posted on February 28, 2001 01:37:00 PM new
Dear AW Seller,
For over two years, the AuctionWatch team has enjoyed helping our customers sell more effectively and efficiently. We have spent considerable resources creating strategic relationships and obtaining sponsors to support the significant costs associated with developing and maintaining these services. While the continued support of our partners enables us to offset some of these costs, we will be introducing fees on selected services to fund the continued development and improvement of our industry leading online sales solutions.
Beginning March 14, we will offer two different pricing plans to meet your selling needs:
Standard Plan:
Listing fee of $0.05 per auction launched
1% Final Value Fee for each closed auction (Capped at a maximum of $30 per item.)
Power Plan (for our high volume sellers):
Annual Subscription of $200
Listing fee of $0.05 per auction launched
No Final Value Fee
Both plans give you access to all AuctionWatch seller services - online and offline bulk listing tools, post sale management tools, storefronts, and featured placement in AW search. To sign up for our services, visit https://secure.auctionwatch.com/my/acct/ccard.html. These fees will apply to our seller services only; we will continue to offer news and information, Universal Search, Universal Registration and our message center at no cost.
We understand any fee, regardless of its size, represents a tangible cost for your business. Our services also offer significant related benefits for your selling activity. Our auction management services, including our recently launched Post Sale Express, enable faster listing creation, simplified sales monitoring, and faster invoicing, saving the typical seller hours each week. This savings results in lower costs and higher profits to you, our customers. AuctionWatch sellers also experience increased sales using our services. On average, AuctionWatch sellers sell a higher percentage of their listed items than competing sellers using other listing services or listing items directly for sale on individual auction sites. AuctionWatch Storefronts and free featured placement in our Universal Search contribute greatly to this increased selling success. We will continue to invest in new services that make your selling easier and increase your sales while enhancing our reliability and customer service for all services.
We have attempted to answer some of your anticipated questions related to this announcement on our FAQ page at http://www.auctionwatch.com/help/pmt/faq.html. Should you have comments, please write us at [email protected]. We understand the potential for a larger than normal volume of e-mail related to this announcement, but we'll reply to each one as quickly as possible.
We appreciate your understanding and wish you continued success selling with AuctionWatch.
Sincerely,
Mark Dodd and Rodrigo Sales
Co-Founders, AuctionWatch
posted on February 28, 2001 01:51:59 PM new
I don't believe AW has ever tried to hide the fact that they intended to eventually charge for these services. It seems hardly fair to bash them for doing as they said they would.
posted on February 28, 2001 01:52:06 PM new
As I posted in the other thread before it was so rudely locked, I will be moving on to other sources for image hosting, and launch auctions myself. 5 cents per auction I could choke down, but NOT 1% of the final auction price. I'm a hobby-seller trying to make a "little" extra money, and can't afford the increasing "nibbles" services take from my final profit. Thanks for the last year, though.
edited to add: A flat fee, I can accept, but not a percentage of my sale!
[ edited by athena1365 on Feb 28, 2001 01:52 PM ]
posted on February 28, 2001 01:55:09 PM new
Well this will cause my leaving the ring.
Another fee added. geez the postal hike really killed my auctions anyway. The Flea Market circuit is looking really good.
Either I must move to a different product line which I have no idea what or how to do that or I just give up the ghost all together.
Well it was fun while it lasted
Angel
"Go sell crazy someplace else, we are all stocked up here!"
posted on February 28, 2001 01:55:22 PM new
You know, I would be ok with that too......a flat fee that is.........but wanting a percentage of my sales, sorry, but I ain't going there..........
posted on February 28, 2001 01:56:14 PM new
I'll be outta here when the fees kick in. Once ebay takes its fee, then paypal, then postage, profits evaporate. Guess with the dot.com crash advertising revenues headed south. You would think there would be some more creative financing strategies AW could exploit. AW's gotta make $, but ebay profits are just too slim for me to be kickin fees out to everybody. If auction profits were higher I wouldn't have a problem paying a fee to AW because AW does provide a service to sellers and bidders. I liked AW but I'll just have to do without. Later folks.
posted on February 28, 2001 01:56:30 PM new
Ya better hurry moderators, there is another open thread on this subject. Run!!!!
Since the other thread was locked..
Another thing I have been thinking about, I assume AW will be losing a lot of people who currently use their services when the fees kick in and probably a lot of posters in the forum and round-table will fade off into the sunset too, since they won't have reason to hang here anymore.
