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

[sneakymagenta]

[quote author=O~Romeo~U~Suck link=topic=3775.msg29555#msg29555 date=1161991535]
Not sure about the age requirement. *lol* heres another one. The response to this post is kinda...eerie. *L*

Hi All Wagglepoppers,


Well I just want to let people know that I won't be on the forums on WP for 7 to 10 days, I won't be listing either. Why? Well I'm taking a crash course on website development to enhance the WPSSU site. This is not a web promotion post i'm just letting you all know that I will be enhancing the site with forum, chatroom, and many other key things for it to be a informitive place for Buyer & Sellers, and our primary goal is to drive huge amount of traffic to WP and WP store sellers.

[/quote]

Good Gawd I hope it was a free course.    If he paid $1 he got ripped off.  :o

WPSSU with a .com

[Alskling]

"Hi All Wagglepoppers,


Well I just want to let people know that I won't be on the forums on WP for 7 to 10 days, I won't be listing either. Why? Well I'm taking a crash course on website development to enhance the WPSSU site. This is not a web promotion post i'm just letting you all know that I will be enhancing the site with forum, chatroom, and many other key things for it to be a informitive place for Buyer & Sellers, and our primary goal is to drive huge amount of traffic to WP and WP store sellers."

Yes, ORUS, I saw the same post and commented on it in my post 1910 on page 128 of this board. Here is my comment:
"a prime example of "waggle-think". Who needs to hire those darned, expensive site designers and programmers -- just get a Koolaid-drugged member to do it for us for FREE and since he's a store owner, he'll still have to keep his monthly fee paid. So apart from paying for the privilege he'll be taking time from listing and maintaining his store -- but that's OK because it's for a "higher" good. Such a deal!.

Response from WP member:

'I am so touched by your selfless dedication and efforts on behalf of myself and other committed Poppers. You are truly a treasure and we are so fortunate to have you among us. If I can offer any support, even be it a financial contribution please don't hesitate to send out a request."

Another member:
"Amen"

The offer for a financial contribution to help support the effort was, in my mind, truly over the top. NOt only are Ray/Karen getting site enhancements for free from a store owner, who still pays fees and is taking time away from his business to benefit the "cause" (not to mention he might have also shelled out bucks on the "crash course"), but another seller is even willing to contribute financially. WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS IS THAT? Later, in this TT thread was an excerpt from Karen's announcement to the WP Breakfast Club crowd that some of the enhancements have been implemented and others are soon to come. NOWHERE, was there as much as a "thank you" or even a mention of the seller who volunteered his time, effort and expertise to the project. Gotta love that sense of gratitude, support and giving credit where credit is due. Of course the adoring congregation thanked and cheered Karen, and she graciously accepted the kudos and basked in the glory.

[bargainbloodhound]

that's OK because it's for a "higher" good.

I'm laughing because Karen reallllllly does push the idea of a "higher good"  when communicating with the Poppers.

Karen speaking yesterday:

The new Web Promotion board would be a perfect plalce for members to help other members promote themselves and their Stores:

[link]Web Promotion Forum[/link]

That what building anything is all about; working together towards a common goals for the greater good of everyone.

And that's exactly what we have here with our wonderful Wagglepop membership

http://www.wagglepop.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=4177

On another note:

1. The top 25 WP stores account for 58,000 of WP's listings.
2. The 2nd and 3rd largest stores have a combined 9500 listings.
  Their combined feedback score: 2

[Alskling]

The concept of "higher good" can be reduced to the following equation:

-- Ray/Karen are at a "higher" plane than the membership.
-- It is "good" for members to work their butts off and pay monthly fees.

"Higher" + "Good" = Members working their butts off and paying monthly fees to support Ray/Karen on their road to glory and financial bliss

On another note:

1. The top 25 WP stores account for 58,000 of WP's listings.
2. The 2nd and 3rd largest stores have a combined 9500 listings.
  Their combined feedback score: 2

As an addendum to this note:
1. Most of those 58,000 listings consist of two categories: (1) sportscards, magazines, books, postcards, magazine ads, and (2) beads.
2. Except for beads, all of the above were categories Ray had on eBay
3. 2nd and 3rd largest stores are sportscards and postcards. Further note that no. 2 store owner was ready to give up (as posted on the PSU board), but Karen/Ray pleaded, begged and conjoled him into hanging on.

Deduction: pad the listing tote board with a bunch of postcards, sportscards and beads to give the false impression the site is "growing."

Low feedback explanation: How many postcards, sportscards and beads can members sell to each other?

[regic]

The 2nd and 3rd largest stores have a combined 9500 listings.
  Their combined feedback score: 2

Store #2 has been a member since 8/18, Store #3 since 8/1

Those 2 sales GROSSED a combined $5.50

5 dollars and 50 cents combined revenues in 3 months for the 2nd & 3rd largest WP stores.  :blinkie:
====
Revenues: under 6 dollars
Expenses: 3-months store fees for each store, the cost of hundreds of hours labor listing the items, cost of inventory, and on, and on,  :blinkie: :blinkie: :blinkie:

Verdict: sweatshops pay much better hourly rates  :

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=regic link=topic=3775.msg31374#msg31374 date=1163004024]

The 2nd and 3rd largest stores have a combined 9500 listings.
  Their combined feedback score: 2

Store #2 has been a member since 8/18, Store #3 since 8/1

Those 2 sales GROSSED a combined $5.50

5 dollars and 50 cents combined revenues in 3 months for the 2nd & 3rd largest WP stores.  :blinkie:
====
Revenues: under 6 dollars
Expenses: 3-months store fees for each store, the cost of hundreds of hours labor listing the items, cost of inventory, and on, and on,  :blinkie: :blinkie: :blinkie:

Verdict: sweatshops pay much better hourly rates  :



[/quote]


Great post, Regic!

