TulipTools Internet Business Owners and Online Sellers Community

Did the auto auctions big retailer thingamajig plans go sour so soon?  No way the "Mom & Pop" Auction Starters who left AC when it shit on them in August will come running back. 

Its that time of the month week again 

Quote:Tuesday December 6

AuctionCities.com, Inc.  has signed a strategic partnership with Mediation Arbitration Resolution Services, Inc. (MARS), a worldwide provider of online dispute resolution services dedicated to providing everyone with the opportunity to have their disputes heard and resolved in a fair and equitable forum.

Michael Berman, AuctionCities.com CEO, stated, "By working with MARS, AuctionCities.com is pleased to offer the MARS 'Shop with Confidence' Seal (Trustmark) and Online Dispute Resolution Service which assures that our members can easily resolve any unforeseen dispute in a technologically efficient and less confrontational manner."

The MARS "Shop with Confidence" program provides merchants and AuctionCities.com members the opportunity to resolve misunderstandings arising from online transactions...

full press release: http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/051206/0103137.html

Quote: AUCTIONCITIES.COM SETS POST-CHRISTMAS "WHITE ELEPHANT SALE"

“Pink Elephant Sale” planned for early morning...New Years Day.

VALENCIA, Calif., Dec. 21 -- AuctionCities.com, Inc. (OTC: AUCC) announced, today, that ugly or unwanted gifts, though graciously received, can be discreetly disposed of on www.auctioncities.com after Christmas. The “White Elephant Sale” offers free registration along with free and easy listing. Photos of rejected presents will be uploaded free of charge from December 26th to 31st.

“Gift receipts, issued by most stores this holiday season, only verify the purchase price and do not necessarily guarantee a cash refund,” said CEO Michael Berman. “Frequently, unwanted items only qualify for store credit which means ‘no credit’ to the gift receiver or hapless giver. Those inappropriately gifted can unburden themselves by listing their unmentionables on AuctionCities.com, and while they are there, they may find the very item they have been dreaming about…that Santa had somehow forgotten.”

“While a direct swap, with no commission paid to AuctionCities.com, will be allowed for a limited time to ring in the New Year, the best deal for a new user who has never visited our colorful and entertaining auction site,” Berman continued, “is to trade their item in our City Bucks program. Simply click on the ‘City Bucks’ button on the left side of our homepage for complete instructions.”

Berman concluded, “And on New Year’s Early Morning, if anyone is able to get a picture of the ‘pink elephants’ they may be seeing, no matter what condition they may be in, they should post it for sale or trade on AuctionCities.com. It’s easy to do, and they can post it for free.”

AuctionCities.com will be awarding $100 “City Bucks” and a pair of dark glasses for the funniest and most original photo submitted on New Year’s Day. The decision of the AuctionCities.com judges will be final and shall be announced on January 6, 2006.

full press release: http://www.auctioncities.com/index.php?p...om/news18/

Quote:WHITE ELEPHANT SALE

Ugly or unwanted gifts, though graciously received, can be discreetly disposed of on www.auctioncities.com after Christmas. The “White Elephant Sale” offers free registration along with free and easy listing. Photos of rejected presents will be uploaded free of charge from December 26th to 31st.

Simply upload your White Elephant items into the "White Elephant" catagory of our City Bucks section. Log in to your account (or register to create a new account) and go to the SELL page. Enter your items information and choose our "City Bucks" catagory and then the "White Elephants" sub-catagory. At the bottom of the SELL page form, where it is highlightened in yellow, click the "City Bucks" item radio button and enter the form. That's all there is to it!

PINK ELEPHANT CONTEST
On New Year’s Early Morning, if anyone is able to get a picture of the ‘pink elephants’ they may be seeing we ask that you email that photo to: pinkelephants@auctioncities.com

We will be awarding $100 “City Bucks” and a pair of dark glasses for the funniest and most original photo submitted on New Year’s Day.  The decision of the AuctionCities judges will be final and shall be announced on January 6, 2006.

sale and contest info page: http://www.auctioncities.com/index.php?p...c/elephant

Quote:$100 “City Bucks”

The generosity is killing me 

[quote author=dimucci link=topic=227.msg6612#msg6612 date=1135538591]

Quote:$100 “City Bucks”

The generosity is killing me 
[/quote]

Don't knock it, you can buy a lot of recipes with that prize! 

6 years old and still a "Start-Up Auction Site" 

Quote:Start-Up Auction Site Gets Huge Advantage Over eBay Etc.
NTT-DATA SANYO Partner Auction Video Signs Co-Venture With AuctionCities.com, Inc.

LAS VEGAS, NV -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 01/07/2006 -- As revolutionary technologies emerge from the Consumer Electronics Show, the big story this year is the ease of use and immediacy of Internet access of Auction Video's "one touch upload" capability, now announced as a key feature of the new Sanyo VideoCellphone unveiled today at CES.

