posted on October 1, 2001 10:52:53 PM new
Damon or any PayPal rep would you care to voice your opinion? Would the company consider an auction site if the users requested? The time is ripe and I think this is a vintage way for Paypal to crack the auction market.
posted on October 2, 2001 12:08:05 AM new
What does paypal know about running auctions? It would be a huge risk for them to go outside their relm of expertise.
posted on October 2, 2001 03:18:35 AM new
>What if paypal is going to start an auction
>site to compete agaianst ebay and provide a
>true place for all sellers to actually run
>auctions? I think paypal could damper ebay
>spirits if they open an auction site and
>refuse billpoint payments. I think the time
>is right and I suspect this is paypals
>reason to go public! any comments?
As a buyer I'm of the opinion that the only thing that really matters is whether or not I can find something of interest. The reason I do not bid on other auction sites is simply that everybody tends to use eBay. It would therefore take a huge simultaneous migration of sellers to make another auction site successful.
Also, I fail to see the difference between bidding on eBay and paying with Paypal (or otherwise), or bidding on Paypal and paying with Paypal. It amounts to the same thing to a buyer: You pay, you get the goods.
Amazon and Yahoo had the finances and know-how to attempt a rival auction site and as yet have failed IMO to make any impact, they seem to be more of a minor annoyance than serious competitor. The problem that any competitor has is that eBay's existing customer base (ie the sellers) pose a very serious barrier to entry. Even if Paypal threw a stack of cash at this project I have doubts as to the success of doing so: at the end of the day, sellers will have to decide whether potentially lower listing fees are worth the very real probability of a lost/lower value sale compared to eBay, taking into account the high existing seller/buyer base... methinks not...
posted on October 2, 2001 10:09:24 AM new
Well I think paypal needs an additional source of income as I feel they have run out of venture funding and with over 200 million in losses I can understand the reluctance for venture funding. My theory is that paypal tossed this IPO out in desparation before being forced to file for bankruptcy. I think if they can launch this IPO they will have the funds to bring in the right people to launch a competition site for auctions. Besides with Ebays new checkout system coming up they have basically kicked paypal out of the game and without ebay Paypal is doomed unless they make a new path for their business model which in my opinion would work great with an auction site. All a guy would have to do is copy ebays buisness model from 18 months ago when ebay was actually fun and I assure you they would give ebay a run for the money with backing of the US Stock market. I agree paypal needs to tighten up customer service and such but when your out of money its hard to improve services when your looking at the bankruptcy time window.
posted on October 2, 2001 10:39:10 AM new
I would love to see PayPal try this. Why? Because I think they would fall in their face hard.
I can only imagine they would only allow bidders to pay using PayPal, that wouldn't work. Real sellers wont leave ebay just so they can limmit their cutomer base.
And if you think ebay is greed, well I can only imagine what the fees will be like, fee this fee that.
I can just see it now!
The auctions will "always be free".
They will never "freeze" your account on whim.
All you email question will be answered with in a month or two, unless you come to Auctionwatch and ask PayPal Damon.
PayPal Auction, No I don't think so. Would list wouldn't buy.
I and I hope they do, so when all the PayPalee sellers go to PayPal Auctions I will pick up all the customers they leave behind.
posted on October 2, 2001 08:15:29 PM new
Well, maybe that's why they are filing for a $200 million IPO. I posted a theory before on how eBay could fall, and Paypal could facilitate it w/ this cash and their dedicated customers. They've shown before they'll spend $ up front to acquire critical mass.
Anyways, I wrote that if 1000's of Powersellers negotiated en masse w/ another auction company, got better rules, and encourages customers to follow them, eBay could fall. It's too long to repost, but look here if you're interested.
posted on October 2, 2001 09:03:55 PM new
Jrome I couldnt agree more. I to think a splash of stock money with the key personnel with the willingness to listen to the users could take take a good chunk of business from unfriendly ebay.
posted on October 2, 2001 09:32:26 PM new
QUOTING: If you are praying for a true competitor you should be praying PayPal starts an auction site.
I'll second that BIG TIME!
They have the name recognition with ebay BUYERS which is lacking with other start up sites.
I also think that MANY more sellers would be willing to give them a shot than would be likely to try other sites.
They already have name recognition which is half the battle!
If anyone thinks ebay is more ethical or professional than PayPal all I can say is .. you MUST be joking! PayPal may have started charging fees after they said always free but that PALES in comparison to the numerous 'improvements' ebay has instituted that positively STINK (to put it nicely)! They've just done it in such a way that it's been one slow little step at a time .. hoping we wouldn't notice as much!
posted on October 2, 2001 09:40:18 PM new
I think we all need to be serious here and come together and voice our support for paypal to at least try to start an auction site and work with sellers. There payment system works with some problems which can be fine tuned. please people voice your support to [email protected] do this daily!
Keep asking for change and we might get it!
posted on October 4, 2001 09:23:52 PM new
I think a better service would be for PayPal to provide some manner of fixed price storefront.
Also I'd love it if PayPal would further integrate their site with Yahoo. Since (from reading these boards) it appears there are more sellers headed that direction, it would make sense.
What I'd like, is if I could give a Yahoo Auction ID # to PayPal and it would automatically generate an invoice ready for the seller to look over, modify if necessary, and then send.
Yahoo ID: grantje
posted on October 4, 2001 10:54:46 PM new
Okay, so we give up one big gorilla for another gorilla of a different color? Paypal does NOT exactly have the best customer service in the world here.
Plus, what if you don't take paypal.com? What if you use your own merchant service, or perhaps actually use billpoint, propay, bidpay, etc? Guess that would NOT be allowed on Paypal.com auction site. Can you say a non-AFA force it down your throat system?
What about sellers and buyer who like just to pay with checks and money orders? Guess they are out too.
Oh, and let's not forget, let's give Paypal our SSN#, DOB, Bank account info, credit card numbers, e-mails, and more.
Now, let's addd that your money kept in your paypal.com account is NOT FDIC insured. That you have little protection against chargebacks in truth, and that paypal.com can seize your account and not respond to e-mails if SOMEONE else uses a fraudulent credit card. That you can even have your account seized for using a PROXY server? (check the TOS people of Paypal.com) Anyone share your internet in your house?
So what GOOD would paypal.com auction site do us? Give ebay a competitor? For a very short lived while. If paypal.com goes into competition with ebay, then ebay has all the rights in the world to FORCE people NOT to use paypal or its logo on its site.
Then ebay brings its BILLIONS and marketing power to simply destroy them. 200 million (IPO) on a company that has NEVER made a profit, versus ebay that is worth billions.
Now if paypal.com had excellent customer service (which it does not) and was on a solid foundation (profit wise), then this might be viable and I could support it. But there is just too many horror stories with paypal.com and they could not sustain a war with ebay.
I do not use paypal.com. I will not use paypal.com. Once I reviewed their User Agreement, I cancelled my account. I like having rights to my money. I like having a way to arbitrate disputes, which my merchant account allows.
However, I would NOT want paypal.com to go bankrupt. It helps keep things going in the industry of auctions. It should stick to payment services, and perhaps SUPPORT a new auction site, but not make one.
