Disappointing online deal sites

samfisher5986 on 28/01/2011 - 21:54
Last edited 28/01/2011 - 22:20

I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in Australian based online "deal" sites.

Every single site seems to be run on the idea that you reel customers in with cheap prices, then slowly offer less and less attractive prices after you've been on Today Tonight a few times etc.

I know that occasionally, COTD, 1-Day etc gets posted, but these are not real bargains, these are bargains because of a specific reason.

Cheap office chair? = Found cheaper elsewhere in a typical sale
Cheap branded shirt? = a high quality fake
Cheap Supermarket Product? = Purchased dirt cheap near expiry or unpopular and then resold.
Cheap Candy? = From overseas or low quality garbage.
Cheap Tech Product? = Probably purchased from an Officeworks Clearance or similar.
And if all else fails, put the extra cost in postage!

What people fail to realise is that if you rewind time, you can often get the product cheaper then the "deal" price.

I just find it disappointing when you can find a real bargain at a place that is not intended to particularly be one. Aldi, Logitechshop, or overseas websites in general, but anything that says deal, bargain etc is overpriced.

The worst part is I still seem to out of habit visit these websites occasionally, I seem to be able to say "They purchased this from Aldi 3 months ago and sat on it, they purchased this from a particular overseas supplier I know and are making 100% profit, Its rare to see a product thats not from their usual suppliers of junk I know of.

Also, here's a typical example of COTD markup, keeping in mind that you can purchase these cheaper from an actual supplier.

$89.00 - http://www.catchoftheday.com.au/smallfish_info.php?products_…
$26.50 - http://www.tinydeal.com/72%C3%82%C2%B020mp-real-voice-25-lcd…

TL:DR I'm sick of people creating online business's using supplier sources that a nobody like me can source from and combine with bad business tactics to make a lot of money.

General Discussion

Comments

  • neil on 28/01/2011 - 23:42

    I think in years past it has been difficult to figure out the supplier or if so try an order a small amount. With these Chinese/Hong Kong sites selling directly to the consumer with free worldwide shipping, it's certainty changed the way people buy things. Just a few years ago I was a big purchaser from Zazz, then COTD, and then I discovered DealExtreme/Focalprice and haven't looked back. That said COTD does have the buying power to get a lot of things cheaper including getting excess stock (e.g. A/C's) from retailers like Retrovision/HN and sell it to us for dramatically great prices.

  • scotty on 29/01/2011 - 00:08

    Yes I think you simply cannot compare Zazz/CoTD with cheap China/Hong Kong based drop-shippers. I also used to buy cheap gadgets on Zazz but found them relatively expensive now comparing to those overseas merchants. Those deal sites need to innovate in order to be competitive.

    Also remember that Australia is a relatively small market. I think it would be pretty hard to provide new exciting deals day after day for such a small market, when there is little economy of scale. So these days the good deals are often hit-or-miss, with really good ones queued on once per week basis.

  • llama on 29/01/2011 - 00:24

    I was thinking the exact same the other day. I realised that occasionally I would get "lured" by the regulars and then end up remourseful when I realised that I could have bought direct from HK for 1/4 the price.

    It generally happens when I think that the item isn't available from the usual suppliers - like when I got caught by a car paint scratch touchup pen offered by OzStock for $0 + $6.98. Then weeks later I found it on BuyInCoins for US$1.55

    http://www.buyincoins.com/fix-it-pro-clear-car-coat-scratch-…

    And that annoyed me, since I buy heaps from B.I.C.

  • llama on 29/01/2011 - 00:40
    +1

    Actually, I wish that the online deal sites would stop trying to flog us cheap gadgets and trinkets that anyone could buy, and concentrate on decent bargains.

    It doesn't matter if it's stock run outs, or special purchases or whatever. Let's have some things that are of decent value where the savings are big… because the low priced stuff always ends up too expensive due to the high Aussie postage price.

  • samfisher5986 on 29/01/2011 - 01:07

    The problem is that a lot of the products they sell are cheaper at other Australian shops. I guess its just something regular COTD buyers easily miss if they impulse buy and don't do much research, compared to me who is always looking for bargains and can remember that shop X sold that exact same product for $20 cheaper a month ago etc. (I'm a very perceptive shopper)

    It just seems to me like the owner of COTD just spends his days looking for clearance/cheap/unwanted stock and reselling online. I rarely see a product that makes me think his buying sourcing/power is what got him that price, but when you look at shops where you ACTUALLY get cheap products, I do wonder how they are selling it that cheap.

    I purchased 3 32" TV's for $370 from BigW and resold them for $470 each, I wouldn't be surprised if thats how COTD started :)

    llama, back before COTD went on today tonight and started crapathons etc, postage didn't matter. I got a product similar to this, but not as good, for $9.90 delivered from COTD, thats $36….. http://www.1-day.com.au/products/AA4AAN03L

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