My retail Market Place sales are down 95% this week - Any other sellers having probs?

[Phil Deakins]

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WickedWanda1956 wrote:

Hi Phil, I really hope you are right about it all.

I saw nothing in the past three days that was good in my opinion

. I have started to back track myself and said spending a little money (but I don't see myself renting again but I was leaning that way before last week anyway). I have a couple of places (non-business) I like to go to now and if they suddenly close, I might have to rethink staying.

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I'm sure that's because so many people think the sky is falling when it isn't. If it does fall, it'll fall 2 years or more from now, and that's a very long time away.

Anyway, The OP wants this thread to be about the sudden collapse of his/her sales in the marketplace, and has asked that it doesn't drift into the 'other thing' So it's best if we don't sidetrack it

[Cats Twine]

Hi Rhys

Well that's an encouraging reply. I will monitor my sales over the next week and report back here how well or not so well I did lol.

Thank you

[Arwen Serpente]

I'm honestly happy to hear that your sales are better than expected   I am hoping that this is a temporary blip due to a variety of reasons - June is normally slow, the news about SL2, and who knows what else.  I have had steady sales (growing each year) for the past five years...I haven't woken up to zero sales until the past 3 days, so for whatever reason, something did affect my individual business.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

 

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WickedWanda1956 wrote:

I see the current SL population breaking into three groups :

 

1. Those people who will continue on as if Friday's announcement had never occurred. Business-as-usual

Even if LL pulls the plug on SL early after the new grid opens It will be at least two years before that happens and a lot longer than that more than likely.  Business as usual makes the most sense for me until I really hear FACTS that change my opinion.   I am not going to spend the next few years at a standstill.

2. Those people who will remain in SL but no longer spend (or at best very little) money. Skeptics

There are very few things i bought two years ago that I still use because even within the same grid things change and improve.  There are even things i bought a year or less ago I no longer use because I grew bored with them.  Everyone I know that has been in SL two years or more has the same experience.

Of course it is your call what you do, but personally I think you are in a panic unnecessarily.

3. Those people who go on to other grids. Cutting their losses

I predict that most of those people going to other grids in a panic now will be back in SL before long.  There just isn't another VW out there as good as SL.  Even the largest and most popular open sim grids has just a small percentage of the residents and content that SL has.  Besides, if they don't want to start over in the new grid it makes no sense to start over in an inferior one.

 

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[Vinten]

Arwen you have to believe at the moment that the sales loss over the last 3 days is like a mass coincidence.

If you subscribe to a more plausible cause like Ebbe news, your in danger of being accused of being unrealistic so let's drink to the most remarkable coincidence in the history of time lol

Maybe we can blame the weather?

 

[Arwen Serpente]

laughs, certainly, let's blame the weather - my 1500+ group members spread over 2 groups all decided to go out and play rather than do whatever they normally do in SL

Anyway, I'm just providing my individual experience - there are most likely plenty of others who are totally unaffected as Rhys pointed out.  Not much I can do other than continue to do what I love - create. 

[Pamela Galli]

I would like to address the comments I keep seeing re: "it will be two years" down the line.

 

That only applies to now. Now it is two years.

 

Eventually it will be one year down the line.

 

And then it will be 6 months. 

 

And then 3 months.

 

If I was selling 49L lamps, so what? But my bread and butter is highly detailed, highly scripted content that takes months to create and keep updated, and requires an investment from customers. I can promise you, sales of this kind of content is going to be impacted -- maybe not now, but more and more as time goes on.

Any plans I have had for major feature rich highly scripted and animated content has been scrapped. It will take a huge amount of time just to recreate what I already have of that kind of content it on a new grid. There's plenty of other stuff I can make -- but down the line, I expect prudent buyers to start delaying purchases of anything until they check out the new grid.  That's life, I get that. I just don't have to like it.

 

[WickedWanda1956]

And that is what I am exactly worried about as a consumer. If enough creators/designers think like you (and I think you are right), Second Life will turn into a VIRTUAL WASTELAND. It is people like you and Cats and the others in this thread, that people like me come to Second Life (not because of Linden Labs). You provide the imagination, Linden provides the environment. And I am sorry but Ebbe's pronouncement is why Cats saw the decline in sales. On that point, I will not waver. The only point to ponder is whether it is temporay or permanent and you are right, that discussion needs to go in the other thread (although how the other thread descended into a discussion on kiddie porn, I have no idea).

[Belite Swords]

I fall into the group one category, and will broach this subject from a consumer's standpoint.  (Several of the commentators that have posted are people that I've made purchases from in the past, on this name or my 2 others over my 8+ years in SL)

Also, I'll share a couple links to data to support what I'm saying.  First, take a look at these two sites:

http://gridsurvey.com/lindex.php 

http://dwellonit.taterunino.net/sl-statistical-charts/

Anyways, I find them helpful, rather than worrying about something that right now is just words.  More sepcifically, I'd like to point out this tidbit of information: 

• Monthly Tier Estimates - Private Estates c.US$3.857 Million, Mainland c.US$0.871 Million

That's just land, of course, but my logic is this, LL has no other cash cow (and we certainly are it's golden goose).  They can not afford to let SL close immediately, nor have they mentioned it closing within a timeframe that I think would push me not to make purchases In world.  To be honest, as a consumer, I put in about 100 USD a month into SL, sometimes more, it depends on my spending habits.  I'm not going to stop buying things for an event that is years away, and certainly not for something untested and unproven.  LL will continue to support SL because it has to-until it becomes an expendable venture.  Therefore, I'm comfortable with the thousands of RL dollars I put into this game 99.9% of that goes directly to the creators (my tiny spit of land only costs $8 USD a month, and I have a premium membership, so whatever that is).  In two years, I won't wear what I have in my inventory now (most likely) anyway, so why should I suffer at the present?

So content creators, please don't worry so much, and keep making beautiful things.  There might be an initial backlash, but once we look at the other available choices, those doubters will be back, and as time passes, I'm sure your sales will increase.  The ones that leave are the ones that likely didn't invest much in the first place.  As for me, the time (years), hours (daily), friends (many) and most importantly to you, money (a lot!) is enough to keep me loyal for many years to come. 

 

Just my .02

[Jazleen Raynier]

Could it not be something as simple as it being the last week of the month and people who get paid at the end of the month are using their rl money in their rl, rather than putting it into SL.

[Pamela Galli]

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Belite Swords wrote:

 I'm not going to stop buying things for an event that is years away, and certainly not for something untested and unproven. 

 

 

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Now it is a couple of years away. But it will not stay years away. Time marches on.

[SVAndrei Baxton]

Well, Marketplace sales have plummeted over the past week for me too, but inworld sales are normal. I guess it may be something with the marketplace.

 

[Belite Swords]

Now it is a couple of years away. But it will not stay years away. Time marches on.

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Yes, and all things come to an end at some point.  Let's try to look at it with an open mind.

[Tari Landar]

No sales issues here

But, I can point out a couple of things worth considering, if you don't mind...

Sometimes when a merchant notices little to no sales, they aren't always the most keen on keeping an eye on sales for at least a year or more. By this I mean they will note steady sales over X amount of days, weeks, months, and when a decline or even total drop happens, they wonder why.  But without  a significant amount of sales information(I honestly recommend at least a year of very precise sales information stats sitting right in front of you, rather than going simply by memory-for those who have been open more than a year, those under a year, since the day you began), determining whether or not its really a serious drop, or a problem that might need looking into..could be difficult. Of course not all merchants fall into this category, but I have seen a LOT who do.  Sales drops happen, even for folks who do have steady, consistant sales. It's really important we monitor our sales information, so that we can note when they happen, to figure out a pattern/cause, if one exists. Partial sales stats, such as from memory alone, are prone to have a level of error(not that I am blaming a merchant here, but, we're human...we forget things, get things wrong, forget to document things..you get my point I am sure)

