Originally posted by: Vic
Cya in a couple weeks.
Evadman, go for it, it looks legit. Good story too if you ask me.
amdskip
Lifer
- Jan 6, 2001
- 22,530
- 13
- 81
hahaOriginally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: Yzzim
Why?
You have 23,424 posts here at AT...not like you have anything better to do
Take your 15 minutes of fame and run.
The last thing I need is for the world to know that Ross doesn't have a life and spends at least 2 hours a day here.
No thanks.
Here is his latest article:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web-Savvy Shoppers Get
Sneak Peak at Holiday Sales
By RON LIEBER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Thursday, November 21, 2002
This year's after-Thanksgiving sales have started early for some Internet-savvy consumers, and the nation's biggest retailers are scrambling to slam the doors on them.
Users of several cult Web sites with names like F@tWallet.com (www.f@twallet.com) and DealofDay.com (www.dealofday.com) have somehow obtained and then posted lists of sale prices at retailers including Target, Best Buy and Staples -- before the sales are officially announced. These are discounts the retailers had no intention of making public until around Thanksgiving, with the hopes of making a splashy launch to the traditional holiday shopping season.
Here's a sample of the enticing prices: After Thanksgiving, OfficeMax plans to sell a feature-laden H-P printer for $200, 33% off the current price on its Web site. Best Buy plans to offer a Kodak digital camera for $99.99, compared with $149.99 on BestBuy.com. The store also plans to put the soundtrack for "8 Mile," the Eminem movie, on sale for $8.99. Currently, it sells for $14.99 on the Best Buy site.
For committed shoppers, early access to this information can result in big savings of both time and money. Shoppers are saving money by knowing weeks in advance what's going on sale at what store and buying it there instead of a competitor. Consumers are also buying the products at full price and later getting credit for the difference after the product goes on sale. The Web surfers also save time by buying the merchandise in advance and avoiding the holiday crush.
The big retailers are now fighting back. "Someone, somewhere is getting information they shouldn't be," says an OfficeMax spokesman. Target, Best Buy and others have demanded that the Web sites take the information down. Most have complied, but scores of readers had already copied the data and posted it elsewhere on the Web.
No one knows exactly where the leaks are coming from or who is behind them, but the companies don't dispute the accuracy of the information. Now, these posts threaten to disrupt the carefully laid plans and pricing schemes of the nation's largest retailers, since they tip off competitors and alter consumer behavior.
The fray highlights the growing popularity of the shopping sites, which cover everything from consumer electronics to personal finance. The sites have been around for several years, but have grown significantly in the past 12 months. Some even posted the holiday specials last year, but the retailers failed to take note.
Popular sites include F@tWallet and Techbargains.com (www.techbargains.com), which make it easy for users to search for bargains on specific products. For example, you can hunt for a computer deal by typing in "Dell" and "coupons" and find people giving away Dell coupons that they can't use or doling out advice on how to use multiple coupons at once to save the most amount of money.
There are also specialist sites like DvdTalk.com (www.dvdtalk.com), where users review different machines and offer tips on which stores have the best prices. Other enthusiast sites are famous for publishing unwritten rules and secret codes. On FlyerTalk.com (www.flyertalk.com), a site for frequent-flier-mile junkies, users regularly post information on special mileage promotions.
Both types of sites have published lists of hundreds of items that will be available on "Black Friday," the popular shopping day after Thanksgiving when retailers often break into the black for the first time all year. So far, people have posted data from Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart Stores, Staples, OfficeMax, Best Buy, Sears Roebuck and Toys 'R' Us.
Surfers can still find the information by doing a Google search for "Black Friday" and the store name. One person started a Yahoo group Wednesday morning to collect the banned information. More than 2,400 people had signed up by nightfall.
Other shoppers have taken it further. Last year, Thomas Jones read on F@tWallet that a PC drive would go on sale at Best Buy after Thanksgiving. So he bought it a day early for $150 -- then came back on sale day to claim the $50 discount. Despite making two trips to the store, he saved time because when he arrived on sale day, there were 200 people standing in line just to get into the store, but "I just walked to customer service where there was no line," he says.
Mr. Jones adds that he feels no guilt over having used this information to save time and money. "The moral turpitude, if any, lies with the person who posted the information in the first place," he says.
The companies agree. The problem is, they can't figure out who's posting the sneak previews. A few months ago, a person on anandtech.com said he had been fired from Home Depot for posting sale information before it became public. Home Depot doesn't comment on personnel matters.
Now, people who post similar lists of products and prices are cagier about revealing their true identities. "It could be coming from anywhere along the chain," says Tim Storm, the founder of F@tWallet. "It could be employees [of the retailers] giving it to friends who post it or the delivery boy from the printing house that produces the newspaper circular."
