The OfferMe Community: Group Buy versus the World

Nadim Sharbean compares the Group Buying revolution to the rest of the eRetail world.

Fair's fair: we harp on a bit about our Group Buy service. So today I've decided to look at some of our so called competitors and the things they're offering you...

Billy Corrigan was speaking from a well-wizened view when he penned the lyrics:

“The World is a vampire... Set to drain.”

Dash away thoughts of Twilight and instead focus on the Nosferatu type, with horribly long fangs and sucking the blood of anything that crosses it's path. Then you start to see the type of horrible image Corrigan, the Smashing Pumpkin's frontman, was getting at.

Group Buy Guaranteed

The truth is, the world is full of blood-sucking beasties that'd happily drain our livelihood. And A LOT of them can be found on the 'net. Gone are the days of chain letters received by post, threatening to burn your house if you failed to send $5 and forward the letter. Gone are the days of door-to-door salespersons, just asking for 5 minutes of your time. Gone are the fly-by-night vendors that set up stalls in village malls to pawn off their wares before disappearing with the dusk.

Where'd they go to? The worldwide web; where everything is for sale and every seller's as credible as their pretty flashy images.

Thankfully services like PayPal and Verified by VISA have come along to help offer you some assurance. At OfferMe, we have aligned ourselves with one of the country's biggest banking corporations, Westpac, so you know that we're legit and properly handling all funds. Additionally, all non-Group Buy purchases can be made via PayPal, adding to our credibility. With Group Buy, although PayPal isn't available for the feature, we offer a complete Money Back Guarantee, meaning if you don't get the product you're after, we'll fully refund you!

Group Buy vs Auction Sites

Nowadays though, these steps aren't enough for everyone. Web browsers are smart enough to look out for the score. So what is the score? How does Group Buy match up to other services, such as 'net auctions and penny-bids?

Well, I believe Group Buy stacks up favourably. Don't just take my word for it, let's compare them!

To start off we need understand the basic principle of economics: supply vs demand. For those of us that did some form of Business Studies, Commerce or Economics in high school, we'll all remember that graph our teachers introduced us to on Day 1:



Quite simply, the more that products are supplied, the lower the demand becomes. The inverted relation between the two is the basics of every economic design. It's why our government has done their best to ban monopolies and promote small businesses. In the end, higher competition leads to better benefits for all consumers.

So how does this relate to the 'net?

As the old saying goes: the more things change, the more they stay the same. The supply vs demand module is constantly in practice within online retail world. Yet sometimes it becomes so skewed that we fail to see what's going on.

Take, for example, online auctions. A BluRay Player supplier comes onto one of these sites to sell his item. It's one device and he lists it at a low, low price. Users start to bid and compete against one another for the device. Demand starts to rocket and, because there's technically only one of the device supplied, the price rockets up. In the end the supplier makes a decent enough sale for the item to still be profitable in his book. Also, he's generated interest in his wares, attracting other buyers to his eStore. Most buyers are usually so depressed at missing out on the auction deal, that they'll sate their desire through buying the device at the normal market price. Sound stupid to you? Yeah, well it actually happens. That's why eRetailers all have 'shopfronts' on these auction sites.

With OfferMe's Group Buy though, the supply vs demand module works in economic harmony. The more of our users that want the device, the lower the cost becomes. This price setting process begins before the Group Buy deal is advertised. Through OfferMe's original platform our Deal Detectives see the type of demand our users have for certain items. Then the negotiate prices based around that demand. As most of our users can attest, this usually leads to some favourable savings, up to 85% off the recommended retail prices.

Group Buy vs Penny-Bid Sites

Similar to online auctions, penny-bids are a one product pony; everyone fights it out for a single object. With these sites, users buy credit from the server and then bid the equivalent of one cent on an item. Every time a new bid is made, the price of the item rises. At the end of the auction period, the highest bidder wins. You'll see ads for these sites promoting things like Nintendo Wii's going for a mere $11.32. Which, on the surface, sounds great. What they fail to also openly advertise is that every bid that has been placed is collected! So, if you were second last to bid on that Wii, you spent $11.31 for nothing! Does it still sound that great? If the site feature 20,000 users and each bids up to a mere 10c for a $400 Wii pack, that penny-bid sit just made over five time the cost. Sure, one user got a massive saving, he 'won' the Wii. But 19,000 other users were definitely losers.

OfferMe's Group Buy though isn't about one lucky user. Group Buy ensures multiple users get the same savings. Yeah, so perhaps the Wii won't go for $11.32. Yet, if you spend money on OfferMe you get what you pay for! In fact, the products are ALL you pay for with OfferMe. There are no user fees or registration charges. It's simply the price of the product and delivery. Further, we hope to see between 10-20 people taking advantage of our prices. It means we've found something else that you like. We even encourage you to tell your mates about it. There's no 'one-off-special-discount-for-you-only' deal going on here. As we say, with Group Buy everybody wins!



