Auction Tempest Blog

The Tax Man commeth, Is eBay.com Next

2007-03-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

The eBay auction community is buzzing with word that eBay has handed over sales data to the Australian Taxing Authority. The Australian IT article states the sales data was for the years 2003-2006 on sellers who's total yearly sales met or exceeded $50,000 Australian.

Many of the community boards and news sources wonder if the US market is next and what data will be turned over to the IRS or State Revenue Departments. While this is beneficial to many merchants, who already report taxable income and sales generated on eBay, many small online sellers may get caught in the crossfire.

eBay sellers can avoid unnecessary worry and hardships by speaking with a tax professional and filing amended returns if needed. Amended returns will not prevent all of the penalties and interest, but it will provide peace of mind and a visit from the Tax Man.

eBay experiences Multiple Glitches

2007-03-11T19:40:00.000-05:00

EBay.com appears to be experiencing multiple glitches this weekend involving customer checkout and seller account payments.

Several sellers have reported delayed or uncredited payments to their seller accounts using the paypal debit cards over the past several days, even though paypal balances reflect the transactions.

A separate issue involving shipping insurance errors have been reported by readers and confirmed by customers. It appears the shipping insurance charge on some checkout transactions is defaulting to $0.00 dollar amount causing an error. Corrected invoices can be generated through your eBay control panel or paypal's invoicing feature.

Overstock Auctions Help center NO HELP at all

2007-02-27T16:20:00.000-05:00

Overstock has launched it's new "improved customer care system" on the site that Meghan Tuohig spoke about last week.

While the graphics are attractive, the improved "Help System" actually offers no more help than the old FAQ section of the site. Users now have the ability to sort FAQ's by topic, or search the FAQ's, however there is very little difference than the old system.

One such example is a search by topic of customer service: Two results are displayed "Contacting Customer Care" and "Overstock Auctions Live Chat". Once "Overstock Auctions Live Chat" link is clicked the user is taken to a page stating that "Live Chat is not currently available"

Since Overstock Auctions live chat was removed from the site months ago there is no reason for it to be included in the new Overstock.com Auctions Help Center.

Overstock Auctions to improve Customer Care

2007-02-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

Meghan Tuohig has announced that Overstock Auctions will be implementing an "internal Application that will greatly improve customer care systems, providing an even better auction user experience" early next week.

Within the same post Meghan states that several other site enhancements are still on schedule for release near the end of the 1st quarter of 2007 including the previously promissed classified ads, 1-day auctions, and the ability to cancel bids.

1-Day auctions and Customer Service Live Chat were site features that Overstock removed in 2006.

During the prime Holiday shopping season Overstock Auctions cancelled subscription pricing plans and implemented a mandatory 1.5x Make It Mine policy which severely impacted site users. Since those changes site listings have plummeted and Overstock Auctions has dropped to the number 17 spot on Auction count charts.

Is it too late for Overstock or will they be able to pull the failing auction site back into the spotlight?

Overstock's CEO Patrick Byrne Polls Site Users

2007-02-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

Patrick Byrne has once again taken to the site message boards looking for a vote of confidence.

Patrick's opening sentence captures the essence of his crusade against the negative aspects of Wall Street, however Patrick himself has forgotten a segment of the "American workers, retirees, and savers" that he is fighting for.

Overstock Auctions is the home of many "American workers, retirees, and savers" who have attempted to supplement their incomes and grow small home based businesses since the site launched in 2004.

Recent changes to the site have increased costs for the majority of smaller site users while decreasing GMV. Unlike Corporations and larger volume merchants, small Internet business owners do not have the working capital or staff to handle unplanned changes and cost increases.

How many more "American workers, retirees, and savers" will be overlooked and forgotten by the companies who's pockets bulge at the expense of small sellers?

Just as Judd Bagley discusses in his article on PR 2.0 , Earned Media can have both Positive and negative effects on a business. While the "Crusade" may have positive effects among investors, the actions of Overstock causes a Negative effect among the site users.

The poll question "Did I handle this appropriately?"

A Simple answer "NO"

A more complete answer can be found in the "Message Board Rules of Conduct".

Driving Repeat Sales through Google, Paypal, and Overstock

2007-02-11T20:38:00.000-05:00

2007 is set to be an interesting year for online sellers, with unknown challenges lurking at every turn. Small business owners should be prepared to market their wares, and increase sales without the direct help of venues.

While establishing a functional web store, with shopping cart and payment integration, is essential to the success of all online Merchants it is only a portion of the business equation.

Repeat sales and Customer acquisition are also necessary for a successful business.

Customers can often be compelled to increase purchases through the use of rebates and coupons such as those offered by Google checkout and Paypal.

Google Checkout offers new customers the chance to get $10 off a purchase of $10 or more by registering before February 15, 2007.

Paypal is offering a $15 rebate on purchases of $30 or more between February 8 and March 31.

Both of these offers provide the small seller a unique opportunity to market to existing customers, and increase purchases from new customers who participate.

Overstock O-Muse also provides small sellers with an excellent FREE marketing opportunity.

Simply sign up, write an article relevant to your niche or product lines and link away. Simple, highly search able, and an excellent source of relevant linkage to your web site.

Overstock's Results are In

2007-02-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

Well folks it is official, Overstock.com ended the Fourth Quarter of 2006 at a significant loss according to today's financial reports.

Among today's flurry of activity are a few interesting figures for you auction sellers.

GMV was down by over 2 Million from the Fourth quarter of 2005. This drop in GMV is undoubtedly the result of the many changes swiftly implemented to the site during the shopping season.

Customer Acquisition costs for auctions was down from $6.73 per registrant in 2005 to only $0.59 per registrant in 2006. Such a significant drop in user acquisition costs probably explains the lack of traffic generated to the auction site.

According to recent message board posts on Overstock many site users have noticed the dramatic shift in bidder activity on the site. Many of the larger volume sellers have reduced listings counts or removed them entirely, while smaller volume merchants appear to be testing the waters.

If the Q4 results of 2006 are an indication of things to come for Overstock Auction sellers, then many will need to rethink their strategies on Overstock. For the savvy seller Overstock Auctions might be a goldmine, for others a minefield.

Internet Merchants Association Branding Presentation

2007-01-29T22:58:00.000-05:00

The Internet Merchants Association has provided an excellent presentation "Branding" for online sellers on the IMA's blog.

