cmbtboots
|
posted on February 28, 2001 02:24:54 PM
I know many of you just post there on the RT, so you may not be aware of this yet, but as of March 13 they will be charging a fee for the services that were free before.
http://www.auctionwatch.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&thread=339031&id=339077
|
Tntjj
|
posted on February 28, 2001 04:21:31 PM
AW now wants a piece of the pie. I can see that the service they offer is a time saver and I can almost go along with the 5 cents a listing but the 1% is outrageous. If they follow though with this fee I will be leaving they in no way deserve a percentage of the action. There is no difference in a 1.00 or 1000.00 auction. There service is a time saver but is often inaccurate and slow. I get auctions posting with out desriptions, auction closed with no bidders when some one has bid on themI should pay for this yea right Upset and Looking
|
jpbard
|
posted on February 28, 2001 04:50:51 PM
I could deal with the listing fee, No Way on the percentage. It will be far cheaper to pay for a web site or just a home page at my server and host my own photos there. I'm sure we have all been expecting this, but come on a percentage!!! When I looked into it, it will save me hundreds by useing a web site or home page at my server, and they are happy to teach me how to move photos to and from.
|
Kimbonovich
|
posted on February 28, 2001 05:04:25 PM
There are websites which will host your photos for free. The convenience of AW is the post-sale, I think.
|
langsyne
|
posted on February 28, 2001 07:29:55 PM
Well, the fee is not really so bad if you look at what Honesty is now charging. Sheesh.
But realistically, 1% I can live with I think. Even the 5 cents per listing.
What it will make me reconsider is what type of items I sell. No more low end bargains.
A $3.00 item isn't worth it anymore, with the eBay fees, the Billpoint fees and now the AW fees. Pretty much takes care of half my markup.
|
Kaffro
|
posted on February 28, 2001 08:00:30 PM
I am not in favor of the new fees...I personally use a notebook system to keep track of my auctions, it works well for me. I am just gonna make my own templates now and use another pic hosting site. I actually like having my little notebook system...it's alot more work, but I can take it anywhere to write my ads and keep track of my stuff.
It's a bummer, but I knew it was coming  So, I will probably only visit here to see my friends that I have made (that includes you boots!  )
Kaffro 
|
cmbtboots
|
posted on February 28, 2001 08:23:12 PM
Hi Kaffro!
Actually as soon as I can get some other info lined up, I will be happy to share with all those interested. Can't say too much as my posts keep getting deleted.
Anyone who is interested in possible alternatives, please email me.
|
Kaffro
|
posted on February 28, 2001 08:37:02 PM
Hey boots! I emailed you
Kaffro
|
ottosmom
|
posted on March 1, 2001 04:03:14 AM
I really think the 1% is out of line. I think after two years it is time to go some where else. Considering the bugs in The AW system, I think they should fix their problems before charging us. If they are going to charge there had better be no more problems. No more lost items, no more not in the searches, and no more having to revise nthings so they show up on your MY Ebay page. And since that doesn't seem to be the case. I will be saying good by on March 14. Not worth it. The $.05 is OK, but not 1%, not worth it. Too many alternatives out there now. GOOD BYE AW.
|
lofsness
|
posted on March 1, 2001 07:04:35 AM
I'm a loyal user. I just signed up; I think it's worth it. I'll just raise my prices. I still think AW will go broke up on this deal - but, maybe not...I'll stick with 'em until end.
|
fkrieger
|
posted on March 1, 2001 07:40:13 AM
Sorry, I won’t be sticking around. I own Shooting Star and used it for management, using AW for launching. I never found the AW customizable or robust enough to handle post sales.
Now I’ll just have to use MisterLister for it all.
1% is out of line. At the rate that third parties want to nickel and dime my auctions I’ll have nothing left.
AW, it was fun but lets just stay friends…
|
sgtmike
|
posted on March 1, 2001 07:52:31 AM
If the seller choose to pay per auction laucned, the fee is to be:
$0.05 per auction launched and a 1% Final Value Fee for each closed auction
If the seller pays for an "Annual Subscription," the fee is:
$200.00 annually, $0.05 per auction launched, and Final Value Fee is eliminated.
