It really works -- Here's how to use it!
Written: Jul 18 '00
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| Full Review |
Mercata is an interesting service that was founded in 1998. It is a privately funded company with backing by Paul Allen, one of Microsoft's founders.
Mercata's Power Buy service allows people to combine their demand for inventory on the web to drive the prices of that inventory down. By using the power of the group collective, rather than the individual acting by him/herself, Mercata can get you better prices than what you'd find elsewhere.
But does it work?
Let's find out.
I'll go the homepage and randomly select appliances from the left-hand menu and select Microwaves when I go to the submenu.
Sharp Full-sized Convection Carousel Microwave
Color: Black
Model: R930AK
SKU #: 213655042
Pricing Information at Mercata:
MSRP: $525.00
Mercata Start Price: $439.99
Mercata Current Price: $436.31
For a savings of $88.69 off retail.
Let's check some other places on the web to see what they are really selling this item for.
On IQVC.com, the same microwave, in charcoal color, is selling for:
Sharp R930AK 1.5 CuFt 900W Convection Microwave Oven - Charcoa
QVC Price $399.69
Shipping and Handling $23.72
Or $423.41, or a 12.90 discount off the price advertised at Mercata.
Here's the lesson. Don't use Mercator for impulse buys. You can do better elsewhere. If you watch the site carefully, you may be able to get a better deal, but you need to give up some time to do so.
I'll check back in after a few days to see what happens to the price of the microwave. Perhaps Mercata will buy the price down enough to beat the other sites.
If not, it will illustrate an interesting point -- the individual buyer only saves money if there are others like him/her out there. If the product is specialized or there's not enough demand in the marketplace for it, you probably won't get your best deal from Mercata.
Recommended:
Yes
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bhweb22
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Member: Brian H
Location: Northeast
Reviews written: 297
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About Me:
I'm an Internet GEEK.
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