eBay Replaces Community with Commodity

by: ebyebye

I just hope people will finally stop selling and buying on ebay...period!  There are viable options and they work.
Until people say that is enough and refuse to take the little morstel ebay throws their way, things will never change.  Ebay will rule the market forever if you let them. Our choice is to go elsewhere...tell everyone you know every chance you get to not do business there as well.  Then, and only then we'll see ebay shrink and fade away to the nothingness it deserves.  The competition will then be open and competition is exactly what is needed here.  Ebay is essentially gone now...the average seller can't make any money there...so it's time to move on.  The writing can't get any bigger on the wall.  This may cost you a little money in the short-term but it's worth it in the long run.  Sacrafice is necessary ingredient to make any acomplishments in anything worthwhile.  Don't just talk about not selling and buying on ebay...do it!  I can't say it any clearer than that.

by: John Donuthole

Ina, I'm surprised you haven't done an article on the terrible big box retailers & corporations screwing my beloved Ebay. I mean, if companies can get away with pushing around little guys like Ebay, what's next??? I'm for all the Mom & Pop sellers we've been screwing, er helping the past year, and want them to stand up for big doggy diamond sellers rights to sell newly made junk on my beloved site at any price they like, while on the other hand suspending 100% perfect sellers of great vintage items made by companies long out of business. Why Oh Why wont someone help me and my gestapo agents and our Diamond buddies? Is it because Uncle Griff said Big Bad Ebay Boo Boo Boo? Why oh why won't someone help save my golden parachute? Why do all the little sellers I'm now all for hate my guts so??? Please help tiny little Ebay Ina, I'm afraid I might have to sell the Ebay corporate jet if this abuse of my precious diamonds continues!!!!

by: Patricia

Ebay's youtube asking for help!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4go7g-vrzRg&eurl=http://ww
w.myblogutopia.com/

Don't bother trying to comment - they will delete the comments and block you from commenting.  That's why there are almost 500 views and NO comments.

by: Yo Joe

eBay is a corrupt company along the lines of, say, GM or Bear Stearns. It's just that they've managed to grease the correct wheels to be "ignored." But make no mistake about it: eBay is as absolutely corrupt as it gets. It's sad, too, that that's the case, but that's the case.

This latest round is nothing new. eBay is concerned with only one thing: money. That's why I've laughed for over ten years now (joined Oct 1998) at eBay's "community values" and "we believe people are basically good" nonsense. In the process, eBay has done everything in its power to protect its bottom line, while also doing everything in its power to ignore, obfuscate, shut down, harass, and otherwise silence their members who have the audacity to complain.

What eBay has done is illegal, both theoretically AND practically, but no one with any real power does anything, because there are "other things to do."

So. Nothing new, folks.

by: nadine

The saddest commentary of all is that the during the last two or three years, social networking exploded on the net. Facebook, twitter, etc. Think about how poised eBay was to take advantage of its huge existing community if it had wanted to - think about where it was in 2006, what it could have become if it incorporated social shopping into its site.

Instead, they threw it all away trying to become a cheap clone of Amazon, which btw has far more social aspects with its personalized recommendations, reviews and lists than eBay ever has had or will. eBay will become a real "what were they thinking?" casebook study within a very few years.

by: nadine

yo joe, eBay is still making gobs of money, which makes it different from Bear Sterns or GM, if only for the moment. I never expected eBAy to act for MY benefit, but I did expect them to act for their own. Their short-sighted greed, their attempt to become a 'closed garden' when they should have done just the opposite, & their panicked imitations of Amazon are not in their own interests, let alone anybody else's...except their competition.

by: 4-sillylittlegems

Shop Bonanzle & blujay! Forget Greedbay!!!!!!

by: ExPowerSeller

Fools.

by: saki

I've read and read and read about sellers going "elsewhere" yet all the "elsewheres" I've seen have not impressed me in terms of visibility and traffic. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places? Where is a seller (10 year ebay vet, yuck) of designer clothing and accessories, and an occasional collectible, to go?

by: Texas Sandy's Skeeterella

Saki, sadly a lot of sellers are still hanging on trying to pay bills, while Liveworld employees like Gporc, prof data and of course cinderfella call them whiners. It's hard to change, and even harder when you've counted on a venue to make a living for a few years.  I predict this latest round will renew more interest in other sites, but there will not be an en masse migration until ebay finally dies and paypal closes with millions in stolen funds. Could happen the day after christmas, I know I've been trying every one of these other sites and all have flaws but at least the risk is low. I prefer an auction format since I only sell rare vintage & collectible items, and that's the biggest missing hole in the alternatives.Until a well capitalized player comes along, Feebay will keep staggering along like the wounded giant it is now.

by: nancybusinraleigh

The other sites......some thoughts.

For those who started on ebay before they ever considered advertising, things were much different.  It experienced huge growth through word of mouth, that was the only "advertising" really done for the first few years.

