My Experience With PSLSource.com...and What I Think Should Happen

As anyone who has engaged in internet transactions knows, customer service is all over the board. When we get sensational customer service like the type I regularly experience with ULine.com - a shipping/warehouse supplies company and yes, believe it or not with PayPal, it makes you feel good and more importantly, valued as a customer. When customer service is not so hot, it leaves one a little frustrated and well, devalued as a customer.

So I'm going to tell the tale of my experience with PSLSource.com and no, it was not a positive one but I'm not going to just complain and not offer a solution. Anyone that has been a manager or supervisor detests when an employee points out something deficient but doesn't offer a suggestion or solution. People like that kind of "Yeah, there's a problem there but we can fix it" type of attitude. So I'm going to try to go that route.

PSLSource.com is a company that brokers Permanent Seat Licenses (PSLs) for a number of NFL teams. PSLs are something that entitles a football fan to buy season tickets for their team. NFL teams use them to raise revenue to mostly pay for stadium construction. PSLs are a one time fee per seat. Well, I've moved away from the Charlotte, NC area so I figured it was time to unload my three Club III PSLs. But forget about all that mumbo jumbo, think of PSLs as any other commodity with some intrinsic value like...comic books for instance. PSLSource.com is sort of like an eBay of PSLs.

At PSLSource.com, you sign up for an account and create a listing to sell your PSLs. The listing will contain such information as the Section, Row and seat numbers, whether a parking pass is included, close to concessions, sunny or shady side, whether or not the season tickets are included and of course a price per PSL.

I did the usual Googling for a site to sell PSLs and figured PSLSource.com would be a good place to start. Knowing nothing about the market, I wanted some guidance as to what I should expect price-wise for my PSLs so I sent them an e-mail on March 9th and didn't get a reply. So on March 12th, I decided to give them a call on their toll free number. Well, they never called back.

I decided "What the heck", it costs nothing to list so why not just sign up, create a listing and see what happens - so on March 13th I did exactly just that. Well, I didn't get much response - in fact I got zero. Well, after a week I decided to lower the price which means you have to edit your listing and the edits have to be approved - as does a new listing by the way. I edited it in the morning and come that afternoon, the edit was not approved. I sent an e-mail to Support via the website and the edit was approved shortly - no biggie.

Well, another week passed with minimal response and it was obvious that I really didn't know how to price PSLs. So two days ago (March 27th), I decided to lower the price again. I edited it at 8:35 a.m. and when I checked at 3:25 the edits where still not approved.

I sent the following e-mail via their website to "Support":

"Edited my listing - #20355 - at 8:35 a.m. EDT today and it is now 3:25 p.m. EDT and the changes have not been approved.

C'mon - you guys can do better than this."

At 3:31 p.m. the following e-mail was sent to me although I didn't read it until I got off of work:

"Your changes were approved around 2:00pm. We have been busy processing sales today. Approving new listings and edits is of secondary importance on our list of priorities. For what its worth, we are making changes in the near future that will eliminate the need for edits to be approved by admin and will go into effect instantly.

Thanks,

XXXXXXXXX"

I put "XXXXXXXXX" because I don't want to release "names". What disturbed me was that my request for support was considered "of secondary importance on our list of priorities"

Sooooo..... at 8:27 p.m., I replied with the following:

"Ok - let me inform you of a couple of things:

I e-mailed you on March 9th to inquire about your services - no e-mail back.

I called and left a message on March 12th - no call back.

Now I'm being told that supporting your customers is of secondary importance.

But your website touts your expert sales staff - do you see the disconnect that I'm seeing and experiencing?

The first two items you might not of known about but the third one you own.

Sincerely,

William Anfin"

At 9:41 I received a reply to my e-mail:

"I have only ever received 2 emails asking us to hurry up and approve edits. Both have come from you. Supporting potential customers at times does take secondary importance to supporting actual customers. I dont think we'll be a fit to work together. I have removed your listing from the site.

XXXXXXXXX"

OK...... I really didn't get all that angry - went through the self analysis to figure out if I was the one at fault here....and you know, I don't think so. So for all the hundreds if not thousands of listings, I am the only one to complain about the speed of their edit approval process? Possible but not probable. My sister told me something about disagreements that I have seen occur over and over and over... Basically, when someone gets angry or does some sort of kneejerk reaction, they probably realize that they have the weaker position and they are mad about it.

Now for the solution that I think will work:

PSLSource.com has a pretty slick site - maybe the best one out there for what they do. However, if they keep treating..um.."potential customers" as if they don't matter, someone else will treat "potential customers" as what they are: Actual Customers. It doesn't matter if you have the slickest site, good old capitalism says that if someone can build the better mousetrap OR treat their customers like the gold they are, they will take over the market share. Look, building one of these sites is not all that complicated at all for any competent database web programmer. If I didn't have about ten thousand irons in the fire, I would think about doing it myself.

