posted on November 27, 2000 05:39:56 PM new
Yeah! What Moonmem said! Common guys! This is our last chance to possibly accomplish something regarding this problem before we are all eating pork 'n beans fer Christmas.........
Unite Yahooligans!!!!! Let's at least give it a try! We certainly have nothing to lose.
posted on November 27, 2000 07:29:47 PM new
Well, guys here it goes--------As suggested on these threads, that we ALL write to Yahoo-- I sent a letter to
Yahoo Suggestions (under HELP( My Suggestion was to LISTEN to our Suggestions)
We each need to ask 3/4 other sellers to BARRAGE Yahoo with suggetions for the following:
1--Stop manipulating order of listings and change back to a legitimate listing order
2--Give us an announcement board,
3--AND to please,instead of this rinky dink feature game just CHARGE US a Final Value Fee if sold.
4--We can afford a Final Value Fee (maybe 1.5
% across the board on ALL items ) ONLY if they keep listings FREE.
We can only hope they will listen or lose us all to ebay.~
posted on November 27, 2000 08:04:02 PM new
OK I was all set to write but when I went to do it I couldn't find the "suggestions"- is there any way you could post the URL for it, please?
And if there's anyone else who knows of any other email addresses that might be effective as well, please post them too- I'll email the same letter a dozen times if it'll be read by different sets of eyes each time. If we have to put the idea into the whole collective conscious at Yahoo then we shall do so!
posted on November 27, 2000 10:07:31 PM new
Dear Yahoo,
Please PLEASE change the listing order back to the original listing order, so that every listing gets at least a chance to be seen! Please! Featuring just ain't doing the job!
We are starving out here for a sale! Please don't do this to us, especially now, in the midst of the Christmas Rush! PLEASE have a heart guys!
posted on November 27, 2000 11:50:48 PM new
"whur buzz click click what is families
please?" and "warning will robinson."
"I will now dispense preprinted wrapped and sanitized answer to your query."
posted on November 28, 2000 08:15:53 AM new
Heygrape is it ok if we copy and paste your letter? Maybe if we all sent the same letter it would help? I can't believe how bad my auctions are doing right now! It sure is nothing like last year.
"If man were to be crossed with a cat, it would greatly improve the man, but deteriorate the cat." Mark Twain
posted on November 28, 2000 07:29:27 PM new
Great Idea to let Yahoo! know how scrambling listings makes it difficult for sellers.
HeyGrape, thanks for posting Yahoo! contact information. I just sent a message informing them of this sellers displeasure. Hopefully it will help if enough people contact them.
I fear the most important issue as far as Yahoo! management is concerned is that scrambling listings has produced the additional revenue they wanted. If we all quit paying them then perhaps they would listen.
posted on November 28, 2000 07:56:29 PM new
I just sent a protest to yahoo regarding the "listing order" using the link heygrape provided. COME ON EVERYONE, voice your protest and lets see if we can turn things around....
posted on November 28, 2000 08:17:37 PM new
I have a whole folder of E-mails to Yahoo starting from the end of August about the listing order which was changed the same time as the 1000 limit started!
Most folks were more concerned about the 1000 limit and then the credit card verification fiasco!
I e-mailed them everyday for a month and only got the normal canned responses on how to use their new search! I finally gave up after all the boards chatted about were the Rule of 1000 and CC verification!
Yahoo is easing us in to the featured acutions so they can get some money out of the sellers! I do not believe they will give the listing order back in order to keep folks featuring!
Watch your verified CC account close, since they have a method to bill us!
I have no real problem with that except when I bid on something I like to end up with something tangible rather the the use of someones servers!
The BUYERS are supposed to be the ones BIDDING not the SELLERS!
posted on November 28, 2000 08:53:00 PM new
Since most of us don't like the idea of Yahoo charging a fee for listing OR a FVF, we'll probably just have to learn to "get along with" the jumbled listings which seem to "encourage" featured auctions. Why? Because:
I just did a check on a category I used to buy/sell in most often in the jewelry section. That was the "Fine" category. There was a time when "featured" auctions comprised about the top half of page 1. Tonight, I found the 1st 7 pages of 123 total to be "featured". Yahoo is definitely making a little money there. I don't see them giving that up. Afterall, they are a business and they do have stock holders to answer to!
posted on November 29, 2000 01:51:03 AM new
sulyn- In theory that does make sense. However, where is Yahoo if there is a mass seller exodus? then who will pay them?
