HALF.COM is staying open indefinitely!!!!

justonce

***Important News Regarding Half.com***
Date: 09/23/04 Time: 09:00:18 AM PDT

In our last announcement earlier this summer about the Half.com transition, we said that Half.com would be closing on October 14, 2004. We have decided not to go forward with this plan and will keep Half.com open indefinitely.

Over the last year and a half, our efforts to prepare for a consolidated destination for Books, Movies, Music and Video Games on eBay have resulted in numerous innovations that have helped to strengthen the eBay books and media categories. Pre-filled-Item Information and enhanced discoverability for Store Inventory Format items have made selling easier and more profitable. Increased selection and product-based buying have attracted many new buyers to the books and media categories. Many Half.com sellers who have invested time and effort into transitioning their business to eBay have seen very positive results. The marketplace for Books, Movies, Music and Video Games on eBay is more vibrant than ever.

All in all, the product innovations and transition efforts have been highly successful. However, with all the growth in the books and media categories on eBay, we have not seen a corresponding drop in business on Half.com. In fact, loyalty to Half.com has stayed strong.

We have heard from many of you that you want the Half.com site to remain open. Your input, as well as the data and experience we have gained during the transition efforts, is the basis for our decision to keep Half.com open. The buying and selling activity of the Community has proven that the books and media marketplace is healthier and more vibrant with both eBay and Half.com. Going forward, we will invest in both platforms and allow sellers and buyers the flexibility to benefit from the unique opportunities they each allow.

We appreciate the Community’s continuing input and active participation, which help determine the future of eBay and Half.com. To learn more, please read our Half.com Frequently Asked Questions.

Regards,
eBay
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waynes_world_of_books · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 53 Location: Phoenix, AZ

Outstanding! I guess even eBay could see the writing on the wall...

Wayne
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justonce · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:31 pm Post subject:

Apparently they finally got it.......but I'll bet it was the numbers on the bottom line that did it......the books/media category listings dropped like a lead balloon when they tried to eliminate Half.com and never recovered (and probably won't now) because folks are now using and having success with Alibris/Amazon and their own sites.

Frankly, I never had wonderful results with Half.com.....except in VHS and CD's....so I will list those there......but books will stay at Alibris because it is so easy and sell at a nice rate for good prices.

Best, Franci
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CarolinaDreams · Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 124 Location: NC

Just got this and wondered immediately what would be said over here! I may have to go seee about Half now ..... once my glass sales drop off.

Miss you people - just don't have time to think or post right now.

Martha

Robnzak · Joined: 26 Oct 2001 Posts: 1132 Location: TEXAS

I think it's great that ½dot is going to remain open.

But it's still a shame ebay had to screw up the book categories so badly before they realized what they had done.

On the upside though, I'd guess some of those mega stores will return to ½ and some of the clutter on ebay will vanish.

R~
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justonce · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:39 pm Post subject:

Right you are, Robbo.....I hope some of the biggies abandon Amazon and Alibris too (though I don't think they will return to Half quickly or with glee since most of them have been badly treated by eBay) and maybe clear out some of the penny and el cheapo sellers on the fixed sites.

Now if they would just get rid of Item Specifics and that awful PreFill stuff.

Best, Franci
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hyderconsulting · Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 9

Ever since Half announced it was closing my sales on the site have practically fell off to nothing.

I hope that Ebay has learned that a working business model sometimes needs to be left alone and not bothered with. I also hope that Half will recover most of the way back again for everyone's sake.

Regards, everyone.

rustyshollow · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:59 am Post subject: The Best News in Months

I am kinda a new kid on the block, but I never understood why they would do away with Half.com. It was a great idea and I sold alot and bought alot there. That old saying, Why fix what's not broken....comes to mind. I hope that it revives well. I have lost alot of money on Ebay trying to sell my books.

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HoldenRex · Joined: 30 Mar 2003 Posts: 546

Rusty, eBay was sued by somebody who claimed to have developed the technology used for Half's fixed price sales. The final decision was supposed to be made sometime in October - it sounds like eBay reached an out-of-court settlement with the software developer. All just speculation on my part, but I suspect their decision to continue with Half was contingent on settling this lawsuit.

Now the question is, what will eBay do to promote Half? Will the link to Half get put back on the bottom of auction search results pages? What will eBay do to woo back the sellers they shoo'd away to other sites? What will eBay do to bring back the buyers who thought that Half was a dead site?

John

dsteiner · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:22 am Post subject:

HoldenRex · Joined: 30 Mar 2003 Posts: 546

Thanks for the inside information, Dave. There's just been too many coincidences with this whole Half situation, such as the announcement to extend Half's closing date from June to October which coincided with the delay in the court case (if I recall correctly). As always, "no comment" speaks volumes!

John

rustyshollow · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:38 am Post subject: More Than It Appeared.........

Thanks for a bit of the politics, I never had time to delve into it. I am curious if you all have found a better place to sell your books and cd's? I like the ease of half.com. I tried a couple at Amazon but was unsuccessful. Maybe I am just being stubborn. Thanks for any advice! Man those brownies look good. ;-D Rusty

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booksfillmylife · Joined: 17 Jun 2003 Posts: 379 Location: Brooklyn

I'm just sorry I stopped listing.

Is there a way to bulk upload from homebase? I think I'd like to wipe out the 100 or more books I have on half and upload the ones I have listed in homebase. About 300 with ISBN numbers.