I dropped into Best Buy today.....typically one of the craziest holiday season retail scenes.

[marmar]

Slightly busier than a normal Saturday, but not much. The extra-long holiday queue they'd set up to the cash register aisles.....wasn't even necessary.
I get the feeling it's going to be a very un-Merry Christmas for retailers.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. I had a couple of friends drop by yesterday. I go over

to their home on Christmas day. I've been doing this for about 12 years now. Every year I bring gifts for everyone that's there...about 6 people in all and it gets extremely costly. I told them last night that things are getting tight and I can't do big gifts and they agreed, and in fact they made a deal among themselves to hold back a bunch this year.
I am breathing a little bit more easily now.

BTW...one of the reasons I'm in a crunch is that I'm an eBay seller and people just aren't bidding the way the used to on my offerings.

It's a hard circle.

[marmar]

3. I've heard that from a couple of my friends who are big eBayers......

..... that it's gotten very tight.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. I keep knocking wood that I'm selling most of my offerings but

the final prices are about 1/2 of what they used to be.

[Doremus]

25. Cool, I see there are several of us ebay sellers here on DU!

I've been a fulltime ebay seller for 10 years.

Question for you OSO and the others downthread:

If any of you have visited the ebay boards, have you noticed how many REPUKE sellers there are? I actually hate to spend much time on the PS or other boards because there are so many vocal repuglicons. :puke:

Maybe us DU sellers should start our own ebay Group!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

35. Quite frankly Doremus, the only board I go to is the Turbo Lister board

when I start having problems with a new version of the program, etc. Everyone is too angry there to discuss politics! lol!

DU is the only place I post.

:hi: fellow seller!

[Mojorabbit]

5. I am a big ebay shopper

but I have reached my paypal limit without being verified which I refuse to do and now I can't pay on ebay with a check or money order.. It really upset me when they did this as I do all my shopping online and love ebay.

[WePurrsevere]

13. Write the seller & ask. According to eBay's FAQ on the rules..

sellers can take a MO or check if a buyer asks them too.. OR...check out other places to shop from small sellers who often will take MOs at least. Most of the small sellers I know would be happy to accept a MO and many don't mind checks.

(I used to sell on eBay as a hobby seller for many years & now run a site geared towards small online sellers and buyers. :))

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

17. I'm not allowed to accept anything but plastic now... from eBay

http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/accepted-payment-methods.html

Other methods of payment

Personal checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders. These methods are traceable to a particular mailing address, but most sellers who offer them wait for the payment to clear the bank before they ship the item to the buyer. Payment by check, cashier’s check, or money order is not permitted for most eBay purchases. Exceptions include vehicles, capital and business equipment, real estate, items in the Adult Only category, and local pickup. For specific exceptions, see Accepted Payments Policy.

[earth mom]

20. No, you can take a check or money order if the buyer requests it.

Look on the seller central board, that's where I found the info because I have a couple of regular buyers who won't use PayPal.

Ebay is allowing this because they don't want buyers to leave the site.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

21. I am getting conflicting information there. There was a post saying that the

no money order policy takes effect on January 1st. Another wrote that eBay will evaluate accounts and will audit those who haven't checked out with electronic payments if the total is 13%.

I looked all through eBay's official policy and they say nothing about a buyer's request.

Also..as to check payment. Someone wrote that at the beginning of the new year, you can transfer money from a checking account to make payment, and it won't have to be through Paypal but on the eBay check out.

Meanwhile, I am so engrossed with this, that I am an hour behind on creating new listings!

If you have a direct link to the buyer request, I'd appreciate it!

:hi:

[WePurrsevere]

28. I can't find the exact eBay link I want at the moment (of course) but

there's this:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html?fb=true
http://reviews.ebay.com/Money-Order-Cashiers-Check-Payments-Ebay-Buyer-Policy_W0QQugidZ10000000009374738
and this discussion on the eBay board:
http://answercenter.ebay.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1000155291&tstart=54&mod=1226260170898

Hopefully those links might help. The reason I know about this is because a few sellers on my site have discussed this as an option and ways to word it to let buyers know without saying anything. (for example: "Please let me know what type of payment you plan on using") :)

It says that a "Sellers may not solicit". It doesn't say anywhere that you can't accept it IF a buyer requests it.

Unfortunately eBay is clear as mud on this. If it helps at all Griff is one of the eBay folks that had said sellers could accept MOs/checks if the buyer requested it but sellers couldn't do anything to solicit this type of payment.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

34. Thanks so much for the links! The one from the buyer's guide is something

that I never could have found on my own.

I hope this holiday season will bring you much prosperity!

[WePurrsevere]

39. You're very welcome.. May the season bring you joy, good health & prosperity

as well.

BTW FWIW someone posted a link to your store on eBay (in a GD thread) and I now have you bookmarked.. I have a collection of crystals and love to add to it when one calls to me (which is hopefully when I have the funds ;)).

[Mojorabbit]

29. It is so confusing

I have shopped ebay for so many years and would sure hate to no longer be able to do so but I am not going to let paypal have my banking info. It makes no sense as I have charged a gazillion dollars over the years with them with no problem and when I reach an arbitrary line I now have to be verified.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. You have no idea how that new policy upsets me. Are you aware

that when the banking bill was passed, not the bail out but the first one, Chris Dodd snuck in a provision. It makes it mandatory for all online money transactions be immediately reported to the Federal Government. All of your purchase and all of my sales are being tracked...and eBay in complying with them decided to take out the option of other means of paying besides plastic.

If you wish to purchase on eBay, as I tell my customers, you can buy prepaid cards, which if used frequently, is cheaper than money orders. They also do take debit cards and in the case of check, you can transfer money from your checking account to Paypal.

All in all, I believe that it has something to do with the slowing up of some sales, but in general, I get paid through Paypal. Maybe a few times a month I would receive checks and money orders.

BTW... I am an eBay shopper too, and all I purchase now are shipping supplies.

[pansypoo53219]

22. i am taking check forever dammit.

or cash. i am NOT gonna play anal ebayer. i sell usually way low. most sales $1. i guess ebay wanted more profits skimming from paypal. i take cash too. trying to figure out how to word it so it is ok. i give $1 for snail payments. but most don't read it.

[WePurrsevere]

10. According to eBay sellers I know online...

things have been meh to awful for most of them (depending on what they sell of course) although for a few at least it's picked up a bit recently.

The economy is certainly a big factor in sales prices and sell through in general being down but I think that another BIG factor where eBay is concerned eBay is to blame for thanks to some of the changes they made this year.. like their so called "Best Match".

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. I've been selling for 9 years and I believe I'm high up on Best Match

but I really dislike that change. I also like to buy on eBay and I can't seem to find a permanent preference to change it to time ending soonest.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.......

[WePurrsevere]

24. The best way I've found (& it's not 100%)

Is to go to "Advanced Search" >> "Customize search options" >> Customize Display then scroll down to "Advanced Settings". Unfortunately it doesn't work for all searches.

Best Match sure has caused a lot of problems for sellers and buyers. That and the DSR nonsense has caused a few sellers I know to give up on eBay after selling for years there. Those left and trying to sell often seem to be frustrated with how things are going.

Personally I think some of the changes were just plain poor business decisions, especially with the economy as it is and has been going towards. Unfortunately the top brass are so darn sure they're right that it sometimes seems like they're willing to take the site down the tubes rather then admit that they messed up.

[Fireweed247]

26. Do you have a link to your store

so I can add it to this thread...

Want to help other Americans this Xmas- Shop Ebay
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4557260&mesg_id=4557260

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. Thank you! Here is a link to all of my auctions. :)

http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ebaytag1=ebayreg&ht=1&st=1&query=thekrystalwand&ebaytag1code=0&srchdesc=y&SortProperty=MetaEndSort

[Fireweed247]

33. That link didn't work

Is this your store?

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/thekrystalwand_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

cool stuff!!!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

38. Yes, it is, and thank you! :)

:hi:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. I did the same at Fry's...didn't buy anything.

I just stopped in on the way home because as unpleasant as the "Fry's experience" can be, they still have the cheapest prices in town on CDs and DVDs (although, in the wake of iTunes, their CD section seems to get smaller every day).

Exactly the same as your experience: "Slightly busier than a normal Saturday, but not much."

