posted on February 11, 2001 10:00:35 PM new
Pros=
great CS
photo gallery
will directly import feedback rating
Front door rotation of featured
constant improvement for ease of navigation
posted on February 12, 2001 07:58:58 AM new
Who could possibly take this site seriously with a name like "Pootah" ?
This would help explain the complete lack of traffic. The name makes the site seem like it was created by a couple of teenagers giggling over a Playboy magazine.
JMHO
[ edited by browse4stuff on Feb 12, 2001 08:00 AM ]
posted on February 12, 2001 08:25:57 AM new
Pootah was the first of the new auction sites I tried. I was totally happy with their look and 'feel' for customers. The thing that keeps me away is the lack of image hosting. I don't have time to upload to a host, copy the URL, paste it in their listing, copy my ad, paste it in their listing, etc. It just gets too labor intensive for hundreds of items. But in all other areas I was very pleased with their site.
posted on February 12, 2001 08:34:18 AM new
pro - nice looks
con - little traffic, no bulk loading, hard work, and posting difficulty
[ edited by toomanycomics on Feb 12, 2001 08:46 AM ]
posted on February 12, 2001 09:15:15 AM new
Hi Everyone,
My name's Jamie, and I'm the chief customer support operator, and network administrator for Pootah Free Auctions. I'd just like to address a few of your concerns about our auction site, one by one.
I really don't get much time to come over here - the sheer mass of messages eats up too much time. I consult with sellers on a couple of small forums and that's all I really have time to do.
Forshoppin: We have traffic, admittedly not much. But need I remind you that we're a free site, and we are maintaining our books so that we can afford to be free for the remainder of our forseeable future. This means at present, no advertising. You guys - as sellers, who should know the workings of business - should know that you can't make money without spending money, but you also can't spend money without making money in return. Any free site which is advertising or hosting images _WILL_ charge eventually for their services. You should beware of free sites which are spending money...
Browse4Stuff: who would take a site like "Yahoo" seriously? Who would take a seller with a 4 in their name seriously? I think that opinion is a serious oversight. Our name is intended to show that we don't take things as a buy-the-book business, and to have something different to the usual *bay or *pal rip-off domains.
tomwiii: probably not. while we're on the subject of what Pootah means: no, it's not a spanish profanity. That word is spelt entirely different, and I am in no way spanish. No, it is not a nasty term representing the female genitalia in hawaii, that word has two N's in it. Finally, the domain is registered under .com, which is US commercial sites. Therefore, the only language which really applies is English. If it were registered under .fn or similar, then perhaps those names would apply
sammie0: glad to hear you're pleased with everything else The reason we don't offer image hosting is pure economics. It costs an awful lot of money, and as I said above - beware of sites which are free but spending money! They WILL have to charge sooner or later. The reason Yahoo! auctions lasted so long in my opinion is because the Auctions section was running at a lost in order to draw more visitors for their advertising. We plan on offering image hosting for a small fee (estimated at $5 per 100 images per month), as that's the only way we can possibly offer it and remain free.
toomanycomics: but we've had a bulk loader since day 2? I'm not sure about your "Posting Difficulty" claim either, when other user's opinions seriously contradict this.
If any user has any problems, suggestions, difficulties, etc with any part of the Pootah site, I would appreciate an email to [email protected] . It would probably take less time than to post here, and you have a pretty good chance that we'll fix the problem as soon as we can. At present we are rebuilding our submit section, including the bulk loader, and restructuring our featured listing system to make it fairer for sellers of low value items.
With regards the "little traffic", this is probably the most fair drawback of our site. However, I might remind you that ultimately it is the sellers who make an auction site - paid advertising does little really.
We are run by sellers - just like you - and our "ceo" sells Jewelry items on Pootah and has been cleaning up consistently for the past month. Because she worked to promote her items and let all her old customers know where she was listing, and they in turn referred friends. This is our source of income (we sell things on our own auction site), and that I believe is the reason we will remain free when others are charging. Because we don't need to earn revenue from our site to pay mortgages, etc.
Thank you all for your opinions of our site, they're greatly appreciated (even the bad ones), as we're not trying to make money - all we're trying to do is make a decent auction site, and you're helping us.
posted on February 12, 2001 10:33:05 AM new
That should answer the questions about if they will be #2. But then again I do not think they want to be anyway.
posted on February 12, 2001 12:15:48 PM new
Basically, we don't want to make a fortune out of our auction site (which is basically what sets us apart from virtually every other auction house - we are not profit oriented). We're simply making a place for ourselves to do business on the web for free, and we've succeeded in that.
However, we could have simply made a webstore for ourselves. But we decided to allow others to get on board, and make ourselves a full online auction house. Our users need to understand that they're not there for our profit, and we offer services when and if we can, not when and if it's profitable.
I wouldn't mind if no one said anything about Pootah and we just kept plodding along like we are now. But it's hurtful to me personally when people start saying libellious and negative things about our website in an effort to try and draw people to where _they_ want to go.
I've been working sometimes up to 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week - just to give myself and other online sellers a place to sell for free, and it's not very nice to hear that people think that everyone should "ditch us and go to bidville". If you have problems with Pootah, I would appreciate a simple email - the problem will be solved much much faster than it would if you post it here (I never get to read this website, it's a fluke I read it twice in one day, I just hit refresh on this thread).
