half.com

[robviti]

howdy all,

i hope someone here can relieve my confusion or join in my frustration about a pricing issue involving half.com. when you pull up an artist's titles, they list the individual cds like this:

Back Room Blues: Brian Lynch

CD - Buy it for $3.30 (Save 82%)

but when you click on the actual title or the lowest available price of $3.30, you get this:

Back Room Blues (CD)

Primary Artist: Brian Lynch

Best Price: $13.20

List Price: $18.98 (Save 30%)

this significant disparity between the supposed and actual lowest price occurs quite often. so what gives? is it just a case of my missing out on a lower priced item before they have a chance to update the listing? it's somewhat frustrating when you think you can get a cd for a very low price, only to click and be disappointed.

[Aggie87]

howdy all,

i hope someone here can relieve my confusion or join in my frustration about a pricing issue involving half.com. when you pull up an artist's titles, they list the individual cds like this:

Back Room Blues: Brian Lynch

CD - Buy it for $3.30 (Save 82%)

but when you click on the actual title or the lowest available price of $3.30, you get this:

Back Room Blues (CD)

Primary Artist: Brian Lynch

Best Price: $13.20

List Price: $18.98 (Save 30%)

this significant disparity between the supposed and actual lowest price occurs quite often. so what gives? is it just a case of my missing out on a lower priced item before they have a chance to update the listing? it's somewhat frustrating when you think you can get a cd for a very low price, only to click and be disappointed.

That's been my guess - that their database simply doesn't update itself quickly enough to reflect the current "low" price, after someone else has purchased the $3.30 disc. I agree it's frustrating!

[jazzbo]

Made you look didn't they?

[robviti]

Made you look didn't they?

as long as i don't flinch. 'cause they punch hard!

[Rooster_Ties]

Half does provide an "auto buy" function (not sure that's what it's called), that will automatically pull the trigger on specific titles of your choosing. You define the maximum price-point you're willing to pay, and minimum disc condition you'll accept -- and as soon as a disc meeting your condisions becomes available -- BAM -- it buys it for you.

I've never taken advantage of it, but I think the functionality is there.

[Dave James]

I've noticed this too. I'm guessing this is a simple bait and switch technique and that they are fully aware of what they're doing. Made you look, indeed.

Up over and out.

[jazzbo]

Ultimately I think there's no agenda behind it, it's a coding error. They have a few, such as the phenomena that occur when two artists are the featured artists on one disc and someone puts it in the system and then all of both's titles may be conjoined together as well. That bites!

But I still think it's a great site.

[ghost of miles]

What IS up with their software? I just found an anthology that I've been wanting for quite awhile, at an extremely reasonable price...I went ahead and pulled the trigger, and when I checked back several minutes later the item was no longer listed. So far, so good... I've purchased it, so it's no longer available, I'm thinking. About an hour and a half later I get an e-mail from the seller saying, "Sorry, the item had already sold out and I hadn't had a chance to remove it from inventory yet..." What kind of a lame issue is that? Does Half.com's software truly not automatically remove used items once they've been purchased? I was almost inclined to think the seller (who's very highly-rated) had simply pulled the item because it was mispriced.

[T.D.]

I found the same thing as the first several posters, and assumed it was coding errors. Half.com has always seemed rather buggy. Dunno about ghostofmiles's issue.

[mikelz777]

What IS up with their software? I just found an anthology that I've been wanting for quite awhile, at an extremely reasonable price...I went ahead and pulled the trigger, and when I checked back several minutes later the item was no longer listed. So far, so good... I've purchased it, so it's no longer available, I'm thinking. About an hour and a half later I get an e-mail from the seller saying, "Sorry, the item had already sold out and I hadn't had a chance to remove it from inventory yet..." What kind of a lame issue is that? Does Half.com's software truly not automatically remove used items once they've been purchased? I was almost inclined to think the seller (who's very highly-rated) had simply pulled the item because it was mispriced.

My guess is that the seller had the item listed on more than one web site and it sold on one of the other web sites. After it sold the seller probably forgot to remove the listing (or didn't get time to) and was reminded of that once you tried to purchase the already sold item. I sheepishly admit that I've been guilty of that once or twice over the years and I really felt bad about it and was very apologetic. As far as Half.com knew, I still had the item available for sale. I'm guessing the same thing happened here.

[captainwrong]

What IS up with their software? I just found an anthology that I've been wanting for quite awhile, at an extremely reasonable price...I went ahead and pulled the trigger, and when I checked back several minutes later the item was no longer listed. So far, so good... I've purchased it, so it's no longer available, I'm thinking. About an hour and a half later I get an e-mail from the seller saying, "Sorry, the item had already sold out and I hadn't had a chance to remove it from inventory yet..." What kind of a lame issue is that? Does Half.com's software truly not automatically remove used items once they've been purchased? I was almost inclined to think the seller (who's very highly-rated) had simply pulled the item because it was mispriced.

My guess is that the seller had the item listed on more than one web site and it sold on one of the other web sites. After it sold the seller probably forgot to remove the listing (or didn't get time to) and was reminded of that once you tried to purchase the already sold item. I sheepishly admit that I've been guilty of that once or twice over the years and I really felt bad about it and was very apologetic. As far as Half.com knew, I still had the item available for sale. I'm guessing the same thing happened here.

Yep. That happens more than it should. That and sellers just listing tons of stuff from wholesalers that they may or may not actually have or be able to get.

