posted on September 13, 2001 12:31:26 PM new
ePier stated (FREE)...(No Listing Fees - No commissions EVER) .... Now not only do they charge fees for storefronts - but just recently posted that they will be charging a commission on items sold, known as Final Value Fees.
Top it all off.... This morning I went to the site and clicked on (What's New)... There was a post about charging for image hosting ---- Something about 100 images free and up to 1000 available for premium users... ( which, of course have to pay a fee). Someone asked about it and I posted the link where I had seen it and when I clicked on the link it had been changed. This obviously was not intended to be viewable, but someone apparently goofed up and it came up live until they discovered their error.
This was questioned on the message board and one user wrote them about it. They responded... asking where this rumor started. That it was not true. ( I would like to remind you that not only did I view the message, but others did as well.
Shortly after I could not even bring up the site - let alone the message board.
posted on September 13, 2001 01:07:57 PM new
You are right. It did say no fees ever. I wonder if the owner is brave enough to come here (or heck, even appear on his site) and explain why he lied. I ended all of my auctions, there yesterday. They certainly do not have enough traffic to warrant lying this early in the game.
posted on September 13, 2001 09:03:35 PM new
Gee that’s no surprise. I told everyone that it would be impossible for ePier and Bidville to remain free.
I actually do not mind paying a fair FVF on a successful auction, but once a site lies to you, then you really cannot trust them. You know have to question everything they do, why are they doing so, and can they be trusted.
Geggy lied, and died before they started. Dutch bid and Snap rat practically disappeared..
Auction Saloon. Hmm Amazon is closing their auctions. Yahoo might soon follow.
The only creditable sites left are eDeal, Tbay, Haggle (Info Space), Auctionweiser, and Auction Addict.
At least the above four sites haven't gone back on their word.
posted on September 14, 2001 05:42:32 AM new
I'm actually starting to make sales on ePier now! What the heck???
I noticed the layout of the site appears to have improved as well. It's not as cluttered as I recall it being before. Maybe they'll eventually revamp the whole thing and steal BargainandHaggle's dynamite layout! At least it's improving.
What's going on at some of the small sites? I've actually made sales at Onlineauction.com and ePier the last few weeks. These sites used to be dead! No luck at Bidville, however, with the same items.
posted on September 14, 2001 06:11:58 AM new
ePier and Bidville should have gotten it through their thick heads that no fees equals eventual DEATH! ePier finally figured it out and is about to generate regular income to sustain themselves. They should be around at least for another year and they finally seem to want to advertise. I have no problems with success based FVFees. It's fantastic that they still don't have a listing fee! They could become what Yahoo might have been with the proper advertising and no listing fee. We'll see.
If ePier really wants to take advantage of eBay and generate income they could use eBay's success to their benefit. Many eBay users are searching for low-cost picture hosting services. If ePier allows storage and remote hosting of eBay pics, think about the potential newfound income! They could charge a very nominal fee for each remote hosted pic and make a killing! eBay sellers require a 1000 times more images than ePier IMO. I figure there's something like 1-5 billion pics hosted on eBay per year (roughly 5 million auctions per day). Say 500 million are remote hosted, and if ePier could host 20 million of those at a nickel per pic (eBay charges 15 cents for the 2nd and each subsequent pic) that'd be $1,000,000 for something they were giving away for free. Yahoo Geocities and most other sites don't allow remote hosting so this would be a perfect area for ePier to exploit! Plus, any eBay user who uses ePier remote picture hosting services would more than likely give ePier auctions a shot as well. Other auction sellers at up-and-coming sites like Yahoo, Carnaby, and other places would appreciate a centralized location to host images as well. I'm still looking for a free or low-cost remote hoster for my Carnaby auctions since Geocities will not work.
(you can remote host pics off Yahoo Geocities surreptitiously, but when they find out they'll zap your account)
posted on September 14, 2001 06:17:02 AM new"Say 500 million are remote hosted, and if ePier could host 20 million of those at a nickel per pic (eBay charges 15 cents for the 2nd and each subsequent pic) that'd be $1,000,000 for something they were giving away for free."