Also when ANY kind of announcement comes out from LL, that circulates the way this one did, it has an impact on the grid, which includes merchants and customers of course. It may not have an impact on everyone, or may be worse for some than others, but it does have some kind of impact. When it's a negative announcement, or even just discussion, that gets this much attention, the effects are more likely to be negative, especially in the beginning, than they otherwise would.  That does not necessarily mean things will not bounce back. Panic tends to induce these kinds of responses in humans, that is, emotional responses.  Whether or not these responses are valid, isn't up to us to decide, it's up to the folks who have those responses. The grid tends to also bounce back after these kinds of effects as well. Especially once the intial roar dies down, which it nearly always has.

So *if* the announcement has negatively affected your sales, it is entirely likely(most likely actually, given my experience with such things over the years as an observer, merchant, and customer, having seen other such announcements and changes) your sales will bounce back when the discussion and induced panic people feel right now, dies down. It's also worth considering that MANY things can affect sales. If you read through the forums you will find lots of topics about this subject(sales drops), they can be really informative, and I recommend checking them out. You may find information you had not yet considered, tips on how to increase sales, others' perspectives, etc...I actually recommend reading them anyway, regardless of the reason for your current sales drop.

 

[Teagan Tobias]

I don't sell things and have no idea what is going to happen, but... there is another “thing” going on that may be effecting your sales. Could it be in part due to the (what is being called false) DMCA that has taken place? With the Ebbe announcement and the DMCA and it being summer, could be everything all together is the problem and it will settle down shortly. But like I have seen others say, after everyone else is gone, I will turn the lights off, if it comes to that.

[Ceka Cianci]

It might be people saving for the 4th of july vacation..

A lot of people take vacation in the summer and this month is busy vacation time in the U.S..

Just a guess though,

But, maybe if you have records from your whole time inbusiness, look and see when you may have had drop off's in the past..

See if there is any kind of slowing down in this period of the year of any kind in the past..

 

 

[DesperadoReprise]

Summer? I am afraid several of you are demonstrating the worst in global parochialism.  It's midwinter in half the world.

Here's the choice: the timing suggests it's either because England were eliminated from the World Cup or Ebbe made a huge faux pas in announcing that consumers would be wasting money on purchases made between now and whenever they pull the plug on an increasingly zombified SL.

Which do you think it is?

As far as it being a one-time effect, you have seen the impact of the "leak" on those enthusiasts who keep current with SL news and are the main consumers. As the word gets around to the casual users, passing trade will gradually disappear until it dwindles away until it is reminiscent of the three antique dealers who were marooned on a desert island with one washed-up Chippendale chair - and who all claimed to be doing good business . . .

"watch 'em duelling"

[Pamela Galli]

What DMCA and how is a DMCA going to affect sales in general?

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Could it be in part due to the (what is being called false) DMCA that has taken place? With the Ebbe announcement and the DMCA and it being summer, could be everything all together is the problem and it will settle down shortly. 

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[Teagan Tobias]

Filed against a mesh body builder, not knowing OP business, could effect, as people wait to see the outcome. Is mostly past now but new items coming out could have a lot of peoples attention. Thinking of all possibilities. Maybe, maybe not.

[Drake1 Nightfire]

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Pamela Galli wrote:

What DMCA and how is a DMCA going to affect sales in general?

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Could it be in part due to the (what is being called false) DMCA that has taken place? With the Ebbe announcement and the DMCA and it being summer, could be everything all together is the problem and it will settle down shortly. 

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I believe she is referring to the Wowmeh takedown spoken about in detail by the creator HERE. While i do not completely believe a merchant would just sit back while their body of work was ripped from SL and do nothing because they do not want to give their RL info in a counter claim (to SL as far as i know, not the original filer.) She states her work will return better and fully made by her. It sound like she may have used someone to make a part of the av and perhaps they got bent at how little they charged and how successful it actually became.. Pure conjecture on my part BTW.

