nefish
|
posted on September 19, 2001 10:58:56 AM new
September 19, 2001 - AuctionWatch Slashes Staff
AuctionBytes has learned that AuctionWatch, an eBay Preferred Provider of auction management services, has made substantial layoffs within the past 72 hours. AuctionWatch President Rodrigo Sales confirmed the layoffs, putting the number at "fewer than 50%".
Sales said AuctionWatch will discontinue its efforts in the enterprise market. It will instead focus on the tools and services for individual sellers, power sellers and small businesses, an area that he said continues to generate strong revenues for the company.
AuctionWatch will no longer update its "News & Information" feature on its Web site. Sales said they are still evaluating whether to continue their discussion forums. He would not confirm the number of people that AuctionWatch employs, nor the exact number of people laid off.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.html
Anyone heard anything about this??
|
quickdraw29
|
posted on September 19, 2001 11:40:13 AM new
It's breaking news, although earlier in the year I said this was going to happen.
Looks like AW will be a barebones site.
|
ragmop
|
posted on September 19, 2001 12:53:54 PM new
Too many sellers abandoned AW when they demanded a piece of the action. Many of us found it very easy to do without AW and have prospered. Looks like they didn't do a very good job of anticipating the market. Feel sorry for those who forked over $200 for a years service. Too bad.
|
bidsbids
|
posted on September 19, 2001 12:57:39 PM new
I truly hope that the Message Center survives the downsizig at AW. This is a great place to gather info and voice opinions and ask questions.
|
Meya
|
posted on September 19, 2001 12:57:41 PM new
It's a shame, and I hope the message boards stay. Some of us warned of the effect the greed would have.
|
cin131
|
posted on September 19, 2001 12:57:41 PM new
Great, just what I didn't need to hear. Gotta figure out a way to host my own pics...
|
jeanyu
|
posted on September 19, 2001 01:03:46 PM new
cin131-if I can do it-anyone can!!
email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. I will try my best to help.
AW is morphing even as we speak. And not sure they even know what the end result will be.
AW--my #2 website, just behind my eBay Auctions.
AW--hang in there and stay!!! I'm not good with change.
Where will I look to see what is happening, where where I gripe, where will I connect to the internet community? Alas anyone except from KRS 
|
traceyg
|
posted on September 19, 2001 02:06:35 PM new
getting ride of the boards would be like cutting their own throat. Not saying they won't do that I mean they use pop ads which many people leave any site as soon as those annoying ads pop up. I stopped click through and buying stuff with their ads which I used to do on a regular basis as soon as the pop up ads started.
Hopefully though they will stay around over all they are very good at what they do.
|
MrsSantaClaus
|
posted on September 21, 2001 01:58:47 PM new
Geez,
I paid $200 for a year's service because I believed in AuctionWatch ... and I still do.
Mark, hang in there ... even with a skeleton crew you can do it. I know, I downsized and it is working fine. It just means you just have to work a bit harder.
Tough times call for tough choices 
BECKY
|
kathyg
|
posted on September 21, 2001 03:36:37 PM new
Additional discussion of this topic:
http://forum.fuckedcompany.com/phpcomments/index.php?newsid=15496747266&page=1&parentid=0&crapfilter=1
|
jadejim
|
posted on September 21, 2001 03:44:07 PM new
As I forecast about a year ago--when you don't price your product right, you don't survive. I will be sad to see it go but greed doesn't pay!
|
jeanyu
|
posted on September 21, 2001 04:09:05 PM new
AW-buck up and quit the whining!
Just about everyone that I reccommended to use your site over the past two years are still using your pic hosting and paying for it! And if we extrapolate that to every AW user and their reccommendations, what are you griping about?
It still makes me feel bad that I initailly reccommended a free site and you chose to start charging. My reccommendation was taken by my real world friends and customers and they still use you! And pay. And--they are happier than all get out!
So--go on--whine away and take the money to the bank. I just don't buy it.
You had the world with a fence around it--for whatever reasons--you cannot live within those bounds.
But---still love ya AW
|
blueyes29
|
posted on September 21, 2001 08:13:45 PM new
Say it isn't so, AW! Please don't do away with the message boards...this is the only place I can ask for and get information about the status of eBay...certainly can't rely on their boards! And keep the photo hosting...I LOVE AW image hosting and I don't mind one whit paying for the service...I may be ABLE to learn HMTLEXYSXLD or whatever the "other" method is, but I don't WANT to...it may be hell getting older and stuck in your ways but I can't see changing a winning system! Stick around, AW...you're the best game in town!
|
zephod
|
posted on September 21, 2001 08:22:39 PM new
Does this also mean that the phychotic moderators will no longer have a place amongst us mere mortals?? Joice where are you babe?.