I later found out that the person who figuratively kicked my tuckas off of PSLSource.com is actually the owner of the site. So it appears he is running a one-man show - i.e. he is Sales, Marketing, Order Processing, Clerical....etc. What this fellow needs in the worst way is a Business Coach - he just doesn't need it, he is screaming for it.

A business coach is someone who mentors entrepreneurs, managers...well just about anybody in the world of business - but the market for business coaches was made out of mentoring the Mom & Pop businesses of the world. A great business coach will assess your qualities to determine your strengths, your weaknesses, what people you deal with effectively and obviously which ones you struggle with as well. They will listen to you, help you lay out a plan for your business, set goals - i.e. "coach" you to success.

I have been fortunate to know one of the best business coaches in the world - Harvey Smith of Carolina Business Coach. Harvey is a major reason why Walkin' Willie's Comix is cash flow positive and on course to have the best year ever in the 21+ years of our existence. That ain't bad...

So continuing my unasked for advice to the owner of PSLSource.com, don't walk but RUN to Carolina Business Coach - things might be great now but if you continue to treat customers the way you do, it won't be long until someone steals your customers. Remember, PSL selling sites are not hard at all to make so customer service - or the lack thereof - is how you will differentiate yourself. If you go through the program at Carolina Business Coach, you will thank me....I guarantee it.

Now that ended positively - just the way we like it....

UPDATE 4/5/2012: Just sold my three PSLs to a very nice family today and without a broker to boot so things are lookin' great! Baby's gonna get a new pair of shoes!

The WORST Comic Book Lots EVER!

No...we aren't talking content - more like condition. Any of you that follow my eBay auctions know that I have been putting up some really rancid looking comics the past month. I scored the worst condition collection of my life back in early December - there were literally 10 to 15 books that I just had to throw away and that was AFTER keeping some of the COVERLESS books. Thing is, it was all DC, Marvel, Gold Key, Dell and Charlton Silver Age with about 30% Bronze Age from the same publishers - couldn't pass it up and got it on the cheap which is the only way a dealer can ever make any money in comics these days. Well that and digging out a book that can fetch a high CGC grade... but I digress...

Anyway, I decided to have some fun with them by telling like it is - i.e. these are the "WORST lots EVER on eBay" and describing them as such. So after a month, we are finally down to the last few lots - four of them ending tonight (Tuesday, 1/24/2012) and the remaining 12 lots ending this Sunday (1/29/2012).

So the clock is ticking to check out some really LOOOOOW grade comics - I mean some really horrible looking stuff....Enjoy!

Need Shipping Supplies? Don't Buy From BrownCor

Gotta get this off my chest.... Like many small merchants, I buy my shipping supplies in bulk from various packing supply companies. I've bought from BrownCor (packing tape), ULine (mostly white shipping boxes), Bubblefast (bubble wrap) and Bags Unlimited (comic specialty items - boxes usually). I buy from these different companies because of quality and price.

Well, that changed this week after placing an order with BrownCor. I placed the order on Tuesday, 1/10/2012 and used my PayPal Debit/Credit card. I was charged $88.77 immediately for the cost of the case of packing tape - but no shipping charges. BrownCor then charged me $99.09 on 1/12/2012 - an amount that includes $8.80 for shipping and $7.13 for Tax (doesn't say "Sales Tax" on the invoice, just "Tax"). I e-mailed BrownCor on 1/12/2012 and asked what gives - i.e. I am out $187.96 from my PayPal balance and there is no tracking number for the shipment. I am writing this on Saturday morning (1/14/2012) and there STILL is no tracking number... and I ordered this case of packing tape on Tuesday....

BrownCor did e-mail me back on Thursday and said the following:

"William,

The $88.77 amount will drop off. When you first place an order there is an allocation run on your card for the original amount and then when the order ships, the total plus shipping is charged. I apologize for the inconvenience."

So in other words, this is 2012 and BrownCor cannot figure out shipping charges on their products when they are ordered. BrownCor had four days to ship my order but it hasn't shipped yet and my PayPal balance is still out the original $88.77 and will be until at least Monday as BrownCor is closed on the weekends.

So get this: I ordered some boxes from ULine on Thursday, 1/12/2012 and received them on Friday, 1/13/2012 and was only charged ONCE and there was NO SALES TAX.

