yankeejoe
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:33:38 AM
Thanks for calling, Toy. Are junk listing really a problem? I mean, it's not very easy to just browse Yahoo anyway, especially with the jumbled listing order.
Did Yahoo say anything else?
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toyranch-07
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:43:54 AM
They consider the junk listings to be a problem, and I tend to agree...
Many of the junk listings should be in the Yahoo! Classifieds area (which is fee based) but they are cluttering Auctions because it's free. They figure that making auctions fee based will help put those where they belong.
And I haven't talked to them yet, but will soon. Still gathering opinions and ideas to present...
http://www.millionauctionmarch.com/
[email protected]
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ultraman187
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:44:43 AM
The fee is to stop the junk listing? hmmm Odd that junk listing ALWAYS gets the blame. Junklisting was the cause of the reward program, was the reason for NW. Seems like a scapegoat to me IMHO.
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unknown
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:47:25 AM
Well it's hard to beloieve this will work. Since the number of items that actually sell is in the 1% to 2% range I suspect most sellers will quit selling.
It is possible that if this happens then those who remain will get some bids.
I'll try them after just to see, but it will be a carefull business plan. i.e. if the sales justify the expense I will continue.
But since my auction sales on Yahoo have declined so much over the last 6 months I doubt if it will work. Also if Ebay continues they way it is this week I won't have time to bother with yahoo.
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molly001
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:54:41 AM
Now, Yahoo (like eBad), resorts to giving an explanation for their actions (of imposing a listing fee) that they think will be more "digestible" to the people who have worked so hard to help build up their site. These are the same people that they refuse to listen to insofar as much needed changes on the site is concerned.
This has further convinced me to walk the other way. It's bad enough that the "auction giant" is getting away with it and laughing all the way to the bank(s).
This just appears to be a repeat of a bad experience..... Tell Yahoo that, contrary to some mystifying belief, there actually is intelligent life out here and to try, once, listening to the "voices" who have the answers that they still choose to ignore.
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stockticker
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posted on January 3, 2001 07:58:42 AM
Toyranch
Yahoo is throwing out the baby with the bath water. The only reasons to get rid of the junk listings would be to (1) encourage more bidders to the site by an offering of more attractive listings or (2) reduce costs.
Charging listing fees AT THIS POINT IN TIME will:
1) reduce bidders substantially because most sellers will leave
2) create some revenues and lower some costs in the short term but be the death knell to much greater revenue potential in the long run with listing fees do become viable.
Irene
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Mayfair
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posted on January 3, 2001 08:02:08 AM
Yahoo! has never been profitable for me although I have listed things periodically to test the waters.
Now it probably won't even be an option worth exploring. 
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pickersangel
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posted on January 3, 2001 09:08:21 AM
I think Yahoo! will get the message loud and clear after the 10th, when there's a huge drop in listings. I have over 70 listed there now, due to close and relist today. That will be the last listing I do on Yahoo!, if they implement the fee idea. Although.....I do have all that credit in my Yahoo! wallet. Once the ranks are thinned out a bit, I might list some of the better stuff over there, like I do on Ebay, until all my credit is used up. Make that "I'll use it as long as it's free for me."
always pickersangel everywhere 
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kidsfeet
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posted on January 3, 2001 09:50:40 AM
I just got this letter from them. Fees start 1/10/01. But, you CAN send a letter to them as to your opinion of it at [email protected]
Dear kidsfeet:
>
> On January 10, 2001 Yahoo! Auctions will introduce listing fees for sellers.
> We believe that this will improve the overall quality of our listings and
> make it easier for buyers and sellers to connect and transact effectively on
> Yahoo! Auctions. The free listing policy on Yahoo! Auctions has attracted a
> great variety of items, some of which might be more appropriately listed on
> other Yahoo! services such as Yahoo! Classifieds, which remains a free
> platform.
>
> Fees will be set on a sliding scale based on the start price or reserve
> price of the item, and will range from $.20 to $2.25. Our listing fees are
> lower than those of other fee-based online auction services -- you'll
> continue to get great value for listing your items on Yahoo! Auctions. In
> addition, we will not be charging a closing fee or taking a percentage of
> the final sale.
