Power Sellers Unite

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17241 Location: Texas

eBay is holding several seller promotions this week across its properties. In the U.S., eBay Motors Parts and Accessories is holding a one-day 50-cent listing day on October 17 (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200610161549032.html). And first-time sellers can get the insertion fees and Gallery upgrades for their first three listings free in the "Get 3 Free First Time Seller Promotion" that runs from October 17 through, October 21, 2006 (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200610161704132.html).

On eBay Canada, first-time sellers can get five free listings and Gallery upgrades in a promotion running from October 15 through October 22, 2006 (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/ca/200610131459382.html).

eBay UK is holding a 10-pence listing day on October 19 (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/uk/200610170002492.html).

And in Australia, eBay is offering sellers the chance to list using the new Gallery Plus upgrade for 59 cents on October 18 (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/au/200610171134252.html).

more.. link to news article

sewbest · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 62

Yea,they just looking to quicklyboost their numbers!<br>look here:http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000367071&tstart=0&mod=1161101342314

AlterEgo · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 560

This sort of confirms my theory that eBay is trying to bring in Newbie Sellers to make up for the exodus of very long term and expert old sellers. After the Store Fee increases, eBay went about giving free local presentations on how to sell on ebay with the USPS (and how to ship with USPS).

EBay sort of have the opinion that if one seller leaves they can get two to take in their place.

But this can eventually backfire because:
Eventually they will run out of new sellers to bring in (to feed the Ebay Machine).
Eventually word will get out that eBay with its multiple high fees is not where you can make a lot of money and thus profits.
A lot of new Newbie sellers will make a lot of newbie mistakes (poor Customer Service, Ship too late, don’t know how to handle certain unique situations, price their items too high, or Price their items too low to make a profit, etc.).
This will lead to buyers being disenfranchised.
Newbies cannot make up for the exodus of highly experienced Collectable and Vintage Sellers (that take months if not years to hone their skill and expertise).

I think a lot of Newbie sellers after about 20-100 sales will leave realizing that eBay is not IT (too hard to make profit above minimal wage and with no medical benifits).

Thus ebay might try to bring in another round of newbies, and a vicious cycle will take place with the Losers being Old/Experienced Sellers, New Sellers, and Buyers.

I just cannot help but think an analogy of an Old Steam Engine. Ebay used to have Good Coal (experienced old sellers) and the engine ran good and fast. Now ebay has used up (forced out) a lot of the experienced sellers (through numerous fee increases and poor Customer Service). Now someone in accounting or upper management thought that they do better with less expensive Coal (newbie sellers) to replace their dwindling stocks of good coal. Well now to keep the Steam Engine running as fast as it did in good old days they have to keep on shoveling not as good coal (newbie sellers) into the Engine faster and faster. And now that the Coal Bin runs out faster (because 1 old coal per weight = 2 to 4 newbies per weigh), they now have to restock the Coal Bin much more often (by bringing in new sellers). The not-as-good new coal is a good bit Grittier (creates more soot, i.e., has poorer CS and list less) than the cleaner and more energy efficient old caol and the Passengers (Buyers) are not happy with their decline in riding experience than in Golden Old Days. The Magic and lore of the Steam Engine named eBay seems to be fading…

JMHO,

AlterEgo

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17241 Location: Texas

Alterego might be onto something!

Over the past 2 months most of my sales at ebay have been from either new users (newly registered/low FB) or people who rarely shop at ebay (longtime registered/low FB).

The mass exodus will hopefully help the smaller alternative online selling venues. But one or more need to step forward with all of the bells & whistles sellers require, plus have the server space & security for rapid growth.

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

Right now all these sales are to boost the numbers in time for the Q3 report and conference call. Can't let the stockholders think that the ship is going down.

All summer, they have been artifically boosting the numbers with sales. What other year can anyone remember when they have had so many sales ??!!

Can anyone say "running scared" !!!

Carol

sewbest · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 62

"Right now all these sales are to boost the numbers in time for the Q3 report and conference call. Can't let the stockholders think that the ship is going down."

That is exactly it!!
You hit the nail on the head in my opinion.

fruity · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 375

Alter Ego, I think you are correct. I have wondered about this myself. About August the eBay stores board starting getting more and more new ebayers opening stores and asking fairly basic questions. Those questions indicated to me that they were not even remotely familiar with the basics of being on eBay. With virtual no feedback or experience, I just had to wonder what kind of pitch did they get to buy into opening up a store. I do know that eBay has dropped some of the requirements of opening a store. It used to be you had to have 20 or maybe it was 50 feedbacks? Does anyone know for certain?

Another oddity worth noting. For a new ebayer (with or without a store) to come to the stores forum is pretty unusual. Ebay directly pushes Seller Central as the place for new sellers to be. For them to start assembling on the stores board, partly I wrote it off to a few of them being plants.

Ebay provides no true education on how to sell on eBay. That comes with time in, experience and hard work. It does a disservice to the future seller as well as the consumer, who does look at a store as some indication of longevity.

dixielady060303 · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 46

Got to get those numbers up. China and India didn't work out so well. But numbers are numbers and the stock market still appears to be buying the hype! Dixie