posted on June 17, 2004 05:44:57 PM new
Yep, that's the story, page D-1, today's Wall Street Journal article titled: "New Pact to Ease Hassles of eBay"
PROBLEM: 3,400 UPS Stores are now accepting items to e-Bay thru a 3rd Party Seller arrangement. GREEDY (BROWN) UPS wants it both ways: to get our shipping business; and, now they want to take our customers away by competing against us.
SOLUTION: Suppose 450,000 e-Bay Sellers STOPPED shipping with UPS? PROPOSAL: Let's FEDEX; or USPO; or other UPS-competitors!
BROWN would get the message 'loud & clear' that they stepped in 'Brown' by getting greedy and wanting it all! DO YOU AGREE? If you do, read the article;SPREAD the WORD to your other seller friends!
[ edited by selectiblecollectables on Jun 17, 2004 05:51 PM ]
posted on June 17, 2004 05:48:46 PM new
i think they are referring to auctiondrop which is already selling on ebay .
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 17, 2004 08:23:53 PM new
I saw the same thing on TV today. I'm pretty sure they said UPS. I was dumbfounded.
___________________________________
As I've matured, I've learned . .
#2. . . that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away. And the real pains in the butt are permanent.
posted on June 17, 2004 08:35:38 PM new
stopwhining is correct.
AuctionDrop, UPS have new arrangement
Customers of AuctionDrop Inc. are now using UPS Stores to drop off their wares for sale on the popular eBay.com online auction site.
The deal gives customers of San Carlos, Calif.-based AuctionDrop access to 3,400 UPS Store locations across the United States. Prior to the arrangement with Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS), AuctionDrop had only five locations in the San Francisco Bay area. An official announcement on the arrangement between AuctionDrop and UPS is expected on June 22.
Those who want to sell items on eBay use AuctionDrop for all the logistics. The sellers bring their unpacked items to AuctionDrop or any UPS Store, where it is packed and shipped to eBay after sellers fill out a form containing their personal information. Sellers are not charged anything for the service at this point. AuctionDrop has a processing center that takes care of all the logistics, including setting up the page on eBay to sell the item. When the item sells, the seller gets a check in the mail after AuctionDrop takes a commission. If an item does not sell, it is returned to the seller at no additional charge.
UPS has a pre-negotiated shipping price with AuctionDrop, said UPS spokesperson Steve Holmes.
"The benefit to UPS is the shipping revenue," he said. "But to the UPS Store franchisees, they get shipping revenue and packing revenue, plus it attracts more foot traffic to the stores."
As of June 14, AuctionDrop had more than 24,000 items listed on eBay and had paid out more than $1.8 million paid out to its customers.
Founded in 2002 by Randy Adams, Bill Rollinson and Andy Jeffrey, AuctionDrop is a privately owned company. AuctionDrop receives funding from leading Silicon Valley venture firms Draper Associates and Mobius Venture Capital.
this sentence makes no sense to me...what you make of the statement?
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"Sellers are not charged anything for the service at this point."
whats the "this point??" auctiondrop doesnt charge until item sells??
this is clearly diametrically opposed to an earlier post, in which the poster used Adrop... Adrop charged a fee up front...i cant find the original thread to prove my point; so i may should just leave this out...but it couples to "ship to ebay."
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it seems to me this press release has some misinformation as well as information...
i checked ups website; couldnt find the press release from their site...i wonder, is this a press release from Adrop?
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the 3rd party agreement is really nothing new..just that auctiondrop getting more bang for their buck...its called marketing...
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justmyopinion
myoldtoy
posted on June 18, 2004 05:25:23 AM new
does it say a seller must seek approval from auctiondrop before taking the item to UPS to be packed and shipped to auctiondrop??
If seller pays nothing for packing ,shipping ,what is to stop sellers of all stripes and age bringing their JUNK to UPS store ??
I love to bring my mummified raccoon to UPS store to be shipped to auctiondrop,if not sold,shipped back to me free.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
"...before taking the item to UPS" ...our pharmacy has a ups pickup; they are considered a ups store...thats what constitutes the 4000 number...
as i read the release, you could take the coon to the drugstore; they will wrap it and ship it to Adrop - or ship to ebay - or back to you - or something akin to this..
posted on June 18, 2004 06:13:54 AM new
there must be some form of preapproval before you can take your stained worn wedding gown,broken pottery anything everything to your local UPS DROPOFF.