As for the "bait and switch", I really think it's just sloppy coding and the system doesn't catch up when things have sold. Again, it shouldn't be happening as often as it does, but I don't think there's anything nefarious going on.

[ghost of miles]

A VERY unhappy experience just now with a vendor on Half.com. Yesterday I received an update on my wishlist that the same anthology I'd been looking for earlier (OK, I'll 'fess up, it's the Complete Glenn Miller on Bluebird...yeah, yeah, I know) was now listed again at yet another remarkably low price, in "very good condition." I immediately purchased it and received a confirmation from the vendor. About half an hour ago, I received a message from the vendor that the item was "out of stock" and that I was being issued a refund. Just now I checked Half.com, and the same vendor has relisted the item in the same condition--for $150 more. I found the vendor's phone # on the Internet (evidently he's pulled this kind of thing before) and have left two phone and e-mail messages with him, asking that this item be sold to me for the original price listed. If I don't hear back from him, you can bet I'm going to leave a hell of a negative feedback response...but any other advice on what I should do, who I should contact at Half.com, etc.?

[ghost of miles]

Sounds like this vendor (Woody's Books) has done this to other buyers before. I would definitely recommend not buying from this gentleman:

I bought a book on Amazon.com from Woody's Books 12/22/2007 for $28.25. Woody' Books contacted me 12/27/2007 five days later after I bought the book and canceled my order reason out of stock. The next day Woody's Books posted the same book for sale back on Amazon.com website for a higher price of $69.95. Now the price is up to $87.42.

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR $28.25 and Amazon will not let me leave negative feedback for this vendor, At LEAST let me give negative feedback for this person because I DID buy his book!

Amazon allows their vendors to cancel sales to raise the price and make more money.

[captainwrong]

I hate to say it, but I've found it best to just forget about it and move on. Amazon and eBay/half.com get enough seller's fees from these vendors that they seem to completely ignore issues like this that are against their stated policies. That's really the only advise I can give you. You aren't going to get that set for the originally advertised price and you aren't going to get an apology from the seller or any action from half. It's frustrating and it's not right, but I've found it's not worth raising your blood pressure over.

[ghost of miles]

Appreciate the advice, CW. I'm probably going to send one more e-mail/make one more phone call and then simply leave a negative feedback rating. I just thought it was particular audacious to send me an e-mail claiming that the item was out of stock and then immediately relist it at a price $150 higher.

In response to the original complaint that started the thread, it seems like Half.com's software just takes a little while to update the "lowest price" feature. Earlier today the Miller set was still showing $52 as lowest price, but now it's at $197 (the same set I "purchased," but relisted).

Edited May 29, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Morganized]

What IS up with their software? I just found an anthology that I've been wanting for quite awhile, at an extremely reasonable price...I went ahead and pulled the trigger, and when I checked back several minutes later the item was no longer listed. So far, so good... I've purchased it, so it's no longer available, I'm thinking. About an hour and a half later I get an e-mail from the seller saying, "Sorry, the item had already sold out and I hadn't had a chance to remove it from inventory yet..." What kind of a lame issue is that? Does Half.com's software truly not automatically remove used items once they've been purchased? I was almost inclined to think the seller (who's very highly-rated) had simply pulled the item because it was mispriced.

My guess is that the seller had the item listed on more than one web site and it sold on one of the other web sites. After it sold the seller probably forgot to remove the listing (or didn't get time to) and was reminded of that once you tried to purchase the already sold item. I sheepishly admit that I've been guilty of that once or twice over the years and I really felt bad about it and was very apologetic. As far as Half.com knew, I still had the item available for sale. I'm guessing the same thing happened here.

Yep. That happens more than it should. That and sellers just listing tons of stuff from wholesalers that they may or may not actually have or be able to get.

As for the "bait and switch", I really think it's just sloppy coding and the system doesn't catch up when things have sold. Again, it shouldn't be happening as often as it does, but I don't think there's anything nefarious going on.

This kind of c**p has been going on for years. I complained to half.com about the problem of lowest price mispricing years ago. If it is a software problem they have had more than enough time to remedy the issue. My guess it is for the reasons previously mentioned herein.

A VERY unhappy experience just now with a vendor on Half.com. Yesterday I received an update on my wishlist that the same anthology I'd been looking for earlier (OK, I'll 'fess up, it's the Complete Glenn Miller on Bluebird...yeah, yeah, I know) was now listed again at yet another remarkably low price, in "very good condition." I immediately purchased it and received a confirmation from the vendor. About half an hour ago, I received a message from the vendor that the item was "out of stock" and that I was being issued a refund. Just now I checked Half.com, and the same vendor has relisted the item in the same condition--for $150 more. I found the vendor's phone # on the Internet (evidently he's pulled this kind of thing before) and have left two phone and e-mail messages with him, asking that this item be sold to me for the original price listed. If I don't hear back from him, you can bet I'm going to leave a hell of a negative feedback response...but any other advice on what I should do, who I should contact at Half.com, etc.?

I had a similar issue with ..........someone....... several years back. I sent the company a "bill" for my damages, ie the cost of cover. I explained that it would cost me $15 dollars more to buy the same item from someone else that I had just purchased from them. Therefore, please forward the money to me so that I would have the benefit of my bargain that it had just failed to live up to. All of these on line sellers always include that stuff about "Be sure you want this item because once you click you are CONTRACTURALLY bound. Well if that is the case, lets have some contract damages for the buyers....Of course, the problem is the cost of collection (among others), but the principal is certainly there. I cannot believe the online sites tolerate this behavior.