Anyway, I e-mailed BrownCor - well, replied to the e-mail I was sent - and let them know that this was an intolerable situation and at a minimum, I needed the "allocation run" removed today (Friday, 1/13/2012) and get my $88.77 back - well, that didn't happen so like I said, I am out the $88.77 until Monday at the earliest. On top of that, they have had my order for four days and haven't shipped it. WOW!

If I treated my customers this way, I wouldn't have any....period. So I am down to three packing supply companies that I will buy from as it will have to get mighty cold WAY DOWN BELOW before I ever order from BrownCor again.

Whew! Glad that is off my chest.... Hope everybody else is having a nice day!

Well, Happy New Year and time to get off my duff....

Can't believe I've been over three months without blogging - maybe I was in an alternative continuity....who knows? But I'm back so to speak and have a lot on my mind so check back often during the next few weeks.

Anyway, I've been beta testing a new social plugin for Wishpond.com where you can promote a special deal for your website on Facebook - sort of like Groupon. Anyway, the "deal" is for a CGC 9.8 copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #115 Zombie Variant for a mere pittance of $29.00 with free U.S. Shipping. Signing up for the deal runs out Tuesday night (1/10/2012).

Also been eBaying my lil' butt off these days. Scored a collection of some of the most beat up Silver and Bronze Age comics EVER, selling them in lots and promoting them as the WORST lots EVER. Read the auctions, check out the scans and you can tell that there is definitely TRUTH in advertising.

Finally for now anyway... been putting up a bunch of modern CGC books over at wwillie.com - check 'em out.

Sorry for all the e-commerce talk (well, sort of...) - will get back to fomenting my opinions very shortly...

Underground Comics - Random Thoughts...

Just wrote a little missive on Underground Comics (or Comix as a lot of them were called) over at Walkin' Willie's Comix Discount Books and you can read it here. Basically, I found a box of Underground Comix, have got them all up on eBay right now and this little piece is about some of what I found there as well as my first experiences with this forbidden slice of 1970's Americana. So please take a look if you are so inclined.....

So Long and Good Luck to Dragon*Con!

Well, for anybody that has cruised by here over the last year knows that Walkin' Willie's Comix is pretty much getting out of trades and hardcovers (unless they are in a collection) so it is with mixed feelings that I say so long and the best of luck to the venerable Dragon*Con going on this weekend. Anyone that has ever attended Dragon*Con knows how special the show is - your truly has been to at least 16 or 17 of them.

The deal is that you really can't sell single issue comics very well at Dragon*Con anymore like you could in the early '90s when all the big dealers like Showcase New England, Motor City Comics, etc. would show up with all their shiny stuff. The show has morphed into a multi-media pop culture event in which comics is only one of something like 34 programming tracks. Dragon*Con gets pretty darn good comic book guests every year but very, few comic book dealers. I think I counted seven comic book dealers in the room last counting myself. But I digress....

I learned about five years ago that the only thing you can really count on selling at Dragon*Con is trades/graphic novels/hardcovers - well, comic-wise that is... And we did a boffo business doing just that the past few years. Thing is, Dragon*Con is only once a year and it is nearly impossible to sell trades online unless you find them in collections or Marvel Comics does one of their WAY too regular blowouts (after dealers have already paid full wholesale three months before..). Go to Amazon and check out the lists of trade paperbacks and graphic novels at HALF of wholesale price or LOWER. That's just not a place in which I chose to compete.. um, because I just can't and there are too many other more lucrative areas of comics to sell online anyway (CGC books, out of print hardcovers, discount books from collections, etc.).

Still, I miss the show - there is SO much going on and the attendees are so creative in their costumes. But I sure don't miss the setup or the tear down or closing at 7:00 p.m. each day. Heck, by the time you got back to the hotel after securing your booth, counted your money and took a shower, it was nearly 9:00.

So as far as dealin' at Dragon*Con, I can't see that happening ever again unless I run into the trade paperback collection of all time. One of these days I'm gonna go down there as just a fan.... yeah, I'll show 'em.

Finally, thanks to all the wonderful folks that stopped by the booth over the years - you are what makes Dragon*Con so special.

Anyway, got a nice little batch of comics going on eBay next Sunday (9/11/2011) and some more of the CGC stuff, Marvel Premiere Classic Variants and Marvel Masterwork Trade Paperback Variants going up tomorrow night (9/4/2011). Will talk about next Sunday's eBay stuff at the beginning of the week - it's worth a blog article for sure.

Classic ASP And Internet Explorer 9 Need To Learn To Play Nice!

Well if any of you folks have tried to buy a lousy comic off of our discount site at walkinwilliescomix.com the last couple of weeks, you have probably run into VERY SLOOOOOOW page loading times.

After much teeth gnashing and head beating, I found a forum post where some other poor, hapless soul was experiencing the same problem.

