eBay Stores "disadvantaged" in Ebay Express

[thentavius]

Discussion at the SB:

thekayworkshop:

In July, eBay decided to also include auction-style listings with Buy It Now on eBay Express for qualifying sellers, and said "core" fixed-price and auction-style Buy It Now listings that qualify for eBay Express would "be advantaged" over Store Inventory listings.

Reasons are getting less and less and less to want to stay!

After I saw my bill this morning (which does not even include Sept rent yet), I am re-inspired to get to work on my other place... I was going to wait until November, when my time freed up some. But not sure I can AFFORD to wait! Good gravy - it is going to cost a mini-fortune to stay here, for those who sell very low-priced items (not the penny auctions, but the everyday low cost item).

*sigh* Well, at least now I know for sure that they detest the little guys....

And somehow, they believe that increasing the fees to obscene proportions will change the image the public has of this being the world's biggest garage sale? Not gonna happen

A few good questions and thoughts:

smorgasboardofgames:

The more I see eBay "disadvantaging" Stores in every aspect, the more I am convinced that eBay really wants to do away with Sores entirely at some point.

The $64,000 question, of course, is why did they even start Stores? Their "concept" of what a Store should be goes against virtually everyone else's concept.

Guess I'm not the only one who's been poring over this one.

thekatyworkshop:

I guess not enough people opted in to Express, and they opened it up to "core"?

I really thought Express was where they were shuttling the store listings (for new items, too bad for the vintage or antique sellers - eBay totally shafted you!) for new items.

treasuresofmyesterday:

Bill did state Ebay isn't a warehouse yesterday. But, he also made comments about money orders, checks and cash that showed he really didn't have a clue what Ebay wants or does or the rules here anyway.

Bolding mine. Interesting statement from Bill. I assume it's from the Town Hall shindig.

treasuresofmyyesterday:

Ebay was perfectly happy being a warehouse until stock started to tank.

This is their "quick action with little thought or planning" attempt to remedy it.

No way will they reverse the trend and bring things back to core. And, sellers are smarter now. Most don't care to give away their items and give Ebay all the profit just for the joy of saying they sell on Ebay. So, his comment about "priced right to sell quick" won't apply either.

So true. And remember, all, the stock started tanking in 2005 big time, with that last big fee hike that spawned the likes of Waggleflop, Runabay, etc.

Cheap warehouse = OK until stock starts to tank. This poster is dead-on.

katiyana:

From the Town Hall last night, Bill explains eBay's vision of stores:

BILL COBB: "So we want our sellers to use the core format as their primary means of selling and that the store format would be a supplement to that"

The discussion:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000348499&tstart=0&mod=1157657676561

[DecorativeDishes]

eBay can want what they want, but Store sellers like me won't return to core or use Express. They will leave. That may be what they want or not. Time will tell. I'm just glad I'm gone--except for a minimal transition presence. I deleted 2 items from my eBay store that I sold on my site. Last night they were back  .

In the meantime I am stocking up on inventory. I am still able to purchase items won at $.99 with ACTUAL shipping. It boggles the mind. The sellers are nice and the items come packed beautifully.  How long can it last??? I couldn't find a cheaper supplier... Kim

[mandy]

some Bill Cobb quotes from the eBay Town Hall Meeting:

He said eBay was very committed to the Stores product, "but I understand that in some specific instances that it is no longer viable for people to sell on eBay, and that's unfortunate."

We are the place on the Internet where the seller can, within 2 weeks, have a very high probability of selling an item between the original listing or the relist, if they are pricing it at the appropriate level.

Bill Cobb reiterated that eBay would center the marketplace on auctions, not Stores, and that decision would not change going forward.

full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m09/i07/s01

[regic]

more comments from Bill Cobb on the AuctionBytes blog:
http://blog.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/blo...95072.html

[cranky_hippie]

Corncob:

We are the place on the Internet where the seller can, within 2 weeks, have a very high probability of selling an item between the original listing or the relist, if they are pricing it at the appropriate level.

Welcome to Bill's dream world! I would like to see him define "pricing at the appropriate level." Do you suppose he has in mind FREE?

and 

[xppman]

The core feebay site is eroded to the point of no return IMO.
The prices on products have been diluted to the point it is no longer profitable
for any serious small business to try and compete.

The place is FILLED / saturated with knock offs scam artists and fee avoider's.
(Can't say I blame the latter) 

I can NOT see how Bill or Meg think they will regain the "magic".

This downward trend has been going on for what.. almost four years now or more?

It is no wonder all the front end fees have been increase at the same intervals.

They see the TRUE numbers and I KNOW they have known theses trues
mentioned above for quite some time.  >

[amy]

eBay Stores "disadvantaged" in Ebay Express

Umm, yeah, so, does it make a difference if they're advantaged or disadvantaged? Either way there are virtually no Express sales for the average seller.

I visited Express when it first opened and haven't been back since.  If eBay wanted to attract buyers to Express they should have filled it with different merchandise than is on the main eBay.com site.  With Half there is a reason to click the link on eBay's front page because the items are (somewhat) different than on the main site--with Express there is absolutely no reason to click through to it.  Non eBay buyers searching on Google will see the eBay name in Express and do the same thing they do when they see an eBay Stores listing: equate eBay with auctions (or fraud, etc.) and skip past the listings.

"So we want our sellers to use the core format as their primary means of selling and that the store format would be a supplement to that"

I write my own business plan, you don't Billy Boy, and I was never "your seller" :nbiteme:

[xppman]

I write my own business plan, you don't Billy Boy, and I was never "your seller" :nbiteme:

Ain't THAT the truth.  :

[BellisimaJ.]

I visited Express when it first opened and haven't been back since.

Same here and now it is simply a matter of principle not to buy anything on ebay.

If eBay wanted to attract buyers to Express they should have filled it with different merchandise than is on the main eBay.com site.

Agreed! Not to mention the fact that many buyers are bound to feel misled when they go to xpress and see "used", not new as they were led to believe through ebay's misleading adv. campaign. :

I write my own business plan, you don't Billy Boy, and I was never "your seller" :nbiteme:   

Exactly!!

And Billy-Boy, you can  :nbiteme:      me also!  


Edited to fix a smiley.