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Microcap & Penny Stocks : ECNC: BETTING, INC. A WAGER ON NEW GAMING TECHNOLOGY -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Fli-by who wrote (390)	9/17/1998 10:04:00 PM
From: Gutterball	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 2909

I guess my question is, did you buy anything from the catalog?

To: Fli-by who wrote (390)	9/24/1998 11:56:00 PM
From: hammer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2909

Thanks for the Shop While You Wait Catalog (SWYW). I received it a few days ago and have finally had some time to really look at it, digest the information, and form an opinion. Let me first point out the obvious - this is only my opinion, no hyping, no bashing, I'm no expert at anything - please no flames. 1. The catalog was decent for a first effort, but clearly needs some help if they want to really kick things in gear. Nothing a bank roll of money can't buy - just lots of better photography, better offset printing, better product positioning, a much stronger identity, a better selection of products fitting the demographics of the expected shopper, etc.etc. I do understand this is a test market and I wish them all the best, if the test is anywhere close to their expectation then a "real" catalog should do much better. The sports stuff is in the front of the catalog, followed by a simple, reduced selection of the type of products you'd find in any Airline catalog - all divided into definable catagories. 2. The directions are simple enough to understand - as I read through them I surmized that an average consumer likely would be intimidated by this form a shopping because it is so new - not bad - just new. I think a true test market will take time - and likely lots of it. 3. Although SWYW offers a money back guarantee, I felt very "removed" from the shopping experience, I had no connection with the catalog. With other catalogs you can enjoy slowly paging through the products at your leisure. You feel as though the identity of the catalog absorbs the products chosen by the buyers. When I look at an LLBean, or an Eddie Bauer you are not buying just another sweater - your buying much more. This catalogs products where rather generic items one could buy anywhere, not hard too find, not unusual cutting edge items, not great bargain items, not real high quality items - just stuff. The only motivation I would have to purchase from here would be a lack of time, no - it would be a severe lack of time. That is just me - only my opinion. 4. I was very impressed by the credit card transaction unit itself - very high tech looking, professional, nothing obviously cheasie about it. 5. Other thoughts - This is a SWYW project, not BETT, right? BETT does receive a transaction fee for processing so I'm not going to get too carried away with why the SWYW catalog may not work. My advise to SWYW would be to trash the catalog effort and let others who are the catalog leaders of the pack continue to do their thing and let SWYW and BETT sell the service of placing L.L. Bean Catalogs in every bus station, airport, and shopping mall in the country. SWYW and BETT should concentrate their efforts on their core business - Point of Purchase Consumer Catalogs of leading catalog companies with BETT's processing the money. The possibilities are big - real big. I could be on a business trip at an out of town hotel while I shop in my hotel room with a Sharper Image catalog for gadgets, an REI catalog for a back pack, and a Victorias Secret catalog for my wife. Catalog companies are always looking for better, cheaper access to consumers - their catalog now would have a much higher reader rate (Cost Per Unit goes down), they are now employing no phone telemarketers, and simply are EDI'd orders with $$$ and addresses. And another point - when I see a catalog I know I am far less intimidated by the technology. If I trust the catalog I recognize, then I would trust the new process as well - then I would buy. If you are listening BETT, stay with the technology you have - it's great, but encourage SWYW to pursue alternate routes while undergoing this current test. Try another test with other catalogs (grab you suit, buy a plane ticket, and go make a pitch to Eddie Bauer) and compare results - I'd BETT this would work BETTer. Go BETT - IMO we are on a long road - but a good one. Hammer P.S. I have the catalog and would be happy to send it back to Fli-by, Scoobey, or anyone else? Please PM me and off it goes.