posted on September 20, 2000 02:56:04 PM new
Hi All,
I was just curious about what you all were thinking about Amazon's auction future and auction houses in general?
I've seen this before in another industry. Something good evolves and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. In this case it's auctions on the web.
Ebay is the biggest but they are pretty horrible. They are however well run.
Amazon is the most innovative. I've truly enjoyed my experiance up to now and hope they hang in and get their act together.
Yahoo is kinda goofy. Although it is pretty much free.
I started out on Ebay and at the 600+ auction per week level was contacted by Amazon. I tried it and after another bout of Ebay's intolerable seller support switched over.
Amazon was wonderful but I felt, thought itself a bit omnipotent. I mean, Jeff, you were only selling books!
When I started at Amazon things were really moving and then Amazon "fixed" things by creating hundreds of sub-categories which only confused many, many, bidders.
But business rebounded. As a seller I learned how to work around Amazon's "improvements". I spoke with my rep at Amazon who was very understanding and helpful.
Then Amazon struck again. Buttons and my seller account fees being quadrupled. I didn't mind the bigger fees but geez, the product died? Capitilism in reverse?
Now I'm in the situation that the numbers are visibly down. My rep has been transferred. And when I call Amazon I get the feeling I'm talking to students. Not good.
I think I'm out of ways to make Amazon work? What are my options as a seller? Whither and hang on? Move back to Ebay? Yahoo?
See, I feel a bit robbed. I helped build Amazon Auctions. They are partners with me and every other seller. Without my 1000+ listings per week and others they wouldn't have a product to innovate.
Not once have they ever sent a survey to me. After all, I am in the trenches with the customers?
I still have some faith though. I hope I look back at this post and laugh in a few weeks, months.......
posted on September 20, 2000 03:40:56 PM new
If Amazon cleaned up their act and sales returned to previous high levels (before zShops, before Featured sorting, before Bid for Feature, before Tab changes) -- I would be worked to death at the level I am listed at. That is my hope also. On the other hand I hope that another company will come in and take up the slack and not make these same mistakes. Perhaps BN.com??
posted on September 20, 2000 03:56:33 PM new
Since I did post a few auctions, I thought I'd give them another chance although their treatment of sellers last spring had all of us confused and angry.
I would have been happy to live in their world and wouldn't have dreamed of going back to ebaY where the service is SO bad it isn't even a funny joke anymore. Yahoo is new, I'm doing okay. But not like I used to do on amazon and even on ebay. I thought they owed us an explanation but nothing ever came. Until this past week. Their attitude has totally changed. People on the phone were seriously nice. "We would hate to lose you and your fine auctions". That kind of thing and then I do have the upgrade emails and I guess that was to make me feel better and they did refund my fees when my auctions were not opened for 8 hrs.
I don't know what to think. I guess it will be what I'm doing now. Selling on 3 different sites and Val, what's this .com you mention?
In the scheme of things though, I am very small potatoes anywhere I go. So I'll wait and see what happens. That is all I know to do at the moment. I would greatly appreciate a fine service somewhere when holiday time comes around which is NOW.
posted on September 20, 2000 07:04:55 PM new
By the way, if you are not losing enough money yet, Amazon started showing thumbnail photos of other recommended choices, which moves the Crosslinks right off the page. Now customers have to scroll to find the crosslinks...
posted on September 24, 2000 05:54:40 AM new
No inside info here-but I think Amazon is phasing the auctions out. They are not currently auctioning in some of their own areas that had been very heavily for months and I've noticed a significant drop off in offerings from a number of their featured vendors.
Could simply be a coincidence. I'm just trying to make sense of the recent changes and current happenings.
posted on September 26, 2000 06:13:32 AM new
I've only listed a handful of items, over the past 6 weeks. It's been fairly underwhelming. One book I listed for 2 weeks then renewed - nothing. But the day after I put it on half.com it sold, for the same as the "take it" price I used on Amazon.
I would like Amazon to work, because I buy from them, myself, and since I sell books it seems like a natural fit. I like the "take it" price option and also Amazon Payments - so much easier than waiting for checks and money orders.
BUT Amazon just doesn't seem to have the action, and I recall seeing "auctions" as a featured tab just once after they changed (and I use Amazon all day long at my job, so it's not like I'm not on the site).
I'm not inspired to list more items. I see some negativity about ebay here, but sales are pretty darn good for me, and I'm just in second-hand books!
posted on October 7, 2000 07:11:39 AM new
Well there are no longer any links on the dollar auction from Amazon Outlet-apparently they won't be doing those any more.
Interestingly, in the catagorie I sell in, my bids have been up in amount and number-maybe without their competition, folks are looking at other auctions for the stuff they want.
On the other hand, it mmight just be a blip as I don't run enough auctions on Amazon to see meaningful trends.
posted on October 7, 2000 09:16:41 AM newviaastra said: Well there are no longer any links on the dollar auction from Amazon Outlet
Meaning that Amazon themselves are not offering the dollar deals from Amazon sellers. Such as the damaged books and Amazon Gear that they were selling for a while. Also the Electronics and Toys. I think that comes and goes.
Keep an eye on those random tabs. At first they showed auctions about every other day. Now, it seems like maybe once a week.
Just for grins we should keep track of the tabs we see.
posted on October 8, 2000 06:40:37 PM new
The fact of the matter is that it "seems" like Amazon is backpaging auctions. I think that basically they make much less on Auction sales than in their "Stores" and want to push in the Store direction for the holiday blitz.
I was specifically refering to the Amazon Outlet dollar auctions, not the dollar auctions as a whole segment. They had stuff from electronics, games, toys and a few others. Almost always with tons of bids. Heck, I even bought stuff from them. They have taken those off and the links to them are gone entirely.
At first, I thought it might be another nail in the coffin, but what I have noticed, at least in my area of selling is that now that they are not there, apparently folks are now looking at the other offerings, as my bid amounts and quantity have increased. I'll be putting a few items up today and we'll see what happens.
we should keep track of the tabs we see.