The retailers are pushing hard to stem the leaks. "We will take appropriate legal action as soon as we discover how the information got on the site and who posted it," says a spokesman for OfficeMax, which is about to ask sites to remove the data. Staples, which has successfully asked F@tWallet to remove the data, worries that OfficeMax will see the report and match their prices. "We are in a competitive industry," says a Staples spokesman. "You don't want to be telegraphing information that's not meant for public view."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
note: use of the term f*twallet is apparently forbidden in this forum, otherwise the article has not been altered.
Ron Lieber; feel free to PM me or email me at wsj@btrig.com if you do not wish for this article to be presented here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web-Savvy Shoppers Get
Sneak Peak at Holiday Sales
By RON LIEBER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Thursday, November 21, 2002
This year's after-Thanksgiving sales have started early for some Internet-savvy consumers, and the nation's biggest retailers are scrambling to slam the doors on them.
Users of several cult Web sites with names like F@tWallet.com (www.f@twallet.com) and DealofDay.com (www.dealofday.com) have somehow obtained and then posted lists of sale prices at retailers including Target, Best Buy and Staples -- before the sales are officially announced. These are discounts the retailers had no intention of making public until around Thanksgiving, with the hopes of making a splashy launch to the traditional holiday shopping season.
Here's a sample of the enticing prices: After Thanksgiving, OfficeMax plans to sell a feature-laden H-P printer for $200, 33% off the current price on its Web site. Best Buy plans to offer a Kodak digital camera for $99.99, compared with $149.99 on BestBuy.com. The store also plans to put the soundtrack for "8 Mile," the Eminem movie, on sale for $8.99. Currently, it sells for $14.99 on the Best Buy site.
For committed shoppers, early access to this information can result in big savings of both time and money. Shoppers are saving money by knowing weeks in advance what's going on sale at what store and buying it there instead of a competitor. Consumers are also buying the products at full price and later getting credit for the difference after the product goes on sale. The Web surfers also save time by buying the merchandise in advance and avoiding the holiday crush.
The big retailers are now fighting back. "Someone, somewhere is getting information they shouldn't be," says an OfficeMax spokesman. Target, Best Buy and others have demanded that the Web sites take the information down. Most have complied, but scores of readers had already copied the data and posted it elsewhere on the Web.
No one knows exactly where the leaks are coming from or who is behind them, but the companies don't dispute the accuracy of the information. Now, these posts threaten to disrupt the carefully laid plans and pricing schemes of the nation's largest retailers, since they tip off competitors and alter consumer behavior.
The fray highlights the growing popularity of the shopping sites, which cover everything from consumer electronics to personal finance. The sites have been around for several years, but have grown significantly in the past 12 months. Some even posted the holiday specials last year, but the retailers failed to take note.
Popular sites include F@tWallet and Techbargains.com (www.techbargains.com), which make it easy for users to search for bargains on specific products. For example, you can hunt for a computer deal by typing in "Dell" and "coupons" and find people giving away Dell coupons that they can't use or doling out advice on how to use multiple coupons at once to save the most amount of money.
There are also specialist sites like DvdTalk.com (www.dvdtalk.com), where users review different machines and offer tips on which stores have the best prices. Other enthusiast sites are famous for publishing unwritten rules and secret codes. On FlyerTalk.com (www.flyertalk.com), a site for frequent-flier-mile junkies, users regularly post information on special mileage promotions.
Both types of sites have published lists of hundreds of items that will be available on "Black Friday," the popular shopping day after Thanksgiving when retailers often break into the black for the first time all year. So far, people have posted data from Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart Stores, Staples, OfficeMax, Best Buy, Sears Roebuck and Toys 'R' Us.
Surfers can still find the information by doing a Google search for "Black Friday" and the store name. One person started a Yahoo group Wednesday morning to collect the banned information. More than 2,400 people had signed up by nightfall.
Other shoppers have taken it further. Last year, Thomas Jones read on F@tWallet that a PC drive would go on sale at Best Buy after Thanksgiving. So he bought it a day early for $150 -- then came back on sale day to claim the $50 discount. Despite making two trips to the store, he saved time because when he arrived on sale day, there were 200 people standing in line just to get into the store, but "I just walked to customer service where there was no line," he says.
Mr. Jones adds that he feels no guilt over having used this information to save time and money. "The moral turpitude, if any, lies with the person who posted the information in the first place," he says.
The companies agree. The problem is, they can't figure out who's posting the sneak previews. A few months ago, a person on anandtech.com said he had been fired from Home Depot for posting sale information before it became public. Home Depot doesn't comment on personnel matters.
Now, people who post similar lists of products and prices are cagier about revealing their true identities. "It could be coming from anywhere along the chain," says Tim Storm, the founder of F@tWallet. "It could be employees [of the retailers] giving it to friends who post it or the delivery boy from the printing house that produces the newspaper circular."
