posted on October 5, 2000 01:36:31 PM new
Seems to me that the issue here on Yahoo now is: Bidders MUST register a CC or they CANNOT BID?? Havent sold ANYTHING since Sept 25th!
It has DROPPED TO 1 or 2 views per item (never was impressed with hits on Yahoo anyway,but sold, nevertheless)
Appears to me that too many boats are being rocked at the same time and we are caught in the middle of the ocean....
Why use Yahoo AT ALL....if all our CASH/MONEY ORDER/CHECK people have been LOCKED OUT?
I personally do not use CC for most of my EVERYDAY purchases...and would RESENT having to give Yahoo a CC# just to bid...I understand giving it to them as a seller, however---it legitimizes our business and allows taking CC's
What's anyone's take on this and I HOPE I'm wrong that bidders have abandoned us!!!!
posted on October 5, 2000 02:09:41 PM new
You have a set of elvis records sold 5 hours from now. Also, it might help to add the PayDirect option.
Sales are rough all over right now. Hang in there. Christmas rush is just around the corner. In the meantime, try to get more quantity up there. Seems like the more auctions I've got up there, the more sales I get.
The CC thing is hurting but it is also helping cut down the number of deadbeats.
posted on October 5, 2000 02:40:14 PM new
I sell something to someone who just writes and asks nearly every day. Thing is, many of these people HAVE credit cards, they just don't want to put them online. We (and Yahoo) are so emeshed with the internet we forget that it takes YEARS before the average person is willing to offer their credit card number on line. When I deal like this, I just give the person the best possible experience I can so that is helps them overcome their fear. I do think it is going to hurt us for awhile, and maybe a long while. On the other hand, we will be selling to more net savvy folks and I kind of like that aspect.
posted on October 5, 2000 04:01:44 PM new
I have only had one sale on yahoo in over 40 days now
and it dont matter haow many items I put up there I just have more of my inventory tied up not selling.
I didnt want to but I have started incressing my ebay listings and in some areas hits there arent to good either but I am selling there slowly but surely.
nearly all the Items I listed in the past two weeks still have 0 veiws on yahoo. I have shifted what I was selling to have more focus on a single category type and this helped get sales on ebay but not doing anything for yahoo.
this change on yahoo happen nearly a month ago and I dont think the credit card registering is gonea work for buyers they are finding other places to buy and 30 days makes a habit I fear most buyers wont be back at this point even if they change this rule most wont return .
WWW.dman-n-company.com
[ edited by dman3 on Oct 5, 2000 04:05 PM ]
posted on October 5, 2000 05:29:06 PM new
Well, sure there are pros and cons to this subject BUT the bottom line is --Yahoo has affected our sales for sure! Think we are going to send them a THANK YOU card for this? Not! In fact- now that I think of it----I will write them and say I will NOT use YAHOO DIRECT - now, since they drove my bidders away. Who says they don't take hostages??
I just listed some hot items on Greedbay--and sure didn't WANT to- but my income cannot take this lag caused by the Yahoo CC scam----cuz that is zactly what it is!
Sure, the savvy buyers will find a way around it but how can they view if they don't register with a CC??
Besides, on another post here, I asked why I couldn't access registration to Yahoo PD, it keeps sending me to WALLET - saying I'm already registered.....BUT couldn't figger how to ENABLE YPD.....and I am savvy (least I thought I was
My sympathy to other sellers affected by this-----let's write to YAHOO!
posted on October 5, 2000 08:34:48 PM new
You know I really think Yahoo might be having troubles with CC verification etc.
I have a friend who has bid on yahoo in the past, signed up or tried to with yahoodirect, and they keep telling her, her 3numbers on the back of the card aren't right.
Now she has had this cc for 20 years, and she can't get thru to yahoo and has checked with her visa and bank company and alls ok..
So now she CAN""T even BID on yahoo anymore because of this snafu...
So is Yahoo having this trouble with a lot of people cant' get their cc to work on yahoo.
You do know Yahoo likes to belch and burp and well you know what I mean without telling anybody, this could be the problem.
If only there was an 800 number to be able to talk to them.
The on 800 number they give isn't helpful at all.
And nobody wants to spend their monies on line for 15 minutes and cut off 3 times.
Food for thought on the non bidding going on.
posted on October 5, 2000 10:59:10 PM new
ioughta,
A few suggestions/comments that might help:
1) Don't use a reserve without revealing it. Either tell what the reserve is (if you hope for several bidders) or use the "buy price", so the bidder will know how much you want. You state in your auctions that the price is negotiable if the reserve isn't met, but you don't put your EMAIL ADDRESS in your auctions so someone can contact you. Yahoo only reveals your email address to the high bidder IF THE RESERVE IS MET.