If it were that easy there'd be scores of companies falling over each other to set that up.
posted on September 14, 2001 06:44:45 AM newIf it were that easy there'd be scores of companies falling over each other to set that up.
Don't assume companies are doing everything they ought to be doing. For example, poor Bidville still hasn't figured out the key to their success is to charge a FVF and then use that income to advertise. Or Yahoo hasn't figured out they could charge for remote hosting from Geocities although people freely use them for that exact reason all the time. If companies like AuctionWatch have figured out how to charge for remote hosting, why haven't more successful and arguably more brilliant firms like Yahoo?
[ edited by eSeller004 on Sep 14, 2001 06:50 AM ]
posted on September 14, 2001 07:39:00 AM new
I just checked and I've got some nice bids on ePier! What the hecks going on??? Are people actually finding the site? I've never had any real success on ePier prior to the last couple weeks. It was zilch for 6 months.
ePier's current advertising on AuctionWatch is appealing to the wrong demographic --- mainly sellers. It's like preaching to the choir, but it still has value. We need to wait and see what other venues they advertise on (if they do!) as income starts rolling in. They need to find ways to target buyers. In any event, I'm finally getting bids on ePier and some crazy ones at that!
posted on September 14, 2001 09:27:41 AM new
It now appears that ePier sellers are finally abandoning ship enmass. Lie after lie after lie - where does it stop?
And if people COULD beleive it would stop there, they are certainly be deceiving themselves because if they were to not institute new fees - You can certainly be assured that these current fees will be increasing and VERY shortly at ePier present rate.
I for one am looking for what I can call a new home. You that want to beleive yet more lies - all I can say is that I wish you success.
posted on September 14, 2001 10:02:42 AM new
I agree with Dim, there is little revenue to be made by FVFs on the smaller sites and advertising doesn't seem to affect bids. The disgruntled sellers hoped and prayed for the small sites to be successful but it probaably will never happen. The niche auctions still have a good shot but not many others.
posted on September 14, 2001 11:08:07 AM new
Here's the facts...ePier stated in the beginning that they had a viable plan to keep the site fee free...that would be generated off of the storefronts, enhancements, and their paymadeeasy thing....(of which is STILL not off the ground as repeatedly promised) The entire outline of their plan can still be seen on the homepage link "NEWS"...although the date of the newsarticle has mysteriously changed from 1998 or 99 to 2000....hmmmm!
Now here's where it starts getting sticky....as soon as the militaria is in place after the eBay ban..all of a sudden a vm fee is imposed. I arrange a Live Chat with the owner and its users....the VM fee was to be for a program that would verify its members to protect them from underage use as well as deadbeats that continue to run wild over there. There is still NO verified plan...if ya send 20 bucks your verified..that simple! Go to PierPals www.geocities.com/pierpals/ and look at the Feedback Walk of Shame...there's active users with 20+ all negative ratings still allowed to rip people off...there's shill bidders and sellers using bidding ID's to bid up their negative feedbacks! These are facts...the same security links for protection still remain broken after 9 months of promises to fix them!
The FVF is only the straw that broke the camels back to many. I personally have done quite well over there....it takes a long time to sell anything though compared to eBay and very few multible bids take place over all. I have the biggest problem because they broke their word...never even tried their plan that was what entised us to give them a shot and believe in them! FVF mean moot to me and wouldn't bother me a bit but it's just one more lie! They recently made it impossible to get users email....then also without warning they removed the threaded chat...another move to keep users from putting the pieces of this puzzel together. Now I have been banned from my personal account, my business account as well as one of the sellers I list for on occasion. I have no access to login and touch my auctions even though I have one due to close in an hour or so with a bid on it. No warning...no explanation....my crime....Exposing their lies! Just after banning my ability to chat they posted a notice of how abusive language towards others would not be tolorated....the sellers id I borrowed to post because no notice of what happened was suspended for saying NOTHING but making a comment that the promised No Big Brother was also added to the list of deceit!