I consider it totally appropriate that AuctionWatch, a business, charge a reasonable (flat) fee for services rendered. However, I consider the Final Value Fee (FVF) to be totally inappropriate.
If I launch two separate auctions having the same amount of information and images, regardless of the final sale amount may be different, is not the hosting process identical?
How does AutctionWatch justify assessing a fee based on percentage of final value if the hosting process is the same?
Additionally, I will not log my credit card information of any site.
I love their decision not to charge for use of the "Message Center."
Also, since AuctionWatch will (now) charge for hosting auctions, and hosting images is part of the process the user will be paying for, then it should demanded by the seller that anyone using AuctionWatch's "image hosting" service to post images in the forums, also be assessed an appropriate fee per image.
Anyone know where you catch the bus to the airport?
|
idobooks
|
posted on March 1, 2001 08:30:23 AM
Personally, I will be looking at having my own website for image hosting. Auctionwatch is a convenience and was worth some dollars for the service.
By dollars my thought was for a monthly or annual service fee, the per listing and percentage of the sale doesn't work for me.
When I can get a website for 5.95 per month with 50 mgs, I just can't see it.
|
cmhaas
|
posted on March 1, 2001 08:38:34 AM
AW is not an auction site, it's an auction management site, therefore, they are not actually hosting the auction, so why should they collect a Final Value Fee. AW is a convenience for sellers, a place to launch and manage auctions and a place to store photos, but I doubt anyone comes here to specifically see my auctions or bid on them. So there is no justification in a FVF for AW.
I can understand a fee for hosting and managing auctions, but not a cut of the pie because someone went to eBay or another site and won on one of my auctions. What did AW do to bring that person in? Nadda! I pay the auctions sites the FVF's because I list with them. I don't list with AW, I simply use their tools and in the short time I've used them, they haven't worked all that well for me.
So now I take down all my photos and find some place else to store them. I list my auctions manually (as I've done for the past two years) and I send out my own WBN's. It's okay for me because I'm a small seller right now. It's a litle different for the power sellers, but hey, they didn't become power sellers by resting on their laurels so they'll do the research and find another way to list and manage their auctions in a way that benefits them economically. I just don't see them paying a big chunk of their profits to a site that merely aids them but does not host their auctions.
The past few weeks here on the RT have been fun for me so I'll hang around to see how eveyone is doing but as far as using AW for their auctions tools - I'm on the bus to the airport with sgtmike!
Christina
[ edited by cmhaas on Mar 1, 2001 08:39 AM ]
[ edited by cmhaas on Mar 1, 2001 08:41 AM ]
|
kiheicat
|
posted on March 1, 2001 08:40:34 AM
I agree.. the nickel per auction is palatable but the percentage of the final value? That is over the line at best.
|
stacyp
|
posted on March 1, 2001 09:41:07 AM
I WAS GOING IN TO FIND PEOPLES THOUGHTS ON NEW FEES-I ONLY USE AW TO AUTOMATICALLY RELEASE THOSE WONDERFUL AUCTIONS ON EBAY WITH NO DESCRIPTIONS AND TO SEND "AUTOMATICALLY THE WBN " THAT NEVER SEEM TO GO OUT MOST OF TIME-... with all their problems-now is not the time-it was inevitable but bad timing...also we the guinny pigs who have stuck thru the bad times -should have gotten some discount-no % final fees... i guess AW will be out of business before you know it... with all the departures i am reading about-any other suggestions/RECOMMENDATIONS? write:
[email protected]
|
krs
|
posted on March 1, 2001 09:46:02 AM
No matter what change occurs, here, in ebay, wherever, there's always whining about it in AW.
