Maggie

How to Fix eBay

Did you ever start planning a project and then, weeks into you realize your basic thinking was faulty and affected everything else so you scrapped it and went back to the beginning, rethought things and it turned out better.

Well, Donahoe is either too self-righteous or has dug himself in too deep to do this. Even when it was blatantly apparent that all the sites users - buyers and sellers - HATED Best Match - he kept it. Even though the DSR stars are totally biased - he keeps it just the way it is.

I could imagine his glee - thinking he rid himself of all the little flea market sellers' junk and made room for the big retailers. What little foresight. Now, at a time in the economy when he should have been positioned to accept all the small sellers who need to divest themselves of their possessions to pay their bills - he has instead created a site that is totally contrary to this. Fees are too high, negative feedbacks will end a new sellers career on eBay before it's begun.

All the trust on eBay is gone. Sellers of antiques and collectibles are not very likely to ship all their stuff off to ebay to sell on consignment for them because they do not trust eBay anymore. Also, they would undoubted get less by doing this than they are now - and right now they are not getting much of a profit as it is.

Also sellers, like myself, have established themselves in other places. Some are on other auction sites. Some on stores like I offer in my mall. They are not likely to abandon all that hard work and return to eBay under present management.

There's Unemployment ... And Then There's Unemployment

Through my experience, I've seen that many of the people who have been off the unemployment rolls for a long time have given up on finding a 9-5 job, and have become busy selling products online, at large fleamarkets, doing odd maintenance and landscaping jobs, babysitting, housecleaning, etc.

In my town alone - and it is small - there are hundreds of people selling on ebay. For these people this is either their sole source of income or at least an important supplement. And yes, some do these things to supplement their government benefits.

The rise in unemployment will cause many of these "underground entrepreneurs" to fail in their efforts since the demand for their products and services will be decreased. In fact, as unemployment runs out - many people will attempt to find alternative means of making money themselves. This will cause a great imbalance in supply and demand, worsening the situation.

It's frightening to think that this economy has been functioning on a precarious balance between those who work buying products and services from those who can't. When too many of those who can work have no jobs available the balance is upset and widespread poverty could prevail.

eBay: Bottom Is a Few Months Away

"It's not a popularity contest running a public company"

Actually you're wrong -it is a popularity contest - ask car manufacturers.

How can you write everything that's wrong with ebay - all caused by J. Donahoe, and then say he's doing the right thing. It's like saying the powers that be are doing the right thing about the economy - now that they've messed it up.

I have already decreased our ebay sales to 10% of what I once sold due to their changed imposing a nonprofitability curve for many collectibles. That's OK, I opened my own online mall and am doing just fine selling there. The only reason we even list on ebay is for the crossover sales to our other site.

The day I'm forced to send someone an item and then sit around with crossed fingers waiting for them to maybe pay me is the day it's down to 1%. In fact, I'm rethinking it already. If someone can't pay for something then they shouldn't buy it. I

f the seller wants to accept lay-a-way or some sort of payment on those lines - I could see that, but mailing an item without payment is just sheer nonsense. Nobody is going to do it, probably including Buy.com, Sears and all the other huge retailers that eBay's been catering to of late.

So, when nobody does it - I guess eBay will have nothing to sell. Which is good for me, more antiques and collectibles sellers will come on over and get a store in my mall - 3 month free trial and as low as $5.50 a month after that. 6 different forms of payment processing - No extra charges.

See - it is a popularity contest!

10 Ways the Financial Meltdown Impacts Tech

Excellent points to consider. I wonder how it will effect all the small mom & pop businesses that deal in antiques, collectibles, homemade items, etc. that have been investing in their own websites in lieu of eBay. I can see an upside in consumers aquiring these cheaper, used and homespun goods. But a downside in higher end luxury collectibles. Also, those venturing out on their own may be less likely to want to plunk down the money involved to run their own sites while they grow. At any rate, this is certainly going to effect online sales venues one way or another, my own included.

How Would an eBay Layoff Impact Sellers?

While I hate to see anyone getting laid off during these hard economic times - Reality check - If eBay can eagerly slit the throats of its sellers, why wouldn't they lay off their own employees.

eBay's customer representatives are so poorly informed about the company's rules and policies that in lieu of trying to contact them, new sellers most frequently go to eBay boards to get help from other sellers and to PowerSellersUnite for answers to really complicated problems. If you can reach them at all - they are reading canned responses to your questions that often make no sense.

eBay Is a Losing Bid - Barron's

eBay's next downfall will be its inability to acknowledge that it's Best Match was a failure from the beginning. You'd think with the recent change to only show in search one of any duplicate item a seller lists (despite that they paid for all) they wouldn't need a new search - But everything's new on eBay - everything old is going, going, gone -- like all the great collectibles and antiques.

What sellers and buyers have learned from all this eBay drama - They can sell and buy elsewhere for less- Etsy, CollectorsOnlineMall, OnlineAuctions, Ebid, etc. -- And thanks for the training on selling at fixed price eBay! Sellers have flocked to online malls and store hosting sites and, thanks to GoogleBase, buyers are following.

The question is... when all the small seller competition is gone will eBay's new favorites - the giant retailers like Sears and BUY - still need eBay?

Not Seeing a 'Better & Safer' eBay

www.google.com/coop/cs...

You may have to copy & past the entire url above in your browser. The link doesn't seem to be taking here.

Not Seeing a 'Better & Safer' eBay

www.google.com/coop/cs...

This is a link to an aggregated search engine for displaced ebay sellers. Blujay and Ecrater stores have already been included as well as some independent websites. Please email me your link if you'd like to be included. There's also an option to place the search on your website.

Great article. Despite ebay, we'll work together and find a way.

eBay Watch: Alibaba Stake, U.S. Store Promotion, e-Commerce and GMVs

Well it sounds to me like the last poster has nothing to do but complain about people complaining - probably another ebay employee.

I'm one of the founding sellers who is leaving and I'm not complaining- just selling a lot on other sites.

eBay: A Countercyclical Opportunity

More likely that eBay's competitors will benefit from a downturn in the economy. For instance, we've found Ecrater to be a great alternative selling platorm, with Zero fees, ease of use and a really nice store setup - much better than ebay stores. The results show up in Internet searches pretty quickly and the merchant community on Ecrater displays more of a team effort in advertising the entire site as a great place to shop.

Ebay, on the other hand, seems to be seeing a refugee-like departure of their core sellers in categories like antiques, hand-made items, collectibles, sports cards, etc. This is likely to increase once sellers start seeing the increased final value fees in black and white on their ebay invoices while facing the threat of having their money tied up in Paypal for 21 days.

Ebay alternatives have been marketing a lot to sellers, but there is a shift - and now they're marketing to shoppers. It may not be long before shoppers learn that they'll have to look off-ebay for the hard to find items they long for.

eBay: A Countercyclical Opportunity

I think it's a heck of a lot more likely that ebay's competitors will profit by a downturn in the economy.

Shopping sites like Ecrater have drawn my business and that of many others. There are no listing or final value fees. They have secure shopping carts like Google Checkout, Paypal, and credit card options, checks and money order payments.

So, in a recession, when people need to save every penny - it would be a wise decision to use sites like this. Once the shoppers become aware of sites like Ecrater they'll also like them better because the prices are generally lower since we merchants are saving money on fees.

Is Donahoe Trying to Destroy eBay?

Many ebay sellers are trying to get other sites started. Buyers, support those sites - like Ecrater - and show Ebay how you feel by hitting them where it hurts!