So do you see why we harp on about Group Buy? To us it signifies a revolution on the 'net; instead of allowing faceless merchants from around the world to dictate terms to you, OfferMe gives you the power to demand better prices on the products you're after. And right now the site's still growing! Get behind this eRetail revolution now and take back the control. After all, it's what you're demanding.

With Group Buy, the More the Merrier

Want to ensure your Group Buy deal goes through? OfferMe's Bekim Ahmedi tells you about ways you can get it done.

I've done my fair amount of traveling around the world. And what I've come to realise is the thing I liked most was I always had someone to turn to and say, "Isn't that amazing?" It's the ability to share the experience that makes it so great. What am I talking about? I'm talking about group buy. If there is a deal and your the only person who has clicked "I want to buy" then you have to ask your a question: How much do I want this item?

For most people sharing bargains is something they reserve for the real world. They head down to the shops, buy what they want and then come back and tell their friends about it. Here's the thing; let's say you go out and buy a TV. You save $200 on a brand new LCD screen. You tell your friend and they say, “Hmmm... That's not bad. We need a new TV.” Then they're also getting $200 off a plasma screen. It's great that everyone's happy.

What if, though, buying the two TVs at one time got you each $300 off? Let's face it, that happens. Sellers always have a little more wiggle room to play with. And that's where Group Buy comes in. We go out and find out just how much that wiggle room is. What we can't do is make sure your friends get in on the deal. And that's where you need to ask yourself that question.

Most people automatically tell their friends about great deals. My colleague, Nadim, purchased the multipurpose wireless headphones off our site. The day he did so, he went and told all his mates at football training. It was a great idea. If just two of those guys joined the deal, Nadim would have been assured the deal went through. But he was asking for the boys from football to go home, turn on the computer, get online, go to the site, perhaps register and then purchase the item. More than likely they simply would have forgotten about it.

So there has to be a better way, right? Yep, the lovely internet has now made is much easier. In fact, there are plenty of ways.

Group Buy on Community Sites...

Web 2.0 is term you may hear us or other 'net sites say a lot. Basically it boils down to the community sites that now dominate the 'net, such as Facebook and Twitter. Staying in touch and finding out what the people you care about are up to is now so much easier thanks to these developments. So letting your mates know about a great deal can be as easy as pasting a link onto your Facebook page. In fact, on each of our Group Buy deals, you'll find a 'Share' button that'll make achieving this really, really easy. Check it out on today's latest deal

Group Buy on Shopping Forums...

The Internet is full of sites for online shoppers to compare prices and give reviews for products. Most of these are run by third parties that won't allow companies to SPAM their sites with fake posts. In Australia there are some really good ones. The two most famous are OzBargain.com.au and BuckScoop.com.au. The best part about using online forums to share is that the users already online, already looking for a great deal and have no concerns with making purchases across the 'net. In fact, the proof is in the pudding. Check out OfferMe user Kazyazy's post on OzBargain here. She guaranteed that she didn't miss out on her Group Buy item. Near 290 people checked out this deal thanks to her.

Share using OfferMe's InTouch...

OfferMe's very cool InTouch social networking platform is designed for this very purpose. Considered a Facebook for shoppers, InTouch allows OfferMe users to talk with other users and share deals with each other amongst the community. The added bonus is that InTouch users are already OfferMe users, so they're well aware of how the Group Buy service works.

No matter if you use one of these places or all of them, spreading the word can ensure you get the deal you're after. And, in the end, that's what really matters.

The Thrill of the Challenge: Finding a Group Buy Deal

OfferMe BDM, Erick Teresa, discusses the process he goes through to find great Group Buy deals for Christmas.

I can't believe we're almost there already. Another year has passed right before our eyes and we'll all look back wondering where the last eleven months went. Chances are, like everyone else, you went through your highs, lows and in betweens, but you're happy you made it. With 2009 coming to a close, we can now look forward to the most exciting time of the year: Christmas. It's that special time for giving and receiving gifts among your closest family, friends and loved ones. It's also an opportunity to say thanks to these special people in your life that have continually supported, loved and cared for you.



Buying a present is never easy and considering Christmas is just around the corner, many e-commerce and retail stores will start flashing “Big Savings” posters in front of your eyes. A lot of different products will also start hitting the market influencing you to buy. And making sure you get a competitive price is a must, which means spending hours comparing prices between different stores from all around town. This tiresome, time consuming process may leave you feeling confused, drained and downright frustrated.

To give you more insight about OfferMe and how we can make your life easier, today I thought I would give you a window into my world.

Every day whether I'm at work, going out or lounging around in front of the television, I look for deals. When I step into the office I look at what our buyers are requesting and immediately start looking for a deal. After scouring a wealth of eCommerce stores and eRetail outlets, I speak with our extensive seller base and negotiate a competitively priced deal, trying to ensure it's one of the best deal on the market.