AuctionCities.com (OTC: AUCC) Mike Berman stated, "This development will immediately revolutionize the concept of local online auctions as demonstrated by this implementation on our start-up auction site and most effectively the Real Estate business, online personals. We originated local auctions with our pending patent on the domaining of every U.S. Postal Zip-code."

Gregory Ellis, Auction Video CEO, stated, "Within the context of an exclusive licensing agreement with NTT-DATA SANYO, AuctionVideo.com, developer of web-based recording technology that offers rapid upload to the Internet, unlimited live video streaming and a video record capability up to 60 minutes announces an exclusive co-venture with start-up consumer-to-consumer - dealer-to-consumer auction and retail portal, AuctionCities.com, Inc."

Ellis continued, "Our technology, to be distributed across millions of cell phone and web users worldwide, allow the instant conversion of any video format, to any video format. Up to 30 frames per second video, and high definition audio benefit anyone who can record their video on a cell phone, or other device, and easily put it online for anyone to see."

Mr. Tak Ota, Leader of the New Business Promotion Division of NTT-DATA SANYO's cell project, said, "Since we introduced our joint offering of cell phone products, we have seen increased interest from the marketplace in Japan. We are actively pursuing many targeted opportunities in China and other nations as well. We expect that the integration of Auction Video, Inc's market leading technology will help us grow."

The NTT-DATA SANYO Video Communication Cell Phone is scheduled for a U.S. rollout in the 3rd Quarter of 2006. For a period of time, AuctionCities.com will be the exclusive U.S. Internet distributor of this exciting new device.

full press release: http://www.auctioncities.com/index.php?p...om/news19/

Eeeek, the aborted fee increase drove all the sellers away except the mass market retailers like PCMall.  PC/Mac Mall has over 235,000 listings in computers and wireless phones, the big auto dealers have 73,000 listings, but then there are hundreds of categories with 0 listings.  The mom and pop seller listings are probably under 1,000.  Remember in the BidBay days when there were 5 million listings and most were from small sellers?

Quote:AuctionCities.com, Inc. announces immediate interactive movement with new co-venture partner, AuctionVideo.com. Inc. and the full range of their "Platform Independent" products, including "SHOW & TELL Talking Image Gallery," the Auction Video Recorder and the recently unveiled Sanyo VideoCellphone with the exclusive "one touch upload" capability...

...AuctionCities.com CEO, Mike Berman, stated, "This development will immediately revolutionize the concept of local online auctions as demonstrated by this implementation on our start-up auction site and most effectively the Automotive industry, Real Estate business, and online personals. We originated local auctions with our pending patent on the sub-domaining of over 40,000 U.S. Postal Zip codes."

Gregory Ellis, Auction Video CEO, stated, "Within the context of an exclusive licensing agreement with NTT-Data Sanyo, AuctionVideo.com, developer of web-based recording technology that offers rapid upload to the Internet, unlimited live video streaming and a video record capability up to 60 minutes announces an exclusive co-venture with start-up consumer-to-consumer and dealer-to-consumer auction and retail portal, AuctionCities.com, Inc."

Ellis continued, "Our technology, to be distributed across millions of cell phone and web users worldwide, allows the instant conversion of any video format, to any video format. It also permits up to 30 frames per second video, and the high definition audio benefits anyone who can record their video on a cell phone, or other device, and easily put it online for anyone to see."

full press release: http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/060113/0106211.html

The press release says the company's stock jumped from 3 cents per share to 26 cents on the news.  The press release fails to mention that in August the stock traded for over $2 per share 

Quote:AuctionCities.com announces the launch of CitiAds, the new contextual keyword advertising program.

Sellers on AuctionCities.com can create text ads and bid on keywords to deliver the ads to consumers when they search for items for sale on AuctionCities.com. The minimum bid is $.01. CitiAds appear on the top right side of the AuctionCities.com search results. This gives sellers a second chance at getting top listings for their auctions and an advantage in attracting buyers.

...The ads can be geo-targeted either to a city, county, state or nationwide, in keeping with AuctionCities.com's focus on local search and auctions. With the Proxy Bid feature, sellers can eliminate the necessity of constantly monitoring their ad's position and adjust their bids accordingly. Proxy Bids allow the seller to specify a maximum bid value to achieve a minimum bid place or position.

...Although the CitiAds program was created to promote AuctionCities.com sellers to reach buyers, the program is open to advertisers selling products on other sites."...

full press release: http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/060118/0106618.html

The ads sound like a really good thing 

Oh wait, in order for ads to work someone has to see them.  :twistedevil:

If this was 2001 and there were still 5 million listings and eyeballs it would be a good thing.  In 2006, after 5 years of management screwups by BidBay/AuctionDiner/BidWay/AuctionCities have succeeded in driving the majority of sellers away, the question becomes:  why bother?

EDITED to add:  There are so many categories with 0 items that I doubt anyone is going to have trouble making their listings stand out from the "crowd"