If they need to make money I do think it would be better for them put the listings back in order and then to take ioughta's suggestion and just charge a FVF. I know not everyone is in agreement with this, but honestly to me it makes the most sense. Yes, of course we'd rather have free, but we need to think realistically here...
For me personally, I would occasionally feature items if Yahoo's listings were back in order. I wouldn't feature every single item. Right now in order to make sales I need to feature every single item, and furthermore it seems to take a minimum of 15 cents per day for me to get an item sold. My feature credits are close to being used up and I can tell you right now that after they are gone I won't be paying 15 cents per day on 10 day auctions since my auctions don't always sell even if featured. I don't think it makes economic sense for me to pay Yahoo $1.50 for an auction that ends with no winner when I could pay Ebay 25¢ for an auction that ends with no winner. Especially considering I'm talking about $5-$20 items for the most part.
Also if Yahoo is desperate for money I think they should make it easier for sellers to pay them. If they took PayDirect it would be a huge step in the right direction. Also if they had a way for sellers to send in a check or money order the way Ebay does then it would be a lot better. I can only speak for myself, but I charge as little as possible on my credit card, and if that hadn't been the only way to pay Yahoo I would have featured more even before the listings became scrambled.
posted on November 29, 2000 04:26:07 PM new
FVF's would add no value to Yahoo's services. When a seller pays an FVF, what benefit does that seller get? None.
Featured fees do add value. When you pay a feature fee, your listing receives more exposure.
I don't understand why people are willing to pay for something that provides them no value, yet unwilling to pay for something that does provide value.
posted on November 29, 2000 08:11:43 PM new
Amal, I can understand where you're coming from, but I guess to me what is valuable is a SOLD item. Featuring does NOT guarantee that I will sell the item. (I admit that it does help.) I would rather pay when my item has sold.
If I pay 15¢ per day on a ten day auction to feature the item, I'm looking at a fee of $1.50 if it doesn't sell and 75¢ if it does sell. My average item sells at $9.99. Say Yahoo were to implement a 5% FVF. Then I'm looking at a fee of only 49¢, IF my item sells. To me that is more valuable, but I respect your right to disagree.
posted on November 30, 2000 07:47:51 PM new
I heard back from Yahoo about their "Listing Order". They have no intention of changing it back! Your listing position depends on sell through percentage and NUMBER OF BIDS per item.
Most of our items close at the buy price or with one bid. It sounds to me like "First Bid Wins" auctions will hurt your position. I wondered why people with a lower sell through percentage have a better position than we do.
Sucks big time!!
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 07:49 PM ]
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 07:49 PM ]
posted on November 30, 2000 09:16:15 PM new
I got the same answer from them today and I wrote back. Newbies don't have a chance here, because of this silly sell through crap.
I've at least got a chance because I've got a decent sell through rate and sufficient feedback and I'm struggling.
Can you imagine how many newbies are listing a few, selling none, and leaving forever?
What Yahoo is doing now is what Amazon did and it shot itself in the foot and died. Doesn't Yahoo learn from others mistakes?
I'm only putting featured on my auctions on the last day and only then, IF I have a bid on the item.
Where do these dot coms come up with these Rocket Scientists????
posted on November 30, 2000 10:28:33 PM new
I agree with you Grapey- I think newbie sellers sure won't stick around. Why would they? chances are they won't even UNDERSTAND why their stuff isn't selling- most of them don't read this board and I sure haven't seen the listing order formula posted prominently on Yahoo.
outoftheblue- how are you able to figure out another seller's sell-through rate? Just wondering. I know the general formulas for figuring out my own if I were gonna sit down & do it, since I used to work in a retail store & had to calculate it on a daily basis...but does Yahoo post this info anywhere?
posted on November 30, 2000 10:32:09 PM new
Well folks-- I think the writing is on the proverbial wall--I'm in the 3rd month of demolished sales.
Yahoo has done exactly what they wanted to do - and are certainly not going to care what we want as sellers . Makes sense that they are after the Big!! Merchants and Power sellers from Ebay.
I simply am not interested in bidding for a hopeless hole in the listing order. Especially when I see the mentality of someone paying 2.95 to sell a 3.00 item!!!
Yahoo is NOT really in the auction business - they are in THE CREDIT CARD "floatation $$$" business. Performers will get preferential treatment and everyone else will be invisible!
