Redisplay Messages: Compact | Brief | All | Full Show Messages: All | Without Replies| Author: | FigBits  | | Posted: | Mar 22, 2017 16:25 | | Subject: | Re: BrickLink you are losing business | | Viewed: | 69 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, wahiggin writes:
| | In Suggestions, QA_Sheryl writes:
| | In Suggestions, BricksDirect writes:
| | Dear BrickLink admins and members,
We see it every day. BrickLink is losing business because it's still not
possible to pay immediately after checkout. We have to cancel our orders because
new members can't find shipping fees. They expect that the shipping fee will
be automically displayed when they put items in their shopping cart. The also
expect that they can pay immediately for their orders. The way it is going now
is way too complicated for new members.
Why is it so hard to create software to let members pay immediately and tell
them the shipping fee. BrickOwl and BrickScout are doing it. They are taking
BrickLink's business over.
What I hear from other sellers is that it's impossible to create it because
not al items have their weight in the BrickLink catalog. Why not solve this with
a standard weight for items that don't have their weight in the BrickLink
catalog? (0.5KG for a set, 0.2KG for a part etc.)
Please, BrickLink do something at this.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Niels Roest
Owner of BricksDirect
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Hi Niels,
As has been stated in numerous other forum posts, we are in the process of creating
Instant Checkout. Since BrickLink has been around much longer than the other
sites you mentioned, our sellers have numerous configurations and setting up
the process is much more complex. We do not want to take away anything from how
our sellers are currently using the checkout process. With this in mind, we have
made great progress in instant checkout so far and will continue to do so without
sacrificing quality. We want to make sure this feature is accurate as well as
efficient.
We appreciate your patience and understanding, but want to let you know that
we have definitely heard the cry from our users for this feature and are working
hard to get it done as soon as possible!
Thanks!
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Instead of a big bang approach, maybe doing an agile effort would be more impactful.
Start by creating a feature that would work for US shippers. Give sellers an
option to remain on the legacy shipping module or turn on the new Instant Checkout
feature until it is fully implemented. Then add other countries as you go along.
Prioritize it based on sales or complexity. Ebay does it, Brickowl does it,
Amazon does it, I can go out and create a website and add it in with a simple
plug in. This should be possible on a much shorter timeframe than what we have
seen so far.
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All that needs to happen is to make the Shipping Cost Estimator face the customer.
That would already work for a majority of sellers, no matter the country.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 22, 2017 10:08 | | Subject: | Re: price overview when buying a wanted list | | Viewed: | 57 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, mgiglio writes:
| | In Suggestions, yorbrick writes:
| | | | You are mistaken. Sellers do not have the ability to part out a set and automatically
list the pieces at the 6 month average, using any BrickLink tools. It's possible
to do so with 3rd-party tools (off BrickLink), but those tools are available
to buyers as well. The access to pricing information is identical for buyers
and sellers.
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What am I missing here? Is it interpretation of words?
Sellers can use the part out a set tool and set their part prices at the (worldwide)
six month average price, using Bricklink.
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this is correct. i did it last night. it's a very useful feature for a seller.
don't know why someone is saying this can't be done right in bricklink.
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You're right. I was wrong about that. I was thinking of re-pricing existing
inventory to the 6-month average.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 22, 2017 00:31 | | Subject: | Re: price overview when buying a wanted list | | Viewed: | 77 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, mgiglio writes:
| | of course i am not suggesting that parts be given away for free. i'm saying
maybe part prices are inflated if sellers are actually willing to sell for less.
as a seller, if i think a part is too cool to sell for a nickel, i keep it, cause
i know no one's gonna pay a quarter for it. or if i have a ten dollar minifig
and i dont want to sit on it for a year, i'll list it for 9 and try to move
it out.
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For those of us whose BrickLink stores are trying to support us as a full-time
job, that a part being too cool doesn't factor into it. It's a business.
I try to sell for more than I paid.
A few years ago, most sets parted out for 2x the retail price of the set. Today,
that number is maybe 1.3x. I certainly would not say that prices on parts are
inflated. The opposite -- they're depressed.
Those $10 minifigs are only $10 because that's what they've been selling
for. It used to be as you described -- a few sellers would list at $9 to
try to sell them faster, while most listed for $10, and many listed for $11 or
more.