>
> Over the past few months we have taken many steps to upgrade the quality of
> the Yahoo! Auctions experience. We are dedicated to providing you with the
> best auction environment for selling and buying online.
>
> Click here for more information about our listings fees:
> http://auctions.yahoo.com/phtml/auc/us/promo/fees.html
>
> Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions at :
> <[email protected]>
>
> Thank you for using Yahoo! Auctions,
>
> The Auctions Team
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chum
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posted on January 3, 2001 10:48:00 AM
This gives eBay a mandate to raise their own fee structure. That is my prediction for 2001.
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 3, 2001 10:57:47 AM
And I thought the folks at Yoo-hoo were the intellectual crowd out of the on-line auction world. I thought eBah got all the mindless computer geeks. Did they trade consultants??? I may go back to selling at flea markets. What the heck.
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toolhound
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:04:07 AM
I agree with CHUM. eBay will be raising prices soon.
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RainyBear
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:12:24 AM
I don't think this will hurt Yahoo in the long run. It's still cheaper than eBay, and despite having fewer bidders, not charging a final value fee is attractive.
Many here thought PayPal would go down after they began charging fees, but that didn't happen.
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heygrape
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:22:00 AM
rainybear--Go look at Amazon and THEN say that again.
Toyranch and Tag-- PLEASE STOP HELPING US! You see what your "charge fees" advice to them did to us already? Don't even act like you didn't play a part in that.
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RainyBear
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:25:55 AM
Amazon was never viable competition for eBay. Yahoo has built up their numbers, just as PayPal did, and now they'd like to start benefiting from that. I think (hope) they'll be successful.
JMO. Of course I could be wrong, and I'll be interested to find out.
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heygrape
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:29:51 AM
Amazon certainly WAS viable competition for egreed. They were clicking along like wild until they did the exact same thing as Yahoo is doing now!
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toyranch-07
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:32:32 AM
OK, I just got off the phone with Yahoo!
They explained their position on the fees, and said that this is something they've been talking about for a long time now.
They know this will seriously affect their site in terms of listings, etc. They know a lot of folks will leave. Their position is that the ones who are left will be more successful because of it. It will clear the site of stuff people are unwilling to pay to list, and what will be left will still have the same bidder pool and therefore increase their bids and sales. The success of these sellers will be seen by others who will also bring their items to list and sell and the site will scale back in the short term, only to grow in a new and better way in the long term (without the junk).
They encourage users to set up auction booths and use the free classified listings for fixed price sales and promote those classified listings through more highly sought items listed for auction.
That's their take on it and why they did it (in addition to raising revenue, of course).
In preliminary discussions with many of their top sellers, they found a lot of support for this plan.
My points were that they will remove revenue from smaller sellers who spend the money they make at Yahoo back at Yahoo. They'll also drive those people to other sites where they will spend their money, rather than coming back to Yahoo. I predicted that auction listings will fall below 100,000 after the plan is implemented (this number is far below their estimates). I further predicted that the plan will not be successful and it will harm the future of Yahoo! Auctions.
A couple more points...
Any credits you have in your Yahoo! Wallet can be used for listing fees.
They will be setting up some chats between Yahoo! Auctions managers and users for further discussion. I'll post the dates and times of those as soon as they become available.
http://www.millionauctionmarch.com/
[email protected]
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toyranch-07
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:35:17 AM
HeyGrape~
-------------------------------------------------
Toyranch and Tag-- PLEASE STOP HELPING US! You see what your "charge fees" advice to them did to us already? Don't even act like you didn't play a part in that.
-------------------------------------------------
I never 'advised' Yahoo to charge fees. Whatever made you think I did??? The only discussion I've had with Yahoo about fees was to ask them if they plan to charge fees in the future. Their reply at that time was that IF they create a situation where they are helping people make a lot of money, they should rightly get a cut of that. I agreed with that statement. Note that getting a 'cut' amounts to a final value fee, and the qualifier was helping us to make a lot of money, something that has not yet happened...
http://www.millionauctionmarch.com/
[email protected]
[ edited by toyranch on Jan 3, 2001 11:37 AM ]
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:36:42 AM
"Their position is that the ones who are left will be more successful because of it. It will clear the site of stuff people are unwilling to pay to list" - They HAVE been hiring former eBay consultants!!! If I'm going to have to PAY to post, I'm going to post where the most people will see it! Those that remain will be more successful? Yeah, because all five of them can buy and sell to each other!!!!
