Silk Road forums
Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: Willy Wonka on July 31, 2011, 07:23 pm
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With the Bitcoin & Scammers this business is starting to get unprofitable and a real PTA.
the bitcoin has not been good to me, i first started when it was up in the 20-30 range & did a good amount of transactions during that time & took huges hits on the fluctuation. This is obviously better now with the hedged escrow but since things have slowed down it doesn't make up for the losses.
myshitcoin down possibly losing more
I consider my product a specialty gourmet confection, locally i command the exact same prices & have never had one complaint. Not sure what the deal is here but getting ridiculous quality comments (guy says he ate 6 reds and never felt a thing, pfft whatever dude). I am very proud of my product & straight up seller that would be willing to compensate anyone that isn't happy for any reason if it wasn't for all the scammers and lack of buyer feedback.
I love the concept of silk road & want to be here but am seriously considering just keeping it local. No complaints that i can do nothing about, scammers or bitcoin issues.
If i do stay it looks like i will have to lower my prices, even though local market has held that up fine. Which puts my margins at a very questionable level. ugh. why bother. if i stay its to be a part of the revolution. viva la silk road.
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Stick around, I have been wanting to order some of your products, just have not had much cash lately. In 2 weeks I would love to place an order if you still have product up. Best of luck to you..
I understand where your coming from though for sure. I think your prices are very fair.
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With the Bitcoin & Scammers this business is starting to get unprofitable and a real PTA.
the bitcoin has not been good to me, i first started when it was up in the 20-30 range & did a good amount of transactions during that time & took huges hits on the fluctuation. This is obviously better now with the hedged escrow but since things have slowed down it doesn't make up for the losses.
myshitcoin down possibly losing more
I consider my product a specialty gourmet confection, locally i command the exact same prices & have never had one complaint. Not sure what the deal is here but getting ridiculous quality comments (guy says he ate 6 reds and never felt a thing, pfft whatever dude). I am very proud of my product & straight up seller that would be willing to compensate anyone that isn't happy for any reason if it wasn't for all the scammers and lack of buyer feedback.
I love the concept of silk road & want to be here but am seriously considering just keeping it local. No complaints that i can do nothing about, scammers or bitcoin issues.
If i do stay it looks like i will have to lower my prices, even though local market has held that up fine. Which puts my margins at a very questionable level. ugh. why bother. if i stay its to be a part of the revolution. viva la silk road.
quitters never win bro.
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don't quit .... if anything this is an opportunity to improve your business model.
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+1 Staying
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Yeah, I know what you mean, this is starting to look like bullshit to me as well.
Like, I recall when someone first pointed out a new search engine to me, back when the market was crowded. Some new company called google. Shit, I thought, they can't even spell googol right. I'll stick with Alta Vista, the King of search engines.
Or the day I saw Steve Jobs announce this ridiculous thing called an ipod. A thing the size of a pack of cigarettes that held like 10 mb worth of music. Man, what the fuck is Apple thinking, they have decent computers, but a fucking music box?
Or Facebook, man I recall when that silly thing started. Just like myspace, only you have to have an .edu address from one of a few Universities/ Colleges to join. Man, that's never gonna go anywhere.
So yeah, take it from me.
You're absolutely wasting your time here.
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I sincerely hope that SR doesn't blow up like any of those things. The main benefit of SR atm is the anonymous, relatively underground aspect of it. The more people that use it, the more A holes are likely to get on here and ruin it for everyone. Sorry you are having trouble WW but I had hoped to try your product eventually so plz stay. But yes I will agree, too many scammers and the like that are hurting this community.
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Here's another vote for staying, I've been eying your product for awhile and will probably buy some soon. Here's a few ideas from a buyer's perspective. First, don't fret so much about your rating unless it drops below 90. As ratings continue to accumulate I predict the amount of 100 rated sellers will lower a lot, and a 95 rating isn't really that bad, especially when you have a product as unique as yours.
It also seems like you're using your main page to communicate with unhappy customers, which is okay, except it's getting cluttered now and is difficult to read. You're obviously learning about expectations management, and the importance of letting people know what they can expect from the product. I myself have never had hard candy edibles, but I've researched them and know you just can't make them strong enough to get stoned from one piece. A lot of other people probably aren't aware of this.
The thing I would like to see most is some information on how much weed is in the candy. Maybe something like "5 candies = 1 gram weed", then I'd have a lot better idea what I should be ordering.
Finally, remember, the anonymity the internet provides means people are more likely to let you know when they are unhappy with a product. In real life they may not want to say anything, and instead just stop doing business with you. You should look at this as an opportunity to get valuable feedback you wouldn't otherwise get.
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thanks for all the encouragement, not one negative comment or smartass.
i guess i've been taking the criticism a bit personal, i like the product & use it daily & very proud of it. Unfortunate that i couldn't keep the system going of the 3 levels of potency. Its a one candy show for now.
Cleaned up the profile a bit & made the latest batch 30+ % stronger. I am a bit obsessed about losing my high user rating. Hopefully these improvement will translate to sold reviews/ratings.
I'm going to stick it out a few more months see if things get more consistent. viva la silk road!
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I'm going to stick it out a few more months see if things get more consistent. viva la silk road!
+1
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Willy 'on the road again' wonka
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Stick around. I would love to send you some more business (criticism free) if you can ever figure out a way to get that international shipping working. ;)
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lol viva la silk road indeed.
I gotta say Im with you man. I strive for perfection and a happy customer but for whatever reason, some peeps will never be happy.
