Great Deals for Online Shoppers in "SS2BM" Promotion

The "Summer Solstice to Blue Moon" (or "SS2BM") promotion organised by community members of Pheebay.com is aimed at promoting alternative marketplace and auction sites to Ebay.com. The event commenced on the 21st June (the Summer Solstice) and is set to run until 30th June (the Blue Moon). Many of the auction sites that are participating in Pheebay.com's "SS2BM" (Summer Solstice to Blue Moon) promotion have offered a series of special offers to customers in an attempt to entice them away from Ebay to the smaller, more family-run auction sites. QXL.co.uk (QXL.L) have shown some intent to claw

some of the UK market back from Ebay.inc by scrapping insertion fees for the "SS2BM" event and beyond. Tazbar.com have also made a series of special offers and launched competitions for buyers and sellers. Other auction sites such as British based GBauctions and community-led bideasynow have also offered a series of incentives for customers. Some sites have launched some novelty and celebrity auctions, such as Zolanta.com, where a 'kiss' from the model Melinda Messenger can be won in a charity auction; the proceeds will be donated towards Breast Cancer Awareness.

US based auction sites such as Webidz, Hibidder, Overnightauctions, and Half-Moon Auctions are also taking part. With the weak dollar in mind, many UK and European shoppers can find some exchange rate bargains available. Most of the sellers participating in the "SS2BM" promotion are offering a 10% discount on items. Such items can be found by searching for "SS2BM" in the various auction site's product search. A couple of sellers' community sites have sponsored the event, including the US based Powersellersunite.com (also known as PSU). Members of PSU often complain that Ebay's and Paypal's commission fees eat up a significant amount of profits. As one seller explained: "online shoppers may find more generous discounts on Ebay alternatives. Many Ebay sellers try to offset the high fees charged by adding them on to postage costs. In our experience, customers hate being overcharged for postage, which is why alternative auction sites to Ebay give you peace of mind that postage charges are fair." More competitions and special offers are planned during SS2BM. More details will be released throughout the event and regular updates can be found in the "SS2BM" forums at Pheebay.