I see no MOBscene here...
Written: Jun 28 '00
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A couple of weeks ago, when I was visiting my family, my five-year-old nephew asked his "Aba" (Hebrew for Daddy) if he was going to buy him a "razor". What a silly Aunt I was when I thought he wanted to shave already. What he wanted was a "RAZOR". C'mon. You know. Naturally, when I saw a banner ad for a drawing to win this collapsible hybrid between rollerblade/skateboard/scooter, I clicked on it.
The advertisement was for mobshop.com which is a website that lowers its price as the total number of buyers for a particular item increases. Once I entered myself in the "anti-sweepstakes" for a chance to make my nephew's dreams come true, I checked out the site. Here are my ponderings:
According to the "How it works" section of the site, mobshop.com's target audience is very broad - individuals and small business owners looking for discounts. According to my own observations, the banner ads and the website is geared for the younger set. The banner ad I clicked on, showed a pair of legs wearing "cool" pants riding the scooter across the banner and when he/she gets to the end, a bubble comes up and this faceless individual states simply - "Word!" - as in ..."to your mother?"
The site itself carries a similar feel with bold colors - orange, bright green, blues, and purples. The product descriptions certainly speak to the young set by using words like "sk8terz". A smaller portion of the site is dedicated to the business professional. They have a limited selection of "big ticket" items such as computers and office equipment.
Why, you ask, am I talking about all this? Because, I say, I think these are valid observations as to the usability of the site. Were I a savvy business owner (which I am, indeed! :>), I would be wary of making my purchases in this fashion. A much better deal could be had by visiting the local office equipment or computer stores. However, a youngster looking for DVDs or "Razors" may find this site to be invaluable.
The concept of the site is fairly straightforward. The buying is done in tiers. Example: The first five buyers of the Acer 8600 computer pays $1999, saving $405 off of retail. If they get a 6th buyer, everyone gets it for $1949, a 16th buyer, $1899 and so on until the price hits the "floor" that has been set.
What's that you say? You don't want to pay $1999 -- but you'll pay $1949? mobshop.com makes it fairly easy with two options. You can commit to the tier with which you are comfortable, and then, if and only if the product reaches that price will the transaction take place (automatically) OR you can opt for an email notification when your tier has been reached at which point you can then commit to the purchase if you wish.
The concept is interesting yet I'm unsure of its effectiveness. There are very few items that reach the second or third buying tier. All and all, its easy to navigate and hey... an okay site. Check it out....if you want. Word!
http://www.mobshop.com
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ttee06
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Location: The Capitol, CA
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 25 members
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