posted on February 14, 2002 03:04:42 PM
How many Powersellers have it listed for a penny? Need to know how many Sellers I will need to under cut and deliver to their door for free with a free gift included.
posted on February 14, 2002 08:54:12 PM
We have to qualify to sell your stuff? Sort of like how you have to qualify for the sweepstakes in the pizza shop? AKA you have to make enough money for you to sell us something. Obviously, you're running a company if you employees to give the day off. If you have a company, how about a copy of your privacy policy. I'd like to see just what you do with the information you use to determine if someone qualifies.
posted on February 15, 2002 12:06:11 PM
We provide a lot of support to our distributors, and we want to make sure the people we choose to represent are product are legitimate sellers with the ability to be successful.
We ARE selective is this process. We want sellers who understand what it's like to sell on ebay, and understand how to use the software necessary to make this program function properly.
It's not fair to either the distributor or us to invest time (which is money) into someone who ultimately will not follow through with this program, nor should they undertake something they are not quailified for, for they will ultimately fail.
We have had an overwhelming response, and I may consider having additional distributors over the 15 limit, but I do not want to have more than 15 on ebay. The other distributors would need to find other auctions sites, or places to sell the magazines.
As for your comment Yourdesigns... Browse thru my 5000+ feedback. These are the 1st auctions I have ever ran to generate a distributor program. My feedback is based completely on subscription sales.
I've looked at a number of your listings, and you have plenty of auctions you start for $0.01. Some subs have even sold for the $0.01 ( I think a sub to Honey magazine. First, I thought that most publishers do have minimums that they want there magazines offered for, and second.. How does your new associates feel about competing with you when you are doing $0.01 cent auctions?
As you stated, they pay you and you get a small piece of the pie. But, if you are selling also, how could an associate win?? They can't beat your price since your obviously able to sell for less.
posted on February 15, 2002 03:11:30 PM
Golden rule to success on eBay: Never compete with your distributor.
The stakes are so high on eBay in regard to selling. With all eBay's policies and cut-throat competition, you now have to deal with the distributor's "this is my turf and you cannot do that" policy.
If this were to be a high ticket item with a beefy profit margin, then I will try and work within my distributor's "laws". However we are talking about magazines!...how many do I have to sell to pay my RoadRunner service?
posted on February 15, 2002 03:18:51 PM
Magazines and subscriptions are an impulse buy, and as such I'm not truly competing against by distributors directly. Why do you think there are magazines in the checkout of nearly every supermarket in the nation? It is an impulse buy. Have you ever left one grocery store to go price shop to see if you can get that magazine cheaper? By having distributors determing the categories they want to put their auctions into, it diversifies the process. I may be selling golf magazine, but I may have it in Everything Else -> Subscriptions, while another distributor may put it in Sports->Sports Goods->Golf->Other Items, a totally different category.
I still feel there is plenty of room for everyone.
Midwest Magazines
I will not be running fixed price items as they do.
posted on February 15, 2002 04:11:55 PM
midwest, we are talking about subscriptions -- people think through making a decision to subscribe. Do they really want 12 issues of "Classical Ballet" magazine or 12 issues of Sports Illustrated. If the distributor is selling subs of Sports Illustrated for $0.01, then your associates might as well give away "Classical Ballet".
I don't have to browse through anything. You have already contradicted yourself yet again.
First you say ONLY 15 people and then offer PDA auctions that have already netted you over 38+ people.
Then you say, you are SELECTIVE about who you want to represent you, but yet ONCE again, you have PDA auctions that pretty much ANYONE with or without a PENNY can join up and sell your magazines on eBay. Boy, talk about being "selective".
I see what you are doing. You are using AW first of all by SPAMMING this message board which is a violation of AW rules.
Then you are skimming the people on ebay in hopes of getting more sales people out there so you can get a cut of the commission. Instead of just hiring a bunch of teenagers to go door to door you are using the power of the internet to sell your wares.
Good job.