You sound like you are doing SR community a service anyway because you do well locally.
So if I were losing money I would just stick local until things settle hopefully with the bitcoin and maybe a little buyer feedback ;D then you have the option to only trade with reputable customers
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Please stick it out. You've got a great and interesting product, and I'd be sad to see it leave.
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I think maybe a number of your buyers who posted bad reviews just had a difference in expectation vs. what they got. Maybe they just read 'cannabis hard candy', hit the buy button, and were expecting to be knocked on the floor... who knows. I think having one product line will be better for your business, even though it seems like you're 'dumbing things down' or catering to the least common denominator, it can help standardize buyer's expectations. Or something like that, I don't really know.
Anyway I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement and to thank you for being a vendor here, even though I personally haven't bought from you or tried your product, I am glad to have you here with us.
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Sorry to hear about the troubles you've had. I ordered from you and couldn't have been happier. I think the strength is/was perfect. In fact, I ate one that was a little bit too strong while at work, not realizing how stoned I was going to get. That was an interesting day 8). I hope you keep going, I will definitely be ordering again. I believe I am local so if you do go that route, I'd like to find a way to contact you.
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Trusted. Send BTC ahead of time to prevent market flux problems.
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im waiting for the part sad ol willy pulls out his everlasting gobstopper
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I've never tried any of your product, but you have my vote for staying. SR needs people like you, dedicated and honest sellers, to run well. Be the change you want to see!
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I had an order with you which you canceled because you suddenly couldn't figure out how to do international shipping and I am still waiting for a PM from you to say you have your stuff figured out so I can replace the order. There was some one else in your feedback thread who had the same issue. I don't know about that person, but for me, if I can complete 1 successful order with you and your product works as advertised, I'd be placing a new order every few weeks forever. If he/she was the same that's 2 repeat customers you voluntarily canceled orders with.
If that sounded like I was ticked, I am not. I understand about sellers minimizing risks. However, I have hash and weed sent to me, homemade candy should not be an issue. My point is, if you are complaining about profit here, in sincerity, and not trying to drum up more business with am the "I am leaving SR, feel bad and buy from me" tactic, I think you need to look at your business model.
From my perspective, your product is perfect for international shipment as its practically guaranteed to make it through customs. What customs agent is going to flag hard candy? So I have no clue why you suddenly stopped international shipment, but that is costing you at least 2 customers and, I would guess, a lot more. You have hedged bitcoin now to offset fluctuation. If you are not making enough money, could it be because you limited your own customer pool?
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Hah, no this was a serious dilemma, the escrow hedging helps but still taking a beating this week with the drop & my normal method of exit interrupted.
I will look into it again. As far as i can figure i have to physically go into a post office to get international packages shipped. Thats unacceptable for me, no matter how much $'s are involved. Sure once or twice would be fine but repetition & having to possibly handle the package un-gloved is not going to work.
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Keep it going strong WillyWonka. You offer an impeccable service. I, as a fellow honest merchant, have also suffered many losses due to the sporadic behavior in this business. But like you said it is revolutionary. We must all learn & grow from one another mistakes & mishaps together and then things can form off the foundation that we have set forth. Things are always unpredictable when something is new. It is those that take the risk to at least try that can make the difference between positive & negative. Therefore I must remain strong & cut my losses. Learn from past wrong doings & burst forward into a new & better light. And I MUST insist that you and all other honest merchants facing a similar dilemma do the same. Good luck to you all. May we lead this SilkeN RoaD to a LovelY ParadisE?
-MR. CranE-
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Like, I recall when someone first pointed out a new search engine to me, back when the market was crowded. Some new company called google. Shit, I thought, they can't even spell googol right. I'll stick with Alta Vista, the King of search engines.
oh yeah! i used to ALWAYS use altavista back in the good old days, even more awesome still punch it into your browser and its still there and still looks near identical to what it always did. someone give this man the awesome nostalgia award right now!
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If you go, please leave a way us former customers who appriciate your product and are on the up and up a way to order from you. I for one would miss your sweet goodies.
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I.m staying, even if it costs me money, jail time or my sanity.
I've simplified the product and made them even more potent in an effort to make everyone happy. The bitcoins are bothersome but should get better.
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I was actually going to order your product, but like many others, I'm very tight on cash. When I saw multiple comments about the strength being an issue, I decided against ordering.
The thing here is you have a lot of competition in the edible market, and if someone else has a much stronger product for much cheaper, why would I go with you?
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Not sure what the deal is here but getting ridiculous quality comments (guy says he ate 6 reds and never felt a thing, pfft whatever dude). I am very proud of my product & straight up seller that would be willing to compensate anyone that isn't happy for any reason if it wasn't for all the scammers and lack of buyer feedback.
You shouldn't take it too personally, a LOT of people say they don't feel anything when they eat THC, which I think is the same as those who don't get high the first time they smoke. In my limited personal experience making people baked goods all throughout college (I became known as someone you couldn't trust to take food from unless you explicitly asked me if there was weed in it, ha) these are the same individuals who ask you if they're high yet. (if you have to ask...) Inexperience with drug delivery methods and lack of mental clarity (no offense) can have big effects on how people respond to the same substance treatment.
In short, never give up, because I want to buy your shit.
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Don't split unless you have to. You could still be part of the community even if you need to take a break from being a vendor. BTc goes up and it comes down, most folks use these forums for vendor info and don't rely too much on the SR fb system unless the vendor is in the top 20 or so.