Fruit Helmet Cat

EBay Faces a Tough Road in China

Hi Shaun

I agree wholeheartedly with Jack Ma's views towards eBay and what they should of tackled. Ebay looks at itself as the worlds largest marketplace, they compare themselves against a company like Walmart or their size as far as a country.

The perception of their self-importance is a bit hard to take seriously. Doing business with Asia is hugely different as to how you do it stateside. I would have hoped, with the Japan failure, that eBay would of brought in key executives who could execute this strategy in China.

The impersonal relationship eBay has with it's members is what will hurt them in the end. The inability to get a response just goes to show where their priorities are. It's as though they already have their hands deep in the pockets of Americans that they can abandon them & use that secret sauce to somehow conquer Asia. That once you create the dependency, you are a success. I hope that eBay realizes, that you do not conquer China. You give them the platform & you offer products & services that allow for individuals to choose, not dictate.

I don't believe ebay will see this, to get past their megalomania. All Jack Ma has to do is open up shop in the US and Ebay will implode. Only paypal will survive. Consumers are individuals and the majority of merchants are small businesses, mom & pops. They'll relate to Jack Ma and his frankness, than Meg Whitman and her marketing speeches. While ebay is already eyeing Korea, they would do better remembering their social responsibility to the Americans they've ostricized. Ebay made China their number 1 priority and in the process they abandoned their core consumer base. Ebay better deliver on China, their leadership credibility is at stake.