eBay: The Problems are Many, But not Insurmountable

[mandy]

The Problems are Many, But not Insurmountable
And, those concerns, right now, are many. For instance, sellers are complaining about the drop in sell-through rates and prices realized. Steve Grossberg, a longtime video seller, sums up the dilemma faced by many eBay sellers, "it now takes four tries to sell what used to sell in two." Further, what sells is selling for less: eBay's average transaction revenue declined 10 percent to $1.64 over the past year, according to Mark Mahoney, Citigroup Global Marketing analyst.

Others claim they can make more money selling off eBay. According to a Wall Street Journal report, in 2000 Tom Hawksley began selling CDs and DVDs on eBay. By 2004, he began selling on Amazon and found he could get $35 for DVDs of TV shows that would only fetch $10 on eBay. (Analysts claim prices are higher on Amazon because the site attracts wealthier shoppers.) "Ebay shoppers are looking for unreasonable bargains," Hawksley said, claiming to have generated more profit in four months on Amazon than he did in four years on eBay. His success is echoed by many others, particularly those with their own Web sites who use Google text ads contracted through Amazon and Yahoo! steering in anyone surfing the Web using words related to their businesses.

Many maintain there is a growing gap between eBay's registered users and active users, those who bought, bid or sold something on the site within the past year...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essential...hp/3633926

[xppman]

I don't agree.. I think the "problems" ARE Insurmountable.
THIS is why we see such desperate acts at this point.

eBay has become like the worst football team on the planet.

EVERY move (play) eBay has made over the last 4 years is and was geared to protect
their quarterback (Meg) and attempt to regain yardage (revenue streams).
Something they know they have been loosing for some time now.
(No matter what they "officially" report)  8)


There is no doubt that eBay has known what the fans (buyers) behavior has been
as well as the vendors (sellers) behavior while at the stadium.

They KNEW many of the vendors (sellers) were using eBay's stadium
(ads) to attract fans (buyers) to buy their peanuts where the eBay
team didn't get their cut.

They KNEW / KNOW the fans (overall individual active users)
have not been coming to the "games" like they used to.
But of course they are going to instruct the cheerleaders to keep on
cheering like the stands are full and the "team" is winning.

What we see now is eBay's "Hail Mary" passes in the fourth quarter
with only moments to go in the game. IMO

eBay has been a loosing team for a long time now but it's hard to compare the "scores"
with their rivals, when there are no other teams playing in
the league or even on the feild.

All the plays on the field we have witnessed over the last 4 years or so,
at first, were calculated plays out of the play book... that have now
turned into many desperate downs, in an effort to make a score or get closer to the goal line.

Problem is when your team is loosing (even when only playing with themselves)
and their throwing Hail Mary passes every down that don't connect...
there can only be end result in the game.

eBay 0 Visitors 0.

GAME OVER 

[Ms Molly]

Ahahhhh! Now I understand football. 

[thentavius]

Seller's quote from article:

"it now takes four tries to sell what used to sell in two."

And it used to only take two tries to sell what used to sell in one.

[bud]

Nice analogy xppman, Is there room in there somewhere for Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football?

My analogy--, ebay/meg are acting more like Hitler and the Nazis towards the end of WW2.  Soooo many desperate and stupid projects, off the mark, leaving broken things broken, as they waste resources to invent the next stupid non relevant thing that wont work either.

[BellisimaJ.]

Analogies aside, what is clear is that management is disorganized and desperate. Hopefully this will catch up with them sooner rather than later.

Imo, however, ebay is over. The original vision will never be brought back and that is what made it sucessful. We are watching a death in progress.

[xppman]

[quote author=bud link=topic=5264.msg24867#msg24867 date=1159308810]
Nice analogy xppman, Is there room in there somewhere for Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football?

My analogy--, ebay/meg are acting more like Hitler and the Nazis towards the end of WW2.  Soooo many desperate and stupid projects, off the mark, leaving broken things broken, as they waste resources to invent the next stupid non relevant thing that wont work either.

[/quote]

Good analogy bud and so on target.
You know it too Bell. 

[BellisimaJ.]

xp 411 to you: I know it is on target. So,  :nbiteme: