eBay Changes Fees, eBayers Stage Their Annual Boycott

[regic]

[quote author=sneakymagenta link=topic=17292.msg68199#msg68199 date=1203445894]
Banning eBay From Your Local Community
http://powersellersunite.com/about16423.html


[/quote]

Same poster, different thread :
Potential eBay Shilling Operation at Standford
http://powersellersunite.com/about16350.html

[BellisimaJ.]

Same poster, different thread Roll Eyes
Potential eBay Shilling Operation at Standford
http://powersellersunite.com/about16350.html

What a bloody idiot!

[mandy]

One of eBay's largest sellers has decided to leave as a result of eBay's recent fee and feedback changes:

My name is Bruce Hershenson and I am the owner of emovieposter.com. I joined eBay in 1998, and in 2000 I moved my entire mail-order business of vintage movie posters to eBay, and since that time I have sold 300,000 movie posters on eBay, for total sales of $16 million (3 million in 2007 alone). In all that time, I have auctioned all of my items with 99 cents start bid, and no reserve, the very kind of auctions that made eBay so successful when they first "took off".

The recent price changes affect my business greatly. They will result in the fees I pay going up 40% annually! If I were to achieve the 5% discount eBay is offering a very select few, my fees would go up by approximately 27%. If I were to achieve the 15% discount, my fees would go up by approximately 13%.

I feel that the price increases are extremely misguided. Normally, companies only raise rates when THEIR costs increase, or when they are delivering better results to their customers. In THIS case, eBay's costs have not risen and they are not only NOT delivering better results, but they are actually delivering lesser results (lower sellthrough rates and lower ASPs)...

full article: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y208...bu0209/s08

An article on the boycott:

Lennert is supporting the strike because she is upset overall with the direction eBay is taking with the new policy changes, but mostly she is striking because of the feedback rule. She said that while most buyers are "wonderful people looking for a good deal," there are the "nut cases" that try to bilk sellers.

"The change hasn't even gone live and I'm already seeing buyers demand something for nothing with the threat of leaving negative [feedbacks]; these buyers don't know the changes aren't even live yet," said Lennert, who makes and sells doll clothes. "So basically, I will now be held hostage by rogue buyers who threaten to leave a negative if I don't give them their item for free, ship for free, enclose a lock of my hair, or otherwise meet their insane demands."...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essential...hp/3728796

EDIT:

Potential eBay Shilling Operation at Standford

I don't see any evidence of shilling by Stanford in those files.  He should get together with that backwoods loon who is convinced that the moderators on eBay's PayPal board are responsible for world hunger.

[mandy]

Another boycott related article:

The problem with running a site that relies heavily on users to generate content, is that it puts a disproportionate amount of power in the hands of those users (in relation to the site owners). If users are unhappy with something about the way a site that relies on user generated content is run, they can theoretically hold the site hostage until they get what they want. This week, eBay sellers unhappy with the auction giant's recent change in listing prices and policy, launched a week-long boycott of the site. So far, the impact appears negligible, but the action highlights a risk that any business that relies on a UGC-centric model takes...

full article: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/eba..._power.php

[accentnepal]

I guess I am boycotting - haven't sold a *^%#@^%* thing in weeks. 

[mandy]

Yet another boycott article:

...angry sellers are taking heart from Medved’s statistics which show that eBay’s listings have dropped from the Feb. 14 peak of around 15.9 million listings, to under 11.9 million today. That’s slightly below the 12.3 million listings on eBay on Feb. 13, the day before the promotion.

“If we can get it down to 11 million or lower, the boycott has worked,” declared Derek Page, an eBay seller...

An eBay spokesman, however, says the boycott has had "zero" impact. "We have close to 280 million users worldwide and we list 7 million listings every 24 hours," he says. "The velocity and breadth of this marketplace is such that we`ve gone through dozens if not hundreds of boycotts in the past. It`s just part of doing business in this community."...

full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=25455

[mandy]

Probably the last boycott article 

Today marks the end of a week-long boycott and the jury is still out on whether or not the move was successful — with even the deadline appearing to be at issue.

As is the case with any issue concerning eBay, opinions on whether or not the week-long boycott over fee and feedback changes was successful range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some bloggers, eBayers and pundits say it had zero impact, while others claim the strike achieved its goal. Meanwhile, there are some reports breaking this afternoon that say the boycott is extended until March 3, though at press time, this remained unconfirmed...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essential...hp/3730106

[mandy]

Related:

John Donahoe, eBay's (EBAY) newly elected CEO and president, has yet to take his role, and yet has caused the largest rift between eBay and the eBay community ever.

eBay's position is strong, no arguing this point. But, the question is, has eBay peaked? Is there room for growth? Is it all downhill for eBay from here?

The answer to this question is being debated among investors. Personally, I cannot help but wonder how Donahoe's direction can strengthen its position with the choices they are making...

full article: http://seekingalpha.com/article/66733-eb...y-new-face

[mandy]

Another boycott planned for May...

Disgruntled eBay sellers are not bidding good-bye to protests over the company's new feedback policy. Some strikers from the initial rebellion are still opting out of eBay while others are regrouping to organize a permanent break up kicking off in May. After our initial story on the effort, we received some comments from readers that we've outlined here along with a more detailed overview of the movement.

On Feb. 26, eBay member Mrskillion started a new discussion thread in the forums to promote an open-ended boycott of eBay starting May 1...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essential...hp/3734616