$49.99

$5.36

I moved my printer and need a longer USB cable.  Options:

- Drive to Best Buy, hoping they have the 15ft cable in store.  Cost: $49.99 + gas + an hour of my time.

- Order on eBay. Cost: $5.36, shipping included + 5 minutes research and order.

Oh, yes, I am not getting the gold-plated version.  Who needs it anyway?

Brick-and-mortar stores really need uniformed customers to survive.

Update: To Save Gas, Shoppers Stay Home and Click - reports The New York Times.

Tags: bestbuy, brick-and-mortar, eBay, ecommerce, retail, uninformed customer

Yet another PR email about a startup launch at Demo - that’s OK, some are actually interesting.  The email itself was a fairly standard one, what ticked me off was the signature block:

Jane Doe
Public Relations Consultant
myname@yahoo.com

www.customcardsbyme.com

Ebay UserID: idunno

Obviously I changed the specifics, to protect her privacy.  And on second thought, I am not the one hurt here - the startup is.

Please, please, when you spend megabucks to attend Demo, could you not find a real PR rep?  (If you can’t, I’m sure my friend Brian Solis will help you).  And for you, so-called PR Consultants: please, have some class!  You have to decide if you’re promoting your Client or your eBay deals.  You can’t do both.

Tags: Demo, demo2008, eBay, marketing, pr, Public Relations