Tip of the Day!

We're excited to kick off 2020 with new and improved Astro Auctions!

Starting Monday, January 6th, Astro will be moving to "product group" (PG) auctions. Here's how they work:

Instead of bidding on auctions for individual products, you'll now be bidding for your choice of products within various price ranges.

Example: You're interested in one of the products in the $30-$60 price range. There may be five, 10, 20, or even more items in the product group to choose from! Win the auction and take your pick of the items!

As shown in the above sample desktop and mobile device images, each PG auction will be represented by a celestial body (e.g. a planet name). These new PG auction panels feature scrolling thumbnail images of each product in the group, and, if you need more information on a product or products, just click the "View Products" button.

Bidding will work the same as before. Just click the "Bid" button and place your bid.

With Astro 2.0 we're also adding a new feature for supporting top international charities we're calling Extra4Earth (E4E). That is, each Astro Auction now automatically donates a portion of the proceeds to charity. Similar to our "Round Up" program at TripleClicks, you can choose a charity you wish to have your contributions donated to. Once you've chosen your charity, each time you participate in an Astro Auction a donation will automatically be made to your charity. Think of it this way: Astro may take you on trips around the universe but you'll always also be giving "a little extra" to your home planet, Earth, for each auction you enter.

MORE TO COME

We're delighted today to announce our PG auctions and E4E feature, but we're far from done. Astro Auctions 2.0 has even more exciting enhancements coming online in the next few weeks:

Soon, for example, bidders will have the option to bid in dollars (or their local currency). The big benefit of this of course is that your customers won't have to first learn about TCredits and then buy TCredits before they can place a bid. Instead, they'll be able to simply place a bid for the amount that they're willing to pay for the item they want (paid with credit card, debit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, etc.). And, yes, when choosing to bid in dollars, participants will still bid risk-free and with guaranteed prizes!

We're going to also simplify the bidding process to make it even quicker and easier to place bids.

We've also been listening to your requests...and we'll be delivering some of the most-asked-for features during the first quarter of the year. Stay tuned for the announcements!

But first and foremost, our focus is on turning Astro into a product that you can promote successfully to non-affiliates.

Imagine hundreds of thousands of the friends, family members, and co-workers of SFI affiliates around the world becoming Astro "frequent flyers!" Why would these persons become active "Astronauts?" Because Astro Auctions will now feature hundreds of popular products that can be obtained at prices typically lower than Amazon and virtually every other online site! Winning great prizes is fun, too, of course! And all you have to do as an SFI affiliate is give them your link to the Astro gateway to immediately start saving money and winning great prizes (you can even let them try out an auction 100% free of cost and without obligation)!

Imagine how large the Executive Pool can become with such a large base of bidders. Even better, imagine how big your commissions can become with all the Direct Commissions and Team Overrides you can be earning! And don't forget, when its your PRMs bidding, it's YOU who earns all the VersaPoints (and the shares of the Executive Pool that come with them) when they make bids!

Q&A

Q: How does changing to PG auctions improve Astro?
1. One of the biggest complaints about Astro is the lack of attractive products for non affiliates. But now the sky's the limit...because product groups can have an unlimited number of popular products! And with so many products to choose from and always up for auction, it should be RARE that there's not at least one or more products of interest! "Something for everyone, 24 hours a day!"

2. The more auctions we have going at once, the longer the loading stage is, because bidders are divided up amongst all the live auctions. With PG auctions, we will soon be funneling all of our bidders into just a handful of auctions (typically no more than five at a time). This means auctions can go from start to finish in a fraction of the normal time! Items can be won and prizes can be distributed rapidly...and with un-earmarked TCredits quickly returned to your account so you can enter numerous auctions every week.

Q: Are affiliate products like CSAs and S-Builder Co-op units included in the new product groupings?
Yes, however, only if you're an SFI affiliate will you see those items (amongst the other, non-affiliate items).

Q: Will there be fewer affiliate items to bid on now?
No, just the opposite. Just as we can pack each product group with a diverse number of non-affiliate products...we can likewise pack each group with a wide variety of affiliate items! You'll have more choices than ever!

Q: If product groups can be dynamic, could they also be "regionally dynamic?" For example, could customers perhaps see products that are highly popular in the countries where they live?
Yes!

Q: Will Astro still have free shipping?
Yes, ALL cost is taken care of with your initial bid. If you win an auction, all you have to do is claim it and it will be promptly delivered or shipped to you at no additional cost.

Q: How are you choosing which products go in each product grouping?
We are attempting to fill out each group with popular products that the masses will want to readily bid on. But what's even cooler is that we will be tracking which items are picked most often. In doing this, we'll be able to quickly identify both the most popular and least popular items. We'll eliminate the least popular and replace them with exciting new items. Over time, each group of products can become a "cornucopia" of popular and highly-coveted items--perfect for attracting new PRMs to grow your Direct Commission income!

Q: What will the PG price ranges be?
Pluto: $1-$15 products
Mercury: $15-$30 products
Mars: $30-$60 products
Venus: $60-$100 products
Neptune: $100-$150 products
Saturn: $150-$250 products
Jupiter: $250 and up products

Q: I love the Astro VIP program. Will the new PG auctions format interfere with the requirements for the VIP program?
We plan to always have a minimum of 3-5 PG auctions going at once. The moment one finishes, a new one will take its place. Hence, there should always be plenty of auctions available to bid on and qualify for the VIP program.

Q: Where do I choose my charity for Extra4Earth?
Select your charity at www.tripleclicks.com/MyAccount/ChooseCharity. Note that if you've already chosen a charity for the TripleClicks "Round Up" program, you're all set; we will automatically contribute to your charity for each auction you participate in.

Q: Can I change my chosen charity for E4E?
Yes, you can choose a different charity any time you wish. Your new choice will be reflected in the contribution we make for the next auction you enter.