Comments on: Ztail Launches Innovative eBay Guarantee For Worry-Free Shopping

By: Screencast Tutorial Part 7 - Getting More Publicity | ProCasts' Blog about Professional Screencast Production

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:57:57 +0000

[...] to use your screencast if it is easy to embed - our Ztail screencast was used by TechCrunch (Ztail Launches Innovative eBay Guarantee) in their promo [...]

By: The News before The News » Commodity markets for the 21st century

The News before The News » Commodity markets for the 21st century — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:55:29 +0000

[...] came across Zerobeta’s blog recently (via Park Paradigm). An interesting insight into Ztail (TechCrunch): Whats interesting is if Ztail is selling naked puts on spot ipods, they have a synthetic position [...]

By: Latrina Cleanola

Latrina Cleanola — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:45:10 +0000

It sounds like a great differentiator for ecommerce sites. Some of the concerns raised above are relevant, but no one expects this service to appeal to everyone. The bottom line is that offering this service will help SOME online customers make the decision to click the “buy now” button, and that translates into increased conversion.

By: Latrina Cleanola

Latrina Cleanola — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:38:16 +0000

“nonsense” is aptly named.

By: Latrina Cleanola

Latrina Cleanola — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:35:32 +0000

He would have been a dirty old man if he asked to exchange massages, not messages.

By: My Thoughts on Ztail « zerobeta

My Thoughts on Ztail « zerobeta — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:02:13 +0000

[...] 14, 2009 in Markets, Technology Last week I came across a TechCrunch piece on a new compnay, Ztail. From TC: Today Ztail is introducing an innovative new service that may [...]

By: ProCasts Blog » Our Ztail screencast featured on TechCrunch

ProCasts Blog » Our Ztail screencast featured on TechCrunch — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:22:00 +0000

[...] me say – waking up to discover that our screencast for newly-relaunched US ecommerce site Ztail is featured in their TechCrunch coverage is really rather [...]

By: headphones

headphones — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:47:18 +0000

Wow, that’s pretty innovative, and a really cool concept. Agree with the write-up that a few tweaks are needed, but it’s a great start.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:31:08 +0000

Why so cynical, John?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:28:04 +0000

Dirty old man!!

By: hua

hua — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:12:31 +0000

i’m looking forward to using this service

By: John

John — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:09:57 +0000

What in the world are you talking about? This adds an entire extra layer of complexity and hassle for buying and selling an item. Ztail is just a middle man trying to come up with a creative way to take a cut out of a standard transaction.

Let me guess – you’re involved with ztail but not mentioning it?

By: dannyboy

dannyboy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:09:20 +0000

Seems very cool to me. If I’m on the fence about whether to buy the item, it’s nice to have the free option of selling it at a fixed price in the future. Much better than Craigslist or pawn shop that only gives me 50% of what it’s truly worth at that time.

Agree with the general sentiment that zTail needs more funding to assure the guarantee has value in future. Maybe backing by a stable player like AIG?

By: Euwyn

Euwyn — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:04:46 +0000

I don’t think it makes re-selling the item all that easy. You still have to deal with the eBay process and ship out the item. Does Ztail cover the eBay fees and shipping fees? Even if they do, there’s a time investment on your end. It would be amazing if they gave you a pre-paid box that you could you to return the product at the end of the year and get directly refunded, but then they probably wouldn’t be making any money.

By: Michael Lippert

Michael Lippert — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:34:56 +0000

What can I say, John. I’m cheap! Everything you say is true, but aren’t most of us too lazy to do it. That’s what makes this idea interesting … it removes the friction and makes re-selling an item easy.

By: nonsense

nonsense — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:49:52 +0000

Uhh… The Nazis tried this already. It’s called social security and medicare and it failed miserably. So now we have pensions for purchases?

Guaranteed price in a year? Clearly someone got an F in Capital Theory. Prices are hard enough to predict in a relatively stable environment, and even harder in the type of hard core communism and hyperinflation that we are headed towards. How are they going to guarantee a market for these products?

