posted on September 28, 2001 04:47:08 AM new
Good luck to both of you-you'll find Yahoo is more user friendly, more friendly sellers and buyers. I did Ebay for several years. Yahoo is slow, but steady. I have no intention of going back to Ebay! Besides, I like the people on this board!!
posted on September 29, 2001 04:04:52 AM new
I think that may have to do with the category you are selling in. Some seem to attract deadbeats. In the past 6 weeks, I've had about 100 sales and one deadbeat. (I'm just getting cranked up again after taking a month off, so my listings are below 50 all the time) But I'm pretty tolerant of slow pay, as long as they keep in contact with me. One had to wait for pension check at end of month, one for student loan-but both paid off, so waiting was no big deal. This again is a way to build customer loyalty. The 'pay in 10 days or die' rule is not always beneficial!
posted on September 30, 2001 09:19:46 AM new
And I've sold 9 items out of 13 that closed. I've been paid for 3 already and have 2 items left that will close tomorrow.
For the items I'm selling (Kids clothes, Maternity, glass collectables, etc.) Yahoo! out performed Feebay.
posted on October 2, 2001 01:20:37 AM new
I have never had a BIN yet at Yahoo. Maybe it's just the stuff I sell.
I would like to set lower starting prices but the traffic isn't there in my categories to support it - I generally have one bidder per item and they get it for the start price.
As far as sell-through, I find that it is running on average 60%.. 3 out of 5 items sell, and if you take re-listing into the picture, it gets closer to 80 or 90 percent for me. I think the main reason items need re-listing is because of low traffic. I don't get many pageviews at all, and featuring increases pageviews but doesn't seem to increase sell-through so I have quit paying extra for it.
I do vouch that it's friendlier than other venues seem to be right now, and I love the "instant" indexing. Then, I can immediately see where my listing is in a category and where it comes up in a search, etc. I think this really helps when I'm debating whether or not to feature an auction.
I have thought about listing on Bargain And Haggle but it seems they have less traffic than Yahoo and their FVF is high enough for the stuff I sell, that it's cheaper to list it twice at Yahoo as long as it sells.
Yahoo ID: grantje
posted on October 2, 2001 04:08:56 AM new
I like yahoo a lot,i like the free pics especially. have had good luck with great bidders,nice people too. just so expensive to feature i have slowed on that too.they did a survey awhile back & got a lot of people asking for fvf only..i feel they could really grow quick if they did that..hoping for an announcement..many people would go back in a minute if they did it..i have tried the free sites,,not good at all...i am at a small site with a very low flat rate + fvf now for collectibles..actually doing pretty well there would like to do yahoo & there & have decided to quit the free ones..good luck everyone
posted on October 2, 2001 04:22:56 AM new
I think if they went to fvf, the sellers, then the buyers would come back strong. As mad as everyone was at them when they started their fee system, the little free sites just won't support a business. At the same time, small businesses can't afford Ebay.
With fvf, Yahoo would once again be a viable alternative to Ebay.
posted on October 2, 2001 08:25:48 AM new
I agree totaly. If Yahoo went to a FVF system they would gain a very large of disenchanted sellers from both free sites and eBay. What does Yahoo have to lose to try the FVF system?
posted on October 2, 2001 10:43:27 AM new
Well, I haven't heard anything else about our survey. I suppose that since the results weren't what they wanted to hear, they chose to ignore it-typical Yahoo!
posted on October 2, 2001 10:58:06 AM new
My personal dealings with large corporations is that they take a long, long time to enact policy changes. Like the Dilbert cartoons, they love to form commitees and spend time and money "studying" the situation. So there is still some hope, but it fades more and more with each passing day. Christmas shopping season is fast approaching and that would be an ideal time to enact the policy change.
posted on October 2, 2001 01:39:20 PM new
Bearmom, you must've missed this. I got it about two weeks ago & someone posted it. I'd say that they're definitely not ignoring the survey.
I originally planned to write to you last week about the results of our
Auctions Survey, but Tuesday's tragic events appropriately took our
focus off of the business of online auctions. Our thoughts and prayers
are with the people directly and indirectly impacted by these horrific
events.