The retailers are pushing hard to stem the leaks. "We will take appropriate legal action as soon as we discover how the information got on the site and who posted it," says a spokesman for OfficeMax, which is about to ask sites to remove the data. Staples, which has successfully asked F@tWallet to remove the data, worries that OfficeMax will see the report and match their prices. "We are in a competitive industry," says a Staples spokesman. "You don't want to be telegraphing information that's not meant for public view."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
note: use of the term f*twallet is apparently forbidden in this forum, otherwise the article has not been altered.
Ron Lieber; feel free to PM me or email me at wsj@btrig.com if you do not wish for this article to be presented here.
Vic
Elite Member
- Jun 12, 2001
- 50,422
- 14,337
- 136
klah...thanks
Personally, I have no sympathy for these retailers. I work everyday in a sales environment that is the most heavily regulated in the world.
If they're upset that they're selling too many units at sale prices and not enough at full prices well... then they shouldn't have the sale, should they? Personally, I see these forums as providing a form of free advertising for these retailers because I almost never bought any computer equipment at any office supply stores before I starting reading these HD forums and, if they want to pull this, I will happily go back to shopping for my computer components at Fry's, where the (non-sale) prices are consistently better, and the selection and inventory are always better. In addition to that, how often do we see members complaining that the Hot Deals forum has driven them to unnecessary purchases that they would not have made otherwise?
I know, I know... it sounds arrogant. Sell to me at a loss or I take my business elsewhere. Too bad, take it or leave it. All of it.
BTW, to all those "if it doesn't effect me, I don't care" people... what we are seeing here is the effect of the DMCA. No, you're still not a criminal, but in your effort to shop for the best deal, you're being treated like one, and so now it does effect you, now doesn't it?
edited: typo
Personally, I have no sympathy for these retailers. I work everyday in a sales environment that is the most heavily regulated in the world.
If they're upset that they're selling too many units at sale prices and not enough at full prices well... then they shouldn't have the sale, should they? Personally, I see these forums as providing a form of free advertising for these retailers because I almost never bought any computer equipment at any office supply stores before I starting reading these HD forums and, if they want to pull this, I will happily go back to shopping for my computer components at Fry's, where the (non-sale) prices are consistently better, and the selection and inventory are always better. In addition to that, how often do we see members complaining that the Hot Deals forum has driven them to unnecessary purchases that they would not have made otherwise?
I know, I know... it sounds arrogant. Sell to me at a loss or I take my business elsewhere. Too bad, take it or leave it. All of it.
BTW, to all those "if it doesn't effect me, I don't care" people... what we are seeing here is the effect of the DMCA. No, you're still not a criminal, but in your effort to shop for the best deal, you're being treated like one, and so now it does effect you, now doesn't it?
edited: typo
w00t Evadman!
I really don't see what the big deal is.... well, I guess that I can sympathize with the companies' not wanting the information to get out early, but for the most part it's probably beneficial. It is lots of free advertising, and lots of impulse buys made by people who might not have been shopping there otherwise. Plus, they make the decisions to sell at a certain price..... how are they harmed when a bunch of people take them up on their offer? If they are harmed, then they shouldn't have made such a stupid offer in the first place. JMO.
and Mr. Lieber, *shhhhh* if you tell everybody in the world about hot deals sites, then there will be too much competition! It's already tough enough getting in on some of these deals as it is... j/k of course
I really don't see what the big deal is.... well, I guess that I can sympathize with the companies' not wanting the information to get out early, but for the most part it's probably beneficial. It is lots of free advertising, and lots of impulse buys made by people who might not have been shopping there otherwise. Plus, they make the decisions to sell at a certain price..... how are they harmed when a bunch of people take them up on their offer? If they are harmed, then they shouldn't have made such a stupid offer in the first place. JMO.
and Mr. Lieber, *shhhhh* if you tell everybody in the world about hot deals sites, then there will be too much competition! It's already tough enough getting in on some of these deals as it is...
j/k of course It's legit. There's an article on the front page of the Personal Journal section (section D) of today's WSJ.
WSJ's online content is pay-only so I can't provide the link.
Savvy Shoppers Get Sneak Peeks At Holiday Sales
Web Sites Post Secret Details On After-Thanksgiving Bargains, But Big Retailers Fight Back
There is zero mention of the DMCA being invoked by the retailers.
Only one individual is mentioned, a Thomas Jones. The article is kinda interesting but it's written for an audience who generally doesn't cruise the deal sites.
WSJ's online content is pay-only so I can't provide the link.
Savvy Shoppers Get Sneak Peeks At Holiday Sales
Web Sites Post Secret Details On After-Thanksgiving Bargains, But Big Retailers Fight Back
There is zero mention of the DMCA being invoked by the retailers.
Only one individual is mentioned, a Thomas Jones. The article is kinda interesting but it's written for an audience who generally doesn't cruise the deal sites.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 24K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter