Power Sellers Unite

Confused · Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 315

I listened to OLA radio's show from last night and I have to say it is the same old stuff. OLA's sales and the number of members have increased tremendously and they are really number 2.

Fain stated once they hit the million FM mark, major advertising would take place. This is the same rhetoric he has been saying for over a year. When asked about having the FM page or the names of the FM, he said that they had thousands and it was increasing everyday so a list would be hard to keep current. If I am not mistaken, the last time the list was available the number of FM had decreased 10 % in one week and was approximately 600.

Then he was asked about a completed search and he said that it was not a high priority item that people can look at the What's Sold. That's true but you can't find out if items have been listed and not selling or the prices of the items listed but not sold. I was promised in March 2008 that it would be returned once the new servers were in place which took place last year.

According to Quantcast's rankings today:
Ola 50,844
Bonanzle 7,336
AtomicMall 12.299
Ecrater 1,297
Overstock 137

BTW, on the pages of highest sellers under testimonials - on the first page nearly 15% have nothing listed or have never sold and are just buyers. If you read the feedbacks, many of them haven't had anything for nearly a year.

Many of us had such high hope for OLA but with so many broken promises I doubt if it will ever be more than a friendship group who plays games and sell to each other unless you have unique items such as coins or American Girl Dolls.

jjj525 · Joined: 08 Apr 2009 Posts: 354

Now CQout, blujay & buyitsellit has taken as 5,6 & 7 th position.

OLA is on 8th position on listings.

LurkeyLou · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

I did a little work-up in April 2009 (first link in my siggy) when all members were still listed and discovered that FOUNDING MEMBERS were leaving at twice the rate NEW Founding Members were joining. If the information you have, that OLA has "thousands" of founding members and it's "increasing everyday" then it's one hell of a turn around in 3 short months.

I believe that part of the reason "all" member names were pulled is the very high number of founding members who never had a sale. Some were fairly new but the bulk had been on the site for months, often with a couple hundred items listed and no sales.

OLA officially relaunched about 5 years ago and still only 30 - 40 members show what might be considered decent sales. This is not a thriving venue. The fault and blame can not be placed on sellers or forum posts. With millions upon millions of sellers online relatively few come to PSU, TulipTools, or any of the others. Therefore, the arguments and high drama outside of the venue have minimal (if any) impact. Business owners do their own research and do not rely on the hue and cry of the crowds to do more than influence more research. If that were not the case, eBay would have been smoke and ash in 2006.

OLA's newish layout is at least starting to make it look as if it belongs in this century. But it's not enough to convince the people who've been checking back through the years and still find the same ol' broken-record promises playing.

A business can not thrive without authenticity and this is becoming an increasingly important point with recent history of big business and Wall Street. As we go after the ever retracting consumer dollar businesses and sellers are competing more fiercely than any time in the last 20 years or so.

Prospective customers that find the same results as you mention, Confused "...on the first page nearly 15% have nothing listed or have never sold and are just buyers." will not feel confident that they can count on honest and accurate info elsewhere on the site. This can be a stumbling block. People are screaming for transparency in their daily lives, addressing this concern will increase confidence and likely sales, not just for a venue but each and every independent seller, too.

But hey, if it's payin' the bills and serving a few sellers well, maybe it's good enough just the way it is. :wink:

pjrcoffee · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 634

If advertising will begin when OLA reaches 1 million Founding Members, how long will sellers have to wait? Seems like somewhere near the year 2100. We all will be dead by then.

Gift Depot · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 94

For some reason the old Zager and Evans song - In The Year 2525 - started running through my head.

Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 275

Im guessing these two wont ever get confused.

Confused · Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 315

If they have thousands of FM like Fain stated on the radio plus the so many monthly sellers, why is there less than 70 participating in the "Welcome Home Sale"?

BTW, I tried calling yesterday to find out the number of sellers and I was put on hold for over 5 minutes then disconnected by someone there. I am getting tired of them never answering a question - I have probably called over 30 times this past year and got an answer once or twice.

GAELICTITCA · Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 1384

Confused wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")I have probably called over 30 times this past year and got an answer once or twice.

Oh, then I must be one of the *lucky*
ones (note dripping sarcasm....) having
OLA reach out and call here!

Once upon a time OLA called here to offer
a *F*R*E*E* Floundering Membership. It
was when I bitching about their royal botch
job of a site "upgrade" a couple years ago
and was ready to shut down on OLA.

The response was probably not quite what
they were expecting (something to the effect
of when the hinges of hell were frozen over
twice and don't ever call here again).

They tried that ploy to silence any voices
of criticism for a while but I think as people
started comparing notes use of that tactic
waned (of course, I'd be really pissed if I
had shelled out $200 to be a Floundering
Member and then found out someone else
was being given one for free...if they'd just
go with the program and not speak up about
the litany of failures and broken promises
OLA is so well known for).

Maybe that's how they're planning on reaching
a million Floundering Members -- give those
worthless memberships away.

Even then they probably couldn't find a million
takers.

DishWorld · Joined: 04 Oct 2008 Posts: 139 Location: Oregon

Maybe OLA has 1 more year or so of life.

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

One million founding members?

Are there that many brain dead sellers left, that aren't already on eBay or Amazon?

METZYMOM · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 1218

DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")One million founding members?

Are there that many brain dead sellers left, that aren't already on eBay or Amazon?

I got my yellow card for "only a fool would believe"... which someone took personally...

I wonder what you get for calling sellers who sell at eBay, Amazon, and OLA "brain dead"...

Let's find out!!!

Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 275

METZYMOM wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")One million founding members?

Are there that many brain dead sellers left, that aren't already on eBay or Amazon?

I got my yellow card for "only a fool would believe"... which someone took personally...

I wonder what you get for calling sellers who sell at eBay, Amazon, and OLA "brain dead"...

Let's find out!!!

Thats an easy one, since it wasnt personal nothing will happen.

Yummy Grape

METZYMOM · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 1218

Calling sellers 'brain dead' because they sell on 3 specific sites isn't personal? I disagree.
Repeatedlly posting your koolaid pic, implying that OLA is a cult isn't personal? I disagree.

Let's see what the moderators think... someone reported my 'fool' post because they felt insulted and I got a yellow card... I feel insulted with your posts about koolaid and comments like 'brain dead' and have reported them...Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
METZYMOM wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")One million founding members?

Are there that many brain dead sellers left, that aren't already on eBay or Amazon?

I got my yellow card for "only a fool would believe"... which someone took personally...

I wonder what you get for calling sellers who sell at eBay, Amazon, and OLA "brain dead"...

Let's find out!!!

Thats an easy one, since it wasnt personal nothing will happen.

Yummy Grape

Pretty sure of yourself with that last sentence... do you work for PSU?

Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 275

Maybe lemon since you have a thing for yellow. And as usual you still cant get your facts straight. I wasnt the one who made the 'brain dead' comment. And you must be uber sensitive if Kool Aid gets you hot and bothered. Thats actualy what its made for.

METZYMOM · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 1218

Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Maybe lemon since you have a thing for yellow. And as usual you still cant get your facts straight. I wasnt the one who made the 'brain dead' comment.

Insulting AND baiting...

Very Adult. Very reportable.