posted on March 2, 2001 02:59:40 PM
I have to question whether YaWho actually IS asking for seller opinions about the listing fees. A couple people have posted here they received an email asking for opinions (one of whom HAS NEVER EVEN LISTED ANYTHING ON YAHOO, and received the email a month ago), but no one can produce the email in question, nor have the REST OF US been asked OUR opinions by YaWho.
I don't think YaWho is sending this supposed email to the high feedback sellers, because I have an almost 650 rating and I haven't received it. There would be no point in their sending it to the MOST SUCCESSFUL present sellers, since anyone selling well NOW would (most likely) have positive comments. So just WHO is receiving this email??????????
I don't really think YaWho WANTS to know our opinions. After all, they've been READING our opinions for two months now---here on AW, on the SellerZone, in the chats, and in emails submitted to them---and have apparently IGNORED every single thing we've said to them.
posted on March 2, 2001 04:23:51 PM
Hi John. Thanks for your thought-provoking and reasonable comments. I never post, but often read the boards. I'm pretty tired of all the complaining and hope that discussions become more productive sometime soon. As sellers, the end goal should be wildly successful businesses, not personal attacks and cruel invective. I've sold 75% of the items I've posted on Yahoo! since listing fees began. I pay to list and pay to feature and only sell things I know should have a pretty good market (across a few different categories). Needless to say, I'm happy and plan to keep selling. Good luck everybody.
posted on March 2, 2001 04:53:26 PM
I just LOVE the people who post on this board... Olhickory? Hmmm... Registered today, one post... Olhickory on Yahoo??? No active auctions, no closed auctions, no feedback, no nothing... On eBay, the user ID "Olhickory"- 15 feedback comments, zero auctions on the past month, zero feedback ratings in the past 5 months, and all feedback ratings apparently as a bidder... Now why would someone register here with a user name that has no transactions on Yahoo, no posts before this thread, complain about "cruel invective" (translation- criticism that they don't like), and then talk about their purported 75% sell-through??? HECK, if I wanted to be <choke> "productive" in my comments (translation- criticism that the person doing the commenting DOES like), and I had 75% sell-through, I would want the world to see my auctions, I'd certainly let them... This is a habit of many people on this Board. They come here with new ids, and make extravagant claims that can't be supported by anything that anyone can see... One has to ask WHY? I mean, they just MIGHT have the success they lay claim to, BUT I wouldn't bet the first-born on that possibility...
Hidden agendas abound...
posted on March 3, 2001 12:45:35 AM
Well, I just finished my Yahoo experiment.
This is the first time I've had 0 listings on Yahoo in almost 2 years. It really seems strange.
Anyway, my last 24 listings closed (1 run with no relists). 14 closed with bids. 6 closed at the buy price. It looks like I have at least 1 deadbeat. That's not bad for Yahoo but not a stellar performance either. I was actually a bit disapointed because it looked for a while like my sales percentage would be respectable, but some of my nicer items didn't sell.
I'm going to try again with 25 more listings and see what happens.
"This thread is more akin to the scientist that draws a line on a sheet of graph paper and then tries to come up with the datapoints that fit the line, and thus prove his conclusion. "
I for one am still waiting to see a real copy of Yahoo's solicitation e-mail for input from sellers.
Not that I think all the suggestions in the world will save Yahoo at this point, nor do I think they would employ any sellers suggestions. This email is probably a limited outreach so they can say "we polled all of our power sellers, and they agree with our policy."
Obviously, the investors don't agree, their stock has gone to pot!
posted on March 3, 2001 08:44:34 AM
Considering the electric power shortage on the west coast, would the last person to leave Yahoo please turn off the lights!!!
posted on March 4, 2001 12:58:16 AM
The following is a copy of the e-mail I received from Yahoo on 2/28. Please note that I am far from being a power seller, and had a sell through rate right around 5%. I have no idea why it was sent to me, perhaps my e-mail address was pulled out of a hat?? How I could be the "backbone" of anything is beyond me.
My name is Geoff Archer. I am a Category Manager here at Yahoo! Auctions.
Collecting things runs in my family. Personally, I collect cars (little,
big, real, model, broken, running...you get the idea.) My wife collects
copper teapots, wedgewood, chintz, and art deco silver. In a 680 sq ft
house this gets a bit crazy, but I figure a lot of you can relate. I wish I
had room enough to unpack the model trains...
Anyway, I am simply writing to introduce myself, and open up a direct line
of communication. You were in our top couple hundred sellers in the
Antiques & Collectibles Category in December. You are the backbone of our
business. If you have suggestions, want to talk about the category, or
discuss our recent listings fees policy, shoot me an email. If you want to
see Yahoo! Auctions set up a table at your favorite swap meet, let me know
about it. If you would like to be considered for a "Featured Seller" spot
(which we will soon roll out in this category)....tell me what you collect,
and how Yahoo! Auctions can make you a more successful seller.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Geoff Archer
Yahoo! Auctions
Category Manager
I replied to the e-mail with all that has been said on these boards just as if he had never read it before (again & again) I received NO reply back. Am I surprised?? Hardly.
