computerboy
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:01:24 PM
The way I see it, we're just going to have to wait until eBay integrates its own management software to the site. I know they have made a strategic alliance with one outfit, but I forget the name. My hopes is that it will be fully integrated with the eBay website, so i don't have to continue hopping back and forth with software programs to manage my business activity. It has become tiresome and exhausting trying to keep up with these management programs and their constant product and pricing changes.
The fact that eBay is creating a fee based developers site also has me concerned. it tells me that I will use eBay software and eBay software only to run my business on their site. This is in keeping with their patterned business plan. All or nothing...
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Dakota1
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:07:18 PM
I thought that they gave all current users a two year date of expiration. I checked my account status and it says it expires in 12 days! What's up with that?
Dakota1 (nowhere but here) 
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tomwiii
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:20:32 PM
I PAID ON 1/21/01 for:
3 MONTHS
IT NOW SAYS I HAVE 12 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:22:16 PM
They did. Mine said 460 days this morning...now it says 12.
Buy it at your peril...they change at will...regardless of what they agreed to. A month from now...who knows how much more they'll say they want??? Then everything you've paid will be down the toilet.
[ edited by toke on Feb 14, 2001 01:23 PM ]
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tomwiii
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:35:38 PM
IS THIS NOT:
FRAUD??????????????????
IS THIS NOT:
CRIMINAL??????????????????????
CAN I DO A CC CHARGEBACK????????????????
I'M SO P-OFFED I CAN BARELY TYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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igolf
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:39:14 PM
I'm seriously confused by all of this. At this point. I've been an eBud user from the start, and remember fondly the nearly daily updates from John. First it was sold, now this.. Yuck...
From what I can tell, they are forcing all of us to upgrade to the "total package" They will give us credit for the promised time, towards the new PRO, but we only have 12 days from today to upgrade. If we don't upgrade, we lose our time, if we do upgrade, we get LESS time. The upgrade gives us until 11/24/01, about 4 months less than the 460 days I thought we had (original users).
I can understand the need to charge a fee for this program; The updates are constant to keep up with the eBay changes, BUT, the lack of communication to long time users really is pathetic. I shouldn't have a pop-up "12 days left" to tell me that the program has changed. I've searched high and low on the website to explain the changes/update/news and can't find anything other than UPGRADE NOW!! Why wasn't there an email prior to this, explaining the changes and describing the process that will happen after Feb. 26. I think we deserve at least that!
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:41:55 PM
tomwiii...
I forgot to thank you for this thread...I never would have known this was happening. So...thank you!
I'd sure try a charge-back if I were you. What have you got to lose? You paid for a service they are NOT going to deliver. Not even an explanation from them 
Shameful. How could anyone do business with Auctiva now?
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:45:53 PM
igolf...
Where did you find the credit for original users?
Our tracking licenses were supposed to be good until May 2002.
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igolf
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:46:58 PM
I just got a response from Auctiva about the 12 day notice. Here is the response.
Bernie R.
Auctiva Support
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2001, 1:44:45 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 12 days is only a display error. It is showing the number of days of the free trial of Auctiva Pro. At the end of this period, your account will revert to the older eBud and show your remaining period, unless you upgrade.
We are working to change this display, as it is confusing.
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igolf
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posted on February 14, 2001 01:54:22 PM
Toke
In the browser window, I went to the Auctiva home page, logged into my account and then there was a box that read "Upgrade to Pro and save" in that box there is a pop up box that says how much savings you will have if you upgrade now. That is where it says they will give you credit for your 460 days (which in the new Pro edition counts only until 11/24/01)
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:01:38 PM
Thanks, igolf. I'm hoping they'll come here and explain what's happening. I'll go and check out my account...
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tomwiii
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:02:18 PM
Pink Pigs will fly out of Bush's Butt, singing "The Yellow Rose of Texas" before I put up with any more of this EXTORTION from so-called internet companies!
