I think X5 has a lot of work to do on what they have now without expanding the operation. There are still system glitches that need fixing and to make the site more user friendly (back to the old argument) handling fees need to be a lot cheaper and delivery times need to be much quicker. I'm still waiting on items from nearly 6 weeks ago. I'm sure I am not the only one to win items that are not in stock which also is very frustrating and is an area that needs fixing. Your site is good X5 and good fun but you need to fix all these little problems before expanding further.

hi X5, i don't know what you are looking at doing but whatever it is i think you will always have problems like fraud, cheating, stealing etc. unfortunately there are some out there that think it is okay to cheat and lie. a few rotten eggs are always in the basket with the good ones and there is not much we can do about it. it is good that you are looking for ways to keep x5 honest as it makes it a safer place for all. congratulations on looking forward, i hope it works and if it does it will be the leader in its field. chris

Buying online seems to be safe if there's enough feedback to proof it's a safe site. I had been using online store for a period of them, they had provide credit card services, fast posting system. Regarding about online trading site, I think the current big website is charging high fees which stopped me from posting as not everyone can sell their items but still need to pay for posting the ads. Some site offer free ads, but the sites are not popular, so the item posted on the site can't sell either.

hi x5 i have to agree with dennis on this ,if you can get down the delivery costs and time which will be a big boost,then try something on the other ideas

hi x5 i dont know how you can stop fraud and thef as they allways find a way,but to get something as good as paypal ,maybe approach a bank that would be willing to set up a system with you and your customers.

Yes X5, I agree with Dennis and Edward, after much frustration with delivery delays, etc. I do not log on to X5 much at all. Too many problems to be rectified since even before going global.

shipping costs to uk make it impossible for us to bid on cheaper items don't see fraud as being a problem on this site Might want to look at having warehouses in UK/USA for cheaper items so that it's worth while bidding on them free auctions are no use if the shipping costs £40.00 and the item is only valued at £35.00

Yeah, selling through X5 seems like a great idea, but, I and other people out there may have reservations when it comes to the handling of our products that we may be selling. I know a lot of people and myself have received items that were not packed properly and sometimes even damaged. I do not want to miss out on a sale (if I was to sell) because my product turned up at he buyers residence damaged etc!

I like that you're constantly coming up with new ways to improve and add to X5, but you might need to slow down a little because getting too big or diverse too quickly can cause unexpected and unwanted problems. Slowly but surely is the motto I think you need to use now. I think there are already enough places to sell products as it is. Reducing delivery costs and improving delivery times would be a huge benefit.

I believe that online bidding/banking/buying is reasonably safe, provided that you do your research first. Only an uninformed idiot would blindly risk being made a fool of given that there are

I believe that online bidding/banking/buying is reasonably safe, provided that you do your research first. Only an uninformed idiot would blindly risk being made a fool of given that there are numerous "scams" out there in cyberworld willing or should I say - mre than willing - to rip them off...I've done my research, and so has hubby...I'm no ones fool....neither is he...

I'm not the cluest IT person, but you need to work on any bugs already mentioned before you try to grow otherwise the problems will multiply with the growth. I find it difficult just getting around the site, let alone buying and selling. So my suggestions is fix what you've got until its the best it can be, then take small steps to get where you want to go.

Its good to see a lot of people agreeing with me though I can't see the handling cost situation changing because in most sales that is the only money X5 makes. They won't last long selling items for 1 cent and charge the correct postage. Maybe you need to be a normal auction site (highest bidder wins) and charge correct postage and have $1 promos for site promotions or for a bit of fun. But the main thing before you expand any further X5 needs to address the handling fee cost situation, delivery times are terrible and damaged stock. I have up until now eventually received my items and X5 has been very good in replacing broken items and lastly one big problem that must be fixed is items listed not being in stock (very illegal to list items you don't have) Again X5 has been good and given refund or offered similar product but the problem should not arise. I enjoy the site very much but am becoming increasingly frustrated and getting close to finding another way to amuse myself. Thanks to X5 for letting us voice or opinions.

Firstly I want to say that x5 is a great site. Well done James and your team. But I have to agree with Dennis, Kimberley and Graham there are a few issues that need to be ironed out first. I personally prefer to know my product is coming from the x5 warehouse or your 'friends/family' that supply products from marketplace. I hesitate buying from people I don't know how trustworthly they are and whether they will even send the goods. Your site is the only site I buy from simply because I know I can trust you guys and know that you trust me. I would love to see cheaper postage and quicker delivery times too. THANK YOU!!

Just reading all the comments, and I have to agree with Dennis. All the existing glitches and bugs need to be fixed before taking the next step. I have had to wait for items for up to 4 weeks and had the wrong goods send many times. As a matter of fact, I am now waiting for an item wich I confirmed more than 3 weeks ago. So yes Dennis, you are not alone and I do understand your fustration. I did sugested using couriers, with the amount of items send in a week, I am sure you will get a cheap rate. Believe me it is cheaper than ozie post and also faster. Dont't get me wrong, I am always into going the next step. Anyway, good luck.

I have not been on here in a while but from what i have seen x5 looks great and you still have great products, my main reason for not being here is because as mentioned above there were alot of glitches and bugs. I always buy online but i think alot of sites (this one definately not included) dont cover the in the event of fraud. my wife has won stuff on here and the staff have always been fantastic in addressing any problems she may have had. But all in all i think you are doing a great job james and staff in getting everyone involved as to how you want x5 to run, a happy customer will always come back. cheers!

I agree with the rest. You seem to be going too fast before all the bugs have been ironed out. You have certainly introduced some great inovations with the site and they are appreciated. Stock, delivery times and postage costs are still a big issue though and need to be addressed. How do we know that some of the items are not through you with this Market Place and are there likely to be security and legal issues? Is it going to affect your good reputation if something backfires? You're doing a great job, but you need to fine tune everything before moving to bigger things.

Having read through the posts on here I must admit there is quite a bit I agree with. The postage is obviously the way you make up the costs as having had the opportunity to be a reseller I have found you don't make any money when you put the correct postage in, in fact sometimes it can be wrong. With the reselling it would be better if we knew the value of the items as I am never sure what to start them at on ebay. I would be feeling very bad if an expensive item went for a ridiculous price because I started too low. I would like to see a reserve being able to be put on if there was a market place set up for us to use. EBay won't let you do that for ordinary items which I think is unfair to the seller. After all the whole idea of buying and selling is so one can make a little income along the way. So if you did have a market place that maybe taken into account. Also I think a swop market might be interesting or how about a barter system where you don't get cash for an item but points then you can buy something with those points, just a thought. Something along those lines. Good luck with the market whichever way you go.