I'll be bailing out of this ship ~ leaving only items that bidders would do a "dedicated search" for ....
posted on November 30, 2000 11:12:16 PM new
CAgrrl
I've been watching these sellers for a while. I compare the number of auctions listed to their closed/sold. They list twice the number of auctions as I do and close less successfully (they still have a better listing position). I know it's not perfect but it gives me an idea of how the competition is doing....
ioughta
Makes sense that they are after the Big!! Merchants and Power sellers from Ebay.
I am one of those power sellers from Ebay. (Asside from the credits) They don't give a rip about us either. They are after the merchants and people that sell high $$$ items....
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 11:17 PM ]
posted on December 1, 2000 05:42:46 PM new
outoftheblue, you said, "They are after the merchants and people that sell high $$$ items."
How do you deduce THAT out of the "new-improved" listing order??? From what I can tell by the posts here, Yahoo has now DROPPED seller feedback number from the "formula" used to determine listing order, leaving just sell-through rate and number of bids. This is a MAJOR, MAJOR change from the formula used since they dropped "time-ending" order in late August (in effect, saying "Your reputation and history on Yahoo doesn't matter to us anymore). But by no means does it mean that they want sellers with high-end merchandise.
In fact, it's usually LOW-DOLLAR merchandise that gets multiple bids rather than high-dollar merchandise. It's *much easier* to get several bids at the $4 level for a $20 item than it is at the $200 level for a $1000 item (with exceptions like electonics & computers). And it's also much more likely a seller can AFFORD TO SELL a $20 item for $4 than he can a $1000 item for $200, since he usually pays much more *proportionately* for more expensive items.
The key to multiple bids (aside from extreme desirability & scarcity, which few items can boast) is
DIRT CHEAP PRICE UNPROTECTED BY RESERVE.
Yahoo is now giving us these choices:
1) Open your bidding high (though reasonable), with or without a "buy price", and hope a bidder will find you through "search", since your placement will be at the end of the list, rarely moving up. If you use "First Bid Wins" it will NEVER move up, but you will sell IF a bidder finds your listing (knock on wood).
2) Open your bidding low, protected by reserve, and hope people will bid *in spite of* the reserve. IF they bid, your placement will move up, but you probably won't sell your item because reserves are rarely met on Yahoo.
3) Open your bidding low with NO reserve, and hope to goodness you don't lose your shirt. With multiple bids your placement will move up, but you HAVE to sell at the final bid price, however low it may be. Remember, SHILLING IS AGAINST THE RULES.
4) Pay to feature....and when *everyone else* pays to feature, then pay MORE to feature, so your listing won't be on page 40 of 50 featured listings pages. Of course, after you get bids, you may not NEED to be featured, since all the auctions with bids are considered "hot" and make it to the category home page, where they get lots of exposure---but at that point your money's spent.
[b]Switching from "time-ending" to jumbled listings is BY FAR the worst move Yahoo has made.[b]
Sellers *used to* feature only their BETTER things, those for which they could justify spending the money. Time progression of listings took care of the rest, when auctions got more attention and bids as they were coming to a close.
Now it's a "free-for-all" (especially with ebay and Amazon sellers wildly spending their free feedback credits), and page after page after page of "featured" items, good and bad / cheap and expensive, defeat the PURPOSE of featuring. The entire auction is a JUMBLED MESS.
Some idiot at Yahoo said, "Hey, look what Amazon Auction's doing---making sellers PAY for listing placement. Let's do that!", and Yahoo instituted a policy change without ever considering the consequences to their auction, without waiting to see how the policy DEVASTATED Amazon Auction. And the idiot is too stubborn to change it back.
How I wish Yahoo would LISTEN to its users, let a voice of REASON control its decisions for the auction. Otherwise, we'll all end up back at ebay, Heaven forbid!!!
posted on December 1, 2000 05:45:30 PM new
I just got this crummy answer to my RE-reply to the last crummy answer:
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. We are always looking for
ways to make Yahoo! Auctions more useful and enjoyable to our users, and
we will be sure to keep your comments in mind as we continue to make
improvements to our service.
********************************
Cover me........I'm going back with another Re-Re-Reply.
This squeeky wheel ain't gettin no grease and the squeek is gettin worse.
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heygrape
posted on November 27, 2000 05:39:56 PM
Yeah! What Moonmem said! Common guys! This is our last chance to possibly accomplish
something regarding this problem before we are all eating pork 'n beans fer Christmas.........