Looking up the ePier info I find that the address and phone is listed as a personal account to Jim Kim and ePier is listed nowhere....I now wonder if this is a basement type of business? I have supported every single thing they have thrown at us and justified it as an error in judgement but they are now actuall lying and breaking promises made,,,they have even placed a new user agreement up with no notice to it's users....I guess when you sign up there you are signing up to be kept in the dark! Notices of happenings are non-exisistant just as everyone even being able to receive a newsletter! With NO security in place we are expected to trust a site that has kept us in the dark and actually broken the promises that many of us believed in as business assurances. This is really crappy way to run a business!
posted on September 14, 2001 11:24:18 AM new
That's a very sad tale goldenpony. Seems like ePier may soon go out of business. Don't look to Bidville to be much better and some of the things you wrote about are the same over there.
posted on September 14, 2001 11:39:30 AM new
Goldenpony,
I am sorry about the happenings at epier. While I am not happy with the fact that bidville started charging membership fees if you want the images hosted, they have NOT done any of the other claims made by bidsbids. I doubt if they ever bought or sold on bidville either.
While some of us use this forum (Other Online Auctions) because we actually sell and buy on them, others (isn't hard to figure out who), post on this board because of the attention they believe they get. After all, if they post on the ebay board their posts are lost in the hundreds of posts. I personally do not value any of the opinions, when they do not even use the sites, and only condemn them.
posted on September 14, 2001 12:11:20 PM new
My calculation of ePier's recent sell-through rate indicates that the final value fees, as announced, will generate some $1,200 weekly.
posted on September 14, 2001 02:53:12 PM new
Please be careful where you host your pics, that was a good idea about using epier pics BUT i tried it months ago...EBAY shut down every one of my auctions with pics hosted by epier...they were not happy.all my work down the drain..
..there is a free trial at www.picturelist.com...love their stuff..they run 19.99 a year...worth it .although the site i am on now has free pics & small monthly subscription..unlimited listing free + fvf OR little larger subscription fee & no fvf or listing fees at all..nor pic fees..Awesome...kewl.. this is for information purposes & to compare sites..we should all share info on as many options as possible..
posted on September 14, 2001 03:08:47 PM new
5 basic points I wanna make here.
1: Opals, what are you snivelin about? You were one who wanted fees! And did not vote or pull together with the rest of us! Quit yer snivelin - you asked for it.
2: Epier is dieing! and I am in the proccess of leaving thier after the constant lies.
3:Edeal SUCKS! It always has and will with the help of one user - OLECOUNTRY!
4: Bidville seems OK so far, but I aint setting up mass amount there quite yet.
5: I will get out of the online selling game before I EVER use ebay and yahoo again!
posted on September 14, 2001 04:42:20 PM new
timetravelers-- Does your ISP not give you free web space as part of your monthly service? Most do, some quite generously, but many users are unaware of this. My ISP, "@home" for example give me 10MB of web space to do more or less what I choose with. At an average of 50 KB per pic, I can in theory run 200 auctions simultaneously without spending an extra penny on pic hosting. Plus as a rule ISP's are more stable & reliable than pay per pic hosts.
Something to look into perhaps....
posted on September 14, 2001 04:52:25 PM new
Gotcha,Relay..yes i can,but this works well for me at the great new place,,faster,right on list form,FAST as i do many different items (i do use the isp for pics i use repeatedly) thanks for telling me as i am still learning & teaching myself computers.i had figured this out finally...LOL
..when i tried the epier pics at ebay i was trying to spread the word about them..like many others have done for the past year..of course apparently ebay did not appreciate it..
One thing epier never publicly thanked any of us that worked so hard for them..that was very cruel..if any of us had a site i can imagine how we would have appreciated everyones help..they never were what we imagined them to be..too bad..a lot of wasted time..
many were angry at me for trying to help
them by alerting them to glitches..etc..actually glad now as it made me move on,,,& grow my biz..& my spirit
good luck everyone..Just move on we all learned a lot..
posted on September 14, 2001 06:21:40 PM new
I have supported the concept of FVF on epier since the first days of that silly [vm] thing.
I still (basicly) support a reasonable FVF for any smaller site like epier. FVF seems fair and win win for both sides. I do NOT support the multi-level user scams that seem to often find favor with sites these days...
The manner that epier has gone about this (and other) changes however, has left me cold. More changes in the middle of the night - little or no warinig - not good, and NOT the way to treat your users.
