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BoomerBikerOnline.com
Tip of the Week # 20 New Legislation and Team Buying First, I'd like to take a minute to go back to Tip of the Week # 4, in October 2007 to update you all on the latest developments in the world of CFL (Compact Florescent Lighting) We'll all be kissing our beloved incandescent light bulb goodbye in the not too distant future. In December 2007, just before the start of the New Year, President Bush signed an 822-page energy bill into law after it was delivered to him with plenty of hype via transport in a Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle. The House passed this energy bill by a 314-100 vote after it was also approval by the Senate. Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said this new legislation will boost the energy efficiency of "almost every significant product and tool and appliance that we use, from light bulbs to light trucks." The phase-out of incandescent light - you know - those bulbs you can buy 4 for a dollar just about anywhere - is to begin with the 100-watt bulb in 2012 and end in 2014 with the 40-watt. All light bulbs must use 25 percent to 30 percent less energy by 2014. By 2020, bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient than they are today. And that's not a new idea; Australia already announced an outright ban of incandescent lighting by 2010.
Although CFL bulbs currently have challenges of their own, including, · they cost a lot more · they are manufactured using traces of mercury · they have problems dimming (some actually do dim now) · their light is harsher however they do perform as advertised in the energy savings department. On average we all should realize about a 60% savings on our electricity bill by switching to CFL. And, anyway, I think its reasonable to assume that by the time this legislation takes full effect, most of the current problems with CFL bulbs should be resolved. While I would be the first to agree with CFL detractors who site cost and environmental issues, it's still my opinion that switching to CFL is the right thing to do in the long run. Besides, collectively speaking, the more CFL bulbs we buy, the cheaper they will become and the sooner we'll all start to realize their energy savings. So, all of us here in the good ole U.S.A. should get with the program, kick back, relax and let the law of SUPPLY and DEMAND take over. Supply and Demand - that's a pretty good segue into this week's topic of discussion -- Tuangou! (Translation - team buying, China's fast growing shopping craze) The concept of Team Buying took root in China sometime in late '05 or '06 when some savvy shoppers in the land of the Hammer and Sickle finally started to realize the power of collective bargaining. Team buying combines the power of the Internet to compare prices and to find enough other buyers to become eligible for group discounts. Now, we're not talking about forming labor unions or anything like that -- after all, it's a pretty sure bet that their government would frown on that type of civil behavior. But what we are talking about is free enterprise and the laws of Supply and Demand that set the value of products and services based upon popularity and availability. Add cell phones, instant messaging and the internet to this equation and you've got yourself a Tuangou and here's how it works! Typically, Chinese shoppers who are looking for a specific product or service, find each other online through the use of team-buying websites like www.020tgw.com. And once the connection is made, Tuangou participants use their cell phones and instant messages to rendezvous offline at a specified time and place and take full advantage of the power of collective bargaining to drive down the price and negotiate special deals. Some team buyers approach store managers beforehand, others simply show up and flex their collective muscle. Websites like www.020tgw.com., which has signed up more than 10,000 members since it launched a couple of years ago, are spreading like wildfire in China these days. The aim is to bring together distributors of branded goods with potential customers and earn commission from successful team buys. These sites host web forums, where teams with similar interests form. By joining a trip arranged by these websites, shoppers have a much higher chance of success compared with unannounced team buys formed without the assistance of a team-buying website. Furthermore, Website organizers say they also can give peace of mind to shoppers by accompanying them to the store to make sure that branded goods are genuine and that vendors provide after-sales service on electronics. Participants have learned that there's more power in a group and less chance of being cheated during the transaction. Tuangou in China translates to SWARMING in the US. Boulder, Colorado based eSwarm -- http://eswarm.com/index.php?module=concept&id=2 - is one of the sites to check out on this side of the world if you have an interest in banding together (swarming) to flex you collective shopping muscle. Their aim is to bring buyers and sellers together with a model that is similar to bulk buying clubs. Here's how it works. Buyers register for a free account then join current swarms (groups of buyers) or create new ones. Swarms can be focused on any consumer good, debt refinancing, pre-paid gift and debit cards and even insurance products. Sellers then bid for the business. The theory is that the larger the swarm, the more attractive it will be to sellers. Once a seller lodges a first bid, membership to the swarm is frozen and other businesses have 48 hours to counter bid. eSwarm also provides charities and organizations with a fundraising tool; creators of swarms can stipulate that a percentage of the total sale is donated to their charity of choice. The site is still in BETA and there's not a lot of activity yet, but it is growing. CEO Tim Newcomb claims that eSwarm is a "global economic revolution;" It isn't yet, but who knows? NetHaggler NetHaggler is was a US based e Commerce platform and shopping companion. Consumers can could look for a specific item than "tag" it with a price, they would be willing to pay. NetHaggler is currently not available and those what surf to their site -- Are now greeted by this message: NetHaggler will be Back with a Bang - Soon! Over the last couple of months, NetHaggler welcomed users to register and use our beta features. Based on the valuable lessons we learnt from our customers' usage patterns and direct feedback, we will be revamping a few of our existing features and are working on launching a couple of exciting new features. If you are an existing user, you will still be able to use the toolbar to tag items and when the prices drop NetHaggler will send you a price drop alert. Check back with us in a few weeks or look for a press and blog release. Thank you for your support and appreciate your patience as we make our features robust.
Sincerely, The NetHaggler Team info@nethaggler.com BoomerBikerOnline wishes them luck too! Consumers are getting smarter at buying online. E-commerce in 2007 ammounted to more than $160 billion in the US through October. This new wave of team buying is bound to spur additional e-commerce sales. Ebay already prooved the potential of online auctions. If the trend of team buying really catches on here, as it has in China, more online sites and retailers will be forced to participate, wheather they like it or not. GroupBuyCenter.com -- http://www.groupbuycenter.com/ - This site is still active and specializes in car parts. And that just gave me a GREAT IDEA! Here's another suggestion for all of my BoomerBikerOnline Members. I think that it would be a really great idea to take advantage of the SECURITY, STABILITY AND PRIVACY of our discussion form to SWARM amoung yourselves and come up with specific suggestions about the types of goods and services that you'd like to see offered for sale on our upcoming Shopping Cart. By letting me know the specifics of what you'd like to purchase from this site and building the needed critical mass with your swarms, your efforts will give me the ammo I need to negotiate better product and services deals from the appropriate suppliers. Sounds like a plan to me. That's it for this week, but before I go, I'd like to remind and encourage all of you to share your thoughts with all of us here a BoomerBikerOnline.com. We can always be reached at: webmaster@boomerbikeronline.com Take a minute to stay in tough, we'd love to hear from you.
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