As to the OP.. I have had the same amount of sales over the past week, i actually had a spike on Friday. Several others here have stated they have had no change. Perhaps it is simply a fluke that you have not made any sales. If we could lok at your store we could possibly make a better assumption, which is all this is as no one actually knows why anything happens in SL. But, alas, you don't wish to share that info. Personally I don't get that. Any potential sales are a good thing.

[Pamela Galli]

I have heard of that but can't imagine how that could affect sales across the whole grid.

[Teagan Tobias]

She was talking about her sales, and so was I.

[Pamela Galli]

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

She was talking about her sales, and so was I.

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Ahh okay.

[Perrie Juran]

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Drake1 Nightfire wrote:

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Pamela Galli wrote:

What DMCA and how is a DMCA going to affect sales in general?

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Could it be in part due to the (what is being called false) DMCA that has taken place? With the Ebbe announcement and the DMCA and it being summer, could be everything all together is the problem and it will settle down shortly. 

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I believe she is referring to the Wowmeh takedown spoken about in detail by the creator

HERE

. While i do not completely believe a merchant would just sit back while their body of work was ripped from SL and do nothing because they do not want to give their RL info in a counter claim

(to SL as far as i know, not the original filer.)

She states her work will return better and fully made by her. It sound like she may have used someone to make a part of the av and perhaps they got bent at how little they charged and how successful it actually became.. Pure conjecture on my part BTW.

As to the OP.. I have had the same amount of sales over the past week, i actually had a spike on Friday. Several others here have stated they have had no change. Perhaps it is simply a fluke that you have not made any sales. If we could lok at your store we could possibly make a better assumption, which is all this is as no one actually knows why anything happens in SL. But, alas, you don't wish to share that info. Personally I don't get that. Any potential sales are a good thing.

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"(to SL as far as i know, not the original filer.)"

That was a good question. I'd heard it brought up before, never looked it up. 

Yes, a copy of the Counter Notification (with all the info) does get sent to the original filer.

".....upon receipt of a counter notification described in paragraph (3), promptly provides the person who provided the notification under subsection ©(1)© with a copy of the counter notification, and informs that person that it will replace the removed material or cease disabling access to it in 10 business days; and"

512(g)(2)(B)

[Dillon Levenque]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Drake1 Nightfire wrote:

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Pamela Galli wrote:

What DMCA and how is a DMCA going to affect sales in general?

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Could it be in part due to the (what is being called false) DMCA that has taken place? With the Ebbe announcement and the DMCA and it being summer, could be everything all together is the problem and it will settle down shortly. 

---

 

---

I believe she is referring to the Wowmeh takedown spoken about in detail by the creator

HERE

. While i do not completely believe a merchant would just sit back while their body of work was ripped from SL and do nothing because they do not want to give their RL info in a counter claim

(to SL as far as i know, not the original filer.)

She states her work will return better and fully made by her. It sound like she may have used someone to make a part of the av and perhaps they got bent at how little they charged and how successful it actually became.. Pure conjecture on my part BTW.

As to the OP.. I have had the same amount of sales over the past week, i actually had a spike on Friday. Several others here have stated they have had no change. Perhaps it is simply a fluke that you have not made any sales. If we could lok at your store we could possibly make a better assumption, which is all this is as no one actually knows why anything happens in SL. But, alas, you don't wish to share that info. Personally I don't get that. Any potential sales are a good thing.

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"(to SL as far as i know, not the original filer.)"

That was a good question. I'd heard it brought up before, never looked it up. 

Yes, a copy of the Counter Notification (with all the info) does get sent to the original filer.

".....upon receipt of a counter notification described in paragraph (3), promptly provides the person who provided the notification under subsection ©(1)© with a copy of the counter notification, and informs that person that it will replace the removed material or cease disabling access to it in 10 business days; and"

512(g)(2)(B)

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Good grief. What, are you some kind of Martian lawyer, for crying out loud?

The Forum is not for dropping links to documentation. The Forum is for yelling.