TulipTools Internet Business Owners and Online Sellers Community

njr,

I, too, have sold things on auction at eBay.  About a year ago, things really started to change.  Scammers were rampant, sellers made so many "rules" that reading the terms and conditions were just exhausting.  I only have 61 feedback, but I stopped using eBay all together for a while until I started store shopping mainly.  I trust store owners and have developed a repeat buyer relationship with many of them.

With your FB, I would probably buy from you.  That being said, sellers like you are becoming more and more scarce.

I also tend to make multiple purchases when I am in a store.  I can see all of the categories available to browse.  If a seller does not have a store and I am looking for a watch, for instance, I don't usually click to see what other items they have.  I just find what I want and finish.  I don't want to wade through a list of perhaps hammers or fishing lures or other widgets that don't interest me that are uncategorized.

That's just the way I shop.

If I want a skirt and I see it on auction, I will go to the seller's store and probably get a blouse and pair of shoes if they have it because it is all in one place.  If I see that they have soap and I know that someone has a birthday, I'll pick that up, too.

[quote author=FineThings4U link=topic=3775.msg47549#msg47549 date=1174422981]
njr -

I'm a buyer on the bay.  I prefer to buy from store owners.  When I look for a widget, I do an auction search.  I check the galleries to see if I see something interesting.  Then, I check to see if that seller has a store.  I very rarely make purchases from non-store owners, unless their feedback warrants it.

I would rather pay a higher store price with combined shipping discounts (when available) than deal with auction-only.

JMHO


[/quote]

Interesting perspective Fine and I'd like to comment but please do not take my view as derogatory criticism to your preference. Having been a store owner on eBay in the past as well as a buyer to the present, I see things differently.  I know some of you never left eBay and I would be the last to begrudge you the opportunity or fault your reasoning for pandering to the most viable auction market on the net. Recently I became eligible for pointing that finger at my own face. But I find it fascinating that people switch hats with different priorities when on eBay. As a buyer versus a seller. As a buyer I put myself in the shoes of the seller and forgive them the lack of perks that many today have claimed make or break an auction. I'll state right here I know I am in the minority.

This is just my opinion, my preferences and my shopping habits. I don't give a fat flying fart whether an auction has a gallery photo or not. It might mean peering at the screen a bit harder and a few more clicks of the mouse for me to research the listing but so what. Scammers include gallery photos too so it doesn't make a listing more bone-fide in my eyes if a gallery photo is there.  So I understand why some sellers aren't including them nowadays. It's a cost savings, to offset the overall expense of listing a genuine item while trying to maintain a realistic and competitive price in a dog eat dog market. Not a big issue when only a few items are involved but a serious consideration with hundreds.

I assume these 'cheap' sellers are Scottish like me, thrifty to the point of being stiff, so I identify and give them recognition by giving this listings consideration.  I find many of my customers giving me the same benefit. Without guilt I've conducted 4 sales outside of eBay in the last week with 2 more currently under negotiation. All with buyers who initially contacted me through eBay.

As I said, once upon a time I had a store on eBay and it did very very well. I dropped it when I could no longer afford the luxury of parking items in one until the right buyer came along or even paying for a store in the first place when eBay 'restructured' last summer. I did core leaders as some of you suggested but when all the listings matured I compared the cost of those expired with the ones that sold and the profit variance did not bring a bloom to my cheeks.  I have recently only listed items on eBay I know are in demand so maybe I'm out of whack here when compared to some of you as I'm not listing in the hopes that someone out there will want my offering.  However I don't think the fact that I no longer have a store has slowed down my sales - because I'm not tossing out the 'shot in the dark' inventory. And when I shop I don't care if the seller I've zeroed in on has a store or not.

I guess I'm a different breed of shopper than others have described themselves or their clientele. When I want something online, I go in and find it, purchase it, and leave.  I do the same thing in grocery stores. I go with a list, buy the items on it and ignore the sale banners on featured goodies displayed throughout the store. Like I said, I'm sure I'm in the minority of the typical shopper poll but I know I'm not alone in my habits. So consider this an opinion from the other side of the tracks.

Oh, and I should add that my feedback is very healthy on eBay which perhaps makes buyers more confident about transacting with me especially off-line. I will not deny that if I were a new member, I could not possibly attain the same level of success or command the same level of trust.

And speaking of off-line sales. KaRay  - you have no idea what you are losing missing on WP!!

There has been mention on here a few times about sellers with multiple stores. These multiples do impact the number of stores listed. So lets approach it from the "how many sellers" statistic.

I will graph the number of stores held followed by the number of sellers accredited to each number.

4 stores - 1

3 stores - 2

2 stores - 9

That equals 16 stores held as secondary, third, or fourth by one seller.  This is in no way an accurate list in that there could be more that I have not found but is based on these 'for sure' ones that would place the count of sellers at 290. Now please don't get excited about this impressive stat because the number of illegitimate stores would degrade this total even further. I'm talking about the ghost stores, the non-active, occupy a line of text stores. You could probably knock off another 15 from this.

275 anyone? 

Quote:     I trust store owners and have developed a repeat buyer relationship with many of them.
   

Fine - Thanx for your explanation.  I appreciate your opinion.  As a seller (and buyer), now mostly a seller without a store, I too have a history of repeat buyers - that is not exclusive to being a store owner.  I know you're not saying that, I know that's your opinion.  But it's true, I have had quite a few repeaters.  

Quote:  With your FB, I would probably buy from you.    

Thank you for that too, I worked hard for that.  Customer service goes a long way.

Quote: I also tend to make multiple purchases when I am in a store.  I can see all of the categories available to browse.  

