Power Sellers Unite

envirobay · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 624 Location: Boise, Id

It just goes to show who ebay really cares about, and it ain't us. I found this posted in an ebay store community board. It is a great thread found here: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000194484&tstart=0&mod=1155032490353

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More from a Merrill Lynch announcement on May 25, 2006

Expect US listing and final value fee changes
At a competitor conference, eBay management suggested that sluggish US core listing growth, an overhang for the stock, would most likely change when management adjusts the core and store listing and final value fee structures to “rebalance” the site. We expect fee structure changes targeted at reaccelerating core domestic listings growth. The eBay Live seller convention in mid-June could be the appropriate forum to communicate changes in our view.

Raise store fees, lower core fees or both?
Sellers have been attracted to lower costs for selling in store formats, and eBay is likely to narrow the spread between core listing fees (ranging from $0.20 to $4.80) and store listing fees which cost $0.02 for 30 days. eBay could also widen the spread between final value fees on eBay core (sliding scale from 5.25% to 1.5% depending on final value) and eBay stores (sliding scale from 8% to 3%). Given rapid growth of store listings, we would expect some fee increases for stores.

Fee changes will test eBay’s communication skills
As in 1Q05 when eBay raised store fees, we would expect pushback from sellers on fee increases (with related stock volatility), however, eBay can point to higher traffic acquisition costs and opportunities from eBay Express to help appease store owners. With well over 50% of store inventory unsold, we think eBay can afford to give up some of the recent store inventory growth in favor of growing core listings.

A proven track record as a marketplace manager
As eBay illustrated in Germany (ML estimates QTD listings up 37% y/y), the company can reaccelerate growth when the core marketplace has stalled. Two weeks ago, eBay demonstrated the US marketplace responsiveness to pricing changes with a one-day promotion that drove US core listings up 48% w/w.

eBay Express – a 2H06 opportunity
We continue to believe that eBay Express will have a significant impact on buyer and seller experiences on eBay (greater wallet share and higher traffic to stores). With the official launch expected at eBay Live! 2006, and marketing efforts beginning in September we remain optimistic on the eBay Express opportunity.

All text quoted from here:
http://rsch1.ml.com/9093/24013/ds/7876_348.PDF

kcskorner · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 16

IMHO, eBay is riding on a very thin line and it's only a matter of time before some government agency attempts to take them down. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that they have a lot of people by the ba**s. Think of the thousands and thousands of people who quit jobs to make eBay their main source of income. eBay dangled stores in front of everyone's eyes only to yank the rug out. They're still promoting stores - just not the price increase.

As it turns out, ITALY is not taking it laying down. They, too, pay the price for eBay's freebies to other countries.

http://tinyurl.com/qzx6b

Like any addict, you have to make up your mind that you are an addict and then vow to do something about it. I figure if I can give up smoking (5 months ago), I should be able to wean myself from eBay.

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4035 Location: Wi

Talk about someone that hasn't got a clue about how things REALLY work on eBay !!!

I bet those guys have never even been on the site, let alone bought or sold anything on eBay. It's no wonder the stock has dropped like a stone.

And as far as "eBay’s communication skills" -- we've all seen that they suck big time.

The line about higher traffic is a good joke too. The month before I closed my store, I compared the stats you can get thru eBay and my own web page stats. My own page was pulling in 3-5 x the hits of the best page that my eBay store was getting.

But what is saddest, and has been suspected by many a seller, is that they KNEW before eBay Live, yet were promoting the heck out of stores at Live.

That is darn near criminal or at least "bait and switch".

I'm not a believer in "Karma", but when you act the way eBay has, "things" happen. What goes around, comes around.

Watching eBay right now is like sitting high on a hill and seeing a train wreck in progress. Nothing you can do about it except be glad you aren't down there in it.

Carol

envirobay · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 624 Location: Boise, Id

Those Italian "sight" (LOL) numbers are terrific. I wonder how we could get that kind of movement on the US .com site.

Yes it is a train wreck. I haven't paid much attention to the boards for a few years, until recently. It sure does seem that the overall feelings toward ebay is ANGER, borderline HATRED. I dabbled in the boards a few years ago (back in the good old days before ebay crapped all over itself with greed). I don't remember the boards being so anti-ebay back then. People were happy. Sellers were making money. Ebay was making money. It was a win-win back then. Not anymore. Times have changed. Is Aug 22nd going to be ebay's 9-11?

Maybe when Aug 22nd rolls around the US site numbers will do follow a similar pattern as the Italian "sight" numbers. It will be interesting to see this train wreck when it happens. I just wish it would hurry up already! I wish some of these alternatives would pick up. I wish the buyers would also boycott the site. It will take both buyers and sellers leaving to have any effect. And they will have to leave in large numbers. New registrations have got to be dwindling by now. Who doesn't already have an ebay account? My grandma's grandma even has one.

Picture Meg and Bill in the conductor's seat of this train. They just keep shovelling more and more coal in the furnace, ignoring the signs ahead. Hey Meg, disable the brakes, unbuckle your seatbelt and shove another load of coal into the fire... You are unstoppable! And don't forget to call a press conference and tell them all how great you are.

Ebay thinks it is the Titanic.

kcskorner · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 16

Yes, it would be great to get that kind of movement here! Too bad it's not the 1960's. It seems that since that era has gone, we've become complacent - almost willing to let the other guy do it. It's a shame, really. We will continue to get walked all over. We proved in the 1960's that there is power in numbers, we need to do it again.

envirobay · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 624 Location: Boise, Id

Yes we are complacent, and a few steps past that. I'm sure you have all head it before... If not here it is again for the slow kids in the back ;)

The cycle of civilizations:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From great courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to selfishness;
From selfishness to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependency;
From dependency back again to bondage.

Pipphoe

But, Envirobay, we all know what happened to the Titanic! And they thought their ship couldn't sink, either :evil: All those souls that had to die because of those giant egos.

The Auction Site Count for eBay is fascinating and telling: There was this spike during that one-day sale and it's been declining each day since. I guess they're having a hard time retaining those listings at a steady level :roll:

lammergeiernet · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 1007 Location: Canada

eBay has "Late Stage Capitalism" written all over it

Monopoly,Dysfunction,Oppression and on course for Rebellion 8)

CrystalStar · Joined: 06 Mar 2005 Posts: 3571

Too bad the only 'sharks' in the water are nothing more than minnows. Could be a real feeding frenzy if there were any real contenders. :twisted:

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Cathy - the forums at ebaY are tracking the 'count' as it's declining. They (of course - :psulove: ) are using PSU to track the trend...

Greed is one thing - integrity another! I believe we've seen poor integrity at it's best. :roll:

envirobay · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 624 Location: Boise, Id

Or integrity at it's worst? :)

Hopefully the minnows are feeding and growing!