Unite Yahooligans!!!!! Let's at least give it a try! We certainly have nothing to lose.
Whatcha say? Huh? Huh?
VeryModern
posted on November 27, 2000 06:09:11 PM
sign me up!
ioughta
posted on November 27, 2000 07:29:47 PM edit
Well, guys here it goes--------As suggested on these threads, that we ALL write to Yahoo-- I sent a
letter to
Yahoo Suggestions (under HELP( My Suggestion was to LISTEN to our Suggestions)
We each need to ask 3/4 other sellers to BARRAGE Yahoo with suggetions for the following:
1--Stop manipulating order of listings and change back to a legitimate listing order
2--Give us an announcement board,
3--AND to please,instead of this rinky dink feature game just CHARGE US a Final Value Fee if sold.
4--We can afford a Final Value Fee (maybe 1.5
% across the board on ALL items ) ONLY if they keep listings FREE.
We can only hope they will listen or lose us all to ebay.~
CAgrrl
posted on November 27, 2000 08:04:02 PM
OK I was all set to write but when I went to do it I couldn't find the "suggestions"- is there any way you
could post the URL for it, please?
And if there's anyone else who knows of any other email addresses that might be effective as well,
please post them too- I'll email the same letter a dozen times if it'll be read by different sets of eyes
each time. If we have to put the idea into the whole collective conscious at Yahoo then we shall do so!
heygrape
posted on November 27, 2000 10:00:48 PM
ioughta--Ain't NO WAY I'm asking them to start charging us! Nope! Ain't gonna do it.
heygrape
posted on November 27, 2000 10:07:31 PM
Dear Yahoo,
Please PLEASE change the listing order back to the original listing order, so that every listing gets at
least a chance to be seen! Please! Featuring just ain't doing the job!
We are starving out here for a sale! Please don't do this to us, especially now, in the midst of the
Christmas Rush! PLEASE have a heart guys!
"whur buzz click click what is families
please?" and "warning will robinson."
"I will now dispense preprinted wrapped and sanitized answer to your query."
CAgrrl
posted on November 28, 2000 01:27:51 AM
LOL chas I can see that coming from a mile away...but I gotta try anyhow...
moonmem
posted on November 28, 2000 08:15:53 AM
Heygrape is it ok if we copy and paste your letter? Maybe if we all sent the same letter it would help? I
can't believe how bad my auctions are doing right now! It sure is nothing like last year.
"If man were to be crossed with a cat, it would greatly improve the man, but deteriorate the cat." Mark
Twain
spadevlj
posted on November 28, 2000 07:29:27 PM
Great Idea to let Yahoo! know how scrambling listings makes it difficult for sellers.
HeyGrape, thanks for posting Yahoo! contact information. I just sent a message informing them of this
sellers displeasure. Hopefully it will help if enough people contact them.
I fear the most important issue as far as Yahoo! management is concerned is that scrambling listings
has produced the additional revenue they wanted. If we all quit paying them then perhaps they would
listen.
outoftheblue
posted on November 28, 2000 07:56:29 PM
I just sent a protest to yahoo regarding the "listing order" using the link heygrape provided. COME
ON EVERYONE, voice your protest and lets see if we can turn things around....
warr
posted on November 28, 2000 08:17:37 PM
I have a whole folder of E-mails to Yahoo starting from the end of August about the listing order which
was changed the same time as the 1000 limit started!
Most folks were more concerned about the 1000 limit and then the credit card verification fiasco!
I e-mailed them everyday for a month and only got the normal canned responses on how to use their
new search! I finally gave up after all the boards chatted about were the Rule of 1000 and CC
verification!
Yahoo is easing us in to the featured acutions so they can get some money out of the sellers! I do not
believe they will give the listing order back in order to keep folks featuring!
Watch your verified CC account close, since they have a method to bill us!
I have no real problem with that except when I bid on something I like to end up with something
tangible rather the the use of someones servers!
The BUYERS are supposed to be the ones BIDDING not the SELLERS!
E-bay has been HOT and Yahoo DEAD!
sulyn1950
posted on November 28, 2000 08:53:00 PM
Since most of us don't like the idea of Yahoo charging a fee for listing OR a FVF, we'll probably just
have to learn to "get along with" the jumbled listings which seem to "encourage" featured auctions.
