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41 replies

Sparedollar to be acquired

S suzzeemacMember
This was just announced - don't know if it will be good or bad, but I am jumping ship anyway.



Posted - 03/20/2006 : 10:05:20 PM Show Profile Email Poster
Hello.. This is Greg one of the owners and Founders of inkFrog, inc.

I wanted to be the first to post to you all that inkFrog has acquired Sparedollar and Tomas will be joining the inkFrog team. I wanted to make this announcement here on the forums first because I know you all have had many questions about what has been happening with Sparedollar over the last several months. During this time we have been working with Tomas on this acquisition and are pleased to say it's finally here! Tomas will become a partner in inkFrog and be working with us.

We are very excited about purchasing Sparedollar and very excited to be working with Tomas. InkFrog and Sparedollar have always had the same philosophies and have always been the low cost leaders in Auction Management. This will NOT change!

I'm hoping this acquisition doesn't worry any of you. We are planning big things for all of you and will make up an extensive FAQ section to answer all of your questions regarding this. InkFrog and Sparedollar are very similar and are run in very similar ways. (inkFrog is a very small company and cares about its users!).

We know that your main worry is pricing and software. We completely understand this and assure you that you don't have to worry. We have developed brand new software that has the ease of use of SpareDollar and the powerful features of inkFrog. This software has not been released to inkFrog users or Sparedollar users yet. We will release it for everyone beginning this month or the first few weeks of April. We will also ensure that all of your data is seamlessly moved over to the new software and will make the transfer very simple and painless! We also are working on the pricing structure but assure you that we plan on blowing away the pricing barrier and will ensure that Sparedollar users have very little pricing changes while still getting a ton more features and 'stuff' (as I like to call it).

I know you all will have lots of questions :-), We will be keeping you all posted through each step. Please do NOT try to signup for our current inkFrog site now. Everyone (inkFrog and Sparedollar) users will be moved to our new site starting within weeks. We are very excited about this new software and will work with you each step of the transition. We also will be setting up extra support to ensure that any of your questions get answered.

I look forward to getting to know most of you and look forward to hearing your comments and feedback on our new site once it's released. If you have ever worked with inkFrog before you know that we listen to our customers and implement features and ideas they have into our software.

thx for listening to my long post, but i wanted to explain as much as possible before we do the press release about the purchase.

best regards,
Greg Sisung
InkFrog, inc.

Tomas

Forum Admin

USA
8510 Posts

Posted - 03/20/2006 : 10:08:14 PM Show Profile Visit Tomas's Homepage
I am very excited to confirm this announcement! We will be issuing a formal press release very soon and will be working on a detailed FAQ page. If you have any immediate questions or comments, please issue them here:

http://community.sparedollar.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=72365

[Edited title from: Sparedollar to be acquired by InkFrog -- just announced!]
Last edited {1}
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P pepedogMember
Hi Maggie,
I am sure that Tomas was forced to charge these higher fees! Ink Frog wanted this part of the deal over and calmed down before anouncing the merger. I would also bet that Tomas did not gain from the higher fees....it was just part of the merger.
This whole issue is making more sense to me now.
Tomas on his own probably would not of doubled the fees but had to to be a part of this whole picture.
I am still a member of SD but now I am very happy here at Auctiva!
Don't really know what to do!
I do know that I like Auctiva more and more every day!
quote:
Originally posted by Magie Noire:
So, Tomas lied. He doubled the fees to grab as much money as he could before the merger. No upgrades. Just more golf lessons. What I find odd is the blind loyalty by some SDers. It's almost co-dependent or something. Bizzare.
S suzzeemacMember
I feel sorry for all those people who paid their bill months in advance. I thought that was kinda strange when he offered everyone that deal; he had just about doubled the prices and things still weren't working right

I sure wasn't going to dump any advance money into the place after all the problems I was having w-the scheduler.

I am still trying to move things over from SD & figure out what I am doing here.
S suthrnjewlMember
quote:
Originally posted by suzzeemac:
I feel sorry for all those people who paid their bill months in advance. I thought that was kinda strange when he offered everyone that deal; he had just about doubled the prices and things still weren't working right

I sure wasn't going to dump any advance money into the place after all the problems I was having w-the scheduler.