Jody of Beachcombers provided an extensive overview of branding for eBay store owners including product packaging and Brand continuity across the web.

While the presentation was aimed at eBay sellers, it provides an excellent opportunity for online sellers of all types to learn "Branding" from a very experienced source.

This is just one of the first weekly presentations that IMA members will be providing to the eBay community of sellers. Be sure to visit the IMA website and Blog to keep up to date on all the latest news.

Overstock CEO Compares STR to eBay's

2007-01-29T22:22:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne brags about the sites increased Sell Through Rates on a post titled Sell-Through-Rates, claiming an increase of 21% over the past few weeks.

Within the post Patrick states "I believe (but want to be corrected if I am wrong) that this is now slighly above eBay's".

The next paragraph continues Patrick's recent request for eBay site users to spread the "Word" among the eBay buying community.

Perhaps a little reminder about Overstock Auctions history is in order for Mr. Byrne.

Imagine the summer of 2004. The "Word" is project Ocean and it is a top secret venture by Overstock.com into the auction business "Taking on the Big Boys".

"Word" spread and sellers appeared with their customers, listing like mad on a fledgling site where the Customer service was superior to eBay's, fees were cheaper, and the CEO interacted with site users on the message boards.

Sound Familiar!

Fast forward to present day. Customer service is available only by email, subscription listing plans are a fairytale, and the CEO is on the site message boards.

While Sell Through Rates are increasing on the site, there has been no mention of GMV, or the high percentage of failed transactions caused by NPB's.

EBay UK Massive Changes

2007-01-29T16:48:00.000-05:00

A string of announcements were made on the EBay UK site today concerning changes in user agreements, fee structures, and other site policies.

The most astounding of these changes is a complete overhaul of the fee structures for Technology Products and Media.

While the new fee structure looks complex it could lead to decreased costs for many merchants with higher STR's.

Is it possible something similar could be coming to the US site?

Overstock.com CEO Hopes eBay sellers will bring Customers

2007-01-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne has made some interesting comments today under a message board post titled "Stormy, Meghan, and Auctions".

"Listings have dropped almost as far as we wanted them to; we see that the sell through rates are many, many times higher than they have ever been on our site". At last count Overstock's total listing volume was down 90% since the site changes began.

" i know that I made a few abrupt moves on the controls some weeks ago, because we wanted to start off the new year right. I am sorry about that, but we are very glad we did, because every auctions metric that we care about has turned around sharply."

It would appear that Merchants and Overstock itself may be concerned about different metrics. Sellers have been attempting to increase profits while managing costs associated with listing on Overstock. Overstock is attempting to decrease listing counts while increasing revenue (Fees) from individual merchants.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Patrick's post:

"Here is a question: it is our hope that by getting conversation rates up as they are now, sellers will gradually realize that they can list more items (I think the average seller now lists more than a dozen at a time). I expect they will experiment, increasing the numbers bit by bit, to see what our traffic supports. I also expect, or at least hope, that as word starts getting out into the eBay community, a few more sellers may come try things. And lastly, I get the impression that some eBay groups are sticky, that is, that some sellers will bring dedicated buyers when they come. How realistic does this sound? "

Considering that Overstock Auctions has failed to deliver the "O-Outlets" promised to sellers at eBay Live, and cancellation of the subscription pricing sold to merchants at eBay live it doesn't seem very realistic at all.

EBay Stores undergoes Management changes

2007-01-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

Chris Tsakalakis has posted on the eBay Stores Board that he will be moving on to a position with the newly acquired StubHub portion of eBay.

The new Senior Director of Stores will be Lori Goler who will be responsible for both eBay stores and ProStores eBay platform.

According to the post there are several new features for store sellers that will roll out prior to April including A Markdown Manager feature, and increased promotional and merchandising tools.

The Markdown Manager feature would allow store owners to revise pricing on subsets of merchandise that are available in fixed price or stores formats. It is unclear if sellers would be able to raise prices in a similar fashion.

Sellers already have the option of marketing to buyers in various ways through both the eBay platform and eBay certified programs. Easy to use services such as MyStoreRewards give sellers unique marketing opportunities that can be customized depending on the desired effect both on and off eBay.

Meghan Tuohig New Head of Overstock Auctions

2007-01-20T08:39:00.000-05:00

Patrick Byrne AKA Hannibal has commented on the Overstock message Boards the Meghan Tuohig is the new Head of Overstock.com Auctions.

Only weeks ago Stormy Simon was announced as the Head of Overstock Auctions and began implementing changes and removing site features. According to Patrick "Stormy wrestled through some necessary changes before moving on to another project ( know some may disagree, I know, but this is already a far healthier ecosystem than it was a few months ago). "

The thread was started by Meghan Tuohig as a personal introduction to site users stating "A goal of mine for the New Year is to establish a closer relationship to the customers of Overstock.com Auctions."

In our opinion establishing a close relationship with sellers will be a tough job since many of the site features have been removed and other features such as BBL, and the ability to combine invoices has never been instituted.

According to Megahn's post several features will be rolled out on Monday January 22, 2007 including a shortened NPB process, Auction Counters, and the removal of the Ask User a Question Link on individual homepages.

The removal of ASQ links on user homepages is a significant change which will further reduce the ability of customers and prospective buyers to contact sellers on Overstock. As previously reported Overstock Auctions O-Mail has been faulty for months and many site users have been using the ASQ links to communicate payment and purchase information to customers who are not receiving Overstock generated invoices and purchase notices.

eBay runs $0.20 Listing Day special

2007-01-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

EBay has announced a one day $0.20 listing special for Thursday January 18, 2007 that applies to Core Auction and Fixed price listings only.

Internet Merchants Association IMA Conference

2007-01-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

The IMA Internet Merchants Association will be hosting a 2 1/2 Day conference next month in Las Vegas. The Febuary 27th conference will include speakers and representatives from eBay, Channleadvisor, Amazon, Google, Small Business Administration, and ASD/AMD.

Registration for the event will begin later this week.

Auctionbytes has a detailed article on the IMA conference in today's issue.

Overstock Auctions loosing traction

2007-01-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

Overstock Auctions appears to be loosing traction among the top ranked auction counts. According to the stats published by powersellersunite.com Overstock has slipped to spot number 15 ranking behind sites such as wagglepop and bluejay.