Why? Because:
I just did a check on a category I used to buy/sell in most often in the jewelry section. That was the
"Fine" category. There was a time when "featured" auctions comprised about the top half of page 1.
Tonight, I found the 1st 7 pages of 123 total to be "featured". Yahoo is definitely making a little
money there. I don't see them giving that up. Afterall, they are a business and they do have stock
holders to answer to!
amalgamated2000
posted on November 28, 2000 08:55:51 PM
The BUYERS are supposed to be the ones BIDDING not the SELLERS!
Really?!? Why's that? Actually, I think that bidding for placement makes a lot more sense than
bidding for actual products.
I'm glad nobody told me earlier how things are "supposed" to work, because I've made a lot of money
with the featured system.
CAgrrl
posted on November 29, 2000 01:51:03 AM
sulyn- In theory that does make sense. However, where is Yahoo if there is a mass seller exodus?
then who will pay them?
If they need to make money I do think it would be better for them put the listings back in order and
then to take ioughta's suggestion and just charge a FVF. I know not everyone is in agreement with
this, but honestly to me it makes the most sense. Yes, of course we'd rather have free, but we need
to think realistically here...
For me personally, I would occasionally feature items if Yahoo's listings were back in order. I wouldn't
feature every single item. Right now in order to make sales I need to feature every single item, and
furthermore it seems to take a minimum of 15 cents per day for me to get an item sold. My feature
credits are close to being used up and I can tell you right now that after they are gone I won't be
paying 15 cents per day on 10 day auctions since my auctions don't always sell even if featured. I
don't think it makes economic sense for me to pay Yahoo $1.50 for an auction that ends with no
winner when I could pay Ebay 25¢ for an auction that ends with no winner. Especially considering I'm
talking about $5-$20 items for the most part.
Also if Yahoo is desperate for money I think they should make it easier for sellers to pay them. If they
took PayDirect it would be a huge step in the right direction. Also if they had a way for sellers to send
in a check or money order the way Ebay does then it would be a lot better. I can only speak for
myself, but I charge as little as possible on my credit card, and if that hadn't been the only way to pay
Yahoo I would have featured more even before the listings became scrambled.
amalgamated2000
posted on November 29, 2000 04:26:07 PM
FVF's would add no value to Yahoo's services. When a seller pays an FVF, what benefit does that
seller get? None.
Featured fees do add value. When you pay a feature fee, your listing receives more exposure.
I don't understand why people are willing to pay for something that provides them no value, yet
unwilling to pay for something that does provide value.
CAgrrl
posted on November 29, 2000 08:11:43 PM
Amal, I can understand where you're coming from, but I guess to me what is valuable is a SOLD item.
Featuring does NOT guarantee that I will sell the item. (I admit that it does help.) I would rather pay
when my item has sold.
If I pay 15¢ per day on a ten day auction to feature the item, I'm looking at a fee of $1.50 if it doesn't
sell and 75¢ if it does sell. My average item sells at $9.99. Say Yahoo were to implement a 5% FVF.
Then I'm looking at a fee of only 49¢, IF my item sells. To me that is more valuable, but I respect your
right to disagree.
outoftheblue
posted on November 30, 2000 07:47:51 PM
I heard back from Yahoo about their "Listing Order". They have no intention of changing it back! Your
listing position depends on sell through percentage and NUMBER OF BIDS per item.
Most of our items close at the buy price or with one bid. It sounds to me like "First Bid Wins" auctions
will hurt your position. I wondered why people with a lower sell through percentage have a better
position than we do.
Sucks big time!!
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 07:49 PM ]
[ edited by outoftheblue on Nov 30, 2000 07:49 PM ]
heygrape
posted on November 30, 2000 09:16:15 PM
I got the same answer from them today and I wrote back. Newbies don't have a chance here, because
of this silly sell through crap.
I've at least got a chance because I've got a decent sell through rate and sufficient feedback and I'm
struggling.
Can you imagine how many newbies are listing a few, selling none, and leaving forever?
What Yahoo is doing now is what Amazon did and it shot itself in the foot and died. Doesn't Yahoo
learn from others mistakes?
I'm only putting featured on my auctions on the last day and only then, IF I have a bid on the item.
Where do these dot coms come up with these Rocket Scientists????
