posted on June 7, 2005 08:34:38 AM
I just got a email a few minutes ago from Green Zap and it looks like their up and running. Going to check out their site now and see what it looks like.
posted on June 7, 2005 09:46:44 AM
Considering that BOTH CitiCorp and HSBC bombed with their online payment programs, what pixie-dust is gonna transform this pig into a unicorn??
Other than the pyramid scheme, how GreenZonk gonna threaten the 800lb gorilla -- PayPal??
My own personal experience is that NO MATTER which payment service I PREFER (namely: BidPay), what COUNTS is which service MY BUYERS prefer...
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
posted on June 7, 2005 06:02:30 PM
If you make your payment terms according to what the buyers prefer, then you don't want to forget to offer I.O.U.'s, and 36 month no interest payment plans. When I sell something, they will pay according to what I prefer, or they won't get it.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on June 7, 2005 07:30:36 PM
I'm not planning on jumping on the Zap wagon yet. I'll let it run for a while and see how it goes first. If it looks to be legit and working smooth I will probably offer it. It would be nice for high ticket items as they have a flat fee no matter what the payment amount is.
As for BidPay, I offer it but have only ever had 3 people use it. It worked fine and I shipped their item as soon as I recieved notification from BidPay.
If GreenZap does work out I think they will be nice to finally have some competition for PayPal. I agree they are not going to put PayPal out of business but I bet it put's a dent in their profit's if GreenZap takes hold.
If you think about it, GreenZap has the right idea. They, like PayPal, never actually handle your money. They are just the electronic internet middle man that transfers your funds, and I'm sure they like banks use your money while it's in their account. So they are more than likely making money on your money while they have control of it. I could never understand how they (PayPal) could charge so much for actually doing so little. GreenZap with their flat fee is in my opinion alot more reasonable to the seller and they are still making money, their just not as greedy as ebay/PayPal. It's just like ebay. There are other internet auction sites, no they have not put ebay out of business, but they have taken that much business away from them, and the other sites keep growing and there are more of them all the time. Many people have had it with ebay's overpriced and in my opinion over regulated hogwash. The few times I have had to deal with ebay and paypal on a offical matter they gave me the feeling they could have cared less about me. I don't get that from other business's I deal with, why should I take it from them. In short, ebay and PayPal's head's have just gotten to big and it's about time someone stuck a pin in and let a little of the hot air out. It may not be a big leak, but it's a leak all the same and they feel the pain, the pain being their stock droping on the stock market.
posted on June 7, 2005 09:01:05 PM
eBay's stock was down today over 2%, on news of Yahoo Auctions offering no listing fees, as well as GreenZap's launch. That's a single day decline of over $1 billion in market cap for eBay's stock.
posted on June 11, 2005 11:37:46 AM
I was peeking around the GreenZap site and noticed that they don't allow anything credit card related. You have to 'fund' your account prior to purchasing anything and those funds must come from a bank account or mailed in money order/personal check.
This offers no protection (in the form of chargebacks) to the buyer.
Also, as a seller, you have to deposit $100.00 in the account to be a "Gold" member. This will lower your fee per transaction to $1.00. This sounds great, if all of your incoming payments total more than $23.00. Otherwise, you might as well stay with Paypal. If you don't feel like forking over the hundred bucks, you can go with the regular account and pay $2.00 in fees per payment received.
I don't see anything great about this that Paypal doesn't already offer~including lower fees in many cases.
There are also many anti-Greenzap sites up. Whether they have any truth to them is not something I'm willing to gamble my personal info. with.
As the Darling-&-Daring-Democratic-Doggy Ralphie reminds us: "If it looks too good..."
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
posted on June 11, 2005 12:20:07 PM
$2 fees are too much for greenzap... I though fees were going to be exactly $1, which is still kind of high for transactions under $10...
"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me."—Guess Who? Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
posted on June 11, 2005 12:42:50 PM
Ever since I did the interview with Alex Sonkin, its been like watching a train wreck in slow-motion.
Listening to the defenders of this scheme makes you realize that it truly is a P.T. Barnum world.
And when you follow the trail of so many of these characters, you soon discover that they are serial scamsters; simply rearranging the pitch a tad then starting it all over.
---------------------------
Internet Talk Radio
Everything eBay...and More. E-Auction-Air
posted on June 11, 2005 12:54:19 PM
WOW ...looks as if Green Zap is not zapping very well. Looks like a mail box etc operation
_____________________________________________
Hold the Press! We have the Winner of D- Dummy election....
Candidate B - 1 D
...Candidate K-4 Ds----
D-Dummy by a landslide 4 to 1 Candidate K
posted on June 11, 2005 05:43:29 PM
So how do you get you money out of your account??
You cannot pay any one from it so what is ths point??
The fees are for sure no bargain !!!!!!!!!!!!!
"This company appears to be making income claims of up to $9000 per month for referring other "members" to their program. The Bureau has been unable to determine that anyone has made this amount of money from this company's program and offers the following general advice for this type of activity.
Multi-level marketing is a system..."
Michael~I was expecting a "puff-piece," but your interview with the "President" of Greencrap was outstanding and delightfully HARD-HITTING. It was also very depressing...
From the very beginning, Ralph (NO relation to Ralph's Market btw) detected a strong odour emanating off this pile of doo-doo. HOW THE HELL did they ever talk this poor schlub into joining them? It seems to me that he may be a victim just as much as anybody else...
Oh well...Really sad...Think Ralphie & I will go back to stuffing envelopes...NEXT WEEK, while I'm assembling BROOMS in my spare time, Ralphie plans on reviewing MEDICARE claims -- at 3bones/claim, he be REALLY enthusiatic!
posted on June 11, 2005 09:12:41 PM
Thanks Tom...I know what you mean about how depressing it is...particulary the pathetic toadies who continue in defense of the scheme; angry,feckless and possessed by a type of greed that is biblical in scope.
The bright spot for me has to be how, in this case at least, the whole thing was really brought down by the swarming of the wronged from previous deals by the hatchers of GZ...Web Rangers, Vigilantes...from all over the world they descended and will, no doubt, be there for the next incarnation of GZ.
What a world, what a world...
Best,
Michael
---------------------------
Internet Talk Radio
Everything eBay...and More. E-Auction-Air
[ edited by pandorasbox on Jun 11, 2005 09:13 PM ]
posted on June 11, 2005 09:57:27 PMtOMWill You said:
"My own personal experience is that NO MATTER which payment service I PREFER (namely: bidpay), what COUNTS is which service MY BUYERS prefer..."
******
I agree - that is just good business sense, although I agree I hate it.
I personally HATE Money Orders, as they take too much time, can get lost in the mail, they are hard to trace - PERSONALLY I prefer direct credit card payments through our own Merchant's Account; I accept BidPay also, and it is okay. I HATE PayPal, but the customers love it, so I use it, at least will continue to use it until fees get out of control, as eBay's have.
I am testing out Yahoo again. Use to do fantastic over there when it was free - in fact one year I sold more on Yahoo than eBay; and DEFINITELY made more money because of the fees.
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
[ edited by jwpc on Jun 11, 2005 10:01 PM ]
