posted on December 28, 2000 05:28:31 AM new
I love the fact that they used a Grisham as an example - the same book is surely available for 3 cents on half.com.
Most books I've seen listed, and have listed myself, have sold for a lot more than that. If we are paying Amazon steep fees up front to use the service, it is dumb to charge just a few dollars.
Authors and publishers have always had competition from used book stores, so what is the difference? Maybe that ordinary people like me can get a piece of the action?
posted on December 28, 2000 07:07:32 AM new
The authors and publishers don't want you to get a piece of the action. They don't want consumers to have the choice of buying used that is presented at the new book page.
This demonstrates exactly the great thing about the internet - instant competition.
It is also why so many established businesses are afraid of the internet.
posted on December 28, 2000 07:08:51 AM new
I think something's going to have to happen soon. Amazon's auction platform is too good to not be used.
I'm sure if Amazon doesn't wake up someone will come up with something similar and take all those horrible used book and video, and just about everything else sellers away.
As a seller I don't mind competing with Amazon. I do mind some of the things they've been doing.
They're still better than ePAY! but they've shut down the stream of traffic.
I'm happy to get 2% of my listings with bids now where I used to be getting almost 18%. And that's through the holiday rush!
If they charged even half of ePAY's fees with the same platform as either a stand alone sight or with proper traffic flow it would be really successful in my opinion.
Blech
[ edited by canvid13 on Dec 28, 2000 07:09 AM ]
posted on December 28, 2000 12:47:52 PM new
Keziak: 2% of my auctions listed on Amazon get bids within the week. If I have 1000 auctions listed basically 20 will have bids at any time. Now the quality of the bids is of course a whole other arguement.
Before Amazon cut traffic flow to Auctions there were more of my items with bids and more bids per item.
I'm hanging in though and hoping they figure out a way to live with auctions within their framework. They still have the best platform but to be as profitiable as their own stores I expect charges to rise which of course won't work unless they let traffic come back.
What I do know is that Amazon is going to do whatever the current group thinks is best for Amazon. Anyone thinking elsewise is goofy.
If taking care of sellers or bidders is the way to go that's the way they'll go. I've pretty much given up on Ebay. They won't ever understand how to balance the game and yahoo seems pretty futile.
No, either Amazon needs to get it's act together or some other company will mimic or take over their auction site and make it work.
