Woo Hooo Half.com isn't closing!!!
Written: Sep 18 '04 (Updated Sep 23 '04)
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I have been doing business on Half.com since November 2002. Since that time I have sold 31 items and bought over 90 items. I have not had a bad transaction yet through Half.com. The only thing I really am upset about is that they are closing down on October 14, 2004. So you still have a little time yet to check it out before it shuts down.
Half.com is a place where you can buy or sell books, textbooks, music, dvds/movies, video games, computers and software, and electronics. You can also sell or buy additional things that are listed in the “Everything Else” category: Gardening, Home and Family, Musical Instruments, Office Equipment and Furniture, Tools and Toys. This is my favorite place to buy CDs or movies. I always seem to find a better deal at Half.com than I do on Ebay. Half.com is made of up individual sellers (just like at Ebay) that list items to be sold. However, it is not an auction. You don’t bid on items. There is a price listed and if you want the item you buy it.
It is easy to sell items at Half.com. You just click on “sell your stuff” and it will guide you through the selling process. When you sell an item you will get an email from Half.com. Then you will have 48 hours to confirm the order. If you do not confirm the order within that time period it will be cancelled. To confirm the order you just reply to the email. Then you have 24 hours to ship the item. The 24 hour period excludes weekends and holidays.
One thing that is different than selling at Ebay is how you get paid. At Ebay you are paid directly from the buyer at the end of each auction. At Half.com you are paid once a month directly from Half.com. Half.com collects the money from the buyer using their credit card. You can have the money directly deposited to your bank account or have a check sent to you for an additional fee. Half.com will send you an email before the payment is made so you will know how much to expect.
When listing your items at Half.com you rate them by the quality of the item. The choices are: Brand New, Like New, Very Good, Good and Acceptable. The minimum you can list an item for is seventy-five cents. When you list an item Half.com will give you a suggested price for the listing to give you an idea of what you should list it for. They suggested price Half.com sets is like new items 50% of the retail price, very good 45% of the retail price, good 40% of the retail price, and acceptable 35% fo the retail price. When you list something it will also tell you how much this item last sold.
Another way that Half.com differs from Ebay is that items on Half.com stay listed until the item is sold. When you sell at Ebay then you have a maximum of 10 days for your listing to stay up. If you have no bids during that time period then your auction is closed. At Half.com items will stay listed until it is sold. At Ebay you are charged a fee to list them item and at Half.com you are not charged a fee for listing the item. This is a nice feature because you don’t waste any money if your item doesn’t sell.
The buyer pays for shipping for their purchase. It is a fixed amount that is determined by Half.com. For hardcover books the shipping is $3.25. For paperback books, VHS movies, and audio books the shipping is $2.79. For music, DVDs and games the shipping $2.49. I really like that the shipping is set because a seller can’t rip you off that way. The prices that I have listed here are for items that are sent Media mail with the United States Postal Service. It is expected that it will arrive 4-12 days after shipment. Some sellers offer expedited shipping which can be done through USPS Priority, Fed Ex Home Delivery, UPS Ground or Airborne Express Ground. If the seller offers expedited shipping it will cost you more than the standard media mail. Many times sellers will offer a free upgrade to first class shipment.
Seller Fees: (a percentage is deducted from your sale)
under $50 - 15%
$50.01 - $100.00 - 12.5%
$100.01 - $250.00 - 10%
$250.01 - $500.00 - 7.5%
over $500.00 - 5.0%
You also get the money for shipping charges except for a portion, which Half.com takes to cover the expenses of the site.
Using the site is easy. You can set up a wish list there to keep up with all of the items that you want. You also have the option to have them email you when an item is listed at the price and condition you are wanting. You must have a valid credit card to be able to buy from the site. You can not use a check, debit card or Paypal account. I love having “speedy checkout” set up. When I go to buy items all of my information is pre-filled and I can zip through the checkout quick. It has my credit card information stored so I don’t even have to enter that.
I have often been able to find a better deal on books and music at Half.com than I could anywhere else. I really hate to see it go!
SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 UPDATE:
Here is a copy of an email that I just got!!!
Dear Seller,
In our last announcement earlier this summer, we said that Half.com would be closing on October 14, 2004. We have decided not to go forward with this plan and will keep Half.com open indefinitely.
Over the last year and a half, our efforts to prepare for a consolidated marketplace for Books, Movies, Music and Video Games on eBay have helped many Half.com sellers transition to eBay, especially during this past back-to-school season. Many of you have reported being successful on eBay while growing your overall sales by selling on both platforms. This has contributed to the biggest back-to-school season ever experienced on eBay. However, with all the growth in the Books, Movies, Music and Video Games categories on eBay, we have not seen a corresponding drop in business on Half.com. In fact, loyalty to Half.com has remained strong as we witnessed yet another outstanding back-to-school season on Half.com. The buying and selling activities of the eBay and Half.com communities have proven that the Books, Movies, Music and Video Games marketplace can be more vibrant with both Half.com and eBay.
We have heard from many of you that you want the Half.com site to remain open and to have the option to sell on both platforms. Your input, as well as the data and experience we have gained during the transition efforts, are the basis for our decision to keep Half.com open. There will be no substantive changes to Half.com in the foreseeable future. We encourage you to sell on both Half.com and eBay to maximize your sales, as many of you have already done throughout the transition period. Going forward, we will invest in both platforms and allow sellers and buyers the flexibility to benefit from the unique opportunities they each allow.
If you have further questions, please read our Frequently Asked Questions page or attend one of the following live interactive Q&A sessions with eBay and Half.com executives:
• Thursday, September 30 @ 10:00am PT -- REGISTER
• Tuesday, October 5 @ 4:00pm PT -- REGISTER
We appreciate and look forward to your continued loyalty to Half.com.
Sincerely,
Mike Aufricht
VP/GM, Half.com
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Books & CDs
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