Damn gone again. Adios.
[ edited by zephod on Sep 21, 2001 08:27 PM ]
|
pattaylor
|
posted on September 21, 2001 08:51:12 PM new
phychotic moderators
Gee, thanks.
[email protected]
|
Microbes
|
posted on September 21, 2001 08:53:08 PM new
They are just checking to be sure your still there Pat. 
|
pattaylor
|
posted on September 21, 2001 08:55:21 PM new
Present and accounted for, Microbes.
|
zephod
|
posted on September 21, 2001 09:10:01 PM new
Now are you moderators being naughty and deleting my posts? I only wanted to know where my darling Joice was and did she survive the deletion of small minds and large egos??.
|
pattaylor
|
posted on September 21, 2001 09:18:31 PM new
zephod,
No posts deleted in this thread. Your darling Joice is off this weekend, but will be back on duty next week.
I'll tell her you miss her, though. 
Pat
[email protected]
|
ploughman
|
posted on September 21, 2001 09:36:50 PM new
In terms of posts and eyeballs, this has got to be one of the most robust boards around. Getting to that point on traffic would be a huge mountain for any new entrant to climb. Sure, there are fixed costs, but look at all the costs PayPal was willing to take to establish a dominant market share. PayPal had a clear business plan to start charging. Doubtful they could do that with a message board, but I think the theory in cyberspace for apps like this is that if you can find a way to make just a buck or two a user (advertising, etc.), it can mount up.
|
twinsoft
|
posted on September 21, 2001 10:43:39 PM new
Gee, didn't AW receive some 65 million bucks in backing just a few months ago??? Where did the money go, up Rodrigo's nose? Ha ha, I'm kidding. See, smiley face -->
I thought they were fattening up AW for a sale. 'Guess they decided to go a different direction.
It's been real.
|
gr8ful2bhere
|
posted on September 22, 2001 06:06:44 PM new
I'll miss the boards, if it comes to that. I won't miss the editorial content, and I won't miss any Vice Presidents over in customer service .
|
ahc3
|
posted on September 22, 2001 08:48:51 PM new
Wow, there is no denial by the moderators. Guess it is true. I will miss these boards, and I realize that it is not free to provide them, but they will appear elsewhere if auctionwatch disappears. It's nice to see that their fee structure did not pan out like they thought it would. Maybe others who provide a useful service will see this as a warning in the future (kind of doubt it, but you never know)
|
wbmodrrsupaolcom
|
posted on September 23, 2001 05:23:21 AM new
I think if they would have just charged a flat fee instead of being greedy and getting a % of each sale they would be in better shape, I would have contiued to use them and so would many others. The margins on E-bay selling are tight you have to watch every penny. They chose a bad time to statr charging fees, with E-bay, Paypal, energy companies and the post office all having increases at the same time.
James
|
litlux
|
posted on September 23, 2001 05:52:03 AM new
Auction Watch is a business, too, and has to act like one. I too love these AW boards and at the risk of sounding like a "brown noser" (now some of you know my generation) I think the mods here could teach ebay a hell of a lot about running their community projects, including AFA.
As twinsoft wrote: "Gee, didn't AW receive some 65 million bucks in backing just a few months ago??? Where did the money go..."
Well, this money was not a gift, but an investment, and investors want a return. IF it was from venture capitalists, they want it in multiples of their investment. This is the source of the screws turning and an unblinking look at each and every activity of its investment.
We will soon see if the investors are just after pinching pennies, and eliminating all non revenue producing services (like this board) in which case it is bye bye AW.
This board is the best recruiting and promotional method AW has for promoting its services and bringing in additional paid users. To discontinue them would seem stupid to me since they are undoubtedly more cost effective than any other customer acquisition scheme I can think of.
These boards also build tremendous loyalty and allow problems to be vented, discussed and often solved.
Whether I perceive AW's fees to be "greedy" is not the point. The questions for me were 1) do I need their services and 2) is the price acceptable. I do pay for picture hosting elsewhere, on my website, and can not bear further percentages being given out of my low dollar items, so I passed. This does not mean they are greedy. It means that I am watching my pennies too.
I like AW and it is likely that the new capital will help them devise a good, affordable program for the small seller too.
I wish them (and us) lots of good luck. We are all going to need it in the near future!
|