Poppers,

No need for a business consultant to show you the writing on the wall. It's really very simple--YOU ARE LOSING MONEY!! Leave WP for greener pastures.

[amy]

For the benefit of those 2 starving store owners who still sell on eBay and list on WP (sorry $5.50 combined is listing not selling), this "revolutionary" advice from a former eBay turquoise shooting star who successfully (i.e. successfully=no drop in income) moved her business entirely off ebay needs to be repeated:

[quote author=maggie]

We are diffrent we are a new breed each and every one of you should be very proud about your move to WP

You're not different.  Many of us did it in 1999.  We did it again in 2000.  We did it again in 2001. There is a revolution every year.

The protests over eBay's introduction of checkout in 2001 were far larger and resulted in far more listings being moved to other OAI sites like Bidville, BidBay,ePier, Carnaby,etc.

Ditto for the outcry over the combination of eBay's site problems and Pierre Omidyar's infamous "it's only $1 dollar" introduction of reserve fees in 1999 and the stampede to Gold's Auctions, and other OAI sites.

Ditto for the outrage over eBay's plans to introduce banner ads in 2000 that resulted in the Million Auction March, and the estimated moving of 500K-1 million listings from eBay to other OAI sites like Yahoo...that's 500K-1 million listings moved from eBay

You want a real revolution?  Stop being dependent on others. 

SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE

Screw eBay. Screw Wagglepoop.
START YOUR OWN WEBSITE!!!!!!!!

[/quote]

[Alskling]

SALES ACCORDING TO WP SALES REPORT:
10/2 - 10/8 -- 1392
10/9 - 10/15 -- 1504
10/16 - 10/22 -- 1812
10/23 - 10/29 -- 1762
10/30 - 11/05 -- 1522

Nov. 6, 2006 "Sales have leveled off in about the 1500-1800 range, which continues to be considerably more than initially projected

Karen - WP Customer Care"

Since when are dropping sales for two weeks in a row called "leveling off," especially when the number of listings has increased during the same period? What kind of fuzzy WP poopoo math is that? Am I to conclude that the more listings WP gets, the fewer sales it will have? 

[thentavius]

Oh--I ran across this from earlier in the thread. It's a direct quote from Karen/Ray about the quality of a seller's items (as a potential reason for their lack of sales).

Disillutioned WP seller:

"I really hope things turn around soon. I feel like I am buried under the deepest ethere store here. Few lookers and even fewer buyers. I have to 4 people in 3 months here. I stayed with the hopes that the waggle lister would be worth while. It will not work on my puter and I am not willing to buy a program at 119 to list items that are not selling anyway. My only comfort is that there are few sells on the other sites and not just this one. I dont know what to think. I hate taking days to list things that are not selling.Someone said it they could not affort to list and not sell. Well more than the 10 dollars down each month... is the time and engery in listing the items and having nobody see them... I have not googled my items lately.... I might see if they are coming up. I have been tring to get an answer for about a week and a half and customer care is skirting the question if not out right avoiding it. I might take some items somewhere else to see what happens. I really hate bouncing around where nobody knows you. I saw something that I would of bought tonight if I had money in my account to pay for it. I need to keep money in there to pay my fees."

Translation: I'm getting totally frustrated with busting my butt and getting no results. Furthermore, CC doesn't seem to care.



Mommy Karen's condescending reply:

"Online selling in 2006 means finding a way to "stand out" from your competition, because there's more now than ever before.

More than ever, solid selling strategies and high customer service standards are needed, along with effective SEO methods targeted to your precise market demographic.

Offer quality items and products that are in demand, fairly priced, and deliver them with an eye on customer satisfaction and retention for the future Smiley

Karen - WP Customer Care"

Translation: If nothing's happending for you, don't blame us, blame yourself for being a lously seller doing everything wrong..

The response from an authorized WP customer service rep is totally and completely unprofessional. In every way.

Whether you agree with her sentiments or not, it's the wrong approach to customer retention and customer "service." It's the wrong approach from any type of company that's trying to be professional.

Whether your customers are smart or stupid, they deserve to be treated with positive care.

Accusing your customers? Try doing that if you're an ACTUAL eTailer. When you get a call from a worried customer about a missing package--try telling them, "well, if you'd had a better quality mail box, or if you had been home when the mailman came by--then you'd have the package." See how many more times they buy from you with that sort of accusatory diction.

If eBay, Overstock, Amazon, Half.com, eBid, iOffer, my hosting company, or any other place with whom I do business made a comment like that to me, they'd quickly be out of another paying customer.

[Alskling]

Apprently, Then, you were as taken back by Karen's response to this disillusioned seller as I was, which I why I brought it to TT in the first place. I hope those WP lurkers who frequent this board can truly look at that response objectively and see it for what it is: A BIG, FAT, UGLY PUT-DOWN from Mommy Karen, who is putting one hand on her hip and shaking her finger at the seller like a trainer does to a naughty dog. Your analogy to the missing package is right on. There is nothing that even remotely resembles a legitimate business or any type of sane business philosophy at WP. That's because it's not a business -- IT'S A CULT. Cults are based on emotion, not reason, and a hierarchy of power by virtue of divine proclamation by those at its apex.