Some good news at last from this weeks Shares mag. Tim Freeborn revisits the company and altho no firm details are given about new deals he says they will be announced this quarter. I would think that this could be at the same time as the interim results are announced. I for one will be holding on cos they will fly sooner rather than later! ( 8.30% up today!)

I'm a holder of Baltimore as I can't summonup the courage to realise my loss from those millennium days. Always thought it was a silly business and only bought because of the rising price; - then I nodded off and - - -.
Earthport does at least have a believable technology - er but what's to stop anyone doing the same thing? Where's the barrier to entry? I don't recall any strength here. If the virus writers can create havoc in a matter of weeks, legit writers can soon patch together a payment site.

BT created their "click" brand ( that's died from lack of news) and this has some benefits in that the money is all-but safe being a set of digits in BT's archive. Only at the end of the month are the debits and credits aligned and then you are billed like a telecon charge. Where is the simplicity in Earthport's business model. BT doesn't even have to sign-up about 80% of the UK population.

Furthermore Retail Decisions has tried their scheme all over the World and in some places it's working OK, ( excluding recent Aug04.woes!) - so I'm wondering if Earthport isn't having to "catch the leader" here.
//////////////
Their case with Baltimere is most curuious, as the new-boy is trying to say the established player has been cheating (my interpretation)....eh? Oh yes, just as Baltimore's cash is finally running out - whoops! Will the Directors come up with a new technology to make their fortunes? I understand G.Marconi is really into this Wire-less thingy....could catch on.

- - - - - -

As for Planestation (Tim Freebourne ...mentioned 50% rise...) the rise since Jan04 has been no more than 30% and if you take the sub 20% spread the rise in investment terms is closer to 10%. With the World running out of cheap oil, the last thing we want is poor people hollidaying to the Med. or Florida. All flights should be taxed at 100 - that would save some fuel.

one mistake I made is listening to shares magazine,I suggest every one cancels there subscription,I have because shares magazines advice has lost me a lot of money,I wish they would close down,and KEEP THEIR ADVICE TO THEMSELVES, THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE.FOR GODS SAKE NO LONGER LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE.

I think someone is feeling sore!!

At the end of the day, when one buys a magazine devoted to the market, it contains opinion, which is obvious to the majority of punters. Opinions vary with the market conditions and information from day to day. It is guess work based on a certain amount of information. If you are led astray, it is often due to greed and lack of ones own sensible evaluation of the information and opinions given. There is rarely something for nothing in this world.

If you buy on a tip from the tipster, how often do you thank him or do you congratulate yourself on picking a winner.

If the journalists of the various magazines had the magic eyes to pick reliably the winners and losers, they would be unlikely to share their knowledge, or dissipate it to the rest of the market without utilising it first, and then do so in an attempt to maximise their position.

Probably, they would not be earning their corn by being journalists, although for many of the journalist a satisfaction from getting their predictions right and/or educating others. (Ie. the skill of playing games and playing the market has the same markers and there is, for many a satisfaction from honing skills, sharing them and developing others skills.)

Over the years I have utilised some tips making and losing but still reading the magazines because the give pointers to what is on the screens of others in the market and also alternative strategy ideas. Generally, for me, they are a better read than the daily newspapers or fiction. (I see them as reality bound fiction.)

One thing one has to learn about the market is to take responsibility for ones own actions, and if you make mistakes, learn from them. The journalist is not your father and if you are chancing your luck in the market you should not behave as a child.

Just so you know, we have had to ban a poster, and remove all their postings as a result of a serious accussation against another individual which breaches our strict content standards.

I will re-iterate these for those not aware.


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Been following this thread for a while now. Didn't they suggest ASOS, Marchpole this year and TelecomPlus last year? Everyone knows the risk when buying shares, or if you didnt, you should. Nothing is guaranteed or we would all be millionaires. Who's to say where EPO will be in a years time. My advice is never dive in and buy a share on the sayso of someone else. Follow it and get a feel for it first. Stock selection is not easy even for the so called experts.

makes sense 2 800k sells and the price goes up.

I know nothing - but what I see is company that's been high on promise and low on reward - indeed almost every investor has lost money. What of the Company - well if they had a technology that was earth-shattering how come Management didn't notice Baltimore nicking it? It really begs the question as to whether this technology is what the Market wants (or needs!). The Baltimore angle is a side-show to the real problem IMHO. - - -
What are people doing with payment on the internet - it seems to me it's just fine, as it is.
Will Earthport offer a faster service? I can't see that.
Will Earthport be more secure? That is doubtful and not really tested, so we don't know. Does anyone care?
Will it be cheaper? Doubtful they are going to do a lot of advertising and promotion to shift the existing-players! That costs!
What does Earthport offer the Internet Market that isn't already covered - except they are about four years later (than the rest of the UK) and maybe more years in terms of the US internet payments scene.

