type of viable general auction site.
I’ve been a business owner for almost 20 years, on line selling for over 6, but even with endless funding I wouldn’t consider myself qualified to set up an auction site that would make any type of impact on the on line market.
posted on July 10, 2001 07:28:28 AM new
I see a future in small free auction sites or cooperatives banding together, linking to each other, using the web ring concept. It works for individual sellers' websites, we get much more business on our site that way being in a web ring. Why wouldn't mutual referrals work for the startup free auction sites and coop's?
All that matters is that it is successful the people that use it, it doesn't have to plan to take 2nd place to Ebay over all other auction sites.
The web ring idea has been around for a while and works well. It's not a huge leap to apply it to small auction sites working together.
posted on July 10, 2001 08:11:42 AM new
enchanted- I feel like I am following you around AW! Good morning! I like and support the idea of a co-op web ring! I have spoken to dman and twinsoft about it already and will be approaching Tomfolio. I would like to add non-profit groups that would have information about selling or the online industry to the ring as well.
Insightwatcher- don't underestimate the backgrounds of sellers that are interested in co-ops. Industry figures for vintage seller puts their average age at 40-60 with education beyond high school.In the real world we are writers, dentists,marketers, large volume antiques business owners, importers, mom's, lawyers, administrators and a dozen other things.We are also all business owners in our own right. One thing we also are is realistic- what we can't do ourselves we will hire out--just like any corporation. Co-ops may not have the assets of a for-profit start up in terms of dollars and cents--but they do have a wealth of knowledge that is being shared!
posted on July 10, 2001 10:53:20 AM new
Nice idea about Web rings and sites helping each other out! There's plenty of this e-Commerce pie to go around as long as you're not going to try and be like eBay and swallow the whole thing yourself! Why try and kill each other off when you have a better chance of success if you work together?
posted on July 10, 2001 11:29:41 AM new
Hi, folks. A web ring is a great idea. Actually, Dman is already taking this one step further. He has a web spider that can search any number of (co-op) sites. It is already up and working.
That opens the door to a whole realm of possibilities, such as specialty sites linked together under one umbrella, or co-op movement. Sellers of like items can design and administer their own site, under a set of common bylaws, then link to the network as a whole. Organizationally, this would simplify things, while allowing sellers greater freedom to promote their own items.
Dman has already set up a new web site called "The Auction Beat" specializing in records and CDs. It is linked to Internet Pioneers and can search both sites from a single location. I will email Dman and ask him to come speak about this, because it is really an exciting concept.
posted on July 10, 2001 12:25:08 PM new
Perhaps a new thread should be started, called "Web Rings" or something similar. Some posters who may be interested would miss the discussion if they're not following the Gegy saga.
posted on July 10, 2001 05:11:25 PM new
Actually The Spidering tool works no differently then any other search engine such as Lycos search hot bots only it searches only the sites that I have added
so far I find it can do Item search it brings up Items from the list of keywords and even part of the items descriptions and a links to each, a bit different then searching ebay where you only come up with titles this way you read part of the description you can almost know if its what you are looking for before clicking.
the search is powered by free find .
The auction Beat is a project I am working on as a portal site for the Idea of a network of small auction site.
A webring is a good start For putting together a circle of auction sites and users but webrings have limited ability of promoting within also if a web ring is used on personal WebPages and websites it will not only lead to the auction site(s) but also away from them.
A portal that is working with a group of Auction sites between all are abilities and knowledge a portal like this could offer a center For universal search of each site, Registration . also it could offer links to all site categories maybe even a random pick of hot items from sites and ending soon.
as a group that would be working together it could offer a group email address so that if some one need to write twinsoft they would just need to remember [email protected]
As of right now the Auction beat offers some free tools and features I cant talk about here, and it is just a project a working Idea I don't represent any Co-op organization or company and I am not a co-op organizer I am working on this Project with the hopes that Organizers and interested users of these sites will see it as a useful Idea and represent it them selves and help with programming and ideas for it.
The site as of now is in rough outline state but it has a working search tool that searches internet pioneers at this time and links to register there list new items and like I said offer other useful seller tools as well.
Any one who is interested in the Idea or would like to see can Email me .
posted on July 15, 2001 12:21:32 PM new
[QUOTE] Add me to the list of the disappointed. [/QUOTE]
Me too, toollady. And I've had about enough disappointments when it comes to online auction sites!!
But I'm not sure what you mean when you say "the main site is under lock and key". I got in with no problem, including to the Beta Testers Only message forum. Unfortunately, no one there seems to know what's going on either!
edited to add... okay, how the heck do I do a quote???
[ edited by Joanne on Jul 15, 2001 12:51 PM ]
posted on July 15, 2001 12:26:10 PM new
If you click on the gegy auction link at the top of the forums, it asks for a user ID and password for network access.
You can't even see the gegy auctions main site. Or at least you couldn't when I tried this morning. The forums are still available.
posted on July 15, 2001 12:30:02 PM new
Ah, ok, I see what you mean. It's actually been that way for awhile, I had tried to get in to gegyauctions earlier this week to see what was going on and got that popup window.
This and the lack of communication definitely does not bode well for the site
posted on July 16, 2001 05:26:53 PM new
Well, they've pulled the whole site down. There is a letter from the emporer stating that beta will no longer be open to the public and they will notify anyone on the beta list when they are ready to open.
I'm going to have my name removed. I don't want to know if and when that slimebucket of a site opens.
posted on July 17, 2001 04:46:30 PM new
Oh my. Oh my. I think that's about all I can say after reading where that link sent me.
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posted on July 17, 2001 05:46:40 PM new
Was gegy just a green online auction gigolo tell us what were wanted to hear? Maybe gegy was a little green man, you know a Martian! I feel like I've been probed somehow ....
posted on July 17, 2001 11:15:27 PM new
Why would we want to deal with an auction site that shuts it's doors so quickly. That doesn't tell the truth?
If it ever does launch, I suppose they could go under in a flash too.
I was really thinking this sight was gonna be different...
posted on July 18, 2001 05:49:34 AM new
In following this saga, what really surprised me was the number of people (no, not on this thread) who, when they found out about the first set of lies took the attitude which can best be summarized as "So what, they apologized. I'm going to go ahead and use their service".
Repeating what I said on the first page of this thread:
Adults who behave in an unethical manner don't magically become ethical unless they undergo some sort of life altering experience. They may decide to act in an ethical manner in future only because they see it is to their financial advantage. If it ceases to be in their financial advantage....
Believing otherwise, is just plain being naive about business and human nature. An old saying comes to mind:
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
Why try and kill each other off when you have a better chance of success if you work together? 