Power to the People
Written: Aug 29 '00 (Updated Feb 03 '01)
The Bottom Line
Bye-Bye, Baby, Bye-Bye
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2/03/01
Just a quick note to anyone reading this review: Don't bother--not that it isn't a fine review--but Mercata is no more, choked by the dot.bomb fever running rampant on the world wide web lately.
Too bad. This is one company that tried to do everything right and in spite of it all, failed.
It will be missed...
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Well there we were—stuck—looking for a reasonably priced scooter for my bicycle-phobic 5 year old.
(Note: It never fails that we as parents decide to buy something and it quickly becomes a hot socio-cultural trend. Scooters were no exception. Who knew a year ago that those zippy little rollerboards would replace all the big, bulky two wheelers we flew along on as kids?)
We had test driven a Razor clone and even the adults fell in love. Light, fast and fun, fun, fun. But where to get one at a reasonable price? Not one store in the region offered an in-stock scooter for less than a hundred bucks. Mom (being the cheapskate that she is) stamped her foot and declared that no child of hers was going to get such a ridiculously priced scooter. Dad (who had secretly decided that he had to have one of these things for himself) talked mom into spending $70 bucks.
Dad then threw down the gantlet: Try and find a well-built scooter for around $70.
Mom (I never turn down a dare) accepted the challenge.
I’ve been watching the Mercata web site for over a year now. Since its inception this nifty concept of discounted goods offered through the power of group buying has grown from a few items (mostly golf clubs and accessories) to a superstore powerhouse, carrying electronics, computer equipment and peripherals, toys, lawn and garden supplies, housewares and all manner of stuff you never thought you would ever want but somehow decide that you must have. Its inventory is truly impressive with plenty of those all-important “gotta have one” items—like the Razor scooter.
I had so far managed to resist the superficial charms of Mercata. Now was the time to put style versus substance to the test.
Is Mercata more than just a pretty face? I can enthusiastically state: You bet!
Newcomers should click on the “How it Works” link to get an explanation of the “Power Buy”. Put simply, the more people who commit to buying an item (within a specified time frame), the lower the price falls.
Users who aren’t interested in moving with the crowd can use a relatively new feature: naming the price they want to pay for the goods they want. The customer won’t have to buy the item unless it falls to the price the user has offered.
Eat your heart out Priceline.
There is no sneaky fine print to worry about, no higher price “surprises” after the sale, no membership fees, no “oops out of stock” emails, just the "real deal"--solid bargains, buttressed with a great customer service network and shipped fast to your front door at a very reasonable rate.
The home page of the site offers a quick overview of the products and services the company offers—which is a far cry from the putters and golf tees of yore. Click on a category and it further divides itself into subcategories for browsing.
“Can-do” customers, who know what they want, are able to pop a keyword into the “quick search” feature—out comes all possible matches. Buyers who are partial to a particular brand can find all their favorites through one easy search link.
Need product information? There is a link for that as well, complete with buying tips and FAQ’s. Want to talk about a product and get "real" consumer feedback? Post and chat within the Mercata community page.
With all the products and search options available onsite, it is hard to believe that a buyer wouldn’t be able to find a particular product; but on the off chance that this is the case, the home page also offers links to several corporate retail partners (members of the We-Commerce network) that might have that hard-to-find item. There is also a link that a consumer can use to request items not presently for sale on the site.
Finally, there are the top 10 power buys; this is the list of the most bid upon and most popular Mercata items for sale. The crème de la crème you might say. I didn’t have to look far for my Razor. It was (surprise!) a Power Buy.
The folks at Mercata seem to fully appreciate not only the art of the deal but the psychology behind successful internet retailing as well. Through snappy, fast loading graphics, extensive product information (including a rebate section for even more savings on purchased products) and exceptional customer support, the creators of Mercata have developed one of the most comprehensive discount purchasing sites on the Web. Over the long haul this heady combination is going to be tough to beat. Take the purchase of my Razor for example:
I signed up for an account (a relatively painless process, that takes about 5 minutes) and received $100 Mercata "bonus dollars", which can be used to further reduce the price of any item I chose (to a maximum of 20%.) When I entered the power pool, the Razor model (with a slightly inflated MSRP of $129.99—it is actually selling for around $99 in my area) was selling for 85.00.
I clicked, I bought.
My offer price was reduced by $17.00 in Mercata currency, making my “net” bid $68.00. That price was reduced further throughout the bidding cycle and at its close, an email confirmed the purchase and the final price my credit card would be charged. My final price, with ground shipping ($5.56), totaled $71.75.
Mission accomplished Dad!
Two days later I received an email notice that my Razor had shipped, with a handy clickable UPS tracking number link. I was scooting 2 days later. The whole process, from bid to delivery took 5 days and I could track things every step of the way.
Nirvana? It was darn close!
Of course, there are some things buyers need to be aware of when shopping here. This site offers a good discount on items, but this is not a bargain hunter’s paradise. No too “good to be true” deals will be found here. That said, I doubt I could have found a Razor less expensively anywhere else, even without the bonus Mercata dollars. Draw your own conclusion from my experience.
Also be aware: Unused Mercata dollars expire (although I am sure that consumers will be able to find another offer for more Mercata money for future purchases somewhere on the WWW—I found 3 such offers, for both new and return users without much trouble at all). These dollars are the key to turning a good deal into a great one.
The biggest issue of course is that of commitment: You click it, you own it. Name your own price and when the price falls to the price you agreed to pay, it’s yours. (To the company’s credit, it takes great pains to inform buyers of this fact in several conspicuous areas before a user buys.) Just remember: There is no weaseling your way out of the pool after you’ve jumped in and gotten wet!
Of course, defective items can be returned for a refund/replacement, but beware: return policies vary, based on the manufacturer/distributor, and the individual policies can be annoyingly complicated and difficult to locate unless the consumer is in the middle of the buy process. This is one area that the company could improve on to make a great purchasing experience even better.
There are very few minuses to shopping at this site--but many, many pluses. So click on over for a visit. Dip your toes in and splash around! The water’s fine!
PS—We love our Razor. But that’s another review for another day!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cyndilouwhoo
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Location: S. Shore, MA
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 37 members
About Me:
A newspaper columnist disguised as a parent
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