posted on November 6, 2000 07:16:10 PM
amalgamated2000 - I appreciate your math skills because mine are pathetic, but I do not think I overestimate Yahoo. They have a history of being very innovative, and also of courting the auction SELLER. Just because I am not smart enough to figure out how they are going to do it, does not mean it can't be done, and it won't be done.
They give nearly everything free aka lose money on everything they offer and yet they turn a profit each quarter, so how's that for new math?
It was me who wrote on these boards 6 and 9 months ago ebay and Yahoo would probably have the same number of auctions listed by Christmas and everyone laughed and scoffed.
Well the news is that Christmas is coming and the gap is nearly closed.
posted on November 6, 2000 07:32:11 PMThey have a history of being very innovative, and also of courting the auction SELLER.
Gotta agree there. I wouldn't be surprised if they are able to offer the service free to some users.
Of course, the main reason that Yahoo has been able to offer so much for free is the core directory site. If you want to buy advertising on Yahoo itself, you have to buy a package that also includes advertising on much less desirable sites such as Yahoo Mail. The more desirable the directory banners you want to buy, the more "junk" space you have to buy.
As the Yahoo directory, and the concept of banner advertising itself, loses some of its luster, many of Yahoo's other service will have to start holding their own.
I'm not saying that Yahoo will not continue to offer lots of great free services, just that it will be much more difficult for them to do so.
posted on November 7, 2000 06:27:04 AM
Discover is able to pay the buyer because they charge the seller. Paydirect is going to have to charge the seller too. I can't understand this new math. You believe that Yahoo will lose money on each transaction but make it up on volume? Have you tried running your business this way?
As for Yahoo being innovative, they come out with a stupidity like the seller limits and then their own representative says he doesnt know how it works. For weeks people sit around trying to analyze it. This is innovative?
They come out with NW and then allow any jerk to annonymously NW anyone else. Despite hundreds of complaints answered by canned replies nothing has changed. This is innovative?
They force CC validation for bidders but don't check that the card matches the address used to create the ID and deadbeats and crooks continue to flourish. Almost every serious fraud has its roots at Yahoo. The guy who sold $10,000 worth of hard drives and never delivered, forcing Paypal to allow charge backs did it on Yahoo. George from Romania used 45 Yahoo accounts. The famous Kuchar was quickly narud on ebay but was still active at Yahoo even as the articles about him were already appearing. This is innovative?
Where is Yahoo stock today compared to a year ago?
How many times have we seen someone complaining about a serious problem with Yahoo and the reply is "Well, it's free." All you Yahoo cheerleaders will start singing a different tune when Yahoo starts charging. And you Paydirect cheerleaders will be singing a different tune when your customers learn that they can charge anything back no questions asked.
Why don't you ask Paydirect why it says you can't charge something back and a few sentences later it says sellers are responsible for charge backs? I'm sure the canned response you'll get on an entirely different subject will really clarify matters.
