posted on January 4, 2001 01:53:32 PM new
I had planned to maintain the listings I have on YAHOO until they run out, post more before the 10th, move what I could to classified and a web site, use a fairly large balance in my YWallet to continue some listings and ride out the storm.
Changed my mind due to the chat. I'm going to close all listings today and cut off my nose to spite my face. Will then send an email to Y explaining what I have done and way.
Not burning the bridge. In reality I only risk the potential sales I could make during the time of remaining free listings.
The auctions will remain to be relisted, in part or in whole, and the money will stay in the wallet.
I'm just risking the loss of a little short term profits to send a message.
Letting them run out will be less clear than closing them down while they are still free.
My approach may not be pratical for many sellers but let me suggest an alternative if you want to make a statement.
Look over your listings and cancel 5% or 10% of the weakest/oldest etc. from your list. Let Y know you cancelled them as a protest of the fee structure even though you could have continued to list them for up to an addition 30 days for free.
Customers getting up and walking out in protest makes more or a statement than just not coming back.
If this is, as claimed, a Auction Dept. decision, they may have to explain to the top management why so many customers are taking such drastic actions.
A thousand sellers cancelling 5 auctions each will have much greater impact than one seller cancelling 5000 listings.
Be a squeaky wheel .
I'll try to find the email addresses that should be copied in to see that the top management sees our actions. If you know the email address for the YAHOO Founders please add it to this thread.
Don't do this to yourself! You are fighting a dead horse. Yahoo is going to die. There is nothing more we can do to try to save it.
Use every last cent in your wallet. Make every last sale you can before you leave. You are going to need the money to survive through the Summer Slump that is coming on all auction sites. Pocket that money as fast as you can and don't spend a dime on anything not absolutely necessary.
Until we find that new place to rest our weary heads and merchandise, we are gonna be hurting bigtime just to stay ahead of the heat, electric, and gas bills.
What I will miss the most is the dear dear friends I have made here. I luv you guys.
posted on January 4, 2001 03:53:32 PM new
ray and heygrape,
You both seem to be very well-informed, so I am posting here to ask you to clarify. I am confused as to whether or not the auto resubmits will be charged a listing fee when they relist after Jan. 10, even though original listing was prior to Jan. 10.
One answer from the Yahoo Chat is as follows: eddie149 asks: Please are auto re submits going to be charged a fee. I saw you say relists won't be and I don't know what that is really.
y_auctions_guest: Auto-resubmits will continue to be free up until January 10th.
y_auctions_guest: After January 10th, auto-resubmits will be treated as regular listings and will be charged an insertion fee.
I received an email from Yahoo that stated the following: Please know that you will not be charged for any auto-relisted items if
the original item was submitted before January 10th. If your auction
was
posted on or after January 10th, you will be charged the normal fee for
your auction for each time it is relisted.
For example, if you post your auction on January 9th and have it scheduled to automatically relist two times, you will not be charged for these auctions.
Do not these answers contradict each other or am I reading too much into the answer from today's Yahoo Chat?
Do you think Yahoo would allow sellers to put a sentence in their auction descriptions stating what internet auction they intend to list at after Jan. 10?
Now, my two cents worth. I intend to stay on the Titanic until the last life boat leaves. In other words, I am going to take full advantage of free listing on Yahoo until it is no longer available. If auto relists are not charged a fee if the auction is listed before the tenth, that will take auctions to sometime in February. Yahoo will, at that time, see the effect of charging listing fees. Take advantage of the free listing period. Yahoo will see
the negative impact of this decision soon enough.
I, like many, would have understood being charged a FVF, but totally disagree with being charged for listing at an auction venue where it can take many weeks for an item to sell.
Dad, bless his soul, always told me, "Never say never," so I won't say I will never list at Yahoo again, but there will have to be a lot more buyers before I wade in their waters again.
posted on January 4, 2001 04:05:28 PM new
packer--Personally, I think it means that auto-relists on auctions started BEFORE Jan 10th will NOT be charged fees for the re-lists. That's the way I read it. I could be wrong.
I can't tell you about putting a blurb in your auctions about where you are going because I'm too gutzy for my own good and get myself warned every so often for things I do. I can't understand why. I'm totally innercent...
I wish we could get things narrowed down on where we are going to move. You know...........I think you caught me at a loss this time. I'm just lost. I don't know what to do. I'm looking into everything everyone is bringing up, but so far I think I'm stuck dragging my poor tattered butt back to egreed in shame. GAWD! I never thought I would end up at egreeds mercy.
typo
[ edited by heygrape on Jan 4, 2001 04:07 PM ]
posted on January 4, 2001 08:35:10 PM new
heygrape... Love your angel. I think a number of us are in the "I don't know where I'm going frame of mind," too. I was totally blind-sided by Yahoo's announcement. Just remember, you can dabble at other auction sites while you are listing at egreed. Right now, I know I will try listing at Lycos and AUXpal. Nothing to lose when it's free.
posted on January 5, 2001 02:48:31 PM new
you're not really cutting off your nose. just let your customers know where you are going, and most will follow you.
posted on January 5, 2001 03:06:37 PM new
Packer 111
Yahoo is saying that they are not going to charge for resubmits if they are done before the 10th. However, with all the confusion I for one don't trust that and most likely will end most of my auctions on the 9th.
BTW Yahoo is not doing the free relists thing to be a good guy. Analysts look at January market to predict what will happen for the year. January and their predicts can make or break a company so if yahoo can keep most of the auctions going until the end of the month or near and into Feb that will help them in the over all market scheme. Most of the auctions are for 10 days and most woulg go into feb. That would make a big difference for Yahoo. That is another reason I may end them on the 9th but I won't shoot myself in the foot and end them like now. I can still make a few bucks over the weekend and ending now will not make a difference. Not on a weekend.
But we all must do what is best for us. That is what Yahoo is doing.