What is to stop everyone anyone to bring anything everything in,can you imagine the ups bills AUCTIONDROP will receive ??
What about an old car or harley or scooter or a tractor,who is going to pack it,your local pharmacist??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 18, 2004 06:25:43 AM new
hi neglus
i think i stand corrected on the fees...thanks....
but the free fee really doesnt give you much...especially if you have to start the auction at a buck...
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the 19.99 fee is the one...and look at the auctions listed this way -- NO BASICS HERE...this MUST be an easy sell for the Adrop salesperson.
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again, in reference to the earlier post, i dont remember the part about "ebay also charges a commission, etc..." per Adrop's home page, the base commmision becomes aprox 44%...wonder how they handle this one..
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but, i cant see my pharmacy, or the local NAPA packing stop's coon, or anything else...
but i may be reading it all wrong...
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myoldtoy
posted on June 18, 2004 07:38:38 AM new
I assume by UPS store they mean places like "Mailboxes" and "Office Depot" - I wonder if the employees are screened to accept or reject stuff or if all of it actually goes to Auction Drop and they list EVERY single thing?? YUCK! I'll bet they will get some real junk!
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble! http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
posted on June 18, 2004 07:48:00 AM new
how would the workers at mailbox etc know ??
why should they care,they get paid for packing and shipping,the more the merrier.
may be auctionwatch wants you to be a paid member before you can bring your stuff.
i can see locations like palm springs or beverly hills,but not all over the country??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 18, 2004 07:48:40 AM new
"where it is packed and shipped to eBay"
I glanced over that quickly last evening, myoldtoy and I didn't even notice that. You're right, it makes no sense. And like others say, there has to be some pre-approval you would think.
Here is another article I found at CNNmoney.
UPS Plans to Accept Drop-Offs of Goods for Sale on eBay
Two companies are poised to announce a deal that will make it far easier for people to unload their belongings on eBay (EBAY), Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.
The deal between UPS and AuctionDrop Inc., will enable people to drop off goods for sale on eBay at any of 3,400 UPS Stores around the country. AuctionDrop will then sell the items for them, in return for a commission -- the idea being to spare consumers the logistics of setting up their own auctions on eBay.
Until now, AuctionDrop's drop-off business has been limited to just five stores, all bearing the company's own name and all located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
AuctionDrop, of San Carlos, Calif., and UPS plan to officially announce the program next week at an eBay user convention, but the UPS Stores are already accepting eBay items, the companies said.
United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) greatly expanded its retail presence in 2001 when it bought Mail Boxes Etc., a chain of shipping and packing franchises.
The drop-off stores are the latest sign of eBay's growth as an institution. Indeed, the company estimates that upward of 430,000 people now make all or most of their living selling on the site. EBay has more than 100 million registered users world-wide, nearly half of them active, who collectively sold $24 billion in automobiles, electronics and other goods last year.
posted on June 18, 2004 08:18:44 AM new
I think it's FAAAAABBBYOUUUULUSSS!
The convenience of taking an item to a UPS store and having them pack it and ship it out of my life for NOTHING?If they ship it back I will refuse delivery.
Great! I have a number of (heavy) items that I have been wanting to unload. I have a Hat Labeler that I picked up at a yard sale for $10 , didn't work then, doesn't now - but it looks good and I can throw in 40 transfers for the McCloud Family Reunion of 2003!
I drop it at the UPS store, they ship it, ADrop lists it and after it sells I get a check minus 44%. Great, a good one of these brings $350 or so on ebay, the buyer won't know it's junk until it's too late, ADrop won't refund, ADrop gets the neg, I get a check for 56% of a grossly inflated value.
Downside, we may all end up paying MORE for insurance on shipping as LOTS of claims will get filed- people will say Adrop said it worked when shipped, must have been damaged in shipping!
But, will this happen? Yup. Can ADrop stop it? Only if they test everything thoroughly, which I doubt they will do. That heat press will pass a cursory check- it will heat up when you turn it on- but it only heats part of the platen, another part never gets hot and it takes 10-12 minutes to realize that. Think ADrop will do it? I don't.
Will they test every "diamond" to see if it's real? Every piece of gold jewelry for actual content? Every function of every stereo or video component? This has all the earmarks of a fiasco in the making- and if eBay decides to protect this "IMPORTANT" user-as they probably will, it'll get really bad before UPS or eBay pulls the plug or Adrop goes belly up - after gathering thousands of negs.