With decreased counts and alexa rankings many site users are left to wonder what future Overstock Auctions has in a very competitive industry.

Without an international customer base, or auction tab advertising, Overstock Auctions may find the buyers and sellers harder to acquire than they were in 2004. Can Overstock turn the situation around and make a success out of the ailing venue, or should they simply give up?

Overstock O-Gallery Cancellation Glitches

2007-01-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Overstock employees confirmed that the removal of Sellathon features from the site were Overstock's decision on the site message board earlier today.

The same message board thread discusses site issues caused by the ill planned removal of O-Gallery including non functioning links to 'View Seller's Other Items". According to thread there is a code fix in place, however it will not be implemented until next week.

Overstock auction sellers have suffered under the quick fire changes Overstock management has made to the site in recent months under the leadership of Stormy Simon. In just a matter of weeks Overstock Auction sellers have lost almost all site functions and improvements made under the two previous Vice Presidents of Overstock Auctions.

With three problematic Christmas Selling Seasons in a row at Overstock Auctions, many merchants wonder if Overstock will be around for a Fourth try!

Overstock Auctions continues Downward Spiral

2007-01-11T15:12:00.000-05:00

Overstock Auctions continues in a downward spiral today announcing the loss of O-Tracker, O-Gallery, and the Most Popular Gallery features on the site. In recent weeks the site has also canceled subscription plans, revised MIM Policies, removed live chat, and removed seller ratings and ID's from list views on the site.

The current Overstock Auction listing count hovers around the 40,000 mark and is currently in 14th place among auctions sites listed.

The O-Tracker, O-Gallery, and Most Popular Gallery features on Overstock Auctions were hosted by Sellathon. Sellathon was recently aquired by Auctiva which provides services to eBay users.

While the loss of these features may be outside of Overstock's control, it will severely impact an already ailing auction community.

EBay to Aquire Stub Hub for estimated $310M

2007-01-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

EBay announced plans to acquire StubHub.com for an estimated $310 Million Dollars according to the official press release today. Bill Cobb's announcement comes only 7 days after the Fee Increase Announcement.

Unlike prior acquisitions such as Skype, StubHub.com is actually a sound investment for eBay. With a large overlapping customer base and similar interests the acquisition should prove to be a money maker for stockholders.

eBay Standard Purchase Protection Policy Revised

2007-01-10T14:44:00.000-05:00

Rob Chesnut SVP of eBay Trust and Safety has announced the revision of the eBay Standard Purchase Protection Policy effective next week.

The revision will remove protection for all non-paypal transactions, eliminate the $25.00 processing fee, and double the amount of coverage to $2000 USD.

While eBay states such changes are "in the best interests of the marketplace long-term", many believe the policy change has ulterior motives similar to the Accepted Payments Policy.

Both the Accepted Payments Policy, and the revised Standard Purchase Protection Policy, exclude Google Checkout. Google Checkout has gained favor with many merchants due to the "Free Payment Processing" through 2007.

Launch of Safeguarding Member's IDs On eBay.com

2007-01-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

Rob Chesnut, SVP eBay Trust and Safety, states that the "SMI" Program will launch this week on both ebay.com and eBay.ca in Canada.

The "SMI" program is designed to cut down on Fraudulent second chance offers and other misuses of bidder histories on the site. According to the announcement the T&S department feels that there are safeguards in place to prevent and eliminate "Shill Bids". Many community members have expressed a concern that the "SMI" may increase fraudulent Shill activity on the site.

Overstock.com Stores? The New Look of Overstock

2007-01-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

During the summer of 2006 Overstock Auctions attended the eBay Live event and gave the eBay elite a glimpse of exciting new programs such as "Overstock Outlets" and "Subscription Pricing". Overstock managed to launch the subscription pricing yet the Overstock Outlets failed to develope.

Recently Overstock announced the cancellation of a "Subscription Pricing" plans, however there have been no official updates regarding "Overstock Outlets".

Today readers have noticed the Overstock.com main shopping pages has taken on a new look. Key to this new look is the addition of the phrase "Shop our most popular stores:" followed by a list of buttons for various Overstock Retail Categories and the phrase "See all our stores on tabs at top".

Looking at the site from a customer's viewpoint it may be confusing, and possibly lead to a decrease in sales across multiple site categories.

It also appears that Overstock is using all available resources to change and market the retail side while letting the Auctions spiral into oblivion. According to Site Listing counts the spiral has been going on for some time and it is gaining momentum as the total volume shrinks.

Perhaps someone will through Overstock Auctions a Life Boat before it's too late, then again maybe they won't.

Are thrifty Habits costing you money?

2007-01-05T14:29:00.000-05:00

Many small business owners plan to increase profits while reducing costs in 2007. Since inventory, advertising, listing and Final Value Fees, and shipping costs are directly tied to volume they will increase proportional with sales.

The factors that small business owners can control are shipping weights and sizes, listing features, advertising costs, and the starting and ending prices of listings.

Shipping weights and sizes can be controlled by eliminating extra space and excess packaging materials when shipping. Order a variety of shipping cartons in different sizes at one time to save on freight. Many companies such as U-Line, Office Depot, and Staples offer free shipping on orders over a certain value. While the initial cost of shipping cartons may seem high, the accrued savings in lower shipping costs is substantial.

Listing Feature costs along with starting and ending prices can be controlled and optimized through the use of market research tools such as Hammer Tap. Hammer Tap allows individual sellers to analyze actual market data on individual items, brands, even competitors and other sellers to see what works and how well it works. The monthly cost of research tools are well worth the increased sale prices, and the elimination of unnecessary features will more than cover the cost for most sellers.

While every business owner wants to save money, it is often more profitable to control costs and keep them proportional to sales. For additional tips on cutting costs while increasing profits be sure to visit the Auction Tempest site at http://www.auctiontempest.com

EBay Fee Increases Effective January 30 2007

2007-01-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

As expected eBay has announced increases to the US site Fee Structure to take effect January 30, 2007.

EBay Canada is also impacted by today's announcement with a similar Fee Increase

While eBay feels the increase is slight, and sellers can handle the impact with minimal effort, the overall impact may be devastating to the small seller. EBay fee Increases, cancellation of subscription plans at Overstock Auctions, UPS, FEDEX, and USPS rate increase are creating a snowball effect on small business owners.

