posted on November 3, 2000 05:53:07 AM
Hi half.com'ers - Have you been to Amazon recently and noticed their new program? On all the listings there is a button for "sell your's now" which takes you into a half.com style selling method. I thought for a few minutes that it sounds promising - all those links to Amazon records. But their fees are 15% PLUS $0.99 per item, if I read the fine print correctly.
Plus the same problems with a set shipping allowance that doesn't factor in heavy books.
posted on November 3, 2000 09:43:02 AM
Geez!!!! Talk about greedy!!! At those prices, forget it. They need to remember that they're on the Internet and competition is only a mouseclick away!
posted on November 4, 2000 11:00:52 AM
yeah -- but sales have been brisk -- even though they are still only testing it -- they have this description for it:
posted on November 4, 2000 03:26:11 PM
I am happily transferring as many of my Half.com listings to Amazon as possible. I've been complaining to H.c and anyone else who would listen that they are being ruined by one-cent-a-book sellers. The 99-cents is worth it to me to have my books be a part of Amazon's database without having to pay 39.99 a month for a Zshop. FYI, a Marketplace seller actually does get a limited Z-shop, customizable and all. It just looks way more professional than Half.com's site. I think Amazon took a look at everything Half.com was doing wrong and one-upped them.
We have a saying in Minnesota, "40-below keeps out the riff-raff."
To paraphrase, "99 cents keeps out the riff-raff."
posted on November 4, 2000 05:07:18 PM
Yes, I realized right away that the 99 cents is to keep the 25-cent listers away. Good riddance! And their book shipping reimbursement is equal to half.com's hardcover reimbursement. So if you're shipping a paperback, you can actually afford to pay for good shipping materials!
posted on November 4, 2000 05:17:22 PM
Half. com and buy.com just announced a co-branding deal, where alla the mdse. will be listed on oneanother's sites.
Last time I was at buy.com, which among its huge mdse selection, stocks all new books, they were much better priced than amazon. So now that amazon has increased their prices, more and more serious book buyers will gravitate to BUY-Half, because not only is the merchandise less expensive, but so is the shipping, as they use Special Standard Mail, unless you specifically state you'd prefer Priority.
Early this year alla the videos from reel.com went to buy.com --- I frankly believe that this BUY~Half co-branding will be famously successful.
I've ordered from buy.com before, and it was FAST, efficient, and CHEAP -- unlike your typical online shopping experience.
posted on November 4, 2000 06:08:54 PM
VM, the system is so new that not all listings have the button yet. Apparently it is still being tested before they plug it in to the whole system. Just keep trying titles until you find one. Out of 30 titles so far I've had maybe 3 or 4 I couldn't list. I just set them aside to try later.
I hope this is helpful to you, as your advice and comments on these boards have helped me tremendously!
posted on November 4, 2000 07:58:31 PM
Thanks Barb - I only tried two items and no go, so I thought that was that. Will give it a day or two and try again.
Thanks for the info, and very glad if something I have written has helped.
posted on November 5, 2000 11:28:47 AM
*bump* for zbai0267, and all them other amazon-fans, who just luv to pepper THE EBAY OUTLOOK with more of Bezo's stoopid schemes to *crush* eBay. Whadda laf!
