On Online Pre-Orders and Resellers

Along with reading random blogs come a myriad of online stores sprouting out like mushrooms. These two always come hand in hand especially if you happen to browse a very commercial blog. I don't take it against any of them, whoever approached who is already out of my business. In fact, I'm glad that I do have some source of online stores which can be the best alternative when "physical" shopping is too tight for my day's schedule.

Online stores are good. But there are two things that disappoint me when I open and browse some seemingly interesting stores - the term "pre-order" and those moments when you see stuff that are being sold are total rip off from a China-based wholesale site and are insanely expensive. A combination of the two is the worst.

The concept of pre-order insults me. It insults me in such a way that I feel my seller is taking advantage of me. I mean, you are in a business - take that risk in shelling out your hard earned money and INVEST. Choose your judgement. Never just lazily copy all that are available in a site and paste them in your store, waiting for your buyers to tell you what they want. Tell them what they want. I browse in online stores to instantaneously get my hands on the stuff that I drool. Delaying gratification is not the thing of online stores. Online stores are personal shoppers, they should not be personal buyers.

These whole reselling thing is not bad. After all, it is impossible that every store in Multiply and Facebook can manufacture their own merchandise. That is why we have China. Go on, get your stuff from China but charging too much is already something. Come on, it is not rocket science to discover your suppliers. They are just there, waiting to be "googled". An easy, no sweat Php1000 mark up for every pair of shoe? Uhm, for me it is too much.

Be responsible. Be responsible enough to sweat off just to earn something. That's what will set you apart from a gazillion of online sellers.