posted on October 22, 2001 05:12:40 PM
Thank you for all of your feedback to our recently announced Sales Manager Business Edition service and pricing revisions. This feedback has confirmed that the Business Edition software already answers several of your most requested needs and has provided valuable information that will allow us to continue developing the software to help you sell more effectively. Look for future announcements as new features become available.
We also realize that our announced pricing revisions did not take into account fully the broad array of selling styles of sellers, making Business Edition too costly for many, particularly sellers of higher priced goods.
We will therefore be offering four new pricing plans beginning November 1, 2001 designed to rectify that oversight. These Premium Selling Plans provide access to Business Edition and unlimited image hosting in addition to all other AuctionWatch services. With plans starting at just $12.95/month, sellers doing even more modest sales volume can now use the advanced features of Business Edition. Two Premium Selling Plans have no associated final value fee, making it more affordable for sellers of higher value goods. One of the new plans reduces the cost of the previously announced Business Plan from $49.95/month + 1.5% Final Value Fee to $29.95/month + 1.25% Final Value Fee. New sellers who have already selected the Business Plan will see an automatic cost decrease when these plans become effective on November 1.
We have not made any changes to the Standard Plan pricing. Additionally, for yearly Power Plan subscribers, your pricing remains unchanged through the duration of your yearly subscription. We are also offering discounts on one of our new Power Plans for current Power Plan sellers who want to use the new Business Edition service.
A summary of the four new Premium Selling Plans is provided in the table below. Complete details associated with these new Premium Selling Plans can be found here.
*New sellers who signed up at our prior rate of $49.95 plus 1.5% FVF will be converted to the Power Plan Variable Rate Package ($29.95 plus 1.25% FVF) on the effective date of the new pricing plans
**Sellers currently signed up for the previously offered yearly Power Plan will experience NO change in pricing prior to the end of their yearly agreement. At the end of the yearly agreement, Power Plan sellers will automatically convert to Standard Plan (no monthly fee). We will provide notification in advance of your yearly Power Plan expiration to ensure a smooth transition to a new Premium Selling Package.
***Sellers currently on the Power Plan (yearly subscription) who transition to Sales Manager Business Edition at the new Power Plan Flat Rate will have their monthly subscription fee of $39.95 waived for the duration of their existing yearly Power Plan subscription.
You can find more information and download Business Edition here.
Note: Please direct responses to this announcement to this thread so that we may easily monitor your comments in one area.
Thank you for your continued support!
[ edited by Announcements on Oct 22, 2001 05:29 PM ]
posted on October 22, 2001 06:26:12 PM
I don't see any relationship between the 1-asterisk footnote and the 2-asterisk footnote to the chart above it. Do these match up to something?
And am I doing the math right? The difference between the Premium Flat Rate and the Power Flat Rate -- if both sellers list 10 auctions each day -- is only $41?
This is such a huge leap from the current Power Plan to which we subscribe, that I don't know if we'll be able to afford you. Your competitors are being very aggressive in their attempts to pick up our business, by the way.
Also -- am I correct in understanding that now ALL your plans will be attached to the Business Edition and will therefore not be compatible with Macintosh use? That will be the deal breaker for me, anyway.
posted on October 23, 2001 09:56:46 AM
Hi, Under the Standard Plan do you have to pay extra for imaging hosting or does it come with the plan. Thanks Dave
posted on October 23, 2001 09:48:32 PM
I am slightly confused. When you announced your new pricing plan a few weeks ago, I tried to figure out what my "average" monthly cost might be. I based my numbers on $3500.00 average sales and listing 650 items a month. I currently would pay about $49.16 a month (I have the power plan - average the $200/yr into a monthly rate). When you announced the changes a few weeks ago, I figured my cost would go up to about $70.00 a month. NOW you imply that these new pricing plans is supposed to HELP, but by my figures, the cheapest plan that I could get would be about $73.70 a month! Where's the BETTER pricing plan?