But now, ten stores list them for $8. Then when they see that everyone else is
doing that, they relist them for $6. Then someone lists 300 of them for $2.50.
All of which is fine (more or less). But it becomes a bit of a problem when sellers
who want to list that "$10" minifigure for $10 show up on a BrickLink tool as
being 75% higher than average.
| | if bricklink has a problem with sellers undercutting each other, i don't
think limiting the buyers information is the smart way to fix it. why not limit
sellers ability to list a part for less than a certain price.
|
That would be a terrible idea, and possibly illegal.
| | regarding sellers and buyers having equal access, that's just not true. a
seller can part out a set and list the pieces automatically at the 6 month avg,
but a buyer cannot then shop for those same parts in that same sellers store
without seeing all at once whether they are above or below average price. that's
not equal access. that makes the buyer work much harder than the seller to determine
whether each individual part is listed at fair value or not.
|
You are mistaken. Sellers do not have the ability to part out a set and automatically
list the pieces at the 6 month average, using any BrickLink tools. It's possible
to do so with 3rd-party tools (off BrickLink), but those tools are available
to buyers as well. The access to pricing information is identical for buyers
and sellers.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 21, 2017 18:34 | | Subject: | Re: price overview when buying a wanted list | | Viewed: | 64 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, mgiglio writes:
| | In Suggestions, tillmanbalazs writes:
| | few weeks ago when I went to a wanted list, and selected the items which I wanted
to buy, then the shop, it showed what is the price of items in this shop compared
to the average price of the items.
Now this function is not available, can I ask why?
Is it possible to have it back?
Thanks,
Balázs
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Voted Yes. Having this comparison helps me to buy hundreds of pieces at a time
and easily know whether the store I've chosen is charging me double what
each piece is worth, without having to check each piece manually. The only ones
to blame for a downward spiral in pricing are sellers listing their parts cheaper
than everyone else. If a part can be sold cheaper, maybe it should be.
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But tools like this enourage sellers to continue listing their parts cheaper
than everyone else. That's part of the problem. And I'm not sure what
you mean my that last sentence. Of course a part can be sold cheaper. It can
be given away for free. So it should be?
| | Providing sellers with this information easily when they list parts, but not
making it easily available to buyers when buying, puts sellers at an unnecessary
advantage in this marketplace. It erodes my confidence when purchasing, or requires
me to spend an inordinate amount of time researching to save what amounts to
pennies per piece. While some would say that I should just suck it up and pay
the pennies if I don't want to do the legwork, I'd say that'd make
sense if the sellers had to do the legwork of looking up each individual part
price and entering it manually, but they don't.
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What do you mean? Sellers have EXACTLY the same access to average prices that
buyers do.
| | I think a nice compromise would be to show the over/under comparison against
current listing prices, instead of 6 month average.
|
I thought that's what it already was.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 21, 2017 09:42 | | Subject: | Re: price overview when buying a wanted list | | Viewed: | 66 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, TokerSays writes:
| | As a Seller, why don't you want a Buyer to have immediate access to a comparison
of your price against the average price?
All I want is an honest answer. The fact that this tool isn't valuable when
grocery shopping is irrelevant. I'm willing to entertain an alternative
basis of the average price if that is your concern. I'm just unsure of why
you don't want your price compared to another, immediately at the point of
purchase.
What's your honest answer?
|
Having such a tool encourages sellers to implement deceptive practices.
Imagine two stores: One has average prices, honest shipping costs, and no hidden
fees. The other has lower than average prices, but charges an extra $3 on shipping,
and adds 5% to the final total for Paypal fees.
The price comparison tool will lead buyers to the second store, even if their
order would cost more there.
I agree that it's a good thing for buyers to be able to see where they can
get what they want at a good price. For that to happen transparently, the comparison
tools need to include total final cost, not just the listed cost of the parts.
That is not possible without automated checkout.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 21, 2017 08:30 | | Subject: | Re: price overview when buying a wanted list | | Viewed: | 51 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, TokerSays writes:
| | In Suggestions, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | Not sure about leader but I'm missing the community overseer role at the
moment.
|
I'm not sure I understand. You are the community overseer or we are missing
a community overseer?