I am still trying to move things over from SD & figure out what I am doing here.


Take the auctiva classes that are online!

They're great.

Plus, if you look for a posting Jeff (the CEO) made last night..a ticket to customer help will alleviate your time spent working so hard moving images.

Blessings,
Donna
Y yumyumMember
Hi all, I just came here last week too! This is what I just posted at SD on this subject:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
AK, yumyum, and any others.

I can understand people being upset with the way Tomas has handled both CS and this conversion.

I don't think you should extend that by taking out your frustrations on Greg.

Aside to yumyum-

You asked in a locked thread why I removed my post. Tomas gave the wrong link, and my reply was to that. I thought I had moved them to this thread, but either I didn't, or they were removed, so they are reposted below. I wasn't removing my posting, just moving it to the suggested thread.


Hi BF, I'm glad you just moved it here because I thought it was a well worded post and I didn't want it to go POOF!

I definitely did not even mean to extend anything over to Greg via my terse comments to Tomas, I am sorry if I came across that way.

I was trying to say I would be happier if Tomas wasn't in the picture at all, basically, and that his self imposed gag order this last 6 months or whatever it's been is not going to be made up for by his sudden eager bantering NOW.

Welcome Greg!! sorry I didn't think to use those words earlier, my bad, and I apologize.

Seriously Greg, though, Tomas has alienated and aggravated so many people I suggest you just try to duck when you are in his virtual vicinity and be warned so you don't "get any on ya", if you know what I'm saying?!

I am seeing you as a maybe rescuer, a possible liberator from the ghetto like conditions SD has been deteriorating into. I do hope you have heard what is being said here, and know that you also acquired the nightmare that is the mess he created by failing to deliver any return whatsoever for the added $$ he pickpocketed under false pretenses.

That is, in my opinion fraud, and yes, I realize it costs money to do anything, but we all know this and so does Tomas and it is wrong to have promised us our money would bring rapid improvements and an end to the abandonment we felt back then, to be lied to about a new Beta version that was "nearing completion" all the while knowing that was not true.

There were no improvements being worked on, as he said, nor was this merger close to being a sure thing at the time, according to Tomas last night so what else do you call that but Bullship? And there is nothing to lead me to believe Tomas was using a language that would have been June1/compliant. So I don't see any way to look at his price increase as anything other than deceptive.

It doesn't matter whether he intended to defraud or not, he did not deliver the goods and has not offered any signs of integrity towards compensating us for the inconvenience. Nor outlning when and how he will refund those of us that opt not to stay and wait yet again to be rewarded with future inconvenience of having to learn a new site, and all the joy of our own "data migrations" but without the informed choice of doing so when and to where else we might have done back then if we had known it was inevitable at SD anyhow. He knew, we didn't, he lied.

As someone said, had we even been told that we could look forward to a NEW site altogether for our increased fees in the near future it would have been fine, and not dirty dealing. By continuing to mislead people about the Beta, etc. he cost a whole lotta people time and money unnecessarily that we could have used in productive deciison making at least, not wasted because of Tomas' uncertain path.

He did what was profitable and good and safe for HIS business, while selfishly not considering ours and the time and energy and dollars we could have conserved had he found a safe way of communicating the simplest parts of the plan without divulging any top secret stuff.. Instead, callously watching us bang our heads and scream for help or answers or just ACKNOWLEDGING we existed.

We have endured continually degraded service day by day by month by 5, and we paid double for the privilege to do so on a site that is supposed to help our businesses to thrive, not intentionally leave us twisting in the wind..

So again, welcome Greg! after you get done cleaning up his mess I'm sure all will be smooth and groovy round here in no time, and sorry if my aim was off!,
magienoiremagienoireMember
Let's think for a minute. I mean, really think.

We will be very conservative in our calculations.

Based on a small 2,000 membership here's how the sdCookie crumbles.

At the old rate of $4.95 based on 2,000 members, Tomas raked in $9,900 per month. $9,900 times 5 months comes to $49,500.

At the new rate of $8.95 based on 2,000 members, Tomas raked in $17,900 per month. $17,900 times 5 months comes to $89,500.