I'M MAD AS HELL & I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY LONGER! (pan to TV floating out a high-rise window!)!!
[ edited by tomwiii on Feb 14, 2001 02:02 PM ]
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Pandoras_Trinkets
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:02:49 PM
Not much to add, as I don't use ebud/AuctionPoster. But I am one who was quickly shown the door at GOTO (waving at Tomwii, by the way the "shields up, can we be friends" post was definatly my exit decision!)
I guess I'm willing to pay for one of these services. I think AW will start charging shortly and I'm going to be right back at square one again. Which I am sick of. I thought I was supposed to be saving time.
What I don't want to do is pay for months in advance. I've gone through all these dot coms that change at there will. I don't trust anybody to be around & with the same terms next month. Look around at all the changes made at paypal, x.com, yahoo now has fees, Amazon...don't get me started on that. etc etc. Yes the world is ever changing but geez.
I need some auction management that will work with ebay & amazon (and I mean with out a ton of editing at Amazon) free or not. Any suggestions, I'm leaning toward Andale. It might be more in the long run paying per transaction however I am in control of it also. If it ends tommorrow so be it. I'm not out a ton of cash. Goto 12months in advance YIKES!
Angela
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tomwiii
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:08:19 PM
PANDORAS: Hi! Didn't ya just LOVE how SWEET Steve was over there at GOTO-HELL? I don't know about you, but he sure did give me the WARM & FUZZIES... as he basically told me to take my piddling auctions & SHOVE THEM!
I tried Stay-Away (from Andale) & found it to be a real DISASTER! Not only is it expensive, but the auctions just plain end up being too BUSY! Plus, a full 50% of my winners REFUSED to use it! Kind of defeats the idea, ya know?!
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magazine_guy
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:09:06 PM
Regarding the third party developers, and access to the eBay API--
My understanding is that only the larger companies are even remotely able to qualify for certification, and even then the cost (which eBay considers confidential) is prohibitive for most. I've been told it's HUGE. Companies cannot even find out what the cost is until they complete an application, and then they may be bound by a non-disclosure clause.
Most of the third party companies will apparently still be able to provide listing, tracking and end-of-auction services without access to the API, just as they have been doing up to this point. They just won't be as fully integrated as a company with that access, from what I understand.
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roundvine
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:12:35 PM
Does anyone know what the current version of Ebud (aka Auctiva Manager) is? I see three different numbers on their confusing web site.
I cannot believe they want to charge so much when they put out a product that seems like amateurish shareware, worth *maybe* $10/year. It seems like they're deliberately trying to drive people away. And you'd think they could at least send an email to current users explaining the changes.
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Dakota1
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:16:00 PM
[i]Bernie R.
Auctiva Support
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2001, 1:44:45 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 12 days is only a display error. It is showing the number of days of the free trial of Auctiva Pro. At the end of this period, your account will revert to the older eBud and show your remaining period, unless you upgrade.
We are working to change this display, as it is confusing. [/i]
***UNLESS you upgrade! Well, I did the upgrade thing so my account would not terminate in 12 days, so now am I screwed out of my time or what?
Dakota1 (nowhere but here)
[ edited by Dakota1 on Feb 14, 2001 02:28 PM ]
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gravid
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:16:18 PM
I was concerned about this so I went into eBud and clicked on account info. As soon as it came up it said 12 days but as I watched and the program "called home" it changed to 460 days before my eyes!
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:17:42 PM
I have to laugh...
In the two years I've been on AW you could probably count the threads I've started on one hand.
Well...I bit the bullet and posted one...and it's LOCKED!  I give up. Mark said it would clog the Outlook...
I thought if I addressed them...they might actually post here and explain their doings.
Guess not.
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jadejim
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:22:21 PM
I must have downloaded Auction Tamer at some point in the past as I now am told my trial period is up and I will need to buy it to use it.
Well, I don't want to buy something I am not sure will work for me. I see no indication of any bookkeeping functions or any place to enter info like cost of item sold or amount of fees. Has anyone who uses this software actually produced a simple profit/loss report with it?
