posted on July 26, 2008 10:26:54 AM new
I'm sorry if this has been covered elsewhere already, but are you aware that Microsoft, through their live.com search engine, is offering up to 25% off on a qualifying Ebay purchase, up to $250 per transaction. 3 transactions allowed per account. Here's a link to the Ebay page describing the program.
http://pages.ebay.com/cashbackoffer/terms.html?_trksid=m37
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There would also be further information available at the live.com site.
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Not quite clear about this one, but I do know people who have received $750 cashback credited to their Paypal account.
posted on July 27, 2008 11:02:09 AM new
I'll try bumping this up once.
Seems quite important. 25% off can work to the benefit of both buyer and seller. Up to $250. Just as one example, you could buy an ounce of gold for $1000, net cost $750, then resell for $930.
Seems like free money.
posted on July 28, 2008 09:09:13 AM newSeems like free money.
Then go for it. No one's stopping you.
Here's my live.com shopping experience:
Did a search for "jody coyote." Only cashback result was eBay. Clicked on it. At the top of the search results page it says:
Microsoft cashback 20% Buy It Now with PayPal and you may get cash back. See conditions.
As in all such things, the word "may" is the tip-off. Anyone reading this and thinking about using Live.com, better read the Terms and Conditions on eBay. You have to complete the transaction within 60 minutes of clicking on the eBay ad on Live.com. There are other gotchas as well, just as you would expect from two of the most hated companies in America.
Too complicated -- they've got lots of small print so they don't have to pay me. I'm going to hustle through all these hoops to get 20% back in 60 days on a $14.99 purchase? Please. I've got better things to do with my time.
posted on July 28, 2008 01:27:42 PM new
Fluffy.....I have gone for it. Bought an ounce of gold for $1000. Net $750. If all goes as advertised, I'll wind up with a coin that I can sell off Ebay for $930, and I'll make $180. We'll see.
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You're right about the terms and conditions. I provided the Ebay page with the T&C. I haven't looked at the Microsoft T&C page. But you hit the high points, search must start on live.com(a miserable search engine, btw), then you have 60 minutes on Ebay, where you can use Ebay's search, and the transaction(s) must be Buy It Now and must be paid for by Paypal.
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Obviously, for a buyer or seller of a $14 item, it's no big deal. However, from the buyer's POV, you can buy multiple items that add up the maximum amount of $1000. From the seller's POV, I have seen seller's of high priced goods, like a gold coin worth $940, take advantage of the promotion and being able to sell these items for $100 extra. And for me, as a seller of assorted items, amongst them high priced watches, I have found that my sell thru rate on 800-1200 watches is near 100% lately, as opposed to the normal 15% sell-thru. I've raised the price 10% across the board on these items and have met no resistance.
posted on July 28, 2008 02:31:40 PM new
The watch thing may not be Live.com-related, though. A recent Wall Street Journal article said that yuppies (forgive me, but what else do you call a 25-year-old investment banker) are still buying luxury items but ones that have a better chance of appreciating, like high-end watches. One such cancelled his African safari vacation but spent $3,000 on a watch.
posted on July 28, 2008 03:41:41 PM new
It doesn't matter to me if it's related to live.com, or any other search engine or any marketing partner of Ebay. Personally, I had never heard of live.com until this, and using it, I think it stinks compared to other search engines.
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The important thing, I thought, was how it may help Ebay sellers. I think that it can help them all, but it's certainly skewed towards helping the higher end sellers more.
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As for the investment bankers and other wall streeters, they used to be my best buyers. They'd get on the phone and conclude a sale with me frequently, oftentimes in the 5 figures, after the market closed. Between 4-5 EST was my busiest time. That was in the good old days. Not anymore, they're not buying at any price. And the yuppies aren't buying much either. I don't know what you'd call the buyers of luxury goods right now, but whatever you call them they are few and far between.......when I say my sell thru rate is near 100% on $800-$1200 items, I'm not talking about hundreds of listings. I'm talking about 3-4 items, and these have to be priced right and be a sought after item.
[ edited by watchguy on Jul 28, 2008 03:47 PM ]