Lets hope they go public so I can short their stock.

By: Lucas Carlson

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:39:26 +0000

Wow, check out their deals on iMacs. This totally kicks Amazon’s butt.

http://www.ztai...0/desc?key=imac

By: John

John — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:42:55 +0000

This service is pointless.

For one resale value is trivial to ascertain via Ebay on ubiquitous items.

For two their guarantees are all on the low side, so it’s mostly a marketing smokescreen. On the odd event that you need to sell your item in a year, and you can’t meet their guaranteed minimum, you’re going through quite the hassle to save a few bucks.

For three this has all the potential makings of a quick flop, particularly with such low funding. Thus you’d be banking on a guarantee that may not exist in a year.

By: John

John — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:38:20 +0000

You are a portfolio manager of a mutual fund and a few extra bucks guaranteed on a potential resale down the road is going to convince you to purchase a $300 device? Like you can’t figure out the resale value of something as ubiquitous as an ipod via ebay now?

By: LH

LH — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:14:15 +0000

exactly. way too many holes in the process. On the way to the deadpool.

By: funny moments

funny moments — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:26:03 +0000

very good ideea

By: BEWARE of ebay Paypal!

BEWARE of ebay Paypal! — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:20:58 +0000

Thanks to ebay’s CEO, John Donahoe, and his current and damaging “Disruptive Innovation” policies, Ztail will have no power to stop the sellers from having their items stolen from them by their buyers, while Paypal (owned by ebay) gives those buyers refunds from the sellers’ accounts. Ztail will not suffer, when the sellers’ Feedback & DSRs are destroyed by bad buyers and they are banned from selling, either. It is the sellers’ accounts (not Ztail’s) which are frozen by Paypal for up to 180 days at Paypal’s “sole discretion” via Paypal’s User Agreement and it is the sellers’ interest on those withheld funds, that Paypal retains. Search the internet for “SPOTLIGHT: WATCHING OUT FOR YOUR SAFETY AND POCKETBOOK” to see what sellers on ebay are really dealing with. Those thinking they can resell their items on ebay need to know that “Sellers on eBay cannot state ‘no returns accepted’ if they are allowing PayPal to be a payment option for the listing”. Be advised that Oldenburg’s comments, blaming the credit card companies for sellers having their items stolen from them is VERY inaccurate. Per Paypal’s User Agreement, “PayPal retains full discretion to make a final decision”.

As long as ebay, with it’s corrupt policies and it’s incredibly despicable CEO (John Donahoe), is involved in the deal, I say NO THANK YOU! I’d rather deal with the sites which offer fairer and safer trading experiences. Thank you Amazon, Bonanzle, ebid, etsy, and so forth!

By: Tan The Man

Tan The Man — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:05:45 +0000

Would have been better years ago when people were still using eBay…

By: NeiB

NeiB — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:16:31 +0000

Not really Scott, as I understand it, buying thru ZTail gives you the option to sell, not the obligation – so its just insurance on your purchase should you wish to get rid of it.
Lots of items like strollers, iphones and yes – handbags fit into this category well.

BUT – how can they guarantee the sale?? Imagine a competitor comes out with something that blows the itouch away, for half the price. Or suddenly the stroller you bought is designated as being harmful to children – who is re insuring ZTail? Isn’t this just bring hooky crisis economics away from the derivatives world and into the real world??

By: Scott K

Scott K — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:01:28 +0000

Umm… Am I the only one who realizes that you are neither purchasing the item at a discount nor do you really “own” the item if you sell it in a year.

Basically you need to think of Ztail almost as a one-year rental service if you plan to sell it again via Ztail. Thinking of it that way will help you make a more informed decision about your purchase.

In the case of the Callaway Sand Wedge above, is it really a good idea to pay $60.47 to only own the item for a year?