Epier has dropped the ball (relitive to new features and charges) several times now, picked it up and dropped it again. Not exactly the kind of basket that I want to put my eggs in.
Still, I will remain registered there, and keep an eye on the site - in hopes that someone wakes up and shakes the site into some consistant plan.
Just a note to point out that the Sellers there are just the best, I have gotten some nice deals there - and would love nothing better than to see the site straigten out and fly right...if only for the sake of the many quality members of that site.
posted on September 14, 2001 07:04:47 PM new
In order for ePier to "fly right" they need to fly a new flag-- "UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT"-- with Kim in command that site doesn't have a chance, his demonstrated tendancies to implement whatever comes into his mind without either thinking it through or at least running it past the membership to gauge popular opinion will sink it as surely as the iceberg sank that ship that Jack and Rose were making out on..... and that's not even touching on his *following through* with his ideas.....
posted on September 15, 2001 11:39:27 AM new
I, like Rustybore and Relayerone, was an active seller on Epier (I didn't 'powersell' but tried).
I also was in favor of FVFs but ONLY after Epier fixed all the bugs in their software, setup help files that could be accessed by new (or old) users, did some actual advertising and had a constant (buying) audience.
They *have* lied to all of their users on numerous occasions. Even with all these disappointments, one could continue to use the site. However, they have stooped WAY DOWN, with the final straw being this post (placed today, 9/15/01):
"Abusive language towards other members will not be permitted. This forum was opened at the beginning of this week at the request of a few members. It was meant to bring community support. We do not see how this helps further the interests of our community. And because it has not been used for the enjoyment of everyone, we will no longer be having this forum."
So, what they are saying is: If you don't post nice things about Epier - "community support" - we will "take out ball and go home." Their ball is the community chat forum!
They silenced one of their biggest boosters and have closed accounts of at least two "paying customers" - those that paid $20.00 to become verified. I think I've had enough there (I also paid that $20.00 and feel like a real sucker!).
posted on September 15, 2001 11:54:35 AM new
RussellJDS98926
You are correct on only one thing - I did think the FVF would help - Not the premuim status - and it was only when I saw the (unintended post about image hosting fees, which they quickly deleted when they realized it was live). Then called us liars and asked who started the rumor, as if they knew nothing about it - that is when I made my decision to expose them. So if you want to deceive people - I suggest ePier is a good place to continue your adventures and lies! You fit right in there!
posted on September 15, 2001 12:12:25 PM new
In actuality there were 4 paid VM accounts suspended/banned without warning or explanation...still....3 that I know of still have livce auctions running that are basically being held hostage by ePier since the owners of the account have no way to edit or even end them! They are allowing them to end successfully if they have bids so basically if any get bids and close after 9/17 then they are subjecting them to the FVF's even if we are opposed to remaining listed there. I personally have moved 50 auctions to Carnaby to date and will move more to other sites as soon as they are freed up at ePier.
It's a sad thing to have ePier choose to sweep yet more under that already filled carpet of deceit rather than offer some sort of explanation or notification of their recen unjust actions!
posted on September 15, 2001 12:17:17 PM new
opals4u,
Your comment is a direct insult to another member in this forum that has been moderated already. Your words "- I suggest ePier is a good place to continue your adventures and lies! You fit right in there!" are way over the line and you are issued a strong warning to not post in that manner.
posted on September 15, 2001 01:23:58 PM new
Bob Alberti-- with all that's happened this week I was only peripherally looking in on ePier, seeing your post I had to go and look for myself to see if I wasn't reading it wrong somehow--- I wasn't!
Unbelievable.
Surely Kim has *some* understanding of human nature? That tragic events, and especially this week, a tragic event unparallelled in history, peoples emotions are raw, in grief and confusion we often react badly to each other, without even realizing it at times.
The chat boards of every site I've seen this week have been filled with (understandable) anger & hurt--- and in our expression of same, arguments are inevitable.
Any other week and I'd have said Kim was justified, it's *his* site after all---but not this week.
James Kim has all but killed ePier now, and personally, I think it's for the best, rather than a slooooow lingering death from lies and distrust.
It's a shame.