The real indicator, though, was the check-out line, which is usually a "why don't they call up more cashiers" NIGHTMARE. There were maybe 5 people in line actually buyinh things when I left. For Fry's, on a Saturday (whether it's the Saturday after Black Friday or not), that means sales are DOWN.

[marmar]

4. Yeah, CD sections are disappearing quickly......

..... but at least out in your neck of the woods you're not to far from that hallowed shrine, Amoeba Records.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. Rasputin is still plugging along, too...

So far I haven't been able to bring myself to go to the one in Mountain View, because they took over the old Tower Records building. The one in Campbell is one block away from the old Tower, on Bascom, which is now a discount pet food store. I've given a number of talks to local Rotary / Kiwanis / Lions Clubs on strategic marketing and have used Tower "taking their eyes off the prize" as an illustration. But I used to go every Tuesday like clockwork to check out the new releases, and when the end came, it hurt.

The worst part was that I had become friends with most of the staff, and I saw the headlines about the beginning of the end before they did. The first time I shared one of these stories, about how Tower's distributors were going to cut them off for unpaid debts, I saw a look of shock on the sales clerk's face. I was surprised that in the Internet age they didn;t know, they couldn;t see it coming, but that's how it was.

[marmar]

8. Yeah, I miss tower. They opened a fantastic store in Birmingham (a Detroit suburb).....

..... not too long before the company went bust. Tower, we hardly knew ye.

[onehandle]

7. I was at one here in Atlanta today.

Pretty much business as usual.

[Orsino]

23. I went in one in greater Etlanna last night...

...to scope out TVs. It was pretty busy after 8 p.m., but we still got great help from a very knowledgeable fella.

Of course, we went to Costco today to make the purchase, where there were very few shoppers for the 9:30 opening. We'll throw Best Buy any business in extra cables, maybe.

[truedelphi]

9. WalMart could possibly end up being sued not only by

The family of the deceased, but by other retailers. The little bit of fight that consumers had left was taken away by the horror of what happens to some "good little consumers"

[WePurrsevere]

11. We had to go to the Mall...

not for Holiday shopping but to pick up a repair item. We were amazed at how quiet the place was. Traffic was not bad at all and we got a decent parking spot with no problem.

I'll probably make items for family members (from things I already have) and actually only buy a gift or two for each of the granddaughters. Like so many others, we just don't have the funds to do more.

[metapunditedgy]

12. CNNMoney is reporting Friday sales up 3% over last year.

Although they suggest it might tail off later, and people were really hunting for the best sales. It will be interesting to see how the overall profits turn out this year.

In related news, I've been getting bombarded (two today) with pleas for contributions to various alumni associations.

[Libertyfirst]

30. More pressure from Alumni Groups lately!

Good article in the NYT on Saturday. Lots of folks are giving to food banks instead. Also some college and university endowment funds have lost huge percentages of their value in the financial melt down. I'm cutting back on my alumni giving to help my local groups provide people with food, and shelter.

[Scooter24]

14. I went to two malls here in the Dallas area yesterday-

the Galleria and Northpark, both of which cater to the upscale consumer, and both were extremely busy. We were one of the last ones to get into the valet lot at Northpark at about 11am, and the Galleria was nearly full by 4.

I'm not sure as to how much of a loss or gain was from yesterday, but I went into several luxury stores (Gucci, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Cartier, and D&G) and all had quite a bit of people in there shopping. When I was finalizing my purchase in Gucci, the lady at the counter next to me bought two $1400 purses for her daughters because they were 25% off.

[Cleita]

15. The last time I was in Best Buy looking for a DVD that I wanted, I was

the only person in the store besides the clerks. Of course it was a weekday afternoon.

[AlCzervik]

27. they started lining up at the BB in my town on Tuesday night, i'm not kidding.

[Midlodemocrat]

36. How many were killed in the ensuing stampede?

:hide:

[Lugnut]

32. Hubby and I went to KMart yesterday afternoon.

The store wasn't very crowded and there was no line at the checkout. The store is part of the local Mall and there were plenty of parking spaces available.

[spinbaby]

37. The local outlet mall cleared out after lunch

I didn't go, but a friend of mine told me that she went just as the morning crush was leaving. She reported a perfectly normal weekend crowd in the afternoon.