We are not the Enemy, Our interests are Aligned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.