Tuesday, August 12, 2014

What Selling Venue are You Using?

A lot has been said lately about the hiatus of sellers moving from the biggest online selling venue; both from choice and from being squeezed out. Where to go?

http://www.onlineauction.com/
 

Well, I for one, chose OnlineAuction.com as my home. No, I am not a paid employee, nor have I ever been a paid employee. I came over because when I sold at that "big" place, I was not allowed to relist my listings because I dared to explain the "Top Seller Program" and tell my customers that if they ignored the smaller sellers with good feedback, they might miss some great bargains. I was not trashing the site, I was sticking up for the small sellers even though by that time I had also become a Top Seller. But most customers did not realize that it not only was based on DSR ratings but also VOLUME. So, I thought it only fair to explain this. When I was told WHY I could not relist (I had to remove any mention of the word Top Seller), I figured out my costs, remembered I had signed up with OnlineAuction.com but had never used it and over I went!!! Hook, line and sinker!

I started on a month to month basis, $8 per month . . . . . nope, that has NOT gone up!! I soon realized that I would be far better off by having a store and jumped at the offer of  $96 for the first year and the same thereafter. I could better control keeping my customers in my store, looking at my listings.

I didn't pay much attention to the chats . . . . . unfortunately; so I wasted a lot of time figuring it out when I could have gotten so much help from other members!! But I soon learned and now I try to help other newbies coming on board, passing on what I was given . . . . . a hand of friendship, help and camaraderie!!

I joined a site that lets me sell the way I choose. There is one fee a year, $96.00, so costs are easy to budget. And that is FOREVER folks! As long as you are a member, that will never change! I can relist as many times as I wish with no extra charge. I can decorate my store the way I wish! I can put what I want in my listings! Beyond a few simple rules, I sell what I want!! OnlineAuction.com does NOT keep any of my profits when I sell something or when I relist something.

I, alone, am responsible for my listings, my shipping, and my communications. If something goes wrong I fix it. Me. Not OnlineAuction.com, ME. I have had very few problems on OnlineAuction.com other than a few non-payers. No problem. If they don't pay, I relist (no extra charge). It takes a few minutes and BOOM - it's done!! No headaches. If they do eventually pay, I can CHANGE the feedback I left . . . . . yes, not only can I leave honest feedback for my buyers, I can also CHANGE the feedback!!

And I CONTROL my returns . . . . . I alone choose whether to accept returns. Normally, I do not but I work on a case to case basis.

OnlineAuction.com has some restrictions, yes.

"Restricted Items List
Items listed below are not allowed to be offered in any manner using OnlineAuction.com, as compiled in accordance with law, combined with the valued input of our Users. Some items on this list may not be illegal to sell or own, but are currently adverse or unfitting to the interests and needs shared by the majority of our corresponding Users. We do our very best to fairly and properly serve all of our Users."
 
This would include Government Controlled Substances, Prescription Medicines / Items, Pornographic or Offensive Material, Illegal to Own Animals or Illegal to Own Animal Parts, and there is a Firearm Category Userguide. For further information, click HERE.

No venue is as big as eBay . . . . YET! But we are going to give them a run for their money! We are doing upgrades as we speak, constantly working on making the site better. We pay our fee and then we sell as we wish. We have that freedom without ever having to worry about any other fees. We have a live customer service department,

So, check out the testimonials from sellers on OnlineAuction.com. There are more and I know that each one will tell you that OnlineAuction.com is home. LetsPlayTagSales and GusFireFly were both named Sellers of the year for 2013 and have really taken it to the bank! 

"OnlineAuction.com was started in 1998 with Chris Fain’s dream and has grown to tens of thousands of members today. It is one of the few true auction sites site still active that offers true bidding, meaning that if a bid is placed within the last few seconds the auction continues until bidding stops. Just like auction house bidding!
Standing the test of time ...through its dedicated members, onlineauction.com will soon be a household name! The members are what make the auction site fun and profitable. Find helpful information throughout the chat forum posted by the members and if there is a question, someone promptly helps you. The camaraderie cannot be found on any other auction site. Members help each other and when one succeeds, the whole site succeeds.

 You are welcome to join the growing OLA.com family as a seller and a buyer. It is a membership only site so no worries about hidden fees for sellers and buyers join for free.


 We would love to have you in our family! Won’t you join us?" DustyCorners


"Are you tired of high seller fees and the final value fees and the ridiculously restrictive seller rules? Buyers and sellers, please check out OnlineAuction.com. Be your own boss and list thousands of items for only $8.00 a month seller fee and no final value fees. Buyers will find some super deals there. I sell at OnlineAuction.com under the name of maggiemaybecrafty. Come on over and see me and my friends." MaggieMayBeCrafty

"I have been successfully selling my homemade soap here at OLA since February 2008, and have loved it every day. I absolutely love it here at OLA, especially the community members who frequent the chat! It's awesome to be able to share ideas and experiences with everyone!"   MetzyMom

"I sell on eBay and OnlineAuction.com. eBay still gets the most action, but OLA is coming on strong and offers TOTAL FLEXIBILITY, which is a real plus for webmasters. From OLA listings, we can link to our own websites, embed other links, graphics and widgets, and include any creative terms we can think up, without interference. "CountryNaturals

"The staff and members at OLA are truly special. I have been extremely satisfied with the service and the affordable price to sell. Plus, the camaraderie I found here at OnlineAuction.com is a huge bonus!"  CurioCache                

"I do sell at OnlineAuction.com and in the last month have had 84 sales. I would never sell or buy anywhere but OnLineAuction.com aka OLA.com. I love OLA and think it ROCKS."  ChateyCathey 

"I have been buying and selling on OLA (Online Auction dot com) for many years. The BEST thing about this site: THE PEOPLE. OLA has some of the kindest, most caring and helpful people I have ever met. Beginning with Chris & Valerie Fain to our beloved Frank Rockwell and dear Metzy Mom. Buyers and sellers alike, this is the one site you can depend on for superb and personal customer service. ...We all aim to please our buyers, and knock ourselves out to provide high quality items at low prices, super fast shipping, and lots of assistance to anyone who asks...about anything. OLA has been my home site for years, and I never plan to leave. You can buy or sell just about anything here with the assurance that you are doing business with honest, trusting folks. Thanks for being there for me, OLA. I love you all."  Classic_Chloe

 

 
So, if you are in a quandary, not knowing where to park your listings, check us out! We will be glad to have you and for $96.00 for the ENTIRE year, you can do a LOT of parking!!
 
Thank you . . . . KornKountryTreasures