When and if BidVille elects to charge fees (and in my economic viewpoint, I'd say yes and soon), please remember that Pootah will still be there, it will still be free, and it will probably be 30 times as good as the last time you visited it. And please also remember that for the large part, it's the _Sellers_ who bring buyers to the site for an up and coming auction site. If you think BidVille had anything to do with their own success, then I would suggest you try running your own site because it's next to impossible to bring buyers to a site without seller support.
If you want a place to sell things right now for free, I would suggest BidVille - if you want to sell things period, your best bet would be eBay (they have fees, but they also have paid advertising and bids). But if you don't want your head on a corporate chopping block, we are offering an alternative - it will just take some work.
One day, I'd like to think we will be a major player in the online auctions game. But it will take us a while to get there, because we don't have a large investment to plow into it - but as I said, that also means we won't be expecting returns. Remember, shooting stars burn out the quickest...
posted on February 12, 2001 05:28:44 PM new
I have used the pootah bulkloader without any problems. My images are hosted at BidBay. The only drawback at pootah for me: no bids.
But like Jamie says, that might change with time. Until then, I have stuff listed in different places.
posted on February 12, 2001 06:07:09 PM new
I love Pootah, I have received a couple of emails from Jamie with replies to my suggestions which they used. I will continue to list there, I currenlt have 60 auctions(pfi309) and hope to have over 200 in the near future. Keep up the good work and I will be doing a big email push with my old yahoo customers for both Pootah and Bidville. Thanks Jamie, keep up the good work! Chuck - pfi309
posted on February 12, 2001 10:21:29 PM new
I have listed here. So far, no bids. As far as the site goes, it is very pleasing to the eye and very easy to navigate and use. I do have my pictures posted elsewhere, so it was no problem for me to insert them into the auction. I'm used to it. Now if we can just get the traffic headed that way! I've even inserted a link to the auction site in my email signature file.
posted on February 12, 2001 10:22:49 PM new
Easy to use. Great customer service. Will answer my emails. Was very helpful in importing my feedback. Only downside is I have to cut and paste photos to my items. And the traffic is slow.
posted on February 13, 2001 03:46:29 PM new
Just browsing around and stumbled in here. Wanted to comment on the name. I dont care HOW its spelled...still turns me off. Think I would list my items at a place called HO.com? No, its not spelled the same way, but its still slang, and no matter how its spelled, people still get the idea in their head of what it makes them think of. How about peenis.com, or bastird.com. Same thing. Nope, wont sell there just because of that name.
"Where do you sell your items?" Oh, I sell at HO AUCTION SITE.
"Im intersted in what auction you are at, selling your items" You can find my quality things at the Peenis Auctions
posted on February 14, 2001 04:41:15 AM new
Who cares what the name is? Everyone has their own opinions but I think the name is slang for computer. Anyway I never would have thought of private body parts....I guess I just have a Clean mind!
I think Pootah is doing a great job for as young as they are, etc....If you want Ebay and the traffic, fees, hassles, etc....then you should go there. Otherwise people should lighten up on these new sites. When I listed on Yahoo a few years ago, there was NO traffic.
posted on February 20, 2001 08:48:09 AM new
auctiongaurd started these threads on RATING sites and when he/she did not get the response he/she wanted he/she asked to have the ePier thread locked.
My opinion is that auctiongaurd only wanted to cause discontent with users of the FREE sites. I get this impression from his/her following post to another thread: PLEASE READ:
Does this sound like someone that wants sites RATED, or someone that wants FREE sites off the internet?
auctiongaurd
posted on February 15, 2001 11:35:08 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wabmester,
That is halarious! But you are right. People have been accustomed to getting their services on the Internet for free. I've said this before, I think that on a particular date ALL of the online auction sites should begin starting fees INCLUDING basic listing fees. If all of them did this it would clean up the industry from the littered three cent garbage and turn the industry into a respectable e-commerce marketplace.
It would also weed out the less adaquate sites and provide a revenue stream for those that survive that would allow for branding, advertising, and upkeep.
Sure it would also make a lot of sellers abandon the auction industry for good, but if I were a business I would rather have 1000 paying customers over 10,000 non-paying ones.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sounds a little too much like eBay talking to me, with the e-commerce marketplace idea.
posted on February 20, 2001 12:07:38 PM new
What has this got to do with POOTAh?? I think I hear a moderator coming...
[ edited by jimhhow on Feb 20, 2001 12:11 PM ]
posted on February 24, 2001 01:20:43 PM new
Just want to tack on my 2 cents here, since I have used Pootah and do on occasion. I haven't listed anything there but did find a few things to bid on.
It seems traffic is slow there but when I have the right items to list I do plan on putting some there as I think they'll attract bids. I like the overall design of the site, although the small font is very difficult for me to read.
As for the name--well, it's not what I'd expect an on-line auction to be called but really didn't conjure up anything like I see posted here. Of course, maybe I'm really naive, too, LOL.
I hope they can make a good go of it. I've been to a lot of auction sites and Pootah's one where I can relax for a few minutes and to me this is a good thing.
http://wallypogsbog.bizland.com
[ edited by toomanycomics on Feb 12, 2001 08:46 AM ]