Newspaper Headlines across the country have been detailing an alarming rate of Drop Off store closures, small Mom and Pop eBay operations, and traditional consignment and antique shops closing. Will 2007 leave online and offline store fronts vacant?

Auctionbytes has made a list of "Things to Watch in 2007"

Are you advertising effectively? Tips for Online Sellers

2007-01-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

During the past several months we placed orders from several online sellers through both traditional auction sites and individual merchant sites. The quality of advertising, and quantity of advertising included with our purchases was interesting to say the least.

The Most effective, and one of the least expensive forms of advertising, came from Pennyworth sales along with our order. Pennyworth sales had combined purchases from various sites and direct sales into one order and included a nice and simple thank you card advertising all of their sales channels with URLs. Pennyworth Sales carries a variety of closeout and wholesale merchandise across multiple venues under the ID Bluepennylady

The second most effective advertising was from an eBay transaction from the store PCGS_SLABS. This seller effectively advertised their own web site through the use of a custom invoice included with the shipment. Custom invoices offer a very effective advertising method to direct customers to a sellers own sites where costs are more controlled.

Least impressive out of all was the shipment from Overstock.com. There were no promotional materials other than a standard white invoice.

Marketing to existing customers is a necessary part of business that can be conducted with minimal cost. Every shipment should include a minimum of one type of marketing, and it is often best if several types are used together.

Custom address labels on the outside of packages advertises to the customer as well as every individual that handles the package along the way. Catchy phrases or graphics will make your business memorable and lead to additional sales and customers.

Business cards and custom invoices inside shipments help the customer know which business to order from again. Browsing the Internet one can find low cost and often free marketing materials to help grow their business.

Free Deals of the Week

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Byrne's Logic similar to eBay's Math

2006-12-30T18:34:00.000-05:00

In another interesting turn of events Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne has posted some interesting comments in response to site users.

According to Patrick's Logic "The sad truth is, we now have about 5 times as many page views/auction as we did a year ago, a number that (I believe) runs about 60% of eBay's page views/auction". According to the Alexa stats for Overstock there are actually less page views per item today than there were a year ago. While it is possible that Alexa stats would vary from Overstock's internal metrics it is highly unlikely that one would show a drop in views while the other shows a 5x increase.

Another comparison Patrick makes is "2/3 of our sellers do not use subscription plans anyway. They list about 5% of our auctions, but for 2006 their auctions had a closing rate of 30.6%. I believe that rate is roughly comparable to eBay's". While we cannot Terapeak nor Hammertap Overstock DATA, actual sellers confirm Overstock is no Comparison to eBay in Sell through rates, or closing values.

To sum up Patrick's Logic "Yes, we love our Enterprise Merchants. But in general, the changes we have instituted are overwhelmingly in favor of the smallest sellers. They are getting 30.6% closing rates. We are trying to make you all like them"

So small business owners there you have it! Overstock wishes to make your business like that of a fictional character left unnamed, yet heavily promoted.

Overstock Auctions Announces Cancellation of Subscription Plans

2006-12-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

Overstock Auctions has once again disrupted the balance of an already fragile marketplace by announcing the complete cancellation of subscription listing plans.

This announcement comes in the wake of a previous announcement cancelling 60% of the existing auction plans several weeks ago.

As all experienced Overstock sellers know the dismal Sell through Rates, high percentage of Non Paying Bidders, and lack of customer support have plagued the site for months. Cancellation of the subscription listing plans will lead to a mass exodus of merchants from the site.

Prior to this latest announcement listing counts were down about 60% over previous months.

New Year Weekend Update

2006-12-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

Ah the last weekend of the year and it couldn't have gotten here soon enough.

The United States Postal Services Retail Locations and Delivery Services will be closed Tuesday January 2 in observance of the National Day of Mourning for President Ford. The USPS Offices will also be closed the day before in observance of New Year's Day. A Three day delay in shipping is sure to cause some distress among customers.

UPS will be open and Delivering on Tuesday according to the driver we spoke with moments ago.

Overstock.com Auctions has been experiencing random glitches accessing the site today with many users reporting the familiar "Oh No" page from Overstock. Some Overstock.com auctions sellers also report multiple problems with site invoices. See the Following threads for Descriptions:
The Site is Sending the wrong Invoices
Site down problems listing etc.
2 Emails Per Auction

Overstock sellers should not feel alone. EBay glitches continue to plague the site with many Internet users having trouble with various site features. Drop Down lists and listing revisions seem to be causing the most trouble for sellers on the site. A quick and easy fix is to use a listing tool such as Turbo Lister to manage listings until the problems are fixed.

EBay issues Trading Advice after Earthquake in Asia

2006-12-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

EBay has issued an announcement regarding the Earthquake off the coast of Taiwan that occurred Tuesday. According to the announcement international communication cables were damaged and Internet connectivity between continents may have been disrupted.

"Anything Goes Deal" on eBay with Domino's Pizza

2006-12-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

Domino's Pizza will be launching a new Treasure Hunt style promotion on eBay January 1, 2007 according to Yahoo Finance.

The Official Domino's Anything Goes Deal site www.anythinggoesdeal.com states a SAAB 9-3 AERO Convertible can be had for $9.99 along with other premium items during the promotion dates from January 1, 2007 and February 5, 2006.

Promotions from outside sources are always good for site traffic, however there could be some issues if the contest is similar to eBay's last Treasure Hunt Promotion. During the previous eBay sponsored Treasure Hunt promotion consumers were confused by the clues and purchased Real listings by mistake.

EBay to Boost Auction Counts with Holiday Special

2006-12-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

Once again eBay has chosen December 27TH as the day for an expected Reduced Price listing day in the United States. According to the Announcement Fixed Price and Auction format CORE listings will incur a reduced $0.15 listing fee.

Of course the Promotion excludes all upgrades and certain categories!

A promotion should increase the Overall listing counts for eBay (which has dropped below the 10 Mil. mark) just in time to boost 4Q figures before the end of the year. It will be interesting to see just how many listings are effectively added to the site considering the constant rash of glitches eBay users have experienced over recent weeks.

