[D*] A change on July 1st

Dear members,



Delcampe.com, your auction site, has been running now for over two years. Indeed, it was launched on October 1st, 2000. Since then, we have progressed most happily. There have been a few technical irritations along the way, but nothing really bothersome.


Last year, at this time, we were 6,700 members. Now, we have almost tripled. More than 600,000 items are offered on the site, and every month several tens of thousand among them find buyers.


For the last few months, more of you you have been asking us "But, how do you manage to offer such a site for free?" And, our answer has always been "As long as we can continue for free, we will!" This was because we had an agreement with an American host who was assuming most of the cost. But, for a little while now and for various reasons, we have had to take over. At that time, we called on your generosity through the Delcampe.com Stamp program. (We thank by the way once again all the participants thanks to whom a new server was acquired.) Unfortunately, good news are occasionaly accompanied by not so good news: The impressive success of the site generates a cost that is becoming increasingly difficult to bear. This is why we must call on you today.


Since the beginning, it has been you who made the site alive, by participating in auctions as well as by inviting friends to join. It has even become the reference throughout Europe, or perhaps worldwide, for auctions of collectibles on the web.


To be able to continue along this successful trajectory, while offering an evermore performing service, we must now anticipate continued growth of the site and consider asking for a contribution from sales. We estimate that this is the most equitable and least penalizing approach for all of us. Of course, this contribution under the form of a commission on sales remains small, because it is calculated in relation to the actual development costs demanded by the site.


This decision, which was difficult for us, is nonetheless unavoidable. It constitutes the obligatory passage to maintain a high-quality site.


We hope that you will understand and support this decision. In the balance lies the interest of the wonderful community that we have built together for nearly the last three years.



Most cordially,

Sebastien Delcampe


PS: Thank you to Benoit who has translated this newsletter.


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You will find below some specific information on the new mode of operation.

We invite you, if need be, to ask all your questions on the Delcampe.com forum at:
Lien (http)


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Here is a non-exhaustive list of what will be realizable thanks to the new revenue stream:
- Purchase of a second server enabling access from more visitors;
- Underwriting of an insurance to protect transactions;
- Integration of a means of electronic payment among members;
- Advertizing in specialized media;
- Launching of a major sponsoring contest;
- ...


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How will this function?
It will be a very simple system of commissions. There is not going to be any cost for registration, purchasing or putting an item for sale. But, once per month, sales will be totalled for every member and a commission fee will be applied according to the following rules:

0.01 to 249.99 Euros/month : 4.0 %
250.00 to 999.99 Euros/month : 3.5 %
1000.00 to 2499.99 Euros/month : 3.0 %
2500.00 to 4999.99 Euros/month : 2.5 %
Over 5000.00 Euros/month : 2.0 %

The calculated amount will then be debited from your Delcampe.com account.

At all times, you will be able to check your balance in "My Account" > "My Payments". This interface will be activated some time during the month of July.

Note: It is important to know that auctions started for the first time before 1 July 2003 will not be subjected to commissions until 1 January 2004. Thus, all sales started before 30 June at midnight will not be included in the calculation of commissions until then.


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What will be the means of payment?
As you know, Delcampe.com is a very international site, and it is important to us that everyone should have a convenient way of paying from wherever. We strive to make sure that no member will be set aside because of a problem with the method of payment. Therefore, we offer the following methods of payment:
- Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Jcb
- French Checks sent by mail
- International Money Order, in Euros
- Mail of cash (Eur, $ or £), but only bills and only if it is authorized in your country
- Bank transfer to our Belgian bank account (from Belgium or any other country)
- Bank transfer to our French bank account (from France or any other country)
- PC Banking: Dexia & ING (Belgium)
- MoneyBookers and Paypal (payment by Internet)
Lien (https)
Lien (https)

PS: Your advice and requests are most welcome.


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You use more than one nickname for your sales?
If for a reason or another you use several nicknames for your sales, it is important that you send us the list as soon as possible. Indeed, it will be more difficult for you to reach the more advantageous levels of commission if your sales are partitioned in several smaller sets. We are not going to merge your accounts but only assess the commission on the total of all your sales combined and then place the amount due in your prefered account.



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You have made one or several gifts to Delcampe.com?
Whether it was an unsolicited gift or an auction sold to benefit the site, we accept to credit your Delcampe account with the total of all your contributions. If you wish to benefit from this possibility, we invite you to email us the details (date, amount, reason, ...) of what you gave us. We will verify that and confirm your credit.

The deadline for these petitions is 31 August 2003, and the accounts will be credited no later than 31 October 2003.


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You sell professionally on Delcampe.com?
In this case, we ask you to tell us what is your VAT (Value-Added Tax) number. An invoice will be sent for each payment and you will enjoy a 20% rebate. (Ex: If your dues amount to 100 Euros, you will enjoy a 20-Euro rebate.)