The other sites available now need the same effort from sellers and buyers.  But sellers also need to bring their customers with them to the new sites.  You have the contact information, let your customers know where you are and entice them with a first purchase discount of some sort or free shipping on their first order etc.

Ebay has lost it's good name, and those who still visit the site have a hard time finding or even seeing what is available due to ebay's horrible search.

I currently sell on my own website as well as a couple of the other venues and the sales roll in because google feed is enabled and I spent time on search engine optimization and meta tag details everywhere I sell.

Shoot, I even had a customer from ebay that I sold two in 2006 track me down and ask where I'm now selling!  So it's possible to makes sales and build your business outside of ebay.

The largest lesson underlying all this turmoil is that those who only used ebay were caught up short when the rapid fire changes and draconian policies against sellers starting rolling out the end of Jan 2008 and continue today.

If there is anything to take away from all this nonsense is to make sure you diversify and get your products listed in many places, never just one.

I'm no longer dependent on ebay for sales, quit selling last spring.  

Sure, it might be slow to start but you have to start somewhere or be forever at the mercy of ebay and whatever they think you deserve.

by: NOMORE_EBAY

Has it ever occurred to anyone that these fake diamond sellers might be eBay selling out of china with US addresses. I started to buy a ring, but remembered having bought the same one in a different color at an unreasonable price due to false advertising. It came from China. I could have gotten one similar to it out of a bubble-gum machine. I kept asking them where their home office was. The only answer I ever got was, ''We ship from Hawaii, New York, California.'' eBay is everywhere, even China, ''taking care of business.'' THE BIGGEST DISHONEST COMPANY IN THE US WITH THE MOST REGULATIONS TO KEEP EVERYONE ELSE HONEST! Wonder when they will ask for bail-out.

by: chrissy mamma

I am SO frickin' tired of people who have left eBay and are crowing about how smart they are...and how stupid we are for having stayed on eBay.

Tired of it!!

I've complained--I've moaned, and I've moved a lot of my business OFF eBay as a result over the past two years. I'm not stupid--but at this point, with all due respect to the wonderboys who have left to start their own websites or have fully divested off of eBay, stfu!!

I'm still on ebay and making money, thank you. Yeah, it's a trick and they're nibbling away at my profit margins, but it still bringing me enough cash.

So, please-- quit denigrating the folks who have chosen to stay on eBay. They're not all idiots, you know. If they aren't making money and they're staying there, then maybe you're right.

by: nadine

Nobody's even mentioned the funniest thing about eBay lobbying against MAPs. Put aside the ironies about eBay claiming to be for the little guy. The question is, why is eBay doing this now? And the answer is, because Donahoe decided that eBay has got to become the discount king of the Internet. Yet when eBay tells their new Diamond sellers to cut their prices, the sellers tell them they can't because of MAP. So eBay thinks, I'll go to bat in Washington to get rid of MAP!

What the sellers aren't telling eBay is that they don't want to get rid of MAP, when this kind of rule lasts it is only because the price support is mutually beneficial to both manufacturer and reseller. But as usual, eBay doesn't understand its sellers' needs and doesn't care if they make a profit. All eBay cares about is eBay's short-term profits. So eBay is being no wiser with the big sellers than the small ones.

Watch who comes and who goes among the Diamond sellers. They have no need to put up with eBay's nonsense. If they don't see profits, they will leave.

by: saki

Everyone - thank you for your thoughtful responses.

Chrissy - I wonder what it is you are selling that allows you to continue to be so satisfied with ebay. I would never be here "whining" if I weren't having serious problems. Being cut off from selling my most profitable items is a huge problem for me. So tell us the secret of your success!

I think I may try some of those limited items on Bonanzle - because they're just sitting around making me no money. The big challenge I have is that I am a marketing professional for my "real" job, but the fact is that working FT doesn't allow me the luxury of time to do extensive additional research and reach out - I am completely drained of all my faculties from my full time job. But I am so tired of the high fees, the canned "customer service". Let me tell you, I EVEN CALLED AND SENT A REGISTERED LETTER TO JD! It was all extremely professional but needless to say, I was ignored. I just wanted to have a professional conversation!!

by: nancybusinraleigh

chrissy, I'm glad you're still able to eek a profit in some sales on ebay.

I don't believe anyone begrudges you for being able to do so.

But your hostility is misdirected, you should be angry at ebay for making it so difficult for you as well as others who have learned ebay is not the end all destination for internet sales.

Getting a chip on your shoulder toward others who have been victims of ebays policies is not going to help you in any fashion.

We who have left did so of our own choosing and some will not compromise and remain at ebay for smaller and smaller profit and more and more anxiety trying to hang on.

Good luck to you!

by: Somewhere-else

Brag all you want about still being in business on Ebay.Short story is..if you aren't selling somewhere else soon,then you will be out of business.Ebay is shutting down all sellers shortly..about two months from now.If you are only selling