During the past week, Yahoo! has worked tirelessly to keep vital
communications services, like Yahoo! Mail, Messenger, Message Boards,
and Groups running smoothly; to provide users with the latest breaking
news through Yahoo! News, Finance, Health, and Travel; and to aid the
disaster relief efforts in every way we can. Yahoo! Store has provided
the online donation backbone for the American Red Cross, the NY
Firefighter's 911 Disaster Relief Fund and the Salvation Army. To date,
Yahoo! users like you have donated over $20 million directly to these
organizations through Yahoo! Store. Thank you for supporting the relief
effort in any way you can, and thank you for being a part of the Yahoo!
community!
Now, I'd like to share with you the original intent of this email to
personally thank you for taking the time to complete the Yahoo!
Auctions
Survey in late-August. The response was truly overwhelming. The seller
community came out in huge numbers to critique, to applaud, and to
offer
suggestions to change, improve, and grow Yahoo! Auctions.
The survey has helped us to prioritize changes and improvements to our
service. As proven by the record number of respondents, we learned that
we need to ask sellers for feedback more often. We will listen to your
suggestions and will determine what we can and cannot do. We also
learned that there are a few key initiatives that you want to see
happen. You want us to:
1. Drive even greater traffic from the Yahoo! network of over 200
million users to Yahoo! Auctions.
2. Re-evaluate the fees we charge sellers.
3. Build new and different ways to buy and sell products on Yahoo!
In the past weeks, we have begun tackling each of these three issues.
They are our top priorities. We will keep you apprised of our progress.
By taking the time to offer personal suggestions and advice, you've
indicated that you want to see Yahoo! Auctions improve and grow, you
want the world of online auctions to have choice and competition. We
intend to compete by listening to your needs, by building the best
marketplace possible, and by offering you the best tools and services
imaginable.
I'll be in touch again very soon with further details. For now, know
that we have heard you and are working on the major initiatives
specified above.
Thank you again for your time, and our best wishes to you, your
friends,
and family during these challenging times.
Norm Hullinger
VP, General Manager, Yahoo! Auctions
(Please note: You received this message because you elected to receive
it when you completed the Yahoo! Auctions Survey. If you do not want to
receive future updates and information, you may unsubscribe by hitting
reply and typing "Unsubscribe - Auctions Survey" in the Subject line.)
posted on October 2, 2001 05:15:07 PM new
Sure hope if they are going to do the fvf only,they do it quick..Holidays are coming..
I relisted an item last nite,sold it this morning buy it now good price too..my theory is people are creatures of habit..
well when everyone left yahoo i tried it,even with fees..see the bidders were still there..many knew nothing about the flap on fees.
I beleive many bidders that are used to Yahoo & newer computer users are comfortable there so they stay...
I am encouraged they even had the survey,looks like someone finally is in a position of authority with some business savy...hope so...i really like my yahoo bidders..good luck everyone!
posted on October 2, 2001 11:24:33 PM new
You are in a tiny minority. I'd say 99% would love to see the fvf and no listing fee policy. I'd even gladly pay a 10% fvf if listing fees were out. Half.com is a 15% fvf with no listing fee. I support a minimum fvf of 25 cents on every sold item. Yahoo is turning away millions of dollars by sticking to this stupid 20 cent listing fee.
posted on October 3, 2001 05:15:31 AM new
But fvf is just once-you can do a lot of relisting at 20 cents a pop, before something sells! If it's a lower end item, your profit can disappear very quickly.
I did get the letter from Yahoo. But until I actually see them do something, that is just an 'I feel your pain' letter-all talk, no action.
posted on October 16, 2001 07:40:49 AM new
The problem with fvf only and no listing fees is that the categories get clogged with pages and pages of junk that doesn't sell but sellers are hoping that "one day" someone will buy the stuff. I think that is one of the reasons that Yahoo switched to listing fees, to weed out some of the listings that were sitting in categories for weeks at a time. A lot of the listings were similar items as well. People would list and list and list and just let the stuff sit forever. It's annoying, and buyers get tired of looking at the same old listings every week. With a listing fee, sellers will think twice about listing the same stuff over and over that doesn't sell but maybe once in a blue moon, and you don't get sellers clogging categories with all the same stuff because it's free, and thinking maybe they'll get a sale or 2 one day...
Sure, fvf only is good for you and me who list quality items, but think of the implications above for "not so serious" sellers and newbies...