CAgrrl
posted on November 30, 2000 10:28:33 PM
I agree with you Grapey- I think newbie sellers sure won't stick around. Why would they? chances are
they won't even UNDERSTAND why their stuff isn't selling- most of them don't read this board and I
sure haven't seen the listing order formula posted prominently on Yahoo.
outoftheblue- how are you able to figure out another seller's sell-through rate? Just wondering. I know
the general formulas for figuring out my own if I were gonna sit down & do it, since I used to work in a
retail store & had to calculate it on a daily basis...but does Yahoo post this info anywhere?
ioughta
posted on November 30, 2000 10:32:09 PM edit
Well folks-- I think the writing is on the proverbial wall--I'm in the 3rd month of demolished sales.
Yahoo has done exactly what they wanted to do - and are certainly not going to care what we want as
sellers . Makes sense that they are after the Big!! Merchants and Power sellers from Ebay.
I simply am not interested in bidding for a hopeless hole in the listing order. Especially when I see the
mentality of someone paying 2.95 to sell a 3.00 item!!!
Yahoo is NOT really in the auction business - they are in THE CREDIT CARD "floatation $$$"
business. Performers will get preferential treatment and everyone else will be invisible!
I'll be bailing out of this ship ~ leaving only items that bidders would do a "dedicated search" for ....
It was nice while it lasted
Wish you all the best
outoftheblue
posted on November 30, 2000 11:12:16 PM
CAgrrl
I've been watching these sellers for a while. I compare the number of auctions listed to their
closed/sold. They list twice the number of auctions as I do and close less successfully (they still have
a better listing position). I know it's not perfect but it gives me an idea of how the competition is
doing....
ioughta
Makes sense that they are after the Big!! Merchants and Power sellers from Ebay.
I am one of those power sellers from Ebay. (Asside from the credits) They don't give a rip about us
either. They are after the merchants and people that sell high $$$ items....
heygrape
posted on December 1, 2000 10:50:13 AM
ioughta--If I were you, I'd at least hang in until after the Christmas selling season.
And if you are leaving, it certainly wasn't necessary for you to ask them to start charging us fees.
==================================
HEYGRAPE------ Your manners are showing ~
A flower in one hand and sword in the other?? The word US is used in YOUR letters to Yahoo - and nobody complained.... The 1st Amendment applies to all of US..and SOME of US happen to agree with "charge us" FVF only theory
I do believe you're right and I was wrong. The people on top of the categories I sell in either seem to have an endless supply of stuff to sell for $3 - $5 or they sell in many categories including the faster moving ones... I can't compete with that..
Here's what I've done in an attempt to get better placement.
I've dropped the opening bids below cost just to encourage bidding. I use the feature option the last day or two of many of my auctions. I've had 1 bid in the last three days...
I'm getting discouraged quickly. I almost never relist items on Ebay but move them to Yahoo where they used to sell after a couple of relists (alot of times for the buy price). I even used to list some more expensive items on Yahoo to avoid Ebay listing fees. Since they've changed the listing order it's been an exercise in futility...
posted on December 2, 2000 11:30:51 AM new
I haven't had much luck with featuring items for the last day or two of the auction. I mentioned Amazon too in my letter to Yahoo. I really like Yahoo. I wish they would listen to the sellers and change the listing order back. That way it's fair to everyone whether you have 0 or 500 feedback.
"If man were to be crossed with a cat, it would greatly improve the man, but deteriorate the cat." Mark Twain
posted on December 2, 2000 01:18:37 PM new
I've always been a "keyword searcher" rather than a "category browser"...maybe I'm an anomaly BUT....
I think it'd help a lot if more people used the multi-auction searches like AW Universal Search. I had to retrain myself to use it rather than eBay's or Yahoo's own search tool, but results have been WELL worth it.
I now probably bid two thirds eBay, one third Yahoo, but end up buying more from Yahoo than eBay (60-40, I'd guess) because of not being outbid.
Of course if more people did that you would have more items on Yahoo getting multiple bids and the situation wouldn't be so bad for sellers. More traffic (eyeballs) is what sellers need.
Maybe Yahoo could get really progressive and build their OWN multi-auction search facility and banner-advertise it across their site. Sure, it'll link some buyers to competing sites for items, but I think Yahoo, at least, has more to gain than potentially lose by getting people in the HABIT of using multi-auction search sites.
Otherwise I think it's a losing game for Yahoo to stake revenue hopes on fees for featuring. Makes it look like they're giving away leaky boats and hoping to make it up by selling buckets to bail the water.