Thanks for sharing that I think it provides a lot of insight to Yahoo mindset. It also shows that they have not learned to prevaricate any more convincingly.
I received a couple of emails from Yahoo about that time also. However they did not start out informing me how much a valuable top seller I was. And they ended with something like "continued violation of TOS could result in termination of your account"
Anyway, I figure that email deserves further analysis, if for no other reason than I am sitting here on Sunday morining, waiting for Philadelphia to get hit with it's worst blizzard in years. Ready?
>>>>"I am a Category Manager here at Yahoo! Auctions.
Collecting things runs in my family. Personally, I collect cars (little,
big, real, model, broken, running...you get the idea.) My wife collects
copper teapots, wedgewood, chintz, and art deco silver. In a 680 sq ft
house this gets a bit crazy, but I figure a lot of you can relate"<<<<<
TRANSLATION:
The bosses had this big meeting behind closed doors, There was lots of shouting going on. When it was over the previous category manager was carried out by two security guards and her desk was just emptied into a dumpster. Then the VP came out and said, "hey kid, how'd you like a promotion, bring some coffee in here"
"Someone showed me how to find the category on the auctions page and this looks like the kind of stuff that was listed there. Am I right?"
If you think I can actually fit this stuff in a home the size of your average trailer park rental then you will probably believe that the listing fees have really improved Yahoo auctions.
>>>>>"You are the backbone of our
business. If you have suggestions, want to talk about the category, or
discuss our recent listings fees policy, shoot me an email."<<<<<
TRANSLATION:
We are trying desperatly to stop the bleeding here at Yahoo auctions, and haven't got a clue. If you can come up with any ideas let us know. Our listing fees are here to stay, but before you go give us another chance to tell you how these are beneficial for you.
>>>>"If you want to
see Yahoo! Auctions set up a table at your favorite swap meet, let me know
about it. If you would like to be considered for a "Featured Seller" spot
(which we will soon roll out in this category)....tell me what you collect,
"<<<<
Come on man, I'll come over and wash the car walk the dog, do the laundry, whatever, just don't leave!!
>>>>"and how Yahoo! Auctions can make you a more successful seller."<<<<
NOW here, I have a suggestion. just recommend another auction site. Or how about making Yahoo a place where sellers can at least put links on their auctions and invite buyers to look at other offerings. The only listing fees this could cost you are the ones you are not getting now anyhow.
>>>>"I look forward to hearing from you,"<<<<
TRANSLATION:
Please respond to my robot's recycle bin.
Obviously this post is done with tongue firmly planted in cheek, and represents only my jaded opinion and interpretation based on the "clutter" of "noise" that has been presented by Yahoo reps in the press and chats. This posting is not an attempt to insult any member of the AW community.
In short, I see nothing more than the mechanical and calculated mouthings of another talking head type in this email. thank you, ...JIM
Yeah, someone put typos in again!
[ edited by jimhhow on Mar 4, 2001 08:48 AM ]
posted on March 4, 2001 11:39:33 AM
I had a selection of paid for (with credits) auctions end today unsold.
I have hundreds of dollars worth of credits, but I am throwing in the towel until Fall unless there is a policy change or some other dramatic change in circumstances.
I would rather watch from the sidelines passively then expend energy on Yahoo at this time.
posted on March 4, 2001 03:20:29 PM
If any one here would like to reply to Mr. Archers letter I will be happy to give you his e-mail. You can contact me at [email protected]
Another day has gone by, and still no reply from this guy. Exactly what I expected.
posted on March 4, 2001 03:45:46 PM
Well, I have decided to give Yahoo a try with some real money. Set up auctions at $1 and under start with no reserve and 3 days in very few hits and bids. Before the fees if I listed items in this format the bid price would be very near the ending price by this time. It doesn't look promising so far, but there is a week left so I will keep my fingers crossed. All the items are coins and proofs sets - one of the most active remaining categories. About half of the stuff I sold on Yahoo is no longer viable as my sell through rate was about 15-20% and the items were mostly $8 and under, but I was hoping that I would be able to keep listing the other items, but we will soon see. Yahoo appears to have damaged their buyer base and if they are doing anything to drive the bidders to the auctions, I have yet to see it as my page views are running about 20% of what they used to with less bids. From what I saw, when a lot of the seller's left, the bid prices went to about 10% over what they should be and that and the limited number of offerings probably turned a lot of buyers back to strictly eBay offerings and only new buyers to bid on Yahoo. I am still hoping that Yahoo decides to restructure their fees or work out a better deal with their seller's in mind, but the spin they have been putting in the press leads me to believe that the hope of that happing is slim because they would have a lot they would have to admit to now.
