posted on March 17, 2001 07:06:08 AM new
Are there any alternative sites that do what Half.com does? Their customer service/help desk is virtually non-existant! If I get a reply (and that's IF, not when) the reply ignores nearly every question I asked. (To be fair: I have gotten a few very good replies, but not many.)
Somebody, anybody, please start a competing site (are you listening AuctionWatch? Somebody who actually cared could really do well with a site like this).
Half.com is super when everything goes smooth. But if you ever have a problem and you are the seller (like their computer denies that you "confirmed" the sale and their time-out program cancels the order, but you already mailed the goods anyway) look out. Odds of getting it resolved are slim to none. Also, if a buyer complains to them, they seem to give a refund and dock you, without even contacting you - that's just not fair. If you want to list an alternate title, and you ask them to add it to the site - forget it, I get no reply at all. Their feedback system doesn't allow the seller any opportunity to explain or rebut, and there are some awefully mean or immature people leaving negative feedbacks there. They have no feature for buyer to contact the seller with a question - it's not needed often, but sometimes it would save a lot of trouble.
Also note that they appear to cover the insurance when you buy - they offer to refund you if goods don't show up, but their official policy limits that to 3 claims in your lifetime. An average to busy buyer could have 3 claims in a month. There's a ton of improvements that could be made there, but comments fall on totally deaf ears. Enjoy the site, but just hope that nothing ever goes wrong with one of your sales or purchases!
posted on March 17, 2001 07:11:10 AM new
Hello wrsmusic
I always get replies, but sometimes they don't answer the question. So, I write and write again until someone understands that they shouldn't be answering set answers that don't pertain to the question.
I've been told to write to them regarding books that aren't listed and they will add them to the database. I haven't done it yet.
One thing I noticed is I sold a book immediately (the person had asked for it), shipped it out the next day and was never told if the person received it or not. No feedback is ever left!
posted on March 17, 2001 01:49:47 PM new
Wrsmusic, I totally agree on just about everything you have said...I have had almost exactly the same experiences.
I looked around over the web yesterday and could find very little. I guess Bibliofind is about it, without paying for listings. Then, you could try Abebooks, the charge about $20 a month for up to 500 listings...not exact, but in the range. Not so bad, when you figure Ebay listing cost. But, you do have to describe each item, more so than Half allows you.
[ edited by escandyo on Mar 17, 2001 01:50 PM ]
posted on March 21, 2001 03:24:20 PM new
The concept of half.com is terrific, proving that classified ads, not auctions, are most suitable for most items currently on auction sites.
What needs to be done is allow anything to be sold in a classified site. Half.com allows only a narrow selection of slightly used stuff.
And it's true, if something goes wrong, forget-a-bout-it.
I ordered 6 videos in 15 minutes in January. What a pleasure over having to make bids, monitor them and get snipped days later at the close. 5 videos arrived in a the next 10 days. The other didn't arrive for 2 weeks so I tried to find out why.
I could not contact the sellother other than to leave feedback which he might or might not read. I could not contact Half.com. There is an automated complaint process but I was told I couldn't do anything for 4 weeks from the purchase date. So I waited 4 weeks and them filled out the forms. About 3 weeks later they replied that they were contactiong the seller and would let me know something sometime in the future.
By this time the tape did arrive...and it was shipped on time. The Post office had it all that time. Otherwise I would still be waiting for who know what. Totally unacceptable customer no-service.