I also spend late nights and weekends researching which items are popular and how much they are selling for. If I'm watching TV and notice an item for sale during the commercial break, I'll write it down and research it online. If I'm out with my wife when she's shopping for jewellery, shoes, clothes, accessories – the list goes on and on – I'll compare the costs seeing to it that we get the best price. In fact, I currently have a pile of catalogues sitting on my desk that I scour each day, trying to see what's hot and at what price.



Chances are, you probably think my actions are a little crazy or even over the top. I wonder the same thing sometimes, but I actually enjoy it. I am relish the challenge of finding great deals based on your requests. Forget spending your shopping nights and weekends looking for a deal because at OfferMe we do all the hard work for you.

Simply register your interest on an item you want and, if the demand on OfferMe is high enough, we'll do our best to find the best deal we can. Once found, chances are, we'll Group Buy it. Then all you have to do is simply book your item and sit back while your item is delivered right to your door.

Check out what's going on Group Buy now... Click here!

The OfferMe Community: 'Tis the Season for Group Buy

Nadim Sharbean gets ready for Christmas with OfferMe and Group Buy

 

Don't Ba-Humbug Group Buy Christmas Shopping...

Sure, here at OfferMe we've been doing a lot of talking about Christmas Shopping with Group Buy. The truth is, we see it as a way to ensure you have a great Christmas. Think about it this way: it's December; your entire family is coming over for Christmas lunch; your boss has decided to forgo any Christmas bonuses because, let's face it, we're still in an Economic Crisis; there are no parking spots available anywhere at the local Westfields; and, if you don't get started on your Christmas gift buying, someone's going to think Santa missed them. If that scenario rings true for you, you need to listen to what we're saying.

Everyday a new Group Buy deal will be sent your way. If it's something that you believe would make a great present, jump on and book yours. That's one less gift to go hunting for and you'll be getting it at a great price. And, whilst we can't help with Christmas dinner, by making your purchases this early, you'll still have extra cash come December.

So may be you can bring in a caterer!

 

The OfferMe Business Model...

Most of you have probably checked out an OfferMe Group Buy deal and said, “Hmmm... I don't know if that's really what I'm looking for.” Fair enough. We're not all Elton John's throwing cash away on anything we see. To be wary is to be wise. Yet the question that I get asked the most at OfferMe is “How do you guys get ahead?”

I won't lie, we make cash on sales. But our business model is built to prevent the buyers from paying that cash. Essentially what we do is charge our sellers a nominal fee for selling on our site, as we handle all the advertising on their behalf. For our buyers they still win because the seller has to keep the price at a low rate to compete. In the end, it's the proverbial win-win for everyone involved.

As we don't have a direct vested interest in the sales, we remain an impartial third-party to all deals. If you query the features of an item, ask us, we'll give you an honest answer... we've got nothing to lose. If you're having an issue with a seller, tell us. We'll do our best to resolve the issue or, should the seller really be at fault, we'll remove them from our site. In the end, we exist to work on your behalf. Your satisfaction results in our growth. So tell us what we can do to make sure you stay satisfied.

 

Group Buy really works...

Most marketing people (of which I claim not to be) rarely use what they're hawking. All talk and no show. So I thought it would be worthwhile to tell you about my own Group Buy experience.

About 4 weeks ago, through OfferMe's Group Buy I purchased the Latest Monster HDMI Cable. The week prior I had made a sound deal on a WD HD Media Hub. Although a brilliant device, I knew I wouldn't get full use out of it unless I had a quality HDMI Cable to go with it. When the deal went live I did a little research and found that, while most companies weren't selling the same cable at the $299 RRP, it was generally selling over $100. At OfferMe, due to it being part of a Group Buy, the cable was only $35, plus $7 in shipping & handling. For me, it was a no-brainer. Of course, the second I told my mates about it, one of them wanted one too and I had to fork out another $42.


It took a little over a week for the cable to arrive and, I'll admit it, the wait seemed FOREVER. But in hindsight it wasn't that long when compared to the wait for some of my other internet purchases. The second it arrived I had it plugged into the Hub and man, what a difference it's made. Watching downloaded HD media is like watching One HD: crystal clear with perfect sound to match. My mate used his for his PlayStation 3 and he testifies that the picture has improved compared to the cable they gave him with the console.

Due to this feedback OfferMe's BDM, Erick Teresa, is looking to put the cable in Group Buy again. He's also discussing more deals with the same supplier. Feedback like this helps us know who's reliable and who we probably shouldn't deal with anymore. Considering we have more of a vested interest in our buyers than our sellers, we listen to you to do our research. So, if you've made a Group Buy purchase, make sure you give us some feedback. It's easy; when you're signed into your account, click on the item you've bought and look for the Feedback link in the drop down menu on the right. Then say a few words about your purchase and click Done.

Like I said earlier, we're all about buyer's satisfaction.