DealitLive Live, Streaming Auctions
In what’s been described as “eBay meets YouTube” by some, the new auction site DealitLive.com launched in early May. It allows sellers to auction their items in real-time through video broadcasts online.
Through live chat, buyers can communicate directly with the seller to ask questions, ask for a specific demonstration, etc. The seller, through the live video feed, can show off the item, show how it works, show any flaws or problems, and more.
In a lot of ways, this is the Home Shopping Network, but with even more amateur sellers and worse video quality.
In another way, though, it’s an extremely empowering resource that could launch a new revolution in how online auctions are conducted. I’m sure eBay is paying attention to this, at the very least.
If a seller owns a web cam, a microphone, and a PC, he or she can list items on DealitLive. Like eBay, the site allows fixed price and immediate purchase options as well as traditional auction bidding. For the service, DealitLive collects a small 5% fee from the final price.
Another nice option is the ability to record the auction and, if the item doesn’t sell, list it on the site for up to a month as a re-run so that prospective buyers can view the pre-recorded auction and bid in a more traditional online auction-style atmosphere.
Live auctions can be pre-listed and scheduled so that buyers searching for a specific item can tune in for the real-time event to bid. Social networking can also play a part as users to the site can mark sellers as favorites and friends of those users can see that favorites list to check out those auctions as well.
Once the purchase has been made and the auction is done, DealitLive offers their own checkout service through which buyers can purchase the item using Authorize.net, PayPal (or PP Direct), and will soon also have the option of using Google Checkout.
Signing up to use the site is free and the only charge is for items listed for sale. This is a pretty cool idea and has the potential to catch on and become something not just useful, but fun too.