Large Retailers Fight Small Merchants

2006-12-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

Large Online retailers have began to fight back against smaller online merchants with smaller budgets.

With the release of Internet Explorer 7 and Extended Validation SSL web site visitors will be shown a green toolbar that "gives consumers confidence and builds trust in e-commerce" according to Verisign's FAQ.

The Pricing structure and requirements for Extended Validation SSL places this new certification outside of the realm of most small business owners.

Overstock.com was issued the first such certificate according to Verisign's press release.

While Verisign and other large companies state such certificates are necessary for consumer protection, many small business owners question the true intentions behind such certificates. Most smaller online merchants already use various forms of SSL certificates on their sites provided by Verisign.

According to Associated Press articles General Partnerships, sole proprietors, and individuals will not meet the requirements for Extended Validation SSL Certificates, thus reducing their chances to gain ground against larger merchants online.

"Godfather of Soul" James Brown Passes Away Age 73

2006-12-25T09:55:00.000-05:00

This Christmas Morning Auction Tempest is sad to announce the passing of a Long Time Local Musician, Mr. James Brown the "Godfather of Soul".

Mr. Brown had been Hospitalized Sunday December 24Th with Pneumonia in Atlanta Georgia, and passed away unexpectedly around 1:45 Am this morning. Mr Brown had last publicly appeared on Friday at the Imperial Theatre in Augusta Georgia for his Annual Toy Giveaway according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Mr. Brown was known World Wide for his performances as the "Godfather of Soul", with hit songs including " I Got You" (I Feel Good), and "Get up Offa that Thing".

In the late 1980's Mr. Brown could often be spotted visiting one of the Local restaurants wearing his stylish scarves and sunglasses. Mr. Brown was well known to enjoy a Plain Quarter Pound hamburger on occasion, with a side of unsalted fries.

Mr. Brown will be greatly missed within the community that he supported so much through charity events.

Overstock.com Launches O-CAR BETA

2006-12-22T18:19:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com has launched a new tab O-CAR BETA, complete with subscription plan pricing for registered Automotive Dealers.

According to the Registration Form Automotive Dealers must complete basic registration information along with a minimum 1 month contract length. There does not appear to be any required business licensing information.

Subscription Plans range from $650 per Month to $1200 Per Month for 60 or Fewer Vehicles, and $1000 per Month to $1600 per Month for 61 or More Vehicles. Automotive listing Data must be through a Preferred Data Provider.

A Dealer Help Section is available, Dealer Introduction, and a Letter from Patrick Byrne regarding the new addition to the Overstock Brand.

For those viewing the new Tabs from the main Overstock site you will notice the "Auction" Tab has changed to "Merchant Auctions".

Watch those Budgets, Postal Increases Ahead

2006-12-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

Online sellers should begin preparing for what may be a rocky year with a complete Overhaul of the USPS system Rates.

According to the USPS press Release President Bush signed a new Postal Law that basically ties future USPS rate increases to the Consumer Price Index, allowing for "Competitive Pricing" (Rate Increases equaling corporate greed of shipping companies)

To Coincide with the new Law the USPS has already proposed a complete overhaul and Rate increase for International Packages and Mail that will take effect at the same time as the Domestic Rate increases in 2007.

Watch those budgets and Buckle the seat Belts: 2007 is going to be a bumpy ride for small online business owners who lack the ability to negotiate volume discounts with shippers.

"You can get IT on eBay", If you can find IT

2006-12-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

Today eBay's General Announcement Board contains "A Message From Gary Briggs - Holiday Marketing News". Highlighting eBay's Marketing efforts during the Holiday Season, and the efforts to get the message out "Whatever IT is, You can get IT on eBay".

While eBay has made a valiant effort to spread the slogan "Whatever IT is, you can get IT on eBay", eBay has failed to provide the method of finding "IT" easily.

For months eBay site users have raised concerns over site glitches impacting user ability to search the site and find available listings. The Search Forum on eBay displays a small number of the site issues involving the search, and some responses from eBay staff (PINKS) regarding the issues.

Other issues being reported recently include "Who Broke eBay?"

Sellers have also raised concerns over what appears to be a "Rolling Blackout" effect impacting groups of merchants at random times. According to the threads discussing these problems toggling store vacation settings ON for a few hours , and then Off again seems to temporarily correct this problem.

While many sellers have been attempting to work around the multiple glitches this Holiday Season, others report they have taken the next step in e-commerce and launched their own site.

Online Auction Wake up Call!

2006-12-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

Is it time for a Wake up Call to the online auction industry? Over the past several years online auction sites, shipping services, and site users have become confused about customer and client relationships within the industry.

All risk is assumed by the customers and online sellers, however the largest share of profit are retained by the venues and related service companies. How long will online merchants and their customer bases allow profits and product quality to dwindle while others get the benefits?

In 2006 online sellers experienced price increases and surcharges with all shippers, increased costs at many sites, and decreased product exposure at all sites. Looking ahead at 2007 the groundwork is already laid for additional costs increases at every turn, UPS increases in January, FEDEX costs increases in February, and USPS increases in May.

Online sellers and their customers have complained, yet corporate executives fail to listen. Will 2007 be the year that online Merchants and customers move their business elsewhere to cut costs? Are customers more concerned about where they purchase or the quality and cost of the merchandise?

For all the Venue executives out there reading this article WAKE UP!

The Overstock Dance

2006-12-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

In recent weeks Overstock Auctions has made multiple changes to the site under the guise of balancing the marketplace. According to Stormy's letter small merchants have left the site due to the vast number of listings submitted by large volume subscribers, so Overstock recently canceled subscription plans larger than 300 listings.

According to the same letter Stormy states "As you know, various subscription plans have been available to the selling community since March of this year. Since implementation, our average starting price per auction has increased dramatically. We are confident that this resulted from the fact that the subscription's blanket payment causes sellers to lose their incentive to offer low starting prices."

20 days later Patrick Byrne (CEO Overstock.com) and one Meghan Tuohig posted "Meghan and I just sent this: Subscription Plans are ending" which announces the elimination of the remaining subscription plans. Meghan had previously been introduced as a colleague of Stormy Simon who was/is VP of Overstock.com Auctions.

