Wagglepop 2: Deja Vu as Auction Site That Left Sellers Stranded Reopens

I have never posted here before. In fact, I didn't even know this board existed until a few days ago. I'm not a boardie -- I just don't have time to be. I was refered here by a couple members who privately emailed me with the link, after reading some of the comments I have made on Ebay that I was not allowed to express on WP. Yes, I have been a store owner there since the eruption of the eBay fee hike volcano.
Although no one here knows me, I'm sure you'll recognize me. I'm the thorn in WP's side because I refused to be brainwashed, bullied and otherwise beaten into submission by a crusading cult of self-glorifying, self-rightious, goosestepping, Ray Romeo clones bound by a mutual hate for eBay and some twisted notion of what e-commerce should be. I'm the one that questioned the link policy, the lack of advertising, and fillled the position of being Mr. Kumbaya's general whipping boy.

I originally came there thinking I could do business, but it didn't take me long to see there was no business to be had. The more I questioned why this is so, the more defensive, antagonistic, and rude the inner circle of hand-holding, evangelical, banner-waving, bunny-hopping Poppers became towards me -- all this from members who profess civility, respect and courtesy. What a bunch of hypocrits! This isn't an e-commerce site, it's a fringe cult, complete with censorship of free speech, an oath of loyalty, a set of edicts, rituals and laws as prescribed by Pope Ray Romeo and changed whenever it suits his needs. Heretics are not tolerated and burned at the stake. Evangelism is vampant. Recruits prowl the eBay boards witnessing for WP, ready to lure the weak, innocent, naive, depressed into the WP flock. They even have their own disciples. It's all about sellers, but sellers aren't sellers unless there are buyers. The are no buyers, so there truly are no sellers. Read the boards. Buyers posts are non-existent. So what is this site really about? Pure and simply, it's about Ray and his devoted congregation.

Three times I asked what WP is doing to attract buyers, and each time Karen chastized my "eBay think" as she calls it and extoled the virtues of the single fee system. So, in my last post there, I simply asked: "What is it that WP gives store owners for $10/mo plus upgrade and commissions that at least a dozen other sites give store owners for free? It certainly isn't buyers. One need not be a rocket scientist to figure that if it costs $1000 to list one item that sells for $2000, you end up with $1000. And if you list 1000 items for $10 and only one item sells, you have nothing." This post had no bad words, no snide remarks, no names mentioned, no personal issues, no getting off the subject (which was about the lacks of sales), yet I receive TWO emails from Karen saying my post was in violation of board policy, and of course, it was pulled faster than a New York cockroach with chili powder up its ass. I responded with an email, politely stating that I was not aware of which specific policy my post violated and would she please excerpt the offending phrases in my post, quote the policy they violated and state why those phrases are considered a violation. The "sticking to the issue at hand", for example, is a policy violated on every post, as Poppers go off on tangents about their sick dogs, aching backs and inclimate weather. I never heard back on this, but I did receive an email explaining that if I promise to behave like a good little girl, I can stay a member. This email was immediately followed by my monthly invoice.

My advice to any serious seller, who likes to make buyers happy and eat at the same time; DON'T WASTE TIME, ENERGY AND HARD-EARNED $$ INTO THAT FIASCO!

I decided about a month back to close my store, but it's taken some time to re-do my listings and transfer them to another site. About an hour ago, I ended my last store listing. WP can send gestapo to my door, and I don't care.

I have prepared a farewell speech as my last board hurrah before bidding adeou to WP. Since it will most surely be pulled from the WP board, I thought I'd share it with everbody here, so you can get a sneak preview, as this might be the only place you'll see it.

Why I am closing my WP store:

I’d like to preface this by saying that I fully expect this post will be deleted, as it is the truth -- and the truth is often viewed as being non-constructive and discourteous. I am saving it, however, so should it be deleted, it can be posted in any number of open forums where free speech is still allowed.

Why am I closing my store? For REASONS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION, but let me expound on a couple of the biggest.

Much of why I am closing my store has to do with the way I have been treated by members from a place that prides itself on being a friendly, courteous site. How friendly and courteous are the following remarks? Some sellers have said that I must have been selling “junk” otherwise my items would sell (or at least get hits). Others said I must be in debt up to my eyeballs, be a poor business woman and need credit counseling or just plain too lazy to work. Another (the spotlight of your newsletter) attacked my business ethics in an open forum COMPLETELY UNCHECKED BY ANYBODY, and more than insinuated I am a liar and a cheat while the “friendly” community cheered him on and Karen ignored it. I was then chastised for being offended by his comments (I guess I was supposed to enjoy it receiving them as he enjoyed making them). When I requested a public apology (as he did this in open forum) it was I (not he) that was twice reminded of the board policy and reprimanded for misbehavior. Make of it what you will. I call it favoritism and selective policy enforcement. If by some miracle this post is allowed to stay, I’ll probably get a lot of “pot calling the kettle black” remarks, which I don’t mind. At least, I don’t pretend to be something I’m not nor have I made disparaging remarks on any member’s character.

