A little more information about the founder of
www.bidpops.com in his own words:
"Ive been a member of eBay for nearly 12 of their 15 years. I was there when the business analysts were saying that eBay was a fad that would die out as the novelty of an online auction faded from being new. I was there when corporate heads passed the baton. I was there when sellers could leave equivalent feedback for a disruptive and untrustworthy buyer. I was there when eBay closed their eyes to the right and needs of all involved. I was there when eBay slowly became the 7 billion dollar a year giant that it is today. I was there when eBay sellers begged their favorite online selling forum to show mercy during the biggest financial meltdown in which the world has seen since the dust bowl, yes, I was there when eBay morphed into the green eyed monster. I limped from eBay suspended indefinitely.
Hopefully, to all of you readers, you see this blog for its value. You see the principles behind why it is that I did what I did. I became the enemy to giant, which in all of those years that I had helped to groom, feed, and nurture into the 1900 dollar per second profit enigma that it is today. Im not alone, nay, I am not, many others have also entertained the monster; many others were also dispatched at the wave of a hand, like yesterdays rubbish. I had impulsively left a negative comment on a buyers forced good feedback ratio, after he had butchered mine. You know, the buyer who sells the same item under a different handle, what is it called, a competitor? I retaliated when eBay took away my freedom of doing so; yes I did it anyway. I was dealt the suspension blow in January 2010, now its a cold December, some 11 months later.
I have many friends who are sellers and buyers. All very concerned about the 2009- 2010 changes:
* Higher final value fees
* Forced stores
* Enhanced seller policies
* Free auction listings masking the higher final value fees
* One way feedback
* Detailed seller ratings
* Power seller standings and criteria
* And for 2011, limited case filings for non-pays
And its for good reason. All of the new criteria affect seller profit margins and community standing. Low enough DSRs, and you get the joy of waking to a limited PayPal account, a limited selling account, and outsourced telephone operators who obviously have little power over your current situation, short of being robbed, and for that, eBay gets credit. In hindsight, its obvious as to why.
Now is the time that I would usually say something shocking, but I restrain the urge. I do however want to tell you what I did do. I built an online auction of my own. I know, I know, I know. How many blogs revolve around SEO? It seems that search engine optimization is connected to almost everything web-related. All that I ask is that you hear me out; finish the story if you will and Ill make it worth your while.
100 days ago I was tired of looking for ways to sell and made the decision to buy a domain name and THEN research building an online auction. I tried about 3 or 4 thousand domain names before I found one that I liked: Bidpops.com yes, I have been making a lot of blog and forum noise lately, but its different because I am one of you. Im a regular guy who bent one of eBays three billion rules and took the unfriendly boot, lost my red star, and found my money tied up for 180 days. They started it, but Im determined to finish what they started.
I next contacted a development company and tied up the loose ends. They would ensure a high quality site for sellers and buyers and I would make sure that the best features that were lost over the years, were to be returned to their rightful place: in an online auction.
I listened to my friends voice their concerns for long enough to be in touch with what they wanted. Moreover, I knew how I had felt. I built it. We went live on Thursday night December 9th, 2010. Bidpops was born! It was born for us, everyone whose concerns over their margins, their feedback, their rating, wonderful sweet all of us. I made it for all of us; with 10 years of unlimited hosting. But we need now to populate the site with items. Buyers cant buy what is not there. Sellers, it is YOUR turn. Post those items for sale! Your day is here and now for the next ten years, you finally have the power to change things. Bidpops.com offers:
* Two way feedback
* Your choice of several ways to get paid
* Fifty cent flat rate listings, billed monthly
* No final value fees ever
* Goodbye DSRs
* No membership fees
* Equality, every member is a power member (we dont give a kindergarten star)
* Lower cost stores for flat rate items and high volume sellers
* 50 free (No money at all) auction listings just for joining (Your reward for reading the whole blog)
I think with a good array of product offerings that sellers will show up looking to buy, but I will still be advertising all the way using SEO, radio, TV, magazines, bumper stickers, and walking into local businesses handing out my card.
You all asked for an answer to the problems, now I took it and made it so. It is all of our job to make it what we want it to be: A safe place to buy and sell that doesnt make us feel upset half of the time. Its here for you at htttp://www.bidpops.com make it your own and make it fun. We did it!"
jk