Therefore,
What does Earthport offer UK investors?
[[ Both Earthport (and Bioprogress) are largly hopeful of US market sales - and we know this often results in moving to Nasdac and the effective confusion over here. Have there ever been dual-listed companies that have done well for the UK Retail Shareholders? I'm interested because PYM is going this route and it worries me. ] ]

Could TF give us his consider opinion on these points? - I read his piece in today's Shares, but I still don't find answers to the above, sorry.

Has this thread been edited?

My post (carefully considered ) on EPO along with some odd exchanges have suddenly been lost ( since 11am Thursday ) ((Earthport ready to fly = thread)).

It might not have been the most brilliant post ever, but it did ask just what EPO offers the internet banking service that they don't have already. It costs money to displace the existing providers and so what benefits will the Banks get? I just don't see it. All investors have lost money from 2000 and that's a long time to get into the Market if you have a really good product.

If my post is lost, who cares?
Well I do!

Has this thread been edited?

My post (carefully considered ) on EPO along with some odd exchanges have suddenly been lost ( since 11am Thursday ) ((Earthport ready to fly = thread)).

It might not have been the most brilliant post ever, but it did ask just what EPO offers the internet banking service that they don't have already. It costs money to displace the existing providers and so what benefits will the Banks get? I just don't see it. All investors have lost money from 2000 and that's a long time to get into the Market if you have a really good product.

hangon,

We have not removed or edited any of your posts - we can see that you have posted at 10.40 this morning on the Cenes Pharma and these posts on this thread now.

Ian

Hangon: Don't mention those initials (TF) too much, or you might hit a raw nerve with the mods, and then you'll see all your posts disapear for sure!

is TF a raw nerve then?

Well oneill (long term contributor) got flattened & threatened on the phone by MoneyAM this week for suggesting little more than that the whole TF/EPO episode had been a complete fiasco.

So I hear, all in my humble opinion, not wishing to offend anyone, etc etc. :)

BB Editor:
You have the right to remove insulting posts etc (or anything illegal), but it is the mark of civilisation that it can take crititism. Just because it is removed doesn't mean many readers still don't feel it.
For the life of me I can't see what Earthport has to offer: can we start from scratch and put the case right now? - yes four years after the rest of the World got internet payments sorted out.
Where is the incentive for this lacklustre co to move Banks, etc. to their payment sytem....and how is it any better than established players? I can see no merit in it, but studied discussion may change my views. Tim's article (today) has brought some recent News to the surface, where it sounds good, but the new Appointments may be there for strategic reasons along with collecting a fat-fee (who would blame them?).....over to you

HANG ON

Are you holding any of this share. Or wishing to cover a short. Just wondering.

hangon, its true, you really don't understand EPO's product. You need to do some research. You sound like maxbubble.

Here's a shock. Last week I asked for a definitive update on EPO in Shares Magazine and a reconsideration of their sell recommendation. Today's SM has both. Well done, JF. Firstly, you have held on to your shares. Secondly, you restate that we are effectively providing venture capital. Thirdly, you picked out the guts of the trading statement. Its worth re-iterating that, if and when EPO reach a positive cashflow, the price will move to another level; they could be the ASOS of 2005 - not unreasonable in the light of the statement.

I suggest 'hangon' deserves a more constructive answer to the points that he has raised. The first point suggested that it would be easy for others to emulate EPO. Those of us with an IT development background are well aware of the man-years involved in the development of systems such as EPO's. A good indication is given on page 2 - 120,000 per month is being saved by transferring a team of developers to a joint venture company. I would say that it would take not less than two years to emulate the EPO systems, given a clear-cut design; a similar banking network could take much longer.

Baughfell is understandably dismissive of hangon's dismissal of EPO's products. It is easy to see the advantage of a 'stored value wallet' for transactions to, for instance, place bets without having to go through credit card transactions each time. I suspect the cost per transaction is also significantly less; the reason why Wanadoo have become a client? Further help from other bb readers?

What internet users need is a wallet that sits above/outside all websites and can be used for micro payments. I personally would not want a new wallet for each website i trade with how could one keep track of all their cash and who could afford to leave cash in all these different wallets? nevermind the hassle of transferring funds to all these different wallets every time a top up is needed.

EWRobson

Tim Freebourn is the guy who gave the tip in Shares Mag.

Just who is this JF that you are talking about?

EWRobson I kind of agree with your comments, infact there are many providers out there that have some kind of stored value product, however earthport are different in the sense they are catering for different sectors and markets, which is not easy. Maybe this is why things have took a bit longer than expected. The other point is the banking network. Their coverage is enormous domestically and the fact its linked to their software gives them the extra edge. There is no one out there who has the domestic coverage like earthport. Setting up the amount of bank accounts now days even after sept 11th could take 18 months in my view. The benefit of the network is it provides huge coverage at a very low cost and allows pay ins and payouts to be made by consumers and businesses at a very low cost. Like I said try and find someone out there who has the huge coverage earthport has. This network is then simply leveraged within its products. Great prospects !

cost per transaction will also be less, but its not just that, thats the benefit here, its also the ability to make payments of varying sizes around the world at a very low cost.

For example P2P market if the regulations were adhered too correctly, this could be huge for epo because again they have the banking network, which no one else has.