2) Sign up for PayDirect (I can't remember, but I think you have to "make" a Yahoo Wallet first, then apply it to a PayDirect account. I just used my Visa debit card, so I deposit PayDirect funds into my bank without registering my bank account.) Those who register their CC with Yahoo in order to bid are also likely to sign up and pay with PayDirect---expecially as more sellers begin to offer it...and especially in light of PayPal's newest "business" definition. You can also offer PayDirect in your ebay listings (and not pay any merchant fees on the sales).
3) PUT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR AUCTIONS for buyers to contact you about purchasing without bidding. I've had 3 so far, and I sell to them at the "buy price".
You said, "Appears to me that too many boats are being rocked at the same time and we are caught in the middle of the ocean...."
You're right, and your analogy is perfect---CC registration for new bidders, seller listing limits, jumbled listings without "time left" progression to the top, "featured" auctions losing placement in "time left" viewings, and now PayPal's ruling on who gets free use of their service and who doesn't....all during a traditional poor-sales month (the State Fair of Texas started last Friday, and my sales have ALWAYS been zilch during the Fair)....along with high gas prices, predictions of sky-high heating oil, and internet .coms falling like firecracker duds.
Until Yahoo puts the listings back in "time left" order, we won't know how much the mandatory CC registration has impacted our sales.
posted on October 5, 2000 11:20:14 PM new
As a buyer only on Yahoo I have not and will not put a cc# on the net especially Yahoo and Paypal both these sites have been hacked so many times it nuts. I really don't like Ebay all that much but off I go.
Sorry
posted on October 6, 2000 07:19:53 AM new
Agree...
Many responsible people believe they should NEVER enter their CC # on the internet for fear that it could be hacked. Reasonable or not, this exists as part of the folklore and requiring entry of a CC# does thereby turn away a large number of potential buyers.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:41:53 AM new
gmileske- makes no sense that you would be off to ebay because yahoo wants cc info..
You can't bid on ebay without CC info also.
This can't be the reason for people leaving Yahoo...if they even are.
And I never ever put up a listing without leaving my e mail address.
People are always e mailing me directly for info or gee wanting to make a deal.
This not giving cc info, is just plain silly in my opinion. LIfe is too short to worry if the boogie man is going to get you.
posted on October 6, 2000 09:13:54 AM newjustjoan When I signed up, I had to use the number on the front of my card. It was a 4 digit number written in black (not the raised numbers that are your account number). Is your friend sure that she entered the correct numbers? Did she try the ones on the front of the card (you said 3 numbers from the back of the card)?
All of my credit cards have the 4 digit number in black either under the first 4 digits of the raised account number or at the end of the raised account number.
posted on October 6, 2000 09:32:28 AM new
Hi Labbie1-kicker is it's the same cc that she signed on to yahoo with, and she's listing so why does yahoo now think it's no good as far as yahoodirect goes.
makes no sense.
If anybody ever finds an 800 number where they can talk to people about problems let me know.
posted on October 6, 2000 09:59:44 AM new
justjoan- NOW you can't register on Ebay without verifying a credit card, but when I first registered on Ebay over a year ago you didn't have to have a credit card on file. People who have been Ebay account holders all along don't necessarily have CC's on file for this reason- Ebay never made anyone who signed up under the old rules verify a CC. They only make "newbies" verify a credit card under their new rules. So my Ebay account still doesn't have a crdit card registered, but my boyfriend only registered awhile back- he said it was mandatory, he couldn't register without giving up the CC#.
posted on October 6, 2000 10:04:38 AM new
well then on CC I guess it's just a role of the dice anymore.
I personally am glad that it's been asked for, cause the deadbeats were really big for a while.
posted on October 6, 2000 10:21:57 AM new
ALL I CAN DO IS REPORT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE !!!
1. since late sept. we have had no bids.
2. we had over a dozen e-mails telling us
that yahoo questions and answers on each
auction is not working properly.
3. clubs are either slow catching up to
proper information, or you can't get
into them at all.
4. many upset thru the e-mails to us about
the credit card verification process.
some say they don't have one, the others
say they don't trust yahoo anymore.
5. auction hits are down to 0-5 on a ten
day list. no one is seeing the auctions
out their.
I TOLD MOST OF THE CUSTOMERS I WAS DEEPLY
SORRY FOR THE TROUBLE THEY WERE EXPERIENCING FROM YAHOO AUCTIONS AND CLUBS AREA'S.
i have listed 90% of my entire stock on ten auction houses across u.s. excite, amazon, addict, ebay, msn, etc... 10% percent i still have left on yahoo. it was a great place two years ago, and even a year ago, but now i guess they have a better way to run things. the good thing is i am in central florida were we have scifi conventions, and tupperware converntions and other areas were we sell our special items, and our stores of course. i feel sorry for the people on line who depend on yahoo, to make their living, or a few extra bucks, it appears this year it will be dead in the water. my 30 years experience tells me this.
i hope i am dead wrong. until then i will respect yahoo, and try to work the best i can with what they give us, even if it is a bone !!!
posted on October 6, 2000 11:21:15 AM new
Right now I have 173 items posted at Yahoo!Auctions, of which bidding (and I use that term loosely) on 39 items closes within 24 hours. The latter have 64 cumulative pageviews, with one item having 17 pageviews, and no bids. No bids on any other items as well.
