posted on February 19, 2001 08:30:00 AM new
This is something the CEO and members of BidBay are extremely proud of. But as usual they accept everything at face value without delving a little deeper.
for 09/00
Ranked #3 behind eBay
Ranked 862 overall web ranking
1,003,000 unique visitors.
for 10/00
Ranked #3 behind eBay
Ranked 834 overall web ranking (moved up 28 spots)
1,035,000 unique visitors (gained 32,000 unique visitors)
for 11/00
Ranked #3 behind eBay.
Ranked 1,652 overall web ranking (moved down at a loss of 818 spots)
648,000 unique visitors ( a loss of 387,000 unique visitors)
for 12/00
Ranked #3 behind eBay.
Ranked 1,882 overall web ranking (down yet another 230 spots)
608,000 unique visitors (a loss of 40,000 unique visitors)
for 01/01
Ranked #2 behind ebay. (up one notch)
Ranked 1,875 overall web ranking (up 7 spots)
602,000 unique visitors (a loss of 6,000 unique visitors)
So while they may be #2 in unique visitors behind eBay they have lost a lot of ground.
Dropped 1,013 spots since September, 2000
Lost 401,000 unique visitors during the period from September, 2000 to present.
During this same period:
eBay dropped 1 web ranking but gained over 5,000,000 unique visitors.
Lowestbids is not even on the chart but on 01/01 was ranked #4 behind eBay with 289,000 unique visitors. That's a big jump from the beyond to the top 9 list.
I gathered these numbers from the very same website that BidBay touts their number 2 existence.
I don't know if I can paste the link here but will email it to you if you need it for verification purposes
[email protected]
Edited for clarification
AG2
[ edited by auctiongallery2 on Feb 19, 2001 08:38 AM ]
posted on February 19, 2001 08:48:48 AM new
What is not known is that many of these "unique users" were names from the OAI chat community that were stolen by some "troll" and registered without the users knowledge. Many of the posters (myself included) post on AW and Auction Diner (the site that Bidbay just bought). So the stats mean absolutely nothing. So far in the past couple of days dozens have been uncovered.
I would suggest to anyone whp posts on any OAI board to go to Bidbay.com and click on the "Feedback" link on the top of the page and type in their name to check and see if it was registered by this troll. Now, many folks are registering their chat names so that this doesn't happen but I will be damned if I will be forced to register my chat name (thus increasing Bidbay's stats) so that it won't be stolen by some troll looking to score points for Bidbay. Besides, my id has already been registered and not by me.
Many of us are trying to have our names removed only to find them still there or reregistered.
I can't find any contact info on the Bidbay site therefore I haven't been able to speak with anyone directly about this. Also, unlike ebay which gives a date of registration for every user, Bidbay does not. It is my belief that these ids were all registered in the same time frame. Of course, if you can't get in touch with anyone to assist in this problem then you can't address these concerns.
I just want the community to be aware that any name they post on a board with may show up at Bidbay as a "user".
Nobs is just my OAI chat name and not the name I do business by on ebay.
Many, many have had their chat names registered over there unknowingly.
posted on February 19, 2001 08:59:50 AM new
Just a note of interest. Once again the ceo has decided that the company's quiet period is something that he can just ignore.
Today's posting by GT explains their reasoning behind some of their recent acquisitions.
Of course the koolaid kids are saying what a genious business man he is, but let's think about it. They acquired Snuze.com, which uses the same software as bidbay. This site probably had a few hundred users and was obviously someone's hobby site. The ceo says that they acquired it so they could "enhance" it and sell it in their "auction software division". That makes no sense at all. Snuze uses the same software as bidbay. Why would they need to acquire a site that has the same software so they could sell it in their software division?
Also, if Snuze were worth acquiring, meaning it was worthy competition, then why would the "software division" want to jeporadize the users of bidbay by selling an alternative to the highest bidder?
I beleive that the acquisition was made soley to give the appearance of bidbay being a powerhouse that will simply purchase anything it sets its mind on.
It seems that he will never be able to make good on his claims to buy Yahoo, Amazon, and AuctionWatch, so he bought a couple of kitchen table businesses for a couple of thousand bucks.