Overstock also implemented other changes to the site this weekend including disclaimers such as this one "Note: Overstock.com is not the seller of any of the items listed on Overstock.com Auctions". Similar disclaimers can be found throughout the site while viewing auctions in list view or individual listings.

Patrick Byrne also took this opportunity to inform site users about exciting changes they hope to have implemented by March of 2007. These changes include a classified ad platform, bid cancellation capability, and 1-day auctions.

For those who may not be aware of Overstock auctions history, or those who have forgotten, including Mr. Byrne. Overstock Auctions had previously promised site users the blocked bidders functionality including the ability to cancel bids on existing auctions in 2004 by Holly MacDonald-Korth the VP of Auctions at that time, and again by JT Stevens VP of Auctions after Holly's exodus.

1-Day Auctions was a site feature Overstock Auctions users had since the site launched until March 1, 2006. Now less than a year later Overstock will be reinstating the option of 1-day listings.

All of the recent site changes, including those in management, indicate a company without clear focus or direction. Overstock must regain focus and decide the ultimate goal of their Auctions department. Merchants of all sizes will continue to operate across multiple sales and marketing channels whether Overstock succeeds or fails.

Is Overstock Following the Leader or Just Playing Games

2006-12-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

In today's news Overstock has issued 2.7 Million shares of common stock to raise $40 Million. Within the SEC filings form FWP Overstock has disclosed several factors which appear quite interesting.

Overstock will be adding two additional Tabs to it's main site including both a Social Media Tab and Automotive Tab.

According to the form the Social Media Tab will allow " users who share common interests can collaborate with other users to author articles about their interests", while the Automotive Tab will "show automobiles for sale by car dealers and allow users to express offers on those automobiles through our website to the dealers".

Both tabs will become active some time between December 20th and December 30th.

The addition of these tabs will in effect bring Overstock more in line with eBay Motors, eBay Wiki, and eBay Reviews and Guides. Will Overstock take eBay's lead and use these additions to generate traffic to their auctions platform through relevant links, or will the additions simply be used as independent parts of the whole Overstock Brand?

While Overstock has plenty of talented staff at it's disposal, it appears Overstock is unable to create a niche of it's own! Perhaps Overstock should begin to listen to many of the long time site users who have a niche within the marketplace.

Big O or O No! The sinking of a ship

2006-12-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

Overstock Auctions, AKA The Big O Auctions, appears to be launching signal flares as their experiment from the primordial "OCEAN" begins to take on water.

For weeks Overstock Auctions has made changes to the site with some changes directly impacting the bottom line of many Overstock sellers. Normally the 4Th Quarter is a time of glee for online merchants, however Overstock merchants have not been experiencing positive growth.

The hopes of a wondrous Christmas selling season on Overstock have been suppressed with a site makeover removing individual seller branding, followed by a growth stunting Make It Mine policy revision, and finally today the removal of 60% of the subscription pricing plans.

Stormy Simon appears to be understating the impact of such changes as merely "frustrating", while many sellers have already purchased Q1 & Q2 inventory for 2007 based on prepaid subscription plan limits. According to Stormy's letter any prepaid portions of cancelled subscriptions will be credited to sellers accounts, however this does not address those payments made by cash, or interest accrued on prepaid contracts that will remain unfulfilled.

Like so many shopping centers around the country, Overstock Auctions can only maintain traffic flow on a limited basis without the Anchor Merchants. Small sellers will see sales continue to dwindle as Anchor Merchants take their customer bases to other venues, or even their own web sites. Overstock will in essence sink back into the primordial "OCEAN" project from whence came, and once again sell their returns on eBay.

eBay Cracks down on Designer Goods and Good Sellers

2006-12-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

It appears that eBay has stood by the promise to restrict listings and activity related to highly counterfeited designer goods. Across the eBay boards there seems to be great confusion caused by restricted accounts and shipping destinations relating to designer brands.

On the Trust and Safety Board one seller experienced Restriction notices while trying to add a Counter to a listing for a "Tiffany" pin.

Several other threads exist throughout the site detailing shipping restrictions where listings are prohibited from shipping to specific countries such as Asia. According to one discussion among sellers excluding Asia from shipping destinations also excludes a large number of other countries under eBay's default regions.

Implementing such changes during the Holiday Season is impacting the Good sellers along with the Bad, and we all know the Bad sellers always find a way around such restrictions since they are not bothered by morals or policies.

Bad days ahead for Online Auction Sellers

2006-12-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

If current trends continue across multiple venues there will be Bad Days Ahead for online auctions sellers. Many sellers have complained for years over eBay's VERO program and false claims against licensed merchants, now the stakes have increased and sellers are feeling the pinch across multiple sites.

Overstock Auctions began enforcing wide spread infringement rules this week by completely removing all records of suspect auctions. Impacted sellers have posted to the Overstock message boards requesting help or information on the sites policies.

According to one user in a thread titled "I Need Help Right Away! Where's Live Chat?" the site is not only requesting copies of vendor transaction records, and proof of authenticity, but item numbers and actual URL's of the removed listings along with a sworn statement.

Patrick Byrne's Open Letter addressed the issue of counterfeit merchandise as "Fugazi Handbags" (Possibly named after the song "Epic Problem" by the band Fugazi) stating there would be zero Tolerance on the matter. According to Patrick an Overstock staff member who has sold thrift store merchandise on eBay for 3 years was helping review the listings.

Also this month eBay has announced a tougher stance on high fraud areas of the site with increased scrutiny of sellers with periodic reviews according to an unknown set of standards. Ebay also announced that the Pre-Approved bidder feature will be going away after the Holiday Selling Season.

Many sellers within high fraud categories such as Coins use the Pre-Approved bidder feature to prevent fraudulent dealers from purchasing properly graded materials at market value, and then reselling them at highly inflated grades and prices.

Another preventative measure being implemented by eBay is the Safeguarding Members ID's initiative that rolls out site wide soon.

While measures such as this will reduce the fraud rate for a while, it will also impact the small seller who occasionally lists a used designer item at auction. How many small business owners will be forced to shut down while going in endless circles to comply with unknown standards?

Overstock Auctions or Lets Make a Deal?

2006-12-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

In a peculiar twist of events Overstock Auctions CEO Patrick Byrne has made a deal with sellers by reducing the new MIM pricing strategy from Twice the opening bid to 1 1/2 times the opening bid.

