20-06-2021, 08:15 AM
(This post was last modified: 20-06-2021, 08:18 AM by Andy Bennett.)
I agree with Tony on the urgency point for auctions. There is also the thrill of the chase in an auction. But there is also the way it is made very simple to 'buy-now' on ebay. A few clicks and you have bought, paid and had it delivered to your 'usual address'.
It is that convenience which I can only assume makes people pay double the price of some things on ebay rather than going direct to our cherished suppliers, where the process can be as simple, but not always. With many Cherished Suppliers (not all, some have v slick purchasing websites) you can't buy direct from the website so you have to call, give credit card info over phone, where you are immediately going into potentially questionable ground with your personal credit info rather than entering through a secure site (is that person at the end of the phone entering your info straight into a card machine, or is it being written on a scrap of paper to be thrown into the bin and later picked up by someone else less trustworthy, who knows). If you know the supplier and trust them then OK, but for new customers you just don't do that any more if you are buying consumables etc
Paypal was introduced when no one trusted the internet and didn't want to give it their credit card details. People were happy to talk to someone and give them their details, so basic websites worked. I think ebay has seen the Amazon payment model work, where people are now happy to hand over credit card info through an automated secure site. So ebay don't need to 'lose' money to paypal any more, so are cutting them out.
As to Facebook. Lots of people, including me, simply won't use facebook for their data harvesting approach.
To compete with ebay you need a slick website with instant payment processes so people can order a head gasket at 1am on a Sunday. Some Cherished Suppliers have done it. I have done it for my honey sales and it works well and isn't expensive. I use a free sales add on with paypal and my site costs £7.95 a month hosting. I pay paypal 5%. The rest I taught myself.
Andy
It is that convenience which I can only assume makes people pay double the price of some things on ebay rather than going direct to our cherished suppliers, where the process can be as simple, but not always. With many Cherished Suppliers (not all, some have v slick purchasing websites) you can't buy direct from the website so you have to call, give credit card info over phone, where you are immediately going into potentially questionable ground with your personal credit info rather than entering through a secure site (is that person at the end of the phone entering your info straight into a card machine, or is it being written on a scrap of paper to be thrown into the bin and later picked up by someone else less trustworthy, who knows). If you know the supplier and trust them then OK, but for new customers you just don't do that any more if you are buying consumables etc
Paypal was introduced when no one trusted the internet and didn't want to give it their credit card details. People were happy to talk to someone and give them their details, so basic websites worked. I think ebay has seen the Amazon payment model work, where people are now happy to hand over credit card info through an automated secure site. So ebay don't need to 'lose' money to paypal any more, so are cutting them out.
As to Facebook. Lots of people, including me, simply won't use facebook for their data harvesting approach.
To compete with ebay you need a slick website with instant payment processes so people can order a head gasket at 1am on a Sunday. Some Cherished Suppliers have done it. I have done it for my honey sales and it works well and isn't expensive. I use a free sales add on with paypal and my site costs £7.95 a month hosting. I pay paypal 5%. The rest I taught myself.
Andy
Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think!