[ edited by auctiongaurd on Feb 19, 2001 09:33 AM ]
posted on February 19, 2001 09:34:09 AM new
Auctiongaurd...funny thing. I had signed up on Auctiondiner right before they "buyout"...LOL
Someone had a thread started about bidbay's censorship and I posted something on there regarding them pulling the link to the SB2 filing.
Well I figured I'd go see if it's still there...nope. The thread has been pulled.
Do you think they are going to pull any of the "negative" posts about other auction sites. I don't. But they will all of the BidBay ones.
And I agree with you in that the only reason they are buying these sites they are attempting to make it look like they are making good on their statement to buy them all up including auction watch, yahoo, and amazon.
I can't wait until they start ammending their filings I guess I need to write the SEC monthly for updates because I want to see what kind of money they spent on these sites. I bet it's very little.
But back to the point.
BidBay is continuously losing unique hits I think this is proof that while some may be pulled in by the pumped up numbers on the front page they don't come back the next month or tell friends about the site when they find out there is really nothing there.
Edited for a mistake.
AG2
[ edited by auctiongallery2 on Feb 19, 2001 09:40 AM ]
posted on February 19, 2001 10:35:51 AM new
There is something inherently wrong in an auction site buying a general auction discussion board. That is equivalent to eBay buying AW.
Then again, from what I've heard about BidBay, I'm not surprised they did this. I am, however, surprised that the owners of AuctionDiner went along with it.
posted on February 19, 2001 11:31:53 AM new
I'm still waiting for the typical Koolaid kid answer to my postings.
And that is to attack me instead of addressing the issue or topic at hand.
I wonder what other answers they might know of that we aren't privy to.
It must be their tip top secret plan has worked...it's evident in how many unique hits they have lost in the last 5 months.
Hey BidBay do not ask for whom the bell tolls for...it tolls for thee.
Oh I'm sorry that was way over their head. Let me put in words they can understand.
Hey Koolaid! don't be askin about who's out yonder ringin' the bell on the front door of the double wide...because it's that feller named dotcomdeath...and he ain't bringin' no sixer for watchin' no dubyadubyaeff.
posted on February 19, 2001 05:08:56 PM new
auctiongaurd,
I did a search and couldn't find the quote you used, so I'm assuming it's from another message board. No copy and pastes from other boards is allowed per the CG's.
posted on February 19, 2001 10:19:55 PM new
Where is the annpuncment that Bidbay bought Snuze.com
For those of you who haven't been to snuze......they have a VERY IMPRESSIVE bulk listing software tool.
I havent used it but I downloaded and played with it and liked it very much.
In the Bidbay buys Auction Diner thread..
Auction diner was a directory of al different auctions, news about them and info etc etc..
I don't like that such a controversial single auction site has bought this general interest site.
I see the directory gone, the good news about any other auction site gone basically anything about other sites gone except for the "Good Stuff" about bidbay being kept.
I see it as an attempt to lessen info and access to these other auction sites. In a small scaled version it would be like Ebay buying AW.
http://www.lovepotions.net
posted on February 20, 2001 03:38:56 AM new
AG2,
I really hope you have a detailed chronicle of the antics of GT and Co. .
This would make a fine book on the Evils of Capitalism And Hype At Its Worst, as well as the screenplay for a bizarre comedy of errors.
The latest tidbit is, of course, that the editing of the commercial is complete. Now comes the packaging. The 8mm reels being stuffed into envelopes and being sent to Belden, and 3M and Western Electric. Cable companies.
posted on February 20, 2001 08:15:44 AM new
A Quote from AG2
"Maybe if sellers would quit turning their nose up at BidBay and would have listed some items there over the summer and informed their regular clientele instead of b*tching about the site they could have helped build a better auction site plus save money listing for free and not paying commissions"
Me agree with you 100%
[ edited by bidbaylover on Feb 20, 2001 08:16 AM ]
posted on February 20, 2001 08:41:10 AM new
Bidbaylover~~With 4 million registered users it really wouldn't matter much if a few folks snubbed Bidbay. Where exactly are the QUALITY items that will attract serious buyers in droves. I find it very hard to believe that out of 4 million users NO ONE is listing the type of times en masse to attract vintage/antiques buyers...Gosh maybe some other numbers are wrong...