If you had a nice legit business going and were doing so well on ebay, why do you want competitors who CAN'T compete with $.01 auctions? Since you can't offer a FREE auction or a 1/2 cent auction they would have to sell at .01 also.
You say you are limited to 10 auctions per title on ebay. You are right, but if you have a dutch auction with 1000 subscriptions available, that is quite a bit to offer and process. That is nearly 10,000 subscriptions per auction period. So if you have 1000 magazines titles to offer that would be 10,000,000 subscriptions out there for people to buy off ebay in 10,000 auctions. This is not enough?
All this smells of foul play, and I would advise ANYONE against such smelly situation.
You never really did answer my question. As a distributor or magazine agent for a distributor.. Don't you HAVE to keep most publications at a certain price? I thought this was required by many publishers to keep the appearance and integrity of the publication.
I realize eBay is a big world, but most shoppers will do a cursory search when they find something they like to make sure it isn't selling from someone else for a better price or for any other reason.
If I have to start a sub at $9.99 on a sub that I might have to remit $5.00 to you, how do I compete when you start it at $0.01?
And when answering, please at least, let's agree that buying a magazine at a store based on impulse or by what is on the cover is exactly why many stores sell magazines.. But, it isn't the reason most people will be buying up to 4yr subs. on eBay.. They will be buying for the best price.
posted on February 15, 2002 05:00:26 PM
Don't get me wrong, I believe you CAN make money selling mag sub's on eBay, your own website, etc.. I just don't think I would want to compete with my supplier that obviously can start their auctions much lower than I can..
posted on February 15, 2002 05:07:43 PM
Not to beat a dead horse.. But you say you won't run anymore fixed price auction as the distributors will..
How does that help?? Let's see I am a perspective subscriber bidding on eBay..
Your distributors start a sub fixed price at $9.99 because that is as low as they can go and make money after costs.. But daily you are starting a $0.01 auction for the same magazine.. Unless I just have to get that eight week waiting period started to get my first mag, I'm going to continue to bid on your auctions until I win one at a lower rate. Just like the bidder that won your sub to Honey Magazine for $0.01 as the final and only bid. While I'm sure you took a loss on this item, any distributor would be losing their eBay fees at the same time for not getting any bids.
posted on February 15, 2002 07:00:48 PM
Please let me say that I did not expect to have the amount of response I've received. I expected to be emailed by 3 or 4 people from the Auction Watch post, and maybe 1 or 2 from each ebay auctions. Can I fault there is more interest in the product than I had initially imagined.
A number of people that contacted us wanted to sell this item on other sites, or use other types of marketing to sell the product.
I guess we'll see next week as the distributors get started if it's an acceptable and profitable program.....
We have selected our dealers based on a qualified first come, first serve basis. We will be contacting ALL parties who requested information to provide them further information regarding our product in the event distributorships come available. Thanks again to everyone who requested further information, and stay in touch.
posted on February 16, 2002 05:17:41 PM
I have had some dealings with Midwest Magazines a little over a year ago and would advise anyone to be very careful in dealing with these people.
posted on February 16, 2002 07:05:52 PM
This may be a stupid question.. But, why did he get suspended from eBay? The reason i ask is I was thinking of selling subscriptions on eBay as well.
I wouldn't be taking Midwest up on his offer though.. I have a different source for the subs.. Is there anything in the rules for not being able to sell magazine subs on eBay?
posted on February 16, 2002 07:58:07 PM
I for one wrote to him to get more information on his offer. After several days I received an e-mail asking a bunch of questions;
DISTRIBUTOR QUESTIONAIRRE
1) Ebay user id?
2) Ebay member since?
3) Ebay Feedback Rating?
4) # of Negatives?
5) Are you currently an ebay seller?
6) # of Auctions/week that you currently run?
7) # of items/week that you sell?
8) Most Auctions you've ever ran in a week?
9) Are you a powerseller?
10) Do you accept paypal?
11) Do you accept checks/money orders?
12) Do you accept billpoint?
13) Are you familiar with Auctiva Manager or Auctiva Poster?
