Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : OnSale Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mo Chips who wrote (1540)	9/7/1998 5:22:00 PM
From: Scott Moore	Respond to of 4903

eBay has vastly more categories that appeal to middle aged women than does ONSL. A good percentage of sellers in certain categories (textiles, dolls....) are women. Take the time to browse the collectible sections at eBay and you will see that this is true. I think I will be bold enough to stereotype and say both women and men would expect rip-off artists to be mostly men at eBay at this point. Women will trust women more than men. It is not my logic, it is what the better half is telling me while I'm writing this. How on earth, can ONSL compete when they are limited by the amount of their own inventory (excluding NEI, CD Masters,& True Geeks stuff) and especially when that inventory has a limited shelf-life? Next argument, please. Scott PS. Notwithstanding, there was a message on the eBay thread about complaints to the CA attorney general about the lack of control of fraud. Is seems only fair to me if someone is a victim of fraud and eBay is successful in collecting the seller's fee from Visa, then that amount should be forwarded to the defrauded buyer after substantiation. Why should eBay profit on a fraud transaction? Mostlikely, the crooks are skipping on their Visa payments also, so it is a mute point.

To: Mo Chips who wrote (1540)	9/7/1998 10:16:00 PM
From: Doug Fowler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4903

<<You make no mention of the perception of trustability, security and reliability.>> Clearly, this is a factor. That is why eBay has a feedback system, and more people are coming to rely on that as a basis for making a purchase. I can tell you that I have bought more than 100 items via eBay, and have yet to encounter any kind of fraud. In the two cases where I was not satisfied with my purchase, I was able to return for a complete refund. (If anything, the problem lies with the BUYERS who are the high bidders and do not send in the money. Of about 60 items I have sold on eBay, there have been 5 cases where the high bidder did not come through, and in EVERY one of those cases, it was somebody with a low or zero feedback rating.) As far as the fastest growing demographic being the middle-class, middle-aged woman: How many of them are buying computers versus the number of them buying household items? eBay serves both of those extremely well, whereas Onsale only serves the first well. As far as the early adopter argument: I would say that 600,000 auctions per week is well beyond the point of just early adopters. One way to get around the trust issue is to go through a third party escrow system. I WOULD like to see eBay promote this more.