A difference of $40,000 or $8,000 per month.

I doubt anyone (including myself) has a problem with Tomas making this much money or even more money for that matter. What the issue is (or should be) is that he lied. He clearly, lied.

How is it, Tomas invested $8,000 per month in this new site, without any real improvements? And based on his own acknowledgement, that he dropped it once he began talking to Inkfrog?

ZERO customer service!

ZERO improvements!

ZERO respect for his customers!

ZERO concern, care or worry for SD's failing!

Just a better golf game and Burberry wardrobe for himself and a new car for his wife.

This is what happened. This is what the increase paid for. It most certainly was not spent on the good customers of SpareDollar.

Tomas is a cad in my book.
S starrynightSpecialist
Sorry, Tara, I reread and see that you did say "some" members. I guess I'm just sensitive since I have read too many negative comments in general.

I like Auctiva well enough but I don't feel like it's quite a perfect fit so I was still shopping around some. I would be happy with SD if it was just current and not outdated and half-broken. So I am pretty intrigued by the idea of a new lister.

So many of us are frustrated by the management of SD so there is some joy to this announcement. I wasn't going to stick around for the revised SD beta with Tomas but I'll give a new lister with new management a chance.

BTW, Jeff, our listings are supposed to be migrated to the new lister. I don't know if I should trust that. Not having to move them is a selling point in itself. Do I want to take the chance that they will be moved OK? I don't know.
S suthrnjewlMember
quote:
Originally posted by yumyum:
exxxxactly. you forgot ZERO INTEGRITY tho. I bet he doesn't have many joys that fill him up inside, he's way too leaky from my observations.

Yummers!
When did you get here?

You should've checked in at the SD migrators thread.

Nice to see you. If there's anything you need to make the transition easier, there are ways that Jeff (the CEO) has made it simpler.

Visit the thread for SD Migrators and he made a post on...page 19, I think.

Take care, Donna
W weirdbrianpatrickheroMember
wow.. inkfrog must have lost their minds!!!! they should have kept this quite as a mouse... and hiring the unreliable tomas and announcing it.. wow ...they would have gotten more sd customers if they were quite...

and this is NOT good for the existing inkfrog customers... hiring a competitor..now its easier for ink frog to raise prices without better service.... ink frog customers should be mad as hornets at ink frog... and sd customers knowing they hired the unreliable and untrusty tomas they too should be mad as hornets!!

No One but the owners should be happy with this!!!
D dwangelMember
I ask everyone not to be too critical to Thomas. I have posted this over and over. People get LAZY. No matter how you put it, I don't give a hoot what your excuse is - LAZY period. A simple search would yield many auction hosting options. But guess what, it takes efforts to learn new things. So my point is, pat yourself in the back for joining Activa. Let all the others stay over there. It takes one to find one. They deserve each other.
magienoiremagienoireMember
Since, Tomas couldn't get SpareDollar upgraded, he had to split the baby rather than lose it all together. Once this transaction was complete, he made sure to double the membership fees. So, he could earn almost a year's income in the 5 short months prior to this merger. Not too shabby for a broken down listing service.

Someone mentioned, Kool-Aid. Methinks, they've been eating A LOT of cake for quite sometime. Now, they get the service they waited for and deserve because of --------------------->>> Inkfrog!


NOT Tomas.
Last edited by magienoire
S scholartimeMember
I, for one, am definitely glad I moved in November. I paid Tomas exactly one month of the price increase because I was not completely moved yet. I spent some time deciding where my new home would be. I'm very glad I found Auctiva. If the time comes when I have to move again, I'll do the same research and move on.

I feel badly for the people who succumbed to Tomas' stories. I feel badly for those who have stayed there all this time. I know how hard it is to overcome inertia and move all your auctions and images. However, it was their choice and now they will have to live with the consequences...good or bad. Who knows! It's anyone's guess what will happen.
A angellisaMember
Frog This is too funny. Greg's best bet would be to limit the board to only auction stuff and get rid of the AHL all together, there are many many people that have left SD cause of the AHL and some of the people there. If he allows certain posters to merge with InkFrog it will be a bad decision as I'm sure there are many currently at InkFrog that left cause of the abusive members at SD.