If anyone is in touch with the company, do they know if plans are in the works to include Bidville auctions?
I second the thanks to tom for starting this thread. Having functional management software is essential to my being able to continue to run auctions.
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wynter
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:23:24 PM
Hello Steve,
I've looked through the list of software on the OAUA site, but they all want to do the tracking for me. Are there any that are just spreadsheet programs built for auction use? Nothing web-based.
Wynter
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thepriest
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:32:05 PM
no surprises with these threads...
nothing for nothing...
become a businessperson -- do the html your self...
for a spreadsheet....excel.
Don't rely on others, save your bottom line - don't feed theirs.
Don't cry about it...get on with business...
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:37:55 PM
thepriest...
Excuse me? You appear to be misinformed. We paid for these programs.
Speaking for myself, I am a business person. People in business buy tools and equipment. When they don't get what they paid for, they want to know why. I hardly call that crying.
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thepriest
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:41:42 PM
You're correct - I'm sorry.
I agree with the issue - and also was caught in it.
My issue is to move on. for myself and maybe others.
They - so call free software have deceived us. Maybe I was too naive.
And that's my point. Didn't mean to offend anyone...
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toke
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:48:08 PM
thepriest...
That's okay...I'm a little touchy right now... Sorry I snapped at you.
I certainly agree autonomy has proven to be better. I'll check out Excel, but I know nothing about spreadsheets. Is it customizable?
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wynter
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:53:23 PM
toke I just opened excel for the first time and there's a lot to learn.
thepriest Can you get excel to send form type emails?
Wynter
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thepriest
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:55:02 PM
Hi...i tried a number of different importing programs to try and get a handle on the inventory, mailing costs, etc.
With excel - a microsoft program - you can customize to totals, sales, etc.
It takes a little work, but I've found that I'm better informed and buy better.
Plus, it will do the pie charts etc.
If you're using any of the office products, you may already have it.
I've also used some of the learn HTML info out on the web and with the Sam's HTNL in 24-hours.
Now, I create my own varied templates that don't have a cookie cutter look to them and use Mr. Lister.
For me, it's not only saving money, but forcing me to become more literate with ecommerce....
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smw
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posted on February 14, 2001 02:55:54 PM
Tomwiii, If you don't mind me asking when and how much did you pay Auctiva for service?
What services did you pay for and what were the stated terms?
If I remember correctly you said you were using Blackthorne until recently?
If you signed on to Auctiva within the past 30 days maybe there is a way to do a chargeback.
And for goodness sake, try to calm down. Your blood pressure must be sky high.
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magazine_guy
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posted on February 14, 2001 03:06:32 PM
Hi wynter:
Most of the auction management tools available aren't web based. Last count, we found 8 or 9 web-based services, and about 20 home-based auction management software products. Most, but not all, are listed on the links page I posted previously.
Some just do auction creation and listing, others track existing auctions and some focus on automating end-of-auction tasks. A few do all (or nearly all) of these things.
I've not personally tried most of these, and since our evaluation is just starting, I don't really know at this point which would meet your needs. Sorry...
Steve
[email protected]
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smw
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posted on February 14, 2001 03:15:13 PM
Yes you can send email from Excel if you have Microsoft Office. I don't know if you can use it to send emails as a stand alone program.
I have Office 2000 premier business edition and it is complicated, but once you figure it out it does everything but cook dinner.
I have found that Acess works better than Excel for doing eBay stuff. Acess is easier to use because it is a database program that can be used for spreadsheet functions too, as opposed to Excel that is a real PITA for anything other than spreadsheets.
BTW Here is a news story about Auctiva that may shed some light on the rate hikes.
http://eastbay.bcentral.com/eastbay/stories/2000/10/02/story1.html
It is from last October but makes sense now.
[ edited by smw on Feb 14, 2001 03:24 PM ]
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