posted on October 24, 2001 04:19:08 AM
As promised, Auctionwatch revised their pricing plans, however, since we list over 5000 auctions per month, and our average selling price is less than $20, AND most importantly, we CAAN NOT USE the new software, where does that leave us?
posted on October 24, 2001 06:33:34 AM
I would like to know if image hosting is included at NO charge in all your plans you list above. Thanks in advance for your response.
posted on October 24, 2001 10:35:20 AM
Sorry for the delayed responses. I have been monitoring the thread here and didn't see these questions until just now.
fireman69,
Auctions launched with AuctionManager and Auction Manager Pro under the Standard Plan do not have any additional image hosting fees. Standalone image hosting under Standard Plan (not an auction launched with AM or AM Pro) has a separate pricing (10 cents first image in an auction plus 4 cents each additional image in the auction).
toyspast,
We have not removed any of the plans that were announced a month ago. These are just additional plans. Many of these new plans are much more cost effective for sellers, particularly sellers of higher value items.
pontiacdealer,
I just looked at your selling history for August. It appears that with your sales prices and sell-through, the Power Plan Variable Rate (had it been in effect in August) would have saved you about 15-20% over your existing power plan at 5 cents/listing. Please e-mail if you'd like to discuss. I think we are cheaper now for your selling style than even the previously offered Power Plan yearly subscription. And all of these plans cover the entire suite of AuctionWatch services (not tied to the new software), so you can continue to use the software you are comfortable with. If you are having trouble with the software and would like to use it, please let us know.
beman,
Please see the Fireman68 discussion above for the discussion of Standard Plan image hosting. As for any of the Premium Selling Plans, they have unlimited image hosting using the standalone image hosting system included in the plan's monthly subscription. The pricing for auctions launched using our more robust services (Auction Manager, Auction Manager Pro and Sales Manager Business Edition) also include the price of image hosting (no additional storage or per auction charges for image hosting).
Please help me keep up with the discussion by consolidating the comments in the thread in the Feedback Forum. Thanks.
posted on October 24, 2001 12:33:03 PM
I list about 1000 auctions a month and avg around $6 (some $2 some $100 so it has wide degree of variety in ending prce, mostly on the lower end) right now includeing my subscripting fee for the power plan it avg about $50 a month. I am having a hard time figuring which plan if any would be most efficient and a guess at my avg monthly cost. Feel free to look over my account as I have been with you since the beggining,. Any help or advise would be apprecited. TOM
also I use Zero of your post sale services. I only use image hosting and launching. Right when the auctions are over I delete them off of you site. Don't know if that will have any effect on any offered plan or not.
[ edited by tomyou on Oct 24, 2001 12:35 PM ]
I don't have item by item detail, but in August, your power plan auctions launched (including 1/12th of the $200 subscription) was about $60. Under the Power Plan Variable Rate for the same month, I can't be exact, but in no event would that plan have been more than around $68. If you just have a few higher priced ones and don't mind a more cumbersome launching tool, you could probably save some money on the few higher value items by launching them through the standalone image hosting service that is free to use as part of the Power Plan Variable Rate subscription. Hope this helps.
posted on October 24, 2001 01:36:00 PM
Hi Mike , thanks for the fast response. one more question. If I cange to that Powere Plan Varibale rate I am guessing I need to wait till the contract expires on my current power plan (march I think ?) or If I change now will the price increase not go into effect until then. Obviously I don't want to change right now if it is going to cost more immmeidatley.
No problem. If you do not want to take advantage of Sales Manager Business Edition, which is only available under the new plans, then certainly enjoy your current yearly subscription Power Plan until it expires. You can find the expiration date under MyAccount . . . online statements. If you want to take advantage of the new SMBE software, we are offering a special for the Power Plan Flat Rate plan that waives the monthly subscription. Listings under that plan are 10 cents each. So it really depends upon your needs. You can do a trial on the new service under your existing plan for 3 weeks if you want to see if the time savings and additional functionality are worth it. Really a personal choice depending upon your needs.
