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Post Office Betting On eBay
from the need-help-now dept
With the rise of email and various private shipping companies, some have wondered if the US Postal Service can survive in the digital age. They've tried a few random things here and there, but most of them have been pretty silly (e.g., you could email the Post Office a letter, which they'd print out and deliver to someone's mailbox). However, it looks like someone finally realized that while the rise of the internet may have decimated the market for some types of mail, it's boosted individual shipments of packages from residential users thanks to eBay. With that in mind, they might as well jump on the eBay bandwagon and help train people to become eBay sellers -- while (of course) using the Post Office for all their shipping. While it makes sense for the Postal Service to do this, you have to wonder if some other online auction firms may get a bit upset that the US Postal Service seems to be promoting eBay over other online auction sites.
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Those guys
ebay approached me for a job interview once. They wanted me to believe that their stock price would keep going up and up, forever. I asked them why I would want to pay a fee to sell something through ebay, when I could sell them through any number of other sites for free. They had no answer. One of the interviewers was some older Native American guy, and I asked him what he plans to do when ebay gets rid of him because he's too old. He had no answer. Some fat white executive, same story. I don't know why that company ever succeeded.
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Re: Those guys
>I don't know why that company ever succeeded.< br>Perhaps they looked beyond the people who want to sell their lawn mower and not have to pay for the ad.
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Re: Those guys
>> ebay approached me for a job interview once.
Sure they did....
I asked them why I would want to pay a fee to sell something through ebay, when I could sell them through any number of other sites for free. They had no answer.
#1 Answer: EXPOSURE
I think you are full of it, brother.
I came up with the #1 answer before I was done reading that sentence. I am sure that anyone else can do the same. So you expect us to believe that you stumped them with THAT question?
Go away.....
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Re: Those guys
"ebay approached me for a job interview once."
they must have recognised your superior intellect by reading your posts on techdirt and jumped at the chance of hiring you.
They will rue the day they let you get away dorpus. I'm selling my ebay stock right now!
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Re: Those guys
Exposure? I got flooded with offers when I advertised on the free sites.
They should have been the first to answer my question, but they said that they "hadn't heard of any sites like that". When I mentioned several, they acted puzzled.
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Re: Those guys
God, I would just love to see ebay with Dorpus working there.
People would post an auction trying to sell a lawnmower and minutes later you would see:
------------
The auction edited by Dorpus:
"But what about all the Japanese suicide clubs who are killing themselves with garden instruments? Perhaps you should sell them, too"
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Re: Those guys
The difference is if you approach those other sites, they have all heard of Ebay.
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Re: Those guys
Two thumbs up. I laughed so hard.
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Re: Those guys
Where are the links to these free sites?
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Re: Those guys
I WAS approached once to work as a project manager for Priceline.com for an ill fated auction site based on fixed fees. I DID ask them why someone would want to sell something for $30 when there might be someone willing to pay $40 (and therefore increase the commission for the site). I already had experience on eBay with people fighting for the right to overpay on auction items.
The site fizzled before the beta test was over.
There is a difference in asking a question based on sound business modeling and being like "dorpus"
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No Subject Given
>"But what about all the Japanese suicide clubs who are killing themselves with garden instruments? Perhaps you should sell them, too" LOL< br>Anyway, if the post office is smart, they will offer the same service to every auction site, and make a contact link easily available (at usps.gov) to all auction sites and hell, all sites period. Nobody could bitch about favoritism, and they increase their market. What is wrong with these people
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Re: postal ebay training
We sell on ebay. We can calc it works. We tested overthere and could not calc it worked. It takes effort to post, for that effort we would like to see some return.
As for postal training future ebay users..why not? Some will catch fire some will not. All will end up posting on ebay. Not because they are training for ebay but because they can calc it works.
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Re: postal ebay training
what the heck does "calc" mean? Your comment makes no sense
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Re: postal ebay training
calc=calculate
overthere=overstock or other auction sites
maybe you should read
http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2005/08/12/ebayness
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Re: Those guys
ditto!
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cheerleading
why isn't everyone on the same team
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