I mean it is suppose to be a auction management service, correct? Not a Chat Room?

I see Auctiva obtaining alot of new members over the next couple months. Smile
W weirdbrianpatrickheroMember
BUT still why in the world would ink frog announce that thomas would be working with them???? man o man !!!.. many current ink froggers left sd because of thomas and his unreliability... and the currect sd people had been raised thinking thomas was working on a better service for them....these will be upset to see a service hire unreliable people... hireing unreliable people makes a company WORSE not BETTER!!! If ink frog had bought out sparedollar and let it just die out without a word and got thomas working for them without notice then ink frog would ahve got alot more customers.
INK frog has shot themselves in the foot!!!.. they now will be trusted alot less... and people will wonder more if ebay pay them off to shut them down....
A angellisaMember
quote:
Originally posted by starrynight:
Lisa, moderation is what just about any forum needs to be a decent place to be. Trouble is quashed before it escalates and results in so many unhappy forum members. If all the members of SD suddenly joined any board that was moderated, it would be an entirely different experience. Some people might not be posting long, is all Wink


I totally agree!! I just don't think people should be allowed to post if they are not actively using the service. I mean there are thousands of message boards and chat rooms that are meant just to post this and that on. SD is suppose to be a listing management service of which people pay to use the service not to be beat up on and have to deal with angry/jealous people.
For instance would a Gym allow you to join just to come in with a bunch of other people and start gossiping about other members and not use the gym? I don't think they would
I don't think many services would allow their service to be used for a purpose it wasn't intented for.
JMO Frog
S suthrnjewlMember
quote:
Originally posted by wayoutwest:
quote:
Originally posted by AngelLisa:
quote:
Originally posted by starrynight:
I can't help but wonder how inkfrog users who used to use SD or who have heard about it are reacting to Tomas becoming a part of their site.
I have wondered that myself, but honestly I don't see Tomas sticking around long.

Me neither. Personally I think that tomas being hired by inky is just a temporary thing. that he is "hired" solely for the duration of the move (and possibly a little bit after) to make SD members more comfortable with the idea of the buyout

Nice to see you Steve.

Every time I recommend AVG or one of the other fine free softwares that you recommended over the years..I think fondly of you.

Take care, Donna
W wahm922Member
quote:
Originally posted by Auctiva Bill B.:
Ok. This is out of hand.

A) Off topic posts are being deleted.
B) Push your luck and you will be suspended.

This goes for SD fans, Auctiva fans and is regardless of which service you are a member of. I will not tolerate personal attacks.

Bill


Thank you Bill for keeping this a peaceful, positive and friendly place!

Its nice to know places like this still exist Wink
magienoiremagienoireMember
quote:
Originally posted by Auctiva Bill B.:
Ok. This is out of hand.

A) Off topic posts are being deleted.
B) Push your luck and you will be suspended.

This goes for SD fans, Auctiva fans and is regardless of which service you are a member of. I will not tolerate personal attacks.

Bill


Now, this boys and girls is how a forum is properly run.


Goo goo g' joob! Well said, well done, Auctiva Bill.
S suthrnjewlMember
This goes to show that both customer service and management are on the same page as far as tolerance on the boards.

The dropping the B bomb towards another isn't nor should it be tolerated nor should personal accusations towards another.

I've been on these boards close to 7 months. I've seen 2 threads locked and never have I seen posts deleted.

Now isn't it coincidental? Those postings weren't due to our regular members...but others that come over to visit. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

This bodes well when management and all customer service work in tandem together.

I say...BOOYAH!

Love it!
Donna
Last edited by suthrnjewl
R rizzletMember
I've been pretty much off of eBay and doing listings since February because my husband and I moved to another state and I started a new job.

I just saw a post on the eBay seller board about InkFrog acquiring SpareDollar.

I have to say I have mixed feelings. Like many of you, I feel that Tomas was deceitful about how the whole thing was handled. Raising rates without giving anything in return.

However, in the long run, SpareDollar users will, in all likelihood, be better off. At least InkFrog has staff and good customer service.

My question is:

What does BiggFredd have to say about all this?
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