posted on November 14, 2005 12:46:19 PM new
Yes, that's right, my friends, the company that doesn't actually sell anything has put out a big holiday mailing. Looks like a real catalogue except for the fact that 1) you can't order anything from it, 2) you can't be sure what the price will be and 3) it advertises items that may not even be available on eBay through Christmas.
Instead, it provides search strings for such items as Fossil Watches ("Search: fossil watch" ), TV Series DVDs ("Search: tv series dvd" ) and Victoria's Secret perfumes ("Search: victoria secret perfume" ). Golly gee, thank you geniuses in eBay's Marketing Department! We never would have been able to figure THOSE out!
Hey, fenix, you'd know this better than I. What does it cost to do a catalogue drop these days, something like $3 - $5 per book?
Clearly the mailing is targeted as my husband got one and I didn't. Since he subscribes to a bunch of flying publications, marketers assume he has a lot of disposable income. (You don't put av-gas in a Cessna; you just insert $100 bills into the tank.)
There is a 10% off your next purchase coupon attached, but I don't think you really need the coupon. It's good for up to $25 off and expires November 30. Redemption code is C1-Holiday2005.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Nov 14, 2005 12:47 PM ]
posted on November 14, 2005 01:00:19 PM new
I received this mailing last week and put it in the recycle bin already. Why send it to registered and active sellers? even if its less than $3 to $5! Of course, all the key word suggestions they made are for items I don't sell!
And fluffy, you're right....who knows if any item will be available in time for Christmas. If I was a newbie--you'd think that those items they suggested are ALWAYS available on eBay. And then...no warnings to make sure to check the seller's feedback.
Great, some buyer will search for an electronic gadget, buy it, get burned on the sale and then one more person who hates Ebay as a buyer....... but hey.....Time Magazine says Meg Whitman is one of THE women you'd want to be in corporate America! And they're right! I would!
posted on November 14, 2005 02:00:44 PM new
I suspect they bought mailing lists. I get the LL Bean catalogs and a "few" others. I got my ebay catalog last week. After giving it the look over it looks to me like a way for them to increase paypal usage. Sign up for a paypal credit card and we'll give you a year to pay. Smart for ebay the company... don't know if it will drive to many new customers to the ebay community IE: US to buy IT
posted on November 14, 2005 02:30:25 PM new
My mail carrier hates me this time of the year. I'm bombarded with catalogs. Even suppliers who don't normally have a print catalog, seem to be able to supply one at this time of the year. Most of them get tossed into the verticle file. So, now the trash collectors hate me, too.
Cheryl
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
posted on November 14, 2005 04:24:58 PM new
Well I don't know about coupon stuff much, but who pays that to the seller EBAY? Paypal? I certainly hope the seller is not out that cost. Seems strange to offer a savings on an item that is not yours. LOL
I have often wondered how the offers at Paypal worked on paying later. Looks like that opens up a whole other can of worms and headaches for the buyer or seller. Any thoughts on that?
I didn't get a catalog yet, I am hurt. LOL
My 2 cents worth paid in increments of 1% per annum uncompounded yearly!
posted on November 15, 2005 09:27:47 AM new
Fluffy - in terms of cost, if they are using an in house designer and their own mailing list, costs are not that bad. Most high production presses these days are using digitl prepress so there is not the mosterous cost of color seps like there once was. You are probably looking at a cost of about $2 a unit for printing, sorting, mailing etc. If they rented lists add another .15-30 depending on the deal they worked (personally, I would have tried to negotiate a trade on lists but who knows what they did). If they used an outside agency... that's a pretty penny on a catalog. (I about choked when I found out my old company paid nearly $4k for catalog design after I left).
If they were really in love with the idea of a catalog that sold nothing, after I tried to talk them ut of the ideas, I probably would have gone with the Sunday paper insert. You can use a lighter paper to cut costs, and use the savings on postage, list rental, mailing house fees to gain greater market saturation.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on November 15, 2005 03:45:42 PM new
However, thanks to you guys, I saved $6.10 on a vintage quilt. That code actually DID work! Who pays it? Our fees, probably PP for this one.
posted on November 15, 2005 04:13:31 PM new
Birgitta, that's fantastic.
It's a PayPal promotional cost, so it comes out of PayPal's coffers. Similar promotions were run earlier this year; I got $25 off buying some wholesale jewelry and the seller never knew it.
I'm kind of sad that you can only use it on one item, though, otherwise I'd make a big marketing push to my regular customers urging them to buy more and apply the coupon discount.
Hmm. I wonder what would happen if we put the coupon code in a fixed price auction that ends on or before November 30? Anyone game?
posted on November 15, 2005 04:19:43 PM new
Great idea! I might try that with my other seller ID (the one I use for listing things I'm too embarrassed to have associated with my main ID -- nothing untoward, just really roadkill). If they pull it, nothing lost.
posted on November 15, 2005 06:00:49 PM new
Thanks for the heads up on the coupon (though my catalog only had some sort of paypal financing offer!) - I used the code on something I purchased, and saves $11.60 - Awesome!
It's possible eBay segmented their lists to present different offers to certain segments. In traditional cataloging (correct me, fenix) more attractive offers are sent to known buyers. In this instance, "known buyers" would be people who bought from whatever organization(s) rented their list to eBay. Could be a publication like _Flying_ magazine or it could be warranty cards from a maker of luxury goods like high-end watches. My husband has only ever purchased four things on eBay, so they can't be using their own demographic info.
fLufF
--
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Nov 15, 2005 07:32 PM ]
posted on November 15, 2005 07:48:15 PM new
Well.. I'm pizzed...my mail carrier had better fess up and hand over the goods tomorrow.. I'm sure he swiped it!! ..
posted on November 15, 2005 11:22:29 PM new
10% off ( Up to $25 ) : C1-Holiday2005
$5.00 off $50.00 : C2-Holiday2005
$15.00 off $100.00 : C3-Holiday2005
ends nov30
USE THESE WHEN PAYING VIA PAYPAL, LOOK FOR THE COUPON BOX AND ENTER
THE CODE
posted on November 16, 2005 09:28:52 AM new
Here's another coupon code mailed to one of my minor buying IDs (very little activity on that one):
$5 off any item $19.99 or more
Redemption code: CLUA5Q45S
Expires December 4.
No idea whether or not this will work for people who didn't get the email, but if you're paying for something anyway, it's worth a try. Must use PayPal, of course.
posted on November 16, 2005 11:25:01 AM new
Hi ppl, I may just have to buy something to see if it works. LOL neat if it does. Hope they don't yank this message board thread as would be so funny if everyone went out and got use of the code.
I am really pizzed off too as I have not gotten a catalog and I have been selling for 6 years or more and buying. woo is me! boo hoo boohoo
Thanks everyone for all the codes.
My 2 cents worth paid in increments of 1% per annum uncompounded yearly!
posted on November 16, 2005 07:33:46 PM new
Great news the holiday codes are still working I just saved a bit on a ring I just got for the wife. I tried that other code that fluffy left $5 off any item $19.99 or more Redemption code: (CLUA5Q45S ) it didn't register or work for me. But did get almost 5$ off with the holiday 1 code .
Thanks everyone just made my day. I am happy.
-
My 2 cents worth paid in increments of 1% per annum uncompounded yearly!