On a different note, how will ADrop handle all the volume? I don't know how an outfit that currently has 4-500 items up at a time is going to handle thousands daily- which I assume is the intent of this program. Maybe they'll hire more low paid help-and they'll do a fine job I'm sure in checking each and every item...
Bring a blanket and a cold drink, there's gonna be FIREWORKS!!
posted on June 18, 2004 09:08:27 AM new
the money come from venture capital,they just want to take the company public and make money big time,in the mean time they will subsidise all that nonsense.
VC goes for big killing,that IPO .
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 18, 2004 09:27:08 AM new
Bob: I think your hunch is exactly right--what a mess that's going to be, with no quality control. And then the UPS stores will be making enemies!! for their business if they do try to reject any piece of junk people bring in. If this tanks, as I'm sure it will, it'll paint all Ebay sellers with a broad brush, I'm sure. Good Lord, what 13-year-old ebay executive dreamed this one up.
It's those venture capital gurus, looking to make a quick buck.
___________________________________
As I've matured, I've learned . .
#2. . . that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away. And the real pains in the butt are permanent.
posted on June 18, 2004 10:27:04 AM new
it is restricted to certain categories and items must sell for at least 50-75 dollars.
but will the UPS locations know what will sell for 50-75 dollars ??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 18, 2004 11:28:25 AM new
Does this mean that people just drop by and stand in line at a UPS store with their stuff? Also - who at a UPS store is qualified to examine and test electronic and camera equipment or know whether a name brand high end piece of luggage, purse, watch etc is a knockoff or not? I see a Pandora's box opening up with this arrangement.
buyhigh
posted on June 18, 2004 12:01:20 PM new
they are going to announce more details soon- i am sure they have figured all these out.
It is not up to UPS to decide if diamond is fake or camera is working,they just pack and ship,probably ask what category seller wants it listed.
SELLER will sign a sheet of paper saying he is complying with all the rules,else he has to pay to get the item back if auctiondrop refuses to list the item/
but it is going to open up a big can of worms,what if UPS plays switch-a roo on my hope diamond or did not do a good job packing my 18th c meissen??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on June 18, 2004 12:27:16 PM new
please view all this "press" with a jaundiced eye. it is all coming from auctiondrop...check the
ups website - i dont think there is anything here about any "game-winning" deal with Adrop.
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i hope you dont mind my view; but i see it all as hype....
[1] "AuctionDrop has signed a deal with UPS that will allow people to drop off goods to be sold on eBay ."
i signed a deal with ups when i set up an account with them...dell computer signed a deal with fedex and courier express to gain better price on their "prepaid" shipment deals. and it is exclusive to the extent that dell does not use ups...
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[2] "People simply drop off their goods at a UPS store and they will be packed and shipped by UPS to AuctionDrop at no cost to the consumer."
somebody gonna pay the tariff...that is the law...the packing by UPS store aspect is could be/probably the "special handling" ups offers...which, is less packing - and more paper wrapped and bound...as someone else addressed: it will have to be unpacked to photograph, etc., by Adrop...
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[3] "Kessler said of the 105 million eBay users worldwide, 92 percent haven't ever sold anything on eBay.
He believes that by 2008 more than 2 percent of eBay's projected $40 billion in sales will go to eBay drop-off vendors.
AuctionDrop Chief Executive Randy Adams was thrilled with the deal.
"This is like game-over for us," said Adams. "This means we have 99 percent of all the stores in the country."
is it not JUST WONDERFUL what one can do with numbers?
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[4] "Adams added that for people who try to sell their goods on eBay, only 43 percent are successful because their pictures or presentation are not good enough. He noted that his company's success rate is 92 percent"
FORGIVE ME, for name calling, but this guy is a numnut....to say the least, he finally p....d me off... ALL this press release is rather useless for those of us who dont live in the Adrop area... soooooo, i hope you who live in northern california dust his a..!!!
sorry to vent, but i came on this statement as i reread the press release...
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stop: i just read your thread...i bet UPS will have a l/liability clause...after all, the 4000 stores are all locally owned franchised/licensed operations...none are owned by UPS[at least that is what i have read]. but you are right about the switcheroo or broken meissen!
myoldtoy
[ edited by myoldtoy on Jun 18, 2004 12:29 PM ]
