Is half.com still shutting down after this year?
07-19-03 | 03:02 AM
#1
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Is half.com still shutting down after this year?
Why did I get this e-mail that shows they are trying to improve the site??
__________________
In this installment of the Half.com Seller Bulletin we are excited to notify you about some great new features and services now being provided. We are also writing to keep you up to date on future happenings at Half.com and how you might be affected.
Half.com is gearing up for another HUGE textbook season from early August to late September. Don't miss this BIG selling opportunity:
• List as many textbooks as possible since all subjects, editions and titles tend to sell.
• Support expedited shipping for your textbooks in addition to media mail since students often need their books fast!
• Use the comment field to describe the conditions and features of your items.
• Update your account with your shipping location.
• Monitor and confirm your orders on our site regularly.
• Make sure your inventory is up to date and accurate.
Remember, the textbook season starts in early August, so make sure you have your inventory listed on Half.com!
New features at Half.com...
You asked for it, enhanced inventory management. We have completely redesigned and upgraded our inventory management system. Available now as a beta version, you can check out our new MMI (Manage My Inventory) 2.0 with many great new features including:
• Improved interface: Provides critical pricing information that makes it much easier to update your inventory efficiently.
• Edit mode: Sort your inventory alphabetically by title, item status, price, quantity or condition.
• Repricing mode: Change your prices quickly and easily.
Remember, managing and repricing your inventory frequently will help you remain competitive!
Manage My Inventory Now
Half.com Shops is a new area on the site where buyers can easily browse your full inventory. As a Half.com seller, you automatically get a Half.com Shop for FREE!
• With Shops, you now have a place to send buyers to shop only your inventory!
• Tell your customers, friends, and family to visit your shop at your very own URL: http://shops.half.ebay.com/your-seller-name
• When customers purchase more than 1 item from your inventory in the same order they will SAVE ON SHIPPING, but don't worry, you will still receive the same shipping reimbursements.
We are proud to announce a partnership with Canada Post Borderfree that enables Canadians to shop and buy from all Half.com sellers. This provides you with over 15 million potential new buyers! When Canadian buyers visit Half.com they will be able to see their total landed cost before placing an order. The landed cost may include duties, taxes, and shipping and handling charges in Canadian dollars.
So what do you need to do to sell to Canadian buyers? The quick answer is... NOTHING!
We're making it as easy to fulfill a Canadian order as it is to fulfill a US order:
• As a seller you will ship all Canadian packages to the US address of our Canadian partner, Canada Post Borderfree, who will then deliver the package directly to the Canadian buyer.
• Nothing will change in terms of your commission rate, payment structure or post-transaction communication with the buyer.
Learn more about fulfilling orders to Canadian buyers.
The Half.com by eBay Team
_________________________
__________________
In this installment of the Half.com Seller Bulletin we are excited to notify you about some great new features and services now being provided. We are also writing to keep you up to date on future happenings at Half.com and how you might be affected.
Half.com is gearing up for another HUGE textbook season from early August to late September. Don't miss this BIG selling opportunity:
• List as many textbooks as possible since all subjects, editions and titles tend to sell.
• Support expedited shipping for your textbooks in addition to media mail since students often need their books fast!
• Use the comment field to describe the conditions and features of your items.
• Update your account with your shipping location.
• Monitor and confirm your orders on our site regularly.
• Make sure your inventory is up to date and accurate.
Remember, the textbook season starts in early August, so make sure you have your inventory listed on Half.com!
New features at Half.com...
You asked for it, enhanced inventory management. We have completely redesigned and upgraded our inventory management system. Available now as a beta version, you can check out our new MMI (Manage My Inventory) 2.0 with many great new features including:
• Improved interface: Provides critical pricing information that makes it much easier to update your inventory efficiently.
• Edit mode: Sort your inventory alphabetically by title, item status, price, quantity or condition.
• Repricing mode: Change your prices quickly and easily.
Remember, managing and repricing your inventory frequently will help you remain competitive!
Manage My Inventory Now
Half.com Shops is a new area on the site where buyers can easily browse your full inventory. As a Half.com seller, you automatically get a Half.com Shop for FREE!
• With Shops, you now have a place to send buyers to shop only your inventory!
• Tell your customers, friends, and family to visit your shop at your very own URL: http://shops.half.ebay.com/your-seller-name
• When customers purchase more than 1 item from your inventory in the same order they will SAVE ON SHIPPING, but don't worry, you will still receive the same shipping reimbursements.
We are proud to announce a partnership with Canada Post Borderfree that enables Canadians to shop and buy from all Half.com sellers. This provides you with over 15 million potential new buyers! When Canadian buyers visit Half.com they will be able to see their total landed cost before placing an order. The landed cost may include duties, taxes, and shipping and handling charges in Canadian dollars.
So what do you need to do to sell to Canadian buyers? The quick answer is... NOTHING!
We're making it as easy to fulfill a Canadian order as it is to fulfill a US order:
• As a seller you will ship all Canadian packages to the US address of our Canadian partner, Canada Post Borderfree, who will then deliver the package directly to the Canadian buyer.
• Nothing will change in terms of your commission rate, payment structure or post-transaction communication with the buyer.
Learn more about fulfilling orders to Canadian buyers.
The Half.com by eBay Team
_________________________
07-19-03 | 03:43 AM
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From: Brooklyn, NY
A good question indeed.
I'm a big fan of the site (selling & buying) and would be majorly disapointed if they shut it down....which ebay announced they would do at the end of the year.
But with site improvements like these, does ebay have a change of heart?
I'm guessing that if they choose to close the site down, that ebay's site will absorb some of half.com's features. Or at least that's what I'm hoping.