Such pricing strategies may work for some sellers, however it will be unacceptable to others. Many of the merchants operate within certain Industry guidelines that prevent 50% profit margins due to market conditions and pre-existing contracts.

While Overstock believes such a move will bring stability to the marketplace, many business owners will be moving their customer bases elsewhere without pricing restrictions.

Implementing a policy such as this is considered by many to cross the "Just A Venue" line from the User Agreement and possibly lead to Federal Regulation of the Online Auction Industry.

Today's post to the Overstock Auctions message board also includes a poll requesting user input as what features users would prefer to see next, One day auctions (With seller restrictions), or possibly a Fixed price or Make It Mine Only format.

Overstock has yet to address features that were requested by users in 2004 such as the Blocked Bidders List, and the ability to respond to Ratings. Both of these features were promised in 2004 and have failed to be implemented by Overstock.

Ebay reorganizing and Overstock Recycling

2006-12-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

eBay North America offices in San Jose will become the new home of one very well known European executive Philipp Justus in the coming months. Philipp has done wonders for the eBay Germany site and many sellers believe a much brighter future is ahead in the US eBay.com Marketplace.

Philipp will head up a special team, reporting directly to eBay North America President Bill Cobb. Philipp's team will focus on the re balancing efforts at eBay core Auctions.

Similar to eBay's move of reorganizing Overstock Auctions has apparently began a recycling program, launched with a full banner ad for (You Guessed It) Pre-Chewed Gum. According to the Listing this is no ordinary pre-chewed gum, but that of Guy Yovan of ivillage Live complete with a letter of Authenticity. Bidding has already been vigorous with 23 bids from 3 Unique Users, two of which are from Salt Lake City! I guess Guy has a Fan club in Salt Lake with at least two members.

Will the Chewing gum loose it flavor on the Overstock Homepage Over night, or will it be the High Profile Auction that Determines Overstock's dominance in the Online Auction Industry.

Merchants or Auction Sellers

2006-12-04T17:21:00.000-05:00

Michael Donahue of EAuctionAir.com gave listeners a reality check on last nights show while discussing the recent changes at Overstock.com Auctions. While mistakes were made in the process of implementing recent changes, change in itself is good for online commerce. Merchants adapt and Overcome any situation and work within the confines of the venue.

With that in mind are you a Merchant? or just another Auction Seller?

If you are a Merchant this is a good opportunity to rethink your business plan and expand your business across multiple venues. Reach out and find the products your existing customer base demands, and perhaps a few new products that you believe your customers would be interested in.

Try something new and don't be afraid to take a chance. Many Millionaires have been made strictly because of chance.

Another Open Letter from Overstock Auctions CEO Patrick Byrne

2006-12-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Today Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne has posted another open letter to sellers on Overstock Auctions addressing some issues and asking advice of the many skilled merchants among site users.

Patrick openly states "I was impatient with them about getting it live. But I really do recognize that many of you have also devoted time and capital to make this work, and in the future we can certainly give more warning. And no changes will be again announced in an imperious "effective immediately" way."

Later in the letter Patrick addresses "Forgiveness" stating "Tempers ran high on both sides. Some of the people who were most nasty to my colleagues have written elegant apologies, but have asked to be reinstated. I think it best to let everything simmer down for a few weeks, but we can revisit this subject with them in January. "

Patrick's general tone within the letter has returned to the community type of discussion from Overstock's early days, asking guidance and input from community users. While Patrick's letter may generate guidance from some, it is sure to draw criticism from those who offered Guidance several years ago regarding features Overstock promised sellers and has yet to deliver!

Online Sellers Beware! Speed Bumps Ahead

2006-12-03T10:16:00.000-05:00

As sales roll full steam into the Christmas Rush, online sellers should heed the cautionary road signs and route markers indicating "Speed Bumps Ahead". According to all sources there are many changes coming that will slow growth, reduce profit margins, and force many out of online sales all together.

Through planning and good marketing many sellers will be able to proceed without disruption. Staying up to date on current issues, placing cash back into depleted reserves and operating funds, and preparing back up plans will help in the coming months.

Upcoming Changes impacting online sales

Proposed 2007 USPS Rate Increases

2007 UPS Rate Increases take effect January 1, 2007. According to the UPS communication received November 17, 2006 rates are scheduled to increase as follows:
"UPS Ground service to commercial and residential destinations will have the same transportation charge, based on the lower commercial rate, and will increase 4.9%. The Ground residential surcharge that was previously built into the Ground residential rates will now appear as a separate charge on your UPS invoice. Air and International services will increase a net 4.9%, through a combination of a 6.9% increase in rates and a 2% reduction in the air fuel surcharge. In addition, the Delivery Area Surcharge and Residential Surcharge will both increase by $0.10."

Increased costs and decreased exposure across all venues are expected to continue in 2007. eBay has already announced plans to continue the "Disadvantaged" idea and decrease exposure to stores even more. To support continued revenue growth while their market declines eBay will have no other alternative than to raise fees again. Other venues are tossing around similar ideas.

Increased costs of packaging and shipping supplies are expected to rise between 3%-5% over the next 12 calender months to keep up with production cost increases. Given the increases in 2006 caused by Katrina and Petroleum costs the 3%-5% increase may be an underestimated figure.

We are not the Enemy, Our interests are Aligned

2006-11-30T07:50:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com Auctions CEO Dr. Patrick Byrnes (Forum ID Hannibal) continues to reply after posting a scathing letter to sellers.

Patrick's latest response includes the following statement.

Please do not ever think of us as the enemy you are trying to beat: we are trying so hard to figure out a way to make this environment blossom for you (our interests are perfectly aligned there).

This is an interesting statement from the CEO considering that many small sellers believe their interests have not been protected in the past.

For the venue to recover it will take the hard work and dedication of not only the Overstock.com Auctions staff but the CEO and Merchants as well. Will Overstock continue to work with independent merchants and groups like TOASA?

Either way Overstock.com Auctions has a long road ahead just to regain the user loyalty lost over the past 18 months.

eBay Glitches add to Holiday Stress

2006-11-30T07:33:00.000-05:00

eBay is experiencing technical issues this morning preventing some users from accessing their accounts and customer data.

