Boycott SLExchange! Redux

A couple of observations: Since this mess with SLexchange... interestingly enough my SLexchange sales have dropped to almost zero... and my SL online sales have jumped dramatically... and they don't cost me 10% of every sale. I think this is a case of SLexchange folks slicing their own throats, no matter which side one takes, and the merchants discovering suddenly that they can get along just as well on their own. To be honest, at 3-5%, I probably wouldn't balk. But it has occured to me that for every $250-$500 sale I made on SLexchange... I could have rented a vendor booth for a week. For the amount I've paid SLexchange since I've had the account (a mere 2 months)... I could have rented vendor booths all over SL for a YEAR. So not to bite the hand that feeds me... but SL exchange doesn't promote my products... they apparently don't much promote their website-- and they charge me 10% of each sale for the privilege of letting me work my tail off maintaining a SECOND vending system that can't even be tied in with my vending system on SL. So ignoring internal strife and misdoings... I'm starting to question the basic value of the board and the amount of extra time required to maintain my product there.

My feelings exactly Wayfinder. I had to change my thinking on the 10% fee. First, I still think it's too high. Not even VISA charges percentages like that, and they will insure anything I buy so no matter what happens to it, they'll replace it. I doubt SLEX will ever have that level of service. Their fee should reflect that.

The way I now view the 10% fee is a charge passed on to my customers as a convenience fee. If they really don't feel like coming in world and teleporting to my small store only 80m from a telehub, fine. But they'll pay a little bit more for it. It's just how I can get the same pair of jeans from the SEARS catalog that I can get in the SEARS store downtown. Same price, only with the catalog I have to pay shipping.

SLEX is good exposure because it's easy to use and has thousands of items already in it. But it's kind of like the SEARS catalog -- I like shopping from it every once in a while, but I'd much rather go down to the store and see something in-person before I buy it. Plus I won't have to pay those pesky shipping and handling fees.

I agree that 10% is not easy to swallow. On the other hand, it's charged only on actual sales. With a rental, you pay the fee whether or not you make any sales. I've rented stalls for weeks on end without selling a single vehicle. In my opinion, rental stalls eat into your bottom line more than the web based catalogues.

I'll keep using SLExchange.com, but I"ll also keep my eye on SLBoutique.com. Flipper has some good ideas for keeping the fee reasonable by charging 10%, but capping it at L$50 per sale. Maybe that's a good model for SLExchange to pursue.

Thread necromancy sucks.

I'm on both...one thing that SLBoutique needs to fix though is the way you sort through the categories. The Clothing has over 500 pieces and it's in alphabetical order...most of mine start with NFM...so I think people will give up before they get to me. And...I'm not the guy to create an article of clothing called 0000New Shirt..or...!!!Look Tank Top. Other than that...it's pretty good over there.

Flipper mentioned that he's adding subcategories now, as well as other features. Remember that it's only in beta. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product!

NFM -- SLboutique just started beta. All categories are going to change in the next couple of weeks.

Yup...right after you posted this I went over and saw one of the sub categories...added an item to it....thanks.