The Company entered into an agreement with Speedy Click to purchase 2,000,000 registered users at the rate of $1.00 each for a total of $2,000,000. The Company has capitalized the costs associated with obtaining the registered users database and has determined its useful life to be 36 months. Management plans on re-evaluating the useful life should conditions warrant."
and
"NOTE 8 - INSTALLMENT PAYABLE
The Company entered into several agreements with Speedy Click (aka Network Commerce, Inc.), wherein Speedy Click was to provide two million registered users at $1.00 each for a total of $2 million. Payment is to be paid in the form of $1 million cash and 200,000 shares of the Company's preferred stock at $5.00 per share. The agreement also stated that Speedy Click is to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock from the Company at $5.00 per share. As of August 31, 2000 the Company had paid $169,013 in cash to Speedy Click and had issued no shares of preferred stock. Subsequent to August 31, 2000, the Company paid $200,000 in cash and issued 200,000 shares of preferred stock at $5.00 per share.
Subsequent to August 31, 2000, the Company entered into eight monthly agreements with Speedy Click wherein the Company will feature Speedy Click in its weekly newsletter to the Company's 2 million registered users. Each agreement is for $50,000 per month or a total of $400,000."
Okay...2,000,000 of their "users" are "users" because they failed to 'opt out' of an affiliate program when they signed up for a free tshirt or a lotto game, or whatever, at another site. But it's 2,000,000 pieces of dead wood (as buyers or sellers) at this 'auction site'.
In addition, BidBay pays any user $1.00 for each referral of another person who becomes an "active member" (registers and activates the id). This has provided the perfect incentive to harvest OAI (and other) chat board id names and 'register' them (using bogus email addresses) and collect the $1 per. It swells the "registered users" number, but with folks who have either never heard of the place, or are appalled to find that their names (and potentially their reputations) are now registered there, and being used to promote a sleaze hole.
posted on February 20, 2001 10:00:42 AM new
Well said Hellcat. Also, I am sure alot of folks signed up during the free t-shirt and stock giveaway and never returned. The
t-shirt giveaway was linked on all the "freebie" sites for months. As someone who bought and sold on Bidbay, I am quite sure there is NOT anywhere close to even 2 million active users. If one checks feedback numbers on anyone there, you can get a pretty good idea of just how many active users there really are. I also think the harvested ID situation is a new low, even for Bidbay.
edited to add: I posted with wrong ID. This is D. Am uploading some pics for my mother to her AW account and forgot I was still signed in to it.
[ edited by shabbygal on Feb 20, 2001 10:06 AM ]
posted on February 20, 2001 10:12:37 AM new
Hi hellcat.
Funny thing too about those numbers. The CEO of BidBay has claimed they purchased 15 million user names from Speedy Click.
I questioned him about this and he threated me with litigation for defamation and "buisiness economics interferrence," LOL I still laugh at that one. I informed him that all I could go by was what was stated in his SB2 filings which of course states 2 million.
Regardless of how many members they claim to have the question is are these bona fide registrants or harvested members who were unaware of any "opt in" or "opt out" programs when they visited their "co-affiliate" sites.
The simple fact is the numbers show the truth. Even though gaining over 3,000,000 members since I first started selling on that site they have lost a little over 400,000 unique hits to the site each month.
Once again the numbers do not add up and people are seeing that.
posted on February 20, 2001 10:26:10 AM new
I've moved this post over here where it belongs.
It is a response to Floridaborn's attempts at explaining the decrease in unique users at BidBay.
floridaborn you completely missed the point of the post.
There were more unique hits there BEFORE the contests...the decline in unique hits began before the established contests did.
So that wasn't an influx in people coming in for the contests and are deadbeats...these were people who didn't come back after October because they did not find what they were looking for and there has been a steady decline in unique users since.
Read the numbers. over 1 million unique hits in September and October and a decline in 387,000 uniqe hits in November.
as the base.