Selling Manager, Selling Manager Pro, Seller's Assistant, and Seller's Assistant Pro are impacted by this system glitch. Sellers using those selling tools may be receiving a message that they are not currently subscribed to the tool.

eBay should take note! This is one of the reason's sellers repeatedly request no site changes during the Holiday Selling season. A system issue like this, even for short durations can delay order processing by days for some merchants.

Overstock.com Auctions CEO Patrick Byrne Speaks up

2006-11-29T17:50:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com Auctions CEO Dr. Patrick Byrne Speaks up on the Auctions message board this afternoon with a scathing response to Auction Sellers who criticized recent decisions and actions by site staff.

In 2004, shortly after Overstock.com Auctions Launched, CEO Patrick Byrne often posted to the community forums directly communicating with sellers and customers alike. Perhaps Patrick's absence has contributed to the behavior exhibited by some site users over the past few days.

In today's remarks Patrick has disclosed concerns that many site users have expressed over recent months including the lack of Ethics among certain sellers and categories, Counterfeit Designer goods, and the multitude of repetitive auction listings.

Overstock.com Auctions CEO Patrick Byrne has once again shown the passion and fire that drives the Overstock Brand.

More Q4 Changes for auction sellers

2006-11-29T13:20:00.000-05:00

eBay has announced a new Counterfeit Safeguard program that may impact have a wider impact that expected. Q4 changes always disrupt the general marketplace and this may impact many Designer Goods just in Time for the Holidays.

While eBay is not officially releasing a list of impacted goods, most would think it covers all high end designer goods, clothing, and possibly some jewelry and electronics.

The Impact on last minute shoppers will be devastating. With no 1 day or 3 day auctions permitted, those last minute shoppers will be forced to go elsewhere. Cross Border transactions to and from various countries will be banned entirely.

Such restrictions will improve the overall marketplace stability and hopefully increase the overall perception of online auctions.

Respect my Candor, and take what's Good for You

2006-11-28T18:30:00.000-05:00

Similar to Grandma's Castor Oil as a child, Auction Venues continue to dish out changes while explaining how much better it will be for your business. While strategies and changes may look good on paper, they often have adverse effects on the Marketplace itself.

As the Overstock.com Auctions saga continues to unfold, core elements of the recent changes are being exposed. In today's latest development Stormy Simon has responded to the Overstock.com Auction sellers through the posting of a Letter on the Overstock.com Auctions forums. http://forums.auctions.overstock.com/viewtopic.php?t=15890&highlight=

For the Power sellers among us it was reminiscent of a Bill Cobb letter from several months ago with all the trimmings. The basic elements are there "Our Customers", "Our Business", "True Auction" and "A Fair Opportunity", the only thing missing was the promise of No Changes during the Christmas Season.

So now we know that Overstock.com Auctions desires to return to "A True Auction Experience" . So let's sit back and enjoy a week at the auction and see where "The Hammer Falls".

Overstock.com Auction sellers in for a "Stormy" Holiday Season

2006-11-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

Just as the Holiday Selling season hits full swing Overstock.com Auction sellers are experiencing turbulent waters. The Good Ship Overstock is guided into this years selling season with a new Captain at the helm. Stormy Simon has taken the lead after J.T. Stevens vacated the post several months ago.

Sellers question the focus of Overstock.com Auctions under new leadership, and long time small business owners are beginning to tire of constant changes without much needed site functionality. Overstock.com has yet to deliver functionality such as the Blocked Bidder list and the ability to respond to ratings. Site IT upgrades and other things were always deemed more important and user functionality took the back burner.

Stormy's Company Profile indicates a Marketing and Advertising background, which could turn this ship around. Overstock.com Auctions has lacked Direct Marketing, and has always been included as a complement to the Overstock.com brand. Only time will tell if the Auction site will warrant or gain it's own marketing efforts.

Branding changes adorn every Overstock.com Auction page from the general Retail site tabs, to the removal of Seller Branding. Small and Large sellers alike are attempting to adjust to policy changes that are appearing at every turn. One week a Trusted Merchant, the next week being told what pricing structures to use through MIM policy revisions.

Will the "Winds of Change" guide this ship away from Danger, or hasten the Sinking?

Make It Mine Policy Changed

2006-11-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com Auctions has updated the Make It Mine Policy on the site with the following statement "The Make It Mine price must be two times the auction's starting price. If the Make It Mine price does not fit this criteria, the seller will not be able to list with this feature."

View the Entire Policy http://auctions.overstock.com/cgi-bin/auctions.cgi?PAGE=FAQ&MODE=ANSW&FQCID=3&FAQID=2102

Overstock.com Auctions Just a Venue No Longer

2006-11-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

11-27-2006 Overstock.com Auctions has Implemented a new Make It Mine Policy: "Effective Immediately , the Make it Mine price must be two times the starting price. For example: Starting price - $15.00. Make it Mine- $30.00. Is it possible Overstock.com has just enacted a policy that will cause Federal Regulation of the Online Auction Industry? See the email in full here http://auctions.overstock.com/cgi-bin/auctions.cgi?PAGE=static&pagenum=148534

Implementing such a policy could remove all possibility of the "Just a Venue" claim online auction sites have used for years to avoid regulation. Can such a policy be the downfall of online auction sites as we know them?

Professional Logos

2006-11-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

No matter how large or small, every seller should have a professional Logo. Logo's can help small business owners increase brand awareness and consumer confidence at a very reasonable cost.

Online sellers need to have several sizes of their logo to accommodate the various auction site requirements. For example Overstock.com Auction has a size restriction of 120 x 120 pixels within auction listings, while eBay has a size restriction of 50 x 200 pixels for logo signatures on their message boards.

One small online Logo designer that comes highly recommended within the online auction community is Tanya from www.tanyaslogos.com . Tanya performs quality work, in multiple sizes upon request, with very reasonable rates.

Tanya also designs custom auction templates, about me pages, and web sites.

Additional marketing ideas and information for small online sellers on a budget is available on the Auction Tempest site http://www.auctiontempest.com/marketing_for_auction_sellers_on.htm

http://www.auctiontempest.com Live

2006-11-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

http://www.auctiontempest.com is now Live

Auction Tempest was created to help small sellers gain the knowledge and insight needed to be successful online. Informative Selling articles, Auction site Reviews, How to Guides, and other information is provided by a variety of online merchants.