leapingcat

Should eBay Go Retail?

Should Ebay go retail? I already thought it had done so! For example on Ebay UK only 4% of books are auctions, Ebay has already effectively killed off that marketplace; I would be interested to see some equivalent figure for other markets.
As long as Ebay systematically distort the 'search' in favour of big box sellers of commodity items they will continue to go downhill. I can already find electronic items more easily on Amazon, why should I as a buyer bother with Ebay.

eBay's PayPal X Platform Could Drive an Increase in Transactions

Yet another reason to spin off Paypal and give investors the opportunity to make a reasonable return without being pulled down by the dead weight of Ebay.

PayPal Continues to Be eBay’s Crown Jewel

Paypal may be the jewel, but the rest of the crown is getting very tarnished. The developments in API and non-Ebay growth mean that it is time to set it free and cast off the yoke of Ebay.

Ford Motors Seeing Gains in Europe

Strong Ford sales in Europe are due in part to the various equivalents of the Cash for Clunkers scheme, but also due to a strong product line-up; the new versions of the Fiesta and Ka have proved very popular in an important sector of the market. Sales of US model Fords in Europe are negligible in any case, so the weakening dollar is unlikely to have any significant impact in that way, but the profits earned in Euros should be very beneficial to Ford Motor Company's results so the medium term outlook does appear promising.

eBay Rolls Out More of the 'Top Rated Sellers' Program in Search - Sellers Aren't Happy

Don't think that the buyers are any happier either. The typical Ebay buyer knows what he/she is looking for and manipulating the results in favour of large scale sellers, and hiding the listings of smaller-scale sellers who may offer just as good customer service, is doing no-one any good, including stockholders. I can't be the only one now using Amazon instead of ebay to buy electronic items and Specialistauctions.com to look for collectables.

Volkswagen: ‘No’ to Battery Swapping, ‘Yes’ to Electrics in U.S.

Governments can take a role here. They should only provide funding and subsidies for EVs that use standard battery packs. This will encourage the development of better and more efficient batteries as the technology improves, and the economies of scale should make batteries cheaper, whether bought outright or under a battery swapping scheme. For once the needs of consumers, the environment and the overall development of the EV industry must be put first, regardless of the effect on individual companies.

eBay Takes a Step Backwards

As a buyer, and I am one as well as a small-scale seller, I want to find exactly the item that I am looking for, and quickly. Anything that hinders that, including adverts which are usually irrelevant and reduce the amount of listings that I can see on any page makes my 'buying experience' worse. Ebay claim to be wanting to put buyers first, but I can see no evidence of them putting anyone but themselves and their greed first.

Has eBay Turned a Growth Corner?

Ebay's constant tinkering can only be seen as a way of giving the impression of a constantly improving financial summary. 'ebaysales' has given a really detailed and brilliant summary of how the smoke and mirrors of the media changes have worked. But also, quarter by quarter, changes which increase sellers costs for no measurable benefit but increase Ebay's bottom line, higher listing fees, higher FVFs, higher shop fees, etc are quietly brought in. I think the day is coming soon when they will have run out of ways of extracting even more fees from the same or declining sales and the sky will be black from the flapping of wings of chickens coming home to roost.

Debunking PHEV Mythology

I am a little concerned that this article only looks at a limited range of technologies and we will fall into the trap of thinking that they are the only ones worth developing and ignoring other potential solutions. CNG has been mentioned, hydrogen is a developing technology, and I have travelled here in the UK in a LPG-Flywheel (stored energy) hybrid railcar (the Parry People Mover) which is more economical than most autos and is effectively ready to go into production. There are no doubt many other alternatives just waiting in the wings.
I believe that the best idea is to specify only the outcomes (in terms of emissions, energy use, etc) and let the market decide which technology (ies) will prevail.

Amazon vs. eBay: 2 Charts Say It All

The charts are only raw data, and can be interpreted in a number of different ways, which can be used to make either company appear to be the better investment. A large part of Ebay's profits come from Paypal, and it is as vulnerable to competition there as it is from Amazon in its core marketplace. On the other hand Amazon is developing a range of products that will enable it to offer a more comprehensive service to third party sellers and thereby develop its business while building a bigger barrier to potential competitors. That is the real contrast betwen the two companies.

Car Sales Will Rise Eventually

I don't see any evidence to support this assumption, for that is all it is. Demand will in the first place be determined by the availability of finance, whether cash or credit. It will also be affected by changes in the marketplace, for example whether or not greener cars are seen as desirable. In the meantime there are plenty of autos around with a good few years life in them.
A better strategy might be be to look to invest in component suppliers who are also strong in the aftermarket. Not necessarily win-win, but perhaps a lower risk approach.

GM's Opel Sale Roils Europe

The turmoil in Europe is mainly because the company is GM Europe, not GM Germany or even Opel, which is just a brand, in a similar way to Chevrolet for example. There are also plants in Britain (Vauxhall), Belgium and Spain, so other European governments are concerned that the sale has been rushed through, and that European Union rules, which prohibit national governments from operating outside an EU framework in such matters may be flouted. Otherwise this option is generally preferred as the least worst one.

eBay's Earnings a Successful Bid for Market Leadership

On Apr 23 01:29 PM eBay +++ wrote:

>. How could you be a
> Seller and not love Paypal unless you are a fraudulent Seller?

Perhaps you would like your buyers to be able to pay by other means?

eBay Offers Something Amazon Cannot

'EBAY has a better moat because it is essentially made up of millions of small nimble independant sellers'
Not nowdays; they have been squeezed out by the mass sellers of new junk. Even then I find it easier to buy things on Amazon; I've just bought a cable on Amazon because the listing gave me the information I wanted, the ebay equivalent (from China) just didn't have enough information; the couple of pounds (or dollars) more was a small price to pay.
Perhaps investors are now looking at the fundamentals rather than the BS put out by managements.

What Can eBay Do to Close Its Amazon Gap?

Why is it assumed that Ebay should try and emulate Amazon? Ebay isn't Amazon, it hasn't got the strengths where Amazon has, yet till recently it had strengths where Amazon hadn't. Present (and past, don't forget) management have thrown this away without achieving any value for investors, buyers or sellers. Ebay needs to rediscover itself, not as an Amazon clone (for then it will always be a follower rather than a leader), but in a unique way, possibly by building up the P2P side of its business. I doubt that the present management are capable of doing this, but if there is someone out there who can, then the sooner the better.