I probably won't be here lurking or posting much after fees begin, other to ask the occassional question. Personally this may not be a bad thing, I know probably spend way too much time here anyway. I must say though I have made some good friends and met some amazing and caring people here.
I am not bashing AW for charging fees, I am just bummed that that are!
posted on February 28, 2001 01:57:57 PM new
I will be leaving as well.. And I was just getting to like the Storefront concept too.
I am already at bare-bones on most of my items, even another nickel per item is too much..
Looks like I'll go back to Ebay's picture hosting until THEY start charging for it, then I'll have to go scrambling for server space elsewhere..
This just bites. What looked like a really promising year for me is getting nickeled & dimed completely away.. why do I even bother selling any more at this rate?!?
posted on February 28, 2001 01:59:19 PM new
Yes, I can understand fees...they're a business, after all. Most businesses would like to make money...
The final value fee is odd though. How does a posting service justify taking a piece of your action? They have nothing to do with the quality or value of your merchandise, nor are they hosting the auction.
Weird. I'd like to hear the rationale for this. Maybe I'm missing something.
posted on February 28, 2001 01:59:48 PM new
I expected a fee of some sort but I must say
on top of ebay hikes , your proposal to dip into my profit margin per auction is ridiculous. Then to add insult to injury a percentage of my sales price also seems like auction watch is getting greedy also .
I can no longer support the venue ..I have enjoyed it for years , but feel I must move on .
Everyone has their hand out with postal hikes, Ebay hikes and now you want a percentage. I hope you guys enjoy the ecommerce downfall with the rest of the economy.
posted on February 28, 2001 01:59:55 PM new
Looks like AW's going to loose alot of people! Why are they charging a % of the auction win? Why not just a flat 5 cent fee? With all the folks that use AW that 5 cents would add up!!
posted on February 28, 2001 02:02:36 PM new
You're thinking of exchangepath, boots. The bottom line is if you're unwilling to pay, then you're not beneficial to AW. They're a business, they need to survive just like any of us. I'm disappointed they're charging and I will find another way to manage my auctions too but I do not fault them for trying to pay their bills. That's what we're all trying to do in the end?
posted on February 28, 2001 02:09:04 PM new
I would like to know why there isn't a plan for those of us who are small time sellers. The old method of hosting, when we could launch the auction on eBay, and just place the url to the picture within our own template would still work for many of us.
I only began using Auction Manager because it was here, where my pictures are. I can't afford to pay any more than I already am. The .05 cents maybe I would have lived with, but with most of my sales under $10, I can't afford to give AW a cut of the sale too.
Anyone want to make some bets on where AW will be come summer? There are too many ways to host pics for free. For us small time sellers, paying just doesn't make sense.
Edited to add, will the obnoxious banners go away when the members have to pay to play?
posted on February 28, 2001 02:09:44 PM new
So... when will they start charging to post messages to the boards here? If it's a per word charge, I'm gonna be in big doo-doo....
---
The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on February 28, 2001 02:12:57 PM new
I'm going to go with Ebay's picture services for now (2 images free) - if that doesn't work its back to putting my pictures on the hubby's servers for everyone to view - I don't like imposing my pictures on his servers unless I have to, but looks like I"ll have to.
A nickel by itself wouldn't be so bad - but a nickel at Ebay, a nickel here, 30 cents at Paypal, postal increases... buyers will only take so much before they'll skip your auction to shop locally... Some of my items coming up have a profit margin of a quarter - but I know I'll sell a lot of them - I could go without pictures on them I suppose - but for the items that do need pictures - even with the nickel, why the 1% of final value fee? THat makes no sense to me...
posted on February 28, 2001 02:13:45 PM new
I can't take the extra hit of the nickel either time after time on the same auctions being relisted, but the 1% is an insult. I'm outta here too come the 14th.
posted on February 28, 2001 02:17:09 PM newwaspstar these nickels all add up, a nickel more to eBay, 30 cents to paypal, a big postage hike for items weighing 2-4 pounds (the weight class I usually in) and postage is going up again next year.
So, yeah, it may be just a nickel, but it is the cummulation of nickels that I cannot afford. I mostly sell items under 10 dollars. Besides, it is not just a nickel, it is a percentage of the final value.
I am not faulting Aw for charging, they are a business and businesses are supposed to make money. I hope they make all the money they can possibly make. All I am saying is that the cost of doing business here is too high for me.
Exchangeplace, exchangepal, exchangepath, whatever, see they are forgotton already!
I must say though I have made some good friends and met some amazing and caring people here.
