Ethical Tool Rumored OK'd by eBay, Possible Listing Duration Fee Increase Jan 06

[xppman]

I said I wasn’t going to but after the announcement that the search manipulation tool was going to be allowed
I decide to play around once again with a few of my auctions. (Seeing as my newby boinktard was doing it SEVERAL TIMES).

I found there is a apx 16 hour lag time now when doing listing duration revisions.

I have 6 items up right now and here are the times:

Showing on page 2 of a 4 page search
On my view sellers other page 1d 14h 26m
On ebasy's Main search 2d 05h 25m
16h difference not in my favor from main search to actual close.

On my view sellers other page 1d 14h 15m
On ebay's Main search 2d 05h 15m
16h difference in my favor  from main search to actual close.

On my view sellers other page 1d 21h 45m
On ebay's Main search 1d 06h 45m
16h difference in my favor from main search to actual close.

On my view sellers other page 1d 09h 40m
On ebay's Main search 2d 20m
16h difference in my favor from main search to actual close.

Showing on page 2 of a 4 page search
On my view sellers other page 3d 21h 27m
On ebay's Main search 4d 12h 16m
16h difference in my favor from main search to actual close.

Showing on page 3 of a 4 page search
On my view sellers other page 4d 11h 08m
On ebay's Main search 5d 01h 57m
16h difference in my favor from main search to actual close.

I wonder if this lag time is so great because a lot more people “who lurk” are aware of this search manipulation thing and are now attempting to take advantage of this? (Perhaps out of necessity if their LARGER counterparts are already doing it).

I wonder if this is putting a large strain on the capabilities of bay’s systems to update these auctions in a timely manor, therefor making the “tool” or technique, already just about useless.
Or could it be intentional and perhaps some new algorithm may have been installed silently, penalizing those who attempt to “manipulate” listing duration’s constantly.

Just a technical strain to update perhaps millions of listing in a 16 hour window?
Or intentional 16 hour penalty?

Please someone try it your self on some of your items if you are playing with the “tool” / technique.

See if you get similar results and let us know.

Oh yea my new boinktard competitor has 19 items up for auction and in the four page search, only 2 of his items are even showing up at all. This is what makes me believe perhaps some new algorithm may have been installed silently penalizing those who attempt to “manipulate” listing duration’s constantly.

[mandy]

AuctionBytes story on eBay's decision to allow this tool:

Ebay Backs Down on Threat to Ban Auction Extender Tool

When asked if that was still true or whether sellers would now be able to manually revise auction duration as much as they wanted, Durzy said, "There is not a line that we can draw." But, he said, Ethical's sellers could use the Sell-Through Tool "to the extent they choose to use it."

Durzy would not say whether eBay would allow other third-party vendors to develop a tool identical to Ethical's Sell-Through Tool

http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m09/i26/s01

[thentavius]

We all knew they were going to eventually charge different fees for the different listing durations. We caught wind of it when we saw the durations "itemized" on our bills.

The bulk discounts are certain to be next. It will probably be a perk for those in the different tiers of Power Seller status.

As for the Ethical tool. Bah. Blah. Bleh. Doesn't surprise me at all.

[bargainbloodhound]

We all knew they were going to eventually charge different fees for the different listing durations. We caught wind of it when we saw the durations "itemized" on our bills.

GTC listings are also itemized--at some point I expect that blank to be filled in too.

If eBay had half a brain and was serious about fighting fraud they would drop the surcharge for 10-day listings and instead impose a surcharge on the scammer friendly 1-day listing durations...and heh,heh that would kill 2 birds with one stone by fighting fraud and putting a dent in the ability of a few to automate the manipulation of search results at the expense of other sellers.

[xppman]

That would be too logical BBH.
And we know ebay is not about logic anymore.

Me thinks that many things they have done are backfiring on
them and have been for at least the last couple of years or so.

An example of their blunders and how they recover are higher fees imposed this year
to “offset” lower sell through for many. FVFs collected for ebay were less so
to maintain a healthy “bottom line” for ebay they just raised fees.

Many buyers have just went “ bye bye” because of all the stupid and constant changes to the site.

I’m starting a topic on one reason for that. SLOW LOADING eBay PAGES.
Been talked about before but I think page load times as well as soooooo many other areas
has a lot to do with everything.

The way ebay is heading, they WILL indeed price and spend themselves right into chapter 11 some day. IMO

[bargainbloodhound]

A few months after the fact, but apparently a  PeSAhIT being granted a personal audience with King Bill Slobb Cobb played a part in the Ethical tool being approved...

xxx,

I did correctly interpret your statement and inference that Ben has less bearing on the discussion forum because he would not qualify and is only present here due to being grandfathered into PESA.

If I have my facts straight, Ben is the original developer of the Ethical relist tool that many PESA sellers presently use, and in addition, he went to California and met personally with Bill Cobb at his (Ben's) own expense to demonstrate the value that the tool has for PESA sellers when eBay was ready to pull the plug on it. That tool is still available to sellers in part due to Ben's efforts. Does he qualify - I believe so.

xxxxxx

...and Bill Slobb Cobb gave in, saving the day so the key seller, the largest DVD seller, the kitty litter box seller, the knockoff Italian Charms seller, and 100-200 other members of the eBay Elite could have the playing field tilted further in their favor thereby screwing several hundred thousand other eBay sellers in the process.  3 cheers for Bill Slobb!  .

[xppman]

I just can't see how ebay is going to continue when doing things like this.
They must realize they have alienated just about all of it's core base by now.

I see thread after thread of very unhappy campers all over the place on so many issues.

These guys are surely imploding right before our eyes
but for their shear size it is hard too see the entire event as it is happening.

The fact of the matter is that their is nothing we can do about it either
but what so many have already done and that is to move further
and further away from the epicenter.

[sneakymagenta]

they have alienated just about all of it's core base by now.

They replaced us with a new base that loves IT: big sellers, mall stores, manufacturers