The bottom line is that if you update your Windows 2008 server with IE9, the new browser drops a new VB Script dll (i.e. program) that confuses the heck out of Classic ASP when it has to fetch some data from your database and our site ain't nuthin' BUT fetching data. We were experiencing 22 second page load times - look, 22 seconds may not sound like a lot of time but when you are waiting for a page to load, it's like being in 3rd grade and waiting for 3:00 to roll around - it's a freakin' eternity!!!!!

Anyway....life is good but this poor ol' comic dealer sure wishes you would take your peepers over to Walkin' Willie's Comix Discount Books and buy about a 100 books.... sure would cheer me up......

Ok...Need To Rev Up The Facebook Traffic....

As in my last post, I mentioned that Walkin' Willie's Comix has a new Facebook Page. Maybe it was some deep rooted narcissistic persona that made me think that multitudes would come - nay, RUN - over to Ol' Willie's latest foray into the Wild World Web. Alas it wasn't to be..... probably because you have to OFFER something to get something back...

So humbly, Ol' Willie is tying the proverbial steak around his neck to get the dogs...um, internet patrons... to play with him. So if you do "Like" the page, you will have access to 20% DISCOUNT COUPONS for both the wwillie.com (CGC and specialty trades/hardcovers) and www.walkinwilliescomix.com (deeply discounted comic books) websites! Coupon codes will be updated monthly so come back often and check us out.

By the way, remember when I said not to shop at www.wwillie.com? Well, forget what I said as inventory is totally up-to-date now (always was at www.walkinwilliescomix.com) - there isn't a ton of merchandise there but a lot of CGC books and a few specialty trades and hardcovers. More to come!

Odds And Ends.....

Just a few musings about stuff. Charlotte ComiCon was fantastic! Went there with around 45 short boxes of trades and six long boxes of mostly bronze age stuff and came back with nuttin'! Not one stinkin' trade, hardcover or comic to be found in my car on the way back. Thing is, we made decent money as well. The sad news - at least for me - is that is the last con for Ol' Willie will set up at for quite awhile - probably 2 years or so. The next show I go to will be to BUY some books - will take my time and build the collection up.

In the meantime, I am busy trying to scale down and I'm eBaying just about everything I can lay my hands on at the warehouse. Came across a 1994 Chicagoland Enviromint Carolina Panthers Pure Silver Coin that I had forgotten I had bought back when the Panther's franchise first started. So what the heck - up it goes on eBay. More weird stuff to follow....

The big little deal is that Walkin' Willie's Comix is now on Facebook! I've done the personal Facebook deal for awhile but now it is time - well, WAY past time - to do a little marketing Facebook style. Great place to throw out short bursts that have a little more meat on the bone than Twitter. So if you read this, check out my page and if you "like" the page, that would be great (and thanks in advance...).

More to come....

Walkin' Willie's Last Picture Show? Say It Ain't So!

Well, OK - it ain't.... but this Sunday's Charlotte ComiCon will be my last comic convention as a dealer for probably two years or more. If you have read any of my recent blog articles, you know that Walkin' Willie's Comix is getting out of the trade paperback and hardcover business.

Why? It is just too hard to compete with Amazon. Need an example, then just check out The Walking Dead Volume 13 over there - sellers are pitching that for less than half price and if you include Amazon's super high selling fees, those dealers had to get that book at nearly 60% off to make anything at all! If I had a Dragon*Con to go to every month, it would be one thing but with the margin pressure from Amazon, it's time to go in a different direction. I am quietly building a vintage comic collection and will be back on the show circuit in about two years. Instead of schlepping 100+ short boxes full of trades, gridwire, extra tables, wood bookcases (big ones...) and all kinds of supplies, I'll be down to 20 or so mag boxes of comics along with a modest display - set up and break down in under an hour!

But I digress.... the big deal for you, the comic fan is that Ol' Willie will be blowing out all trades and hardcovers at this week's show at 80% off of the retail price printed on the book (i.e. the price located within or close to the barcode area). I'm bringing 45 boxes of this stuff and will probably auction or blow out the rest of it to another dealer at the end of the show. Bring lots o' cash as no cards will be taken with discounts THIS big.

After 20 years of doing shows, the only thing I will miss are the fans and the dealers - it's been a lot of fun but I won't miss load up, set up, break down and load out AT ALL!

Thanks to all the fans who have supported Walkin' Willie's Comix through the years - couldn't have done this as long as I have without your support. But enough of all this sentimental crap - go to your nearest ATM, draw out as much cash as the bank will allow and come on down to Charlotte, NC this weekend and burn Ol' Willie a new one!