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Community Overseer: Mnementh (19666) - Oct 31, 2005 - Dec 27, 2013
https://www.bricklink.com/memberAdmins.asp
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 21, 2017 01:03 | | Subject: | Re: Counterfiet Set Reporting | | Viewed: | 94 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, rofreder writes:
| | Upon inspection of parts even noticed "LEGO" on all studs. However edges were
sharper than genuine parts, also in general parts felt lighter, minor differences
in shapes of familiar elements. Amazed at the attention to detail of the fakers.
But, in my heart of hearts I know it's a fake set.
|
This would be the first that I have heard of clones actually having LEGO on the
studs. Do you have a photo that highlights the differences ("minor differences
in shape") between a genuine brick and one you suspect is counterfeit?
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 20, 2017 14:31 | | Subject: | Re: BrickLink you are losing business | | Viewed: | 86 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, Bricklord writes:
| | What part of Canada Post's guidelines are you wilfully ignoring? it is not
just weight that determines a rate, but the volume as well. Or are you only shipping
as parcels? If so, you are costing your customers far more than they should be
paying.
|
I am not ignoring any of it. Nothing that you have written above addresses what
I wrote below, but I will answer your questions anyway.
I am not only shipping as parcels. The vast majority of orders within Canada
ship as oversized lettermail, and the vast majority of orders outside of Canada
ship as Light Packet. But it doesn't matter what I ship it as, because as
I said below, I charge a FLAT RATE for shipping. Which means, as I said below,
that for orders over 150 grams, buyers pay LESS for shipping. Not more, as you
claim. Less.
If you don't believe me, just go check. That's in my store. Other sellers
can (and do) do it differently. Some charge more, some charge less. Some charge
a lot more, some charge nothing.
The indisputable fact is that automated shipping calculation does not AUTOMATICALLY
cause higher shipping costs for buyers. That is totally up to the sellers.
| | In Suggestions, FigBits writes:
| | In Suggestions, Bricklord writes:
| | I completely concur. The Canada Post rates/tables would make any such automatic
shipping calculation even more overpriced than the exact rate they already charge.
An automatic checkout with the invoice would be an improvement, but for each
order the seller MUST calculate the shipping.
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This is 100% false. I don't know why it keeps coming up. We know with absolute
certainty that automato shipping calculation need not result in overcharging
for shipping.
If a seller WANTS to charge more for shipping, they can set up their options
to do so. If they want to charge less for shipping, they can set up the options
to do so. On the other site, I have flat-rate shipping. This means that for orders
over 150 grams, buyers pay LOWER shipping costs in my store on the site that
has auto checkout.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 20, 2017 12:41 | | Subject: | Re: BrickLink you are losing business | | Viewed: | 77 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, Bricklord writes:
| | I completely concur. The Canada Post rates/tables would make any such automatic
shipping calculation even more overpriced than the exact rate they already charge.
An automatic checkout with the invoice would be an improvement, but for each
order the seller MUST calculate the shipping.
|
This is 100% false. I don't know why it keeps coming up. We know with absolute
certainty that automato shipping calculation need not result in overcharging
for shipping.
If a seller WANTS to charge more for shipping, they can set up their options
to do so. If they want to charge less for shipping, they can set up the options
to do so. On the other site, I have flat-rate shipping. This means that for orders
over 150 grams, buyers pay LOWER shipping costs in my store on the site that
has auto checkout.
--
Marc.
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| Author: | FigBits | | Posted: | Mar 20, 2017 12:34 | | Subject: | Re: BrickLink you are losing business | | Viewed: | 72 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, Rob_and_Shelagh writes:
| | In Suggestions, FigBits writes:
| | In Suggestions, technoluddite writes:
| | I don't think BL could concoct a system to account for all the variances
of each postal system in the EU, North America etc. to allow immediate posting
of shipping costs.
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BL doesn't need to. The sellers would. The solution ALREADY EXISTS on other
sites, so we know that it is possible.
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Yes we know it can be done (reasonably OK) on other sites but we so far don't
know if BL can deliver it here... just because the other guys do it doesn't
mean that is what we will get here as the site has a different structure/programming.
I'm just patiently waiting and will form an opinion on whether here it will
be a good or bad thing, or something in between when I see how it is going
to work here, not on another site.
Robert
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Actually, it already exists on BrickLink as well. It just isn't customer-facing.
--
Marc.
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