Author Topic: Online shopping alternatives? (Read 20200 times)

Benjamin · « **on:** June 22, 2003, 01:17:02 am »

I've recently become rather annoyed with the policy changes over at CafeShops and how they're squeezing more money directly out of the shop owners that already facilitate their ability to make money in the first place.
Anyways... I'm looking for alternatives to CafeShops now... and am curious if anyone has any suggestions?
So far, I've seen Zazzle and 99 Dogs. Does anyfur here know of others? Please share.

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I'm sorta leaning toward Zazzle right now, but the experience with CafeShops has made me a bit hesitant to jump into this sort of thing for the time being. ':p'

Benjamin

« **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2003, 09:14:01 pm »

The way I see it is: If you spend 10$ a month to have your art sold on a site you had better pull in ten times that a month to consider that venture worth while. Dont know much about cafeshops but I am aware of what they are....they seem to suck more money up then what they are worth.

« **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2003, 09:16:13 pm »

Oh and on another note..--->Zazzle is selling posters for 89$...something says rip-off...

Benjamin · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2003, 11:59:39 pm »

CafeShops' paid shops are pretty much useless unless you've got a lot of sales going constantly. I just used their free shops, myself.
As for the posters at Zazzle, the price isn't that unrealistic for a large scale poster. I work at a print & copy shop in town here, and we charge about $7 (Canadian) per square foot of the poster, so the price of a large poster gets real steep real fast. The paper and ink for doing up a large custom poster is not cheap. If you mass produce posters, it's much cheaper, but for a place that does them as just a few at a time at most, the price goes up really, really fast.

Benjamin

« **Reply #4 on:** June 28, 2003, 05:34:44 am »

So you found one your going to stay with yet?

Benjamin · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2003, 07:15:23 pm »

Not yet.
CafeShops made some amendments to their proposed changes to their TOS... but I don't think they eliminated the demand that they get their shop owners' tax info (S.I.N. or whatever applies)... which I'm still not cool with. They're not directly employing me, so they have no business in having my social insurance number. ':p'

Benjamin

« **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2003, 05:17:43 am »

Ahh see in america no one gives a crap about social security numbers...its just a way to check and see if you are really who you say you are.

Patrick Rangerwolf · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2003, 01:28:26 pm »

I can't blame Benjamin for being wary. In the wrong hands, a social insurance or social security number is a deadly weapon. You can't let just anyone have that number.

Benjamin · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2003, 04:11:53 pm »

Indeed, Son of Earth.
They can probably quite easily get information on you that they have no business to aquire, and I believe they can also make (false/illegal) claims against you that can affect your credit rating and whatnot. It could get ugly, and if it does, it'd be difficult to fix at times, I'm sure. Heh.

Benjamin

Patrick Rangerwolf · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2003, 02:33:29 pm »

The news is filled with those kinds of ugly tales. Be careful, everyone.

« **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2003, 08:17:35 am »

Would it matter if I said one could randomly pick any name in a phone book and grab their social security number? WOuld it matter if I said that you can just randomly type numbers for anything needing a social security number as well? See it just to verify you are who you say you are. It truely cant have any effect on ones crdit. Thats only bank account numbers, check stubs, passcard passwords, and debt cards.

Better to err on the side of caution. But you cant get blood from a stone.

Im just a stone that deals with cash only unless some one else is paying me. Go ahead...mess with my credit, I already own the house. *Winks*

Benjamin · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2003, 08:59:01 pm »

I'm pretty sure there's a reason why so many people advise everyone to be cautious with who they share their social insurance number with. I know the government in Canada here tracks peoples' taxes, jobs, and financial details by using their SIN as an identification.

Benjamin

« **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2003, 10:54:21 pm »

Yeah they can do that in america with just your name so it doesnt really amtter much. Canada is a different country...it may be more important there.

Benjamin · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2003, 12:53:43 am »

Actually, a co-worker of mine once worked in a credit company of some sort and he said all they need is a name here, too. It's sorta dangerous, I guess. Bleah. ':p'

Benjamin