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femme
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:37:46 AM
There is more from Yahoo...
If your thing is selling items from hate groups, particularly Nazi memorabilia, you won't be doing that after the 10th either.
I just heard on National Public Radio news that starting the 10th, these items will not be allowed on their site.
Supposedly Yahoo has special software to nip these auctions in the bud before they are listed.
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genxmike
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:39:54 AM
We started selling on Yahoo several months ago after reading alot of advice from other users on the AW boards.
We listed 400 items and have had about 100 sell. We have been paid for 50 of these.
If we had to pay 20 cents a listing for each item, we would have paid Yahoo almost $500.00 so far.
Our profit margin on these items are $2-$3.00 each. The new fees will completely wipe out any profit we could have made on our sales.
Needless to say, we will be not be selling on Yahoo anymore.
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:41:42 AM
I guess we can't sell any war relics since wars generally involved one side hating the other or some faction thereof. God save us from the liberal socialists and their continuous judgement of things past...
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heygrape
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:43:36 AM
Tagnotes
TAG's mission is NOT to just report on the industry but to influence the outcomes and the direction the industry takes.
And there's more. It's on the Yahoo board.
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stockticker
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:43:43 AM
Toy: I don't understand this part:
They encourage users to set up auction booths
I have an auction booth. It consists of my Yahoo auction listings. If I stop listing because of the fees, there will be nothing in the booth.
Irene
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pickersangel
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:52:52 AM
"Their reply at that time was that IF they create a situation where they are helping people make a lot of money, they should rightly get a cut of that."
Wellllll, I dunno about anyone else, but I'm not making a lot of money on Yahoo!. They're certainly entitled to a cut of what they do help me make, but I would think that only applies to items that sell. Is anyone else making lots of money off the items they list that don't sell? If so, please let the rest of us in on the secret. My is logic that their "cut of what they help people make" should be based on sales, not listings.
always pickersangel everywhere
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fountainhouse
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:53:01 AM
They encourage users to set up auction booths...
Does anyone have a url to take a look at this booth thing? I can't find any reference to it on Yahoo at all.
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toyranch-07
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:54:09 AM
heygrape~ I am not now, and have never been an employee of TAG. I know Ros and we talk on the phone sometimes, but TAG is it's own thing and I've never been associated with it. I do respect TAG and the things they have accomplished, but I'm certainly not responsible for anything TAG does, etc...
Irene~ Ummm... yeah, that's one of my points to them, too 
I made it clear that what I see is a lot of people waving 'goodbye' and heading for the door, not to come back....
http://www.millionauctionmarch.com/
[email protected]
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:57:17 AM
I'm not finding Yoo-hoo's proposed hate thing ruling, but Nazi momentos are illegal to sell in some European countries anyway. Since the internet is international, it would stand to reason that countries like Germany, where it is illegal to sell Nazi regalia, would be concerned.
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stockticker
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posted on January 3, 2001 11:58:56 AM
Fountainhouse: If you list on Yahoo, you already have an auction booth with default settings:
To see it, just substitute your Yahoo name for "username" below:
http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/username
You can customize the appearance of your booth e.g. change background and text colors, add logo, add pictures, add text, etc.
Irene
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VeryModern
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posted on January 3, 2001 12:27:49 PM
Okay toyranch - they will postpone the inevitable by allowing us to use our credits, and I'll tell you what.
This is going to make the drop even more dramatic when it comes. See, sales are tapering off, there can be no denying this. Not just auctions, but everywhere. RL retail.
Long time - high(ish) volume sellers like myself with quite a bit of credit will spend through it and abandon right when the CHILL reallllly hits this biz.
Look - I am a landlord. I got my tenants new windows a few months back to help offset their heating costs this winter. I also gave them a break on December rent. You know why? I don't want them to default. I will help them weather the weather because it is cheaper for me than having rent unpaid and having to evict or loss rent etc....
As I posted on Yahoo side - I have just lowered my prices across the board to absorb the increased shipping costs and keep my items buyable. I will quit before I take another cut in pay.
100,000 auctions? I go 75,000 - probably lower - 60,000.
Don't think so?
Look at the nasdaq.
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