eBay Resetting the Balance: was it worth the price?

[mandy]

Just a chuckle...

On August 29, 2006 eBay North America undertook a formidable task. They sought to return their auction site to more of the 'traditional' auction style format. Or at least that's what they said. Resetting the balance was what they called it, and restoring the magic is their mantra. So after a year of aggressive soliciting and intensely prodding their members to load the eBay Stores format with goods for sale, they kindly pulled the rug out from under us.

They claimed it was our own fault because we, with some 20,000 eBay stores, were moving in to eclipse their straight auction format. At the same time they claimed that was not the case and that we were a marginal endeavor, so then why mess with us at all? If the stores format sucked so bad, then what's the deal with all this money poured into eBay express advertising? Umm, hey dudes, eBay stores float eBay Express...

full article: http://xom.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/06...-for-ebay/

[BellisimaJ.]

Great blog from an SB rabblerouser!!

p.s. The single largest eBay store seller on eBay right now has 56 recorded sales as of this writing and the picture showing what I interpret as the inside of their store looks an awful lot like the interior of a Blockbuster Store. They sell CD's, DVD's, reference books, non-fiction books and children's activity books. They have inflated shipping prices and although they state that they will "work" with you, they place a nice fine print merchandise disclaimer at the bottom of all their listings. Of the 14.1 million listings on eBay right now, this one eBay store is presenting 365,000 of them.

You may laugh now.

Bolding is mine.



For you Meg and Bill.

[BellisimaJ.]

PS// I added a comment (#14.)to Gary's blog after becoming annoyed with a comment from one of the sheep.  :


Edited to add:

My post was #13. not 14..

[thentavius]

Did they forget how hard most sellers railed against the concept of stores and buy it now in the first place?

They forced people to change and now they're forcing people to change back.

DUHHHHHHHHHHH.

[BellisimaJ.]

They forced people to change and now they're forcing people to change back.

I think they see us as pawns or numbers, not people. 

[chiquita]

The one thing for sure is that Ebay is changing, the big question is to what, and when? They should have just given stores a 30 day notice and shut them down instead of the mind games, search manipulation, and fee hike garbage. I gave up adjusting my business plan based on their personality of the day. The collateral damage to small sellers, has been devastating. 

[BellisimaJ.]

I gave up adjusting my business plan based on their personality of the day.

There is no way you can have a viable business plan on ebay with it's constant glitches, "enhancements" and changes. It is truly just a venue, and a very unstable one at that!! :blinkie:

The collateral damage to small sellers, has been devastating. 

This is what made me so angry and eventually got me banned from posting on the boards there.
So many store owners were financially devastated. People begging for help on the Stores Board. It made me 
I so despise ebay now for how they affected people with such an arrogant lack of concern.
Personally, I hope they destroy themselves.

[chiquita]

It no longer feels like Ebay is a venue, more like a bully boss on a tirade demanding more and giving less to their employees. I knew it was time to go when I felt like an employee and not an independent seller. It is turning into a big "sweat shop". >

The whole "we are just a venue" garbage I think will be blown to bits after 5 or so of the upcoming lawsuits go to trial.

[maryrussel]

Apparently ebay adds a huge amount of server space on a daily basis and every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was an image of this formless, ugly mass of greenish gel spreading and swamping every wire in the web almost as fast as the web expanded.

There was something very sinister and worrying about it, like some old ‘B’ movie horror where the ‘thing’ would seem innocuous at first only to then multiply exponentially, rearing itself up as some gross monster before devouring the nearest town and then probably going on to a demise caused by its own greed.

Reminds me of a nightmare I had about eBay when they first came up with the IT marketing campaign.

If you have ever seen or read Stephen King's IT perhaps you will understand.

Memorable Quotes from
It (1990) (TV)
Bill: Kill It, Bev!
It: Kill!
[laughs]
It: Me? I am immortal, child. I am the eater of worlds, and of children. And you are next.
It: I'm every nightmare you've ever had. I'm your worst dream come true. I'm everything you ever were afraid of.

[maryrussel]

Want to know something even more interesting? Many sellers are reporting their items, either sold months ago, or closed, magically appearing for sale!!! Aye carumba, not only are these sellers being charged for listings they did not initiate, how do you say "padding numbers"? eBay is up to some shady stuff... And imagine how many high volume sellers who don't even notice until a buyer buys something that is out of stock? That's just wrong...

This has happened to me several times in the last few months. I always just blamed myself for not keeping better track of my inventory. But it's been happening too many times to be a result of just my disorganization.

Hubby and I have been selling on eBay since 2000 and I can count on one hand how many times it happened prior to a few months ago.