Isn't that what the 'W' is really for?
|
bobbysoxer
|
posted on March 1, 2001 11:06:27 AM
As soon as honesty started to charge fees I knew AW wasn't too far behind. I don't use the services that charge so Im cheap. As someone else mentioned in this thread it is nickel and diming it all adds up. We can only mark up our items so far before the starting bid is out-of-range for our valued customers.
There is tripod and angelfire that I use with my webtv.
|
kiheicat
|
posted on March 1, 2001 11:37:34 AM
krs
The one thing I will miss is the Auction Manager Pro. It is sooooo much easier only having to peck out the descrips without having to fill in all the other gunk on the eBay form and wait page after page of review and confirm. It cuts the time easily by 1/2 or more whether you're listing 5 or 50 auctions.
I don't use the service that emails the customers because I've gotten notifications as a buyer from them and from Andale, etc etc etc... and I just don't like it as a buyer, so I wouldn't use a service like that as a seller. Too impersonal and cold.
But, if I were to continue with AW, I would pay the same fees as someone using every single one of their features even though I only use picture hosting and AMPro myself. That doesn't seem fair.
Does anyone know how Mister Lister compares with AMPro?
|
krs
|
posted on March 1, 2001 11:57:58 AM
kiheicat
"It is sooooo much easier only having to peck out the descrips...."
That's easy for YOU to say!
dammit
[ edited by krs on Mar 1, 2001 11:58 AM ]
|
bobbysoxer
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:15:58 PM
So am I correct in that AW will be charging us to post on the message board?
If so it will be ghost town. In my opinion it wouldn't be worth it. Go elsewhere. The rich folk who can "afford" it can rule this kingdom.
Just my opinion.....
|
krs
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:18:01 PM
No, actually they're going to give listing credits for posts. I'm set for life.
|
chepistar
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:33:15 PM
regarding the "f-word"...
I'll give you my 5 cents worth but the back door is OFF limits to you!
as if ........
|
Antiquary
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:33:45 PM
They'll only charge the professional whiners.
|
krs
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:48:12 PM
Big deal. I was putting pictures in auctions before AW, and I'll put them in auctions after AW.
They aren't getting any cut of gross proceeds, and given the procedure for recovering fees from ebay in the case of a refund or NPB, with the required time limits, I'm sure that similar recovery from AW will be near impossible.
It's only slightly less convenient to use my own webspace than to use AWs, but not such a convenience that I'd pay $1.00 per $100.oo to avail myself of the ease.
[ edited by krs on Mar 2, 2001 01:15 AM ]
|
stacyp
|
posted on March 1, 2001 12:50:21 PM
mister lister is what i was using previous to AW-very easy-no problems- i used coffee cup as outside image hoster that i uploaded on and then put my www. into mr. lister-you have to release the auctions when you want them to release-can't preset date and time- item # numbers come right out and in order which is nice-no WBN service-yet? IT IS A GREAT LISTING TOOL!!!
|
kiheicat
|
posted on March 1, 2001 01:05:10 PM
Ooh, james, thanks!
krs ROTF @ the chicken
Question for anyone in the know: How will this affect items RELISTED after their March 14th date? If I have an auction running now that doesn't sell and relist it in a couple of weeks, am I going to have to pony up or take new pix? I've been deleting from my hard drive as soon as they're on AW so I don't have the file jpgs anymore. Hmmmm...
|
femme
|
posted on March 1, 2001 01:08:58 PM
No, actually they're going to give listing credits for posts. I'm set for life.
krs' cup runneth over.
And, because I believe you to be a charitable soul, perhaps you would be so kind as to donate your overage to the poster in the new fee thread who claims to have a profit margin of less than $1 on some sales.
I just don't have the heart to tell her/him that less than $1 is not a profit.
|
toke
|
posted on March 1, 2001 01:11:41 PM
Cat...
Go to your image...right click and copy to your hard drive. You'll have it back. Then do with that image as you will...
|
kiheicat
|
posted on March 1, 2001 02:34:17 PM
Thanks toke I should have thought of that... duh. Boy is that going to be a pain in the arse saving a couple hundred images one at a time... sigh...
|