I'm a big fan of the site (selling & buying) and would be majorly disapointed if they shut it down....which ebay announced they would do at the end of the year.
But with site improvements like these, does ebay have a change of heart?
I'm guessing that if they choose to close the site down, that ebay's site will absorb some of half.com's features. Or at least that's what I'm hoping.
07-19-03 | 06:04 AM
#3
With all the fraudulent transactions on eBay and the many investigations that have still to be...investigated, I would say eBay has enough money to keep half.com open for a little while longer.
07-19-03 | 08:42 PM
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Are they really shutting it down completely?
I was under the impression that they were probably going to fold the "fixed price" store into Ebay somehow.
I was under the impression that they were probably going to fold the "fixed price" store into Ebay somehow.
07-20-03 | 04:57 AM
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From: Brooklyn, NY
For those interested, the original story can be found here:
http://news.com.com/2100-1019-991480.html?tag=fd_top
http://news.com.com/2100-1019-991480.html?tag=fd_top
By Alorie Gilbert
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
March 6, 2003, 6:22 PM PT
eBay plans to shutter its Half.com site next year, completing a long-standing plan to merge the online discount store with its popular auction site.
eBay will retire the Half.com site and brand name by the end of 2004, said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. The company on Thursday told its 65 Half.com employees about the plan and the resignation of Half.com President Josh Kopelman, who will leave eBay next month, Pursglove said.
eBay acquired Half.com for $241 million in stock in 2000 as part of a strategy to compete head-to-head with Amazon.com. Pursglove said it was always eBay's intention to fold Half.com, a person-to-person marketplace for used books, compact discs and DVDs at fixed prices, into its main eBay site.
"From the beginning we've always believed it's a better user experience to have one site," Pursglove said. "It's easier as a seller to go to one site and list an item for one group of potential buyers, and it's easier as a buyer to go to one site to find listed items."
San Jose, Calif.-based eBay had discussed shutting Half.com down in 2001 but slowed down the transition after Half.com customers complained, Pursglove said. In the meantime, eBay has steadily merged many of Half.com's functions with its auction site, including user names, feedback, customer support and sign-in. More than 22 percent of the main eBay site's sales now occur in a fixed-price format, through its "buy now" feature and traditional retail storefronts, Pursglove said. The final step, which will begin next year, is to transfer all sale items listed on Half.com to eBay's site, Pursglove said.
The company will also shut down Half.com's facilities in Philadelphia, Pursglove said. Employees there will be offered positions in other eBay offices, he said. The company also named Mike Aufricht, a former Disney executive, as vice president of media and Kopelman's successor.
Half.com, founded in 1999, captured the spotlight for a publicity stunt in which it convinced city leaders in Halfway, Ore., to change the town's name to Half.com.
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
March 6, 2003, 6:22 PM PT
eBay plans to shutter its Half.com site next year, completing a long-standing plan to merge the online discount store with its popular auction site.
eBay will retire the Half.com site and brand name by the end of 2004, said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. The company on Thursday told its 65 Half.com employees about the plan and the resignation of Half.com President Josh Kopelman, who will leave eBay next month, Pursglove said.
eBay acquired Half.com for $241 million in stock in 2000 as part of a strategy to compete head-to-head with Amazon.com. Pursglove said it was always eBay's intention to fold Half.com, a person-to-person marketplace for used books, compact discs and DVDs at fixed prices, into its main eBay site.
"From the beginning we've always believed it's a better user experience to have one site," Pursglove said. "It's easier as a seller to go to one site and list an item for one group of potential buyers, and it's easier as a buyer to go to one site to find listed items."
San Jose, Calif.-based eBay had discussed shutting Half.com down in 2001 but slowed down the transition after Half.com customers complained, Pursglove said. In the meantime, eBay has steadily merged many of Half.com's functions with its auction site, including user names, feedback, customer support and sign-in. More than 22 percent of the main eBay site's sales now occur in a fixed-price format, through its "buy now" feature and traditional retail storefronts, Pursglove said. The final step, which will begin next year, is to transfer all sale items listed on Half.com to eBay's site, Pursglove said.
The company will also shut down Half.com's facilities in Philadelphia, Pursglove said. Employees there will be offered positions in other eBay offices, he said. The company also named Mike Aufricht, a former Disney executive, as vice president of media and Kopelman's successor.
Half.com, founded in 1999, captured the spotlight for a publicity stunt in which it convinced city leaders in Halfway, Ore., to change the town's name to Half.com.
07-23-03 | 08:21 AM
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Here is a new survey for Half.com users. I filled it out that I have no interest in selling on Ebay. Hopefully others will say the same but I don't think it is going to change them shutting down Half.com. Maybe someone else will come along and open a similar site. The ease of use of Half.com is what attracts me to it. I will really miss the wish list function as well.
http://survey.ebay.com/survey/ebay/hlfs?source=2322085
http://survey.ebay.com/survey/ebay/hlfs?source=2322085
07-23-03 | 08:25 AM
#9
Moderator
Originally posted by brianluvdvd
I will really miss the wish list function as well.
I will really miss the wish list function as well.
07-26-03 | 01:28 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
I'm pleased that half.com is at long last available to Canadians, but the catch for us is that we pay double shipping; for example, if I order a video that costs $1.50, not only do I have to pay the $2.79 flat rate shipping charge (which seems a little high for one video, but so be it), but an additional, even higher fee bankrolls the middleman, Borderfree (ironic name). With taxes and duties, which I expect to pay anyway, that initial $1.50 balloons to about $10. Half.com will have to better than that if it wants to attract Canucks. I've ordered plenty of videos from the States, and I know that basic postal service is nowhere near as costly.