I did, however, have a three sales within the past week.
posted on October 6, 2000 11:56:59 AM new
Oh my--after a resounding start this summer on Yahoo--sad to report that I don't have anything listed at this time on Yahoo. Last 30 listings or so went without one solitary bid and the view rate was horrendous--average-"3". What happened? I thought for sure--we all had a viable alternative to eBay.
Back to the drawing table and back to eBay for now.
posted on October 6, 2000 05:21:25 PM new
justjoan- I haven't had a noticeable decline in my deadbeat count since the credit card thing happened. They're still
"deadbeating out of" my auctions. At least now deadbeats accomplish something though- they raise your sell-through percent! (On paper, anyway.) LOL!
My Yahoo sales are WAAAAYYY down, which I can't blame wholly on Yahoo since I have been listing more of my goodies on Ebay. I have to say that on Yahoo recently I did make some sales I never thought I would- and almost all of them to international buyers. AND I was happy to sell 3 items this week that no one bought when I listed them on Ebay week before last. I hate it that I have felt like I had to go back to listing on Ebay, because I was very comfortable JUST selling Yahoo for awhile. But I think that being diversified certainly has its merits.
posted on October 6, 2000 05:56:05 PM new
Nothing has changed for me on yahoo except that since this CC thing has took effect I have not had one single deadbeat bidder.
I am still selling the same amount, with page hits remaining the same. I don't miss the deadbeat part at all.
Maybe it has effected some people, but at least for me it has not, now when I get a bid, I get paid for the item.
I hope it continues to be this way.
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."---Mark Twain
posted on October 6, 2000 07:46:29 PM new
I feel db bidders are way way down, and now that yahoodirect is in there, it's so simple to send an invoice and people do pay this way. So easy..
My sales maybe down, but I've done some checking on closed auctions on ebay and I can't say it's much better over there either.
The only way I would list on ebay would be to put a lost leader in, to have people find me over here.
I'm stubborn, never got over that "It's only a Buck" .
I'm a stubborn ol bitty.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:27:48 PM new
I'm listing on both, but less on Ebay every week. I'm using the '1st bid wins' tactic and selling a dozen items every day or so-and NO listing fees! It's being much more profitable for everyday items, and the high end still go to Ebay and take their chances. But that may not last much longer-I like Yahoo more all the time!
posted on October 7, 2000 07:04:18 AM new
I "THOUGHT" so too, regarding losing bidders, but have found the opposite - we are selling more, getting paid faster, and all with almost NO deadbeats now.
THANKS YAHOO - I love the requirement of the credit card - it is working beautifully for us!
posted on October 8, 2000 05:06:05 PM new
Thanks so much for everyone's opinions here. Looks like the bottom line is not to hit bottom if we can help it.
One year ago August, I was one of the first crusaders telling all the ebayers on the DNF board how great it was here - to come on over! Had to run for my life~ we love our ebay -if you don't like it leave ~ and worse comments. I finally discontinued mentioning it and merrily built a little business here.
There were only about 50 items in my main category (vinyl records)and after listing,I would take the stats of the item volume#'s each day and see that every 30 days it would climb about 100 seller items at a time. Everytime I sold something on ebay I attached a note to my item and ask they watch my ebay and yahoo auctions. When ebay got disgustingly greedy --- all those folks who told me where to shine the sun are here now.
My point is, we all helped ebay to grow, I (and others) did my part for Yahoo and look at it today.
No, I (or others)don't expect a standing ovation but isn't it about time that an auction site considers its customers with respect? When sales are down----offer us a mere break on something- instead of penalizing sellers with a quota listing?
posted on October 8, 2000 05:16:27 PM new
ioughta, and I mean this completely respectfully... Yahoo is doing something for us.
They allow us to list 1000 (or more) items per month on a website with the highest traffic on the entire internet for nothing.
posted on October 8, 2000 05:20:34 PM new
Also, regarding decline in sales, Yahoo itself may have very little to do with it. Very few things are selling like the did a year ago in any venue.
posted on October 8, 2000 10:24:08 PM new
My sales on Ebay have increased lately. My sales on Yahoo have dropped. No difference in what I am doing on both sites----you tell me. Is it a plot to increase Ebay biz?