14) Do you have Microsoft Office or a compatible Office Suite?
15) Are you familiar with Microsoft Excel (Yes, Some, No)?
16) Do you have high-speed internet?
17) Have you bought magazine subscription from us on ebay in the past?
18) Is selling on Ebay your primary or only source of income or is it a hobby?
As soon as we review your answers, we'll send you our start-up kit, free of charge, which gives you everything you need to get started, including pre-designed auctions, and all the necessary software to use them. We also include a step-by-step guide to get you started, and your wholesale magazine price list. Follow the guide, and you should be able to have magazine subscription auctions running on ebay that same day.
-------------------------------------
I even bid on his auction but never heard anything back that was on 2/12 now he is NARU'd ????? Now I guess I won't hear anything at all with a feedback of 5355 positives. 4425 are from unique users you have to wonder what happened???
posted on February 16, 2002 10:23:02 PM
It sounds more like an opportunity than spam. Spamming replies to his simple message is spam, same crap over and over, your message is spam, noone wants it, yada yada. Just let the guy post the message, this is the internet, its not like he is invading your space, you read his message, dont invade his by being so rude to say his point is completely spam-intended. I hope he and his followers make themselves lots of money . Don't hate on a simple get rich quick scheme, go spam your spam hate spam messages elsewhere .
Just relax
Tim
---------
K4H -
#!/usr/bin/perl
open door, "violently";
join ($fist, $larynx);
while ($lifeRemaining > 0)
{if ($veryDefiant) {$sedate;} else {$breakNeck};}
dumpIN_BACK_ALLEY;IN_BACK_ALLEY;
Open Source Killer 4 Hire :>
(IF you must email me send it here : [email protected] REMOVE the NOSPAM if you want it to go through )
posted on February 16, 2002 11:50:33 PM
A while back I was successfully selling copies of the software game "Final Doom" on eBay. I purchased them (and other software) from a distributor in So. Cal.
At one point, I noticed a dramatic drop in sales, both quantity sold and final value. I figured someone else had started selling the same game. I did a search, and sure enough, there was my distributor undercutting me ($9 opening bid for an item I purchased at $8).
I sent the distributor a note thanking her for past transactions and explained that it is highly unethical for a wholesaler to go into competition with their own vendors. I did not do business with her again.
Anyone gauging potential sales by MWM's current auctions is making a mistake. Take that total and divide it by 15 or 20 (to include all the new vendors) or more, and you'll have a more accurate picture. It would also be a mistake to think that 20 vendors running 10 concurrent auctions won't oversaturate the market. And if your wholesaler is undercutting you on eBay, forget about it.
posted on February 17, 2002 08:39:17 AM
Not to mention the idea that "the magazines will be in different categories so it isn't really competition" is ridiculous.
posted on February 17, 2002 09:39:06 AM
hey look on the bright side. if anyone ignores all the advise given here and midwest gets a bunch of sellers, then the market will become saturated and we can all get Honey magazine for a penny! YEAH!
posted on February 17, 2002 11:04:29 AM
There could be a number of possibilities why our friend MWM is NARU'd. From not paying his bill to reported violations.
However, his distributor auctions were in violation of ebay rules as you cannot offer something for free on ebay in the manner that he did it. That should have only gotten a warning from eBay and those auctions cancelled, not NARU'd. It also could be a 14 or 30 day suspension.
Someone could have also turned in his posts here to eBay and there might have been something wrong with his "offers". Unless eBay tells us, we will never know, and they will never tell us.
As our friend will doubtfully make an appearance here now, it would also be safe to assume we could not trust his answer to why he was NARU'd. Though he might let us in on the e-mail that closed him down.
posted on February 17, 2002 12:16:36 PM
I too sent in an application to find out what it was all about.
I have 900+ feedback...
I haven't heard from him either..so I guess I don't qualify
Pania
with a feedback of 5355 positives. 4425 are from unique users you have to wonder what happened???
. Don't hate on a simple get rich quick scheme, go spam your spam hate spam messages elsewhere