Apart from that, there is the question of buyers. I recently sold several items to a buyer on another site (no, not the big E). He asked tons of questions and I could tell he was very nervous about dealing outside big “E”, which has a solid reputation, buyer protections and features that allow him too analyze feedback and closed sales. This, to me is understandable – after all, it’s his money! A buyer SHOULD feel comfortable with his purchase. I, as well, ask lots of questions of the buyer. The more I know, the better able I am to judge whether any contemplated purchase would be suitable. As it turns out, the buyer is an elderly man with Parkinson’s disease. He lives in a rural area, has no computer (using his friend’s) and no PayPal account. He is used to doing business face-to-face with a hand-shake. He wanted to purchase a church outfit for his wife. He was to use his friend’s user ID and have her pay through her PayPal account and he would give her cash. After assessing his wants, I realized I did not have the appropriate items listed. So I scoured my inventory, pulled what I thought might work, and listed a variety of items for him to look over and choose. I made recommendations, but it was his choice. He chose wisely and payment was delivered IMMEDIATELY.

This morning I see the feedback that he left:
Oct. 11, 2006 10:12 - This is one of the prettiest and most well made blouses that I have ever seen. This seller is the best I have ever dealt with on the internet. Contact this seller for all of your clothing needs. Patient, good communication, ships fast. I will buy from again

Oct. 11, 2006 10:09 - beautiful. Seller took measurements I gave and was my personal shopper. I appreciate the great customer service. I will be a faithful buyer. Won't go anywhere else for clothing. Buy here with confidence.

Oct 11, 2006 10:07 - This is a great seller. Not only did I receive a beautiful item, I got great customer service. This seller goes the extra mile for you and is very patient and answers all questions promptly. If you need clothing of any kind, BUY HERE

It might interest you to know I discovered that this buyer came to WP – was, in fact, recommended to come here by his computer-owner friend who may have even been a seller at the time. He read the boards, looked at store items and asked lots of questions. He claims he was treated rudely, that his questions were either ignored, never answered directly or somewhat belittled. He got the feeling that nobody wanted to deal with him (he was right). He thought the site itself was very buyer-unfriendly, hard to navigate, and he felt unwelcome and unappreciated. He said he got the feeling that all WP wants is sellers to come here and open stores. He thought sellers here would be curious of his thoughts from a buyer’s point of view. So he went to the boards and expressed his dismay, explaining why did not want to patronize WP. Without warning, the WP membership (which was actually his friend’s ID, since it was her account he had used to log into the site he was using) was suspended. Since he could no longer access the boards he luckily was unable to see the comments made about him, such as “what a trouble maker”, “a not for real buyer”, “probably an eBay troll”, “one of those sent over to stir up the pot”, and on and on. This, from a supposedly courteous, respectful, friendly site?

It’s all about sellers. How many sellers can WP get? Let’s pump up those stores? Sellers, sellers, sellers. Sellers buying from each other, supporting each other, sending little smiley faces and bunnies. Breakfast clubs and balloons. A pat on the back and “have patience, Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Look at the boards! Do you see any questions or comments from buyers? I don’t. With their $10/mo plus commission and upgrade fees, and no advertising to bring in buyers, who are the sellers really supporting? Think about it. What makes a seller? A buyer, of course. So how many sellers really are there here?

I have often asked on these forums "what incentive would buyers have to come here instead of E or any place else they know and trust?" Say what you will, the truth is, most buyers have never heard of WP, and considering its history, that’s probably a good thing. “Don’t worry, stock it and they will come” is the mantra. If one buyer is treated this way and has the good conscience to come back on the boards here to say it and censored for doing it, then you can bet your booty there are probably countless others who have had similar experiences but chose silence rather than board-bashing for expressing their observations. It matters not if the shelves are stuffed with the most desirable items in the universe, if buyers don’t know you exist, they can’t find you, and if buyers are treated like this one when they do come, they will simply keep their hands in their pockets, walk on by and never, ever look back.

I couldn’t care less about how many items are on the shelves, how many stores are in the mall, how many cyber-hugs I get from colleagues, or how many bunnies and smiley faces bounce like ping-pong balls across my computer screen. Buyers make my business.

I’ve tried to sanitize this post the best I could, which is anything but easy for someone who was a professional film critic and newspaper editor for a number of years. Trust me, it could have been much more colorful. If you don’t think censorship exists here, just read the posts. When posters fill the first half of the post with “Please don’t take this as negative comment, but … ” or “I hope nobody comes down on me for this, but . . .”, or “I hope this isn’t taken as criticism, but I kinda have a teeny question . . . ” – you know they’re afraid of something and it isn’t the Easter bunny.

I’m sure, in fact I know, there are some good members here. I can’t call them sellers, because many of them have yet to sell an item. As of today, there will be one less GOOD SELLER.

So, they've lost their whipping boy. Oh, what will they do?