posted on September 30, 2004 02:43:26 PM
glassgrl: If my opt out button is there, I can't find it yet. Guess I will have to eMail them again.
A note on the board from the CEO today:
Thanks so much for your messages of support. It means a lot to us. You should know that the credit here goes to Holly (VP of Auctions) and Sam (CTO of Auctions). They are on these boards a lot and are just trying to keep up with our growth.
To tell you all the truth, some folks here thought this was the craziest idea in the world. "Compete with eBay? Are you out of your mind?!?!?" We were banking on precisely the reaction that we are seeing: eBay sellers tired of the high fees, or the low traffic/auction ratio, or who just miss the good old days, and would want to get off to a fresh start. Then Holly and Sam decided to add the whole networking thing, which made a lot of sense as well. Geniuses both: I hope you get a chance to meet them.
We are sorry about any of the glitches we are hearing about, and are working hard to fix them. Holly and Sam are creating an opt-out button for personal invites (you will still receive the invitations on your personal page, but not in an email).
I ahve posted this a few other places, but should mention it here as well: we are doing something that will, we think, drive at least 500,000 visitors into the auction page this weekend. I don't know how they are going to convert, of course. But with only 4,000 auctions going on now, that will generate an unbelievably high traffic/auctions ratio. So if you were thinking of getting some auctions up, doing so before the weekend would be a good bet.
We are really working here to try to serve you. Let us know how we can do better.
Regards,
Patrick
PS I am not sure if this is active yet, but if not it will be soon. On our shopping tab we have a $29 Club O (gives 5% discounts and $1 shipping year-round, and a special customer service hotline). We also have $99 Club O Gold (mostly for small businesses, this gives people around 30% discounts). We are going to tie them in to this auction site as well, so that club members get additional discounts off listing fees here, besides the simple volume discount we are offering now. I know it is not worth it yet, but if and when this auction tab starts humming, it might be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Oops, on re-reading slowly, they are working on the opt out button. We will get the invites only on our home page. Just hit decline. Bill
[ edited by etexbill on Sep 30, 2004 02:45 PM ]
[ edited by etexbill on Sep 30, 2004 02:47 PM ]
posted on September 30, 2004 03:08:44 PM
I like this post of his:
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:20 am
Subject: just giving an idea of how fast this is taking off
Some stats people may find interesting since our launch last Friday:
Our active users:
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed
600 900 2,000 6,000 13,000 17,500
Sometime around 5 A.M. this morning we passed the mark of 4,000 auctions.
66% of completed auctions are clearing (I think eBay is 44%?)
I see this auction tab as akin to dropping a lit match in a field. It is either going to go out, or it is going to catch and spread like, well, a brush-fire. It is on your interest and mine to see the latter happen.
To make this happen, it is our goal to keep the ratio of buyers/auctions higher than it is on eBay. We are going to do our part by diverting traffic into this auction, and conducting a massive on-line and off-line advertising campaign to bring buyers here. You can help, if you wish. Many of you reading this have conducted a lot of auctions on eBay. In the process you have found thousands, or tens of thousands, of auction sellers. Let them know about this new auction system.
As they say on Wall Street, "Liquidity begets liquidity." If we can make this a liquid enough market to attract buyers and sellers, if we can get it over that initial hump, then Overstock will have a nice business, and you will finally have a commpetitor to eBay. From the many posts here I gather that this IS something many of you understand you need.
posted on September 30, 2004 06:37:32 PM
RE: Invites or "I want to be your friend*
is now available for OPT OUT.
Go to your home page in O and edit your preferences. It's a small check box that says NETWORK INVITATIONS. You can check or uncheck that box as to if you want them emailed to you.
I just have a bad taste of Pixie Dust and Carnaby Crumbs in me mouth, right next to the Frog-Boy from Gag-me.COM
I've listed a few...
I think listing fees for a new site are a little silly, but, who knows?
Look at...
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
~
posted on September 30, 2004 07:30:46 PM
So yer saying if someone finds something not working properly or needs an ENHANCEMENT they need to leave the room?
posted on September 30, 2004 07:36:56 PM
Quote: "The counters LIE.......all ya gotta do is hit refresh and the numbers go higher and higher and higher"
No, I'm saying that it sounds like you are gloating when you find something else wrong. The "friends, the "counters". Why not write an eMail or call Overstock with your complaints and suggestions. They are answering them and fixing things.
No one here can do a thing to fix things at Overstock.
posted on September 30, 2004 07:53:42 PM
Now that I'm aware of what? That the counters LIE. He**, I was aware of that the first time I posted an ad. I just don't go around hitting refresh.
[ edited by etexbill on Sep 30, 2004 07:54 PM ]
posted on September 30, 2004 07:58:58 PM
I normally would agree with the flip flopper about the other sites, but in this case, I do see a future. Overstock.com is already an established site with a strong customer base. Adding auctions to their arsenal was a great idea. Now if the TV adds really happen, look out. Ebay will immediately have competition.
posted on September 30, 2004 08:10:51 PM"You can't have any PUDDING, if ya don't eat yer MEAT"
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
~
posted on September 30, 2004 08:18:43 PM
Quote: "Well if you don't normally go around hitting REFRESH then How in the H*ll did you know the counters LIE?"
I checked the counter on my ad and noticed that the number increased with my hit.
After that, I placed no more counters on my ads, and have only two counters on 8 ads.
That's my last post on the subject of counters. I'm not trying to pick an argument, just telling you how I see your posts.
[ edited by etexbill on Sep 30, 2004 08:20 PM ]
posted on September 30, 2004 08:29:48 PM
You can get Vendio counters to do the same thing. The standard counter will count every hit, including refreshes. Their smart counters, which most sellers use, will not record back to back hits from the same computer.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on September 30, 2004 10:05:04 PM
They need to make some improvements.
Due to heavy rain here Yesterday I had some items Damaged.
Tried to end the Auction, But couldn't
Contacted them to end it for me but they didn't.
Hope no one bids on it!
On the bright side, do have a bid on something in the same Cat.
posted on September 30, 2004 10:29:35 PM
Do they have a provision to revise the auction? If so, jack up the opening bid to $5,000.00 or set a sky high reserve. As an alternative, you can also describe the damage and if you are using Vendio as a host, upload new pictures showing the damage.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on October 1, 2004 07:11:42 AM
Hi...did Overstock do any homework at all before opening. Confusion reigns high. I hope they can offer eBay competition, I wonder if they rushed to open and left the infrastructure behind. Patience only last so long. Already on the powersellers forums, hope is diminishing.
We've listed a couple of items, apparently it doesn't make any difference what category, html is a mess, takes, drops, support...couldn't get any. Forums...lights are on, no answer.
I guess we can hope..
posted on October 1, 2004 08:12:16 AM
i think the buyers will continue to go to ebay ,large inventory at reduced prices,
and its mostly sellers being unhappy,the buyers love ebay ,because we have to give our goods away .
posted on October 1, 2004 07:03:07 PM
I contacted OS CS.
They said to change the time frame.
So I cut it from 5 days to 3 days.
Now it's running for 10 days!!!!!
posted on October 1, 2004 09:39:42 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but I listed 10 items just to feel out the site. Three sold by the second day.
html is a mess
Not here. I input my normal html that I use on all of my auctions for any of the sites I use and no problems at all. Sounds like your html needs improving.
Yes, they do have some bugs to work out, but then again we should all be expecting that for a little while. They are learning too.
So far I would give them a A- as the site is fairly simple to list on and there is clearly traffic there. I checked my page counters and more people have looked at my pages there than the same items I have on Ebay.
posted on October 2, 2004 05:59:38 AM
dadofstickboy
What I would do for now is go into Edit, delete the description and type "Item no longer available". That should do it.
I've just listed even more. I've gotten more hits and sales there so far than on eBay for the last two weeks. Overstock already has a large customer base. I also got a phone call from them and a $25 listing coupon. Those that got the phone call and chose not to call them back really lost out, IMO!
Cheryl
. . .if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist- I really believe he is Antichrist- I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend.. . - War and Peace, Tolstoy
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
~
posted on October 2, 2004 12:10:22 PM
I've decided I like the "friends" thing. It's a great way to build up a network of other sellers and potential buyers.
Sure, there are some bugs and the invoicing system isn't all there yet, but once the bugs are out, it's going to be a great site. Things I haven't been able to sell on eBay, I'm selling on Overstock. That get a big thumb's up with me.
Cheryl
. . .if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist- I really believe he is Antichrist- I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend.. . - War and Peace, Tolstoy