I have been pleasantly suprised by the number of multiple purchases some people have made from me, some to the tune of a very large box.
I have to disagree with this second part though......without a store, you can still see the categories and numbers of items on the left.  Right now all I have listed are cross stitch kits, so subsequently, that's all that you can see now.  But when I have more, the categories are there.

Now here's what I've done when looking for something regarding the gallery pix.........I look at the titles because I'm usually looking for a specific.... say....cross stitch kit and that's what I've typed in the buy box.  It doesn't bother me if there are no gallery pix, I still click on it if I think the title might be what I want, and even if it isn't, I think to myself.....hmmm that looks interesting, so I click on it to see it.  I've purchased a multiple that way because I did find what I was looking for and another title of a widget caught my eye.  I wouldn't have gotten it if I didn't click on it to see it and liked it.

I know, I know...we all have our ways and opinions - don't think I am bashing anyone's views.  I am taking everything as constructive criticism.  Just like in a 12 step program.......take what you want and leave the rest.  I'm taking the ideas to think about and I'll leave the rest to ponder.  

Quote: If I want a skirt and I see it on auction, I will go to the seller's store and probably get a blouse and pair of shoes if they have it because it is all in one place.  If I see that they have soap and I know that someone has a birthday, I'll pick that up, too.

   

Funny you should say this because I have had emails from people saying the exact same thing.  They will buy 2 craft kits and 3 of my personally stitched items, then a bath & body set and a puzzle.  They email me to thank me and tell me their story of how they bought the kits to do themselves and picked up a few bd presents when they saw the variety of items I had, then little susie has wanted a puzzle like that for a long time, etc etc etc.  

Thanx again - I appreciate it.

Quote:275 anyone?   

275 !  How bout 270?  270 anyone?

OK, who'se the songstress......there's a song.....maybe it's been on here before.....  Going down, going down, going down down down down down!!  I'm dating myself!!

Don't get me wrong, I know this is a legitimate seller and one of WP's strongest advocates - at least in the past she was.  But this listing is a perfect example of 'double listing' a subject that has been brought up here many times from current and past sellers who have discovered this phenomena within their own stores.  A contributor to the source of daily inflated listing numbers reported by WP on their home page as gospel truth in the good old days.

http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/wholesaleyesterday

It was easier to fudge the numbers with 939 stores in the mix. Who could possibly keep track? But with 306 stores and the fore-knowledge that it does happen, it's become a turkey shoot to spot.

In search, the auction will only show as one item. But in the listing count attributed to the site it will count as two - even though the listing number is the same for both. Here is a testimony to the first time I became aware it was happening. I sold a book to a faithful repeat customer who ended up charged twice for it. When I followed the links to both so called sales they showed as the same item number. Ultimately I had to send him a Paypal money request because I could not removed the second 'ghost' charge from the WP invoice. KaRay, that wonderful responsive creature behind Customer Care 1 assured me it would be fixed - but it never was. And the link I just provided bears testimony to the fact that it is still not corrected!!

Quote:When I want something online, I go in and find it, purchase it, PAY IMMEDIATELY WITH A CREDIT CARD, and leave.

I added a few words to your quote



ps only 2,819 stores to go until WP hits its January forecast

I'm glad that you didn't take it personally, njr.

Where I live, it reaches about 110 degrees with 100 percent humidity in August.  That's when we have to do the majority of our school shopping.  Before the popularity of online shopping, most of my friends and I would only go to one place, buy everything and leave....clothing, gifts for upcoming birthdays...the whole nine yards.  I guess old habits die hard and tend to carry over to our online shopping as well.

The importance of gallery photos to me is only to make me look further into something I would not glance at from the title.

I do see sherrand's point of view.   I guess after seeing so many WP sellers come from eBay only to have to return makes me support them (and others) as store owners that much more.  I don't like eBay any more than anyone else, but there are times they have the widget I need.  

I am so happy to see sites like ecrater moving forward with progress.  I look for my former WP friends on other sites so that I can support them there.  As far as eBay auctions are concerned, I do look at feedback (something KaRay never could get through his thick head) and will ask questions about the widget.  If the seller responds with good customer service and knows their product, I will make the purchase.  If I really like the experience, they go on my favorite sellers list.

I just am wary of auction only sellers with little to no feedback.  I know we all have to start somewhere, but once bitten, twice shy.

[quote author=sherrand link=topic=3775.msg47563#msg47563 date=1174432395]
Don't get me wrong, I know this is a legitimate seller and one of WP's strongest advocates - at least in the past she was.  But this listing is a perfect example of 'double listing' a subject that has been brought up here many times from current and past sellers who have discovered this phenomena within their own stores.  A contributor to the source of daily inflated listing numbers reported by WP on their home page as gospel truth in the good old days.

http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/wholesaleyesterday

It was easier to fudge the numbers with 939 stores in the mix. Who could possibly keep track? But with 306 stores and the fore-knowledge that it does happen, it's become a turkey shoot to spot.

In search, the auction will only show as one item. But in the listing count attributed to the site it will count as two - even though the listing number is the same for both. Here is a testimony to the first time I became aware it was happening. I sold a book to a faithful repeat customer who ended up charged twice for it. When I followed the links to both so called sales they showed as the same item number. Ultimately I had to send him a Paypal money request because I could not removed the second 'ghost' charge from the WP invoice. KaRay, that wonderful responsive creature behind Customer Care 1 assured me it would be fixed - but it never was. And the link I just provided bears testimony to the fact that it is still not corrected!!
[/quote]

Sherrand I used to find double listings in my store a lot and towards the end it was happening more.  I was trying to end my listings and more were popping up.  Only thing is I never noticed any with the same listing # all mine had different listing #'s and different end times.

I always had to keep checking my store for them and delete them because with the jewelry especially most items I only have one of.  I didn't want to have 2 people purchase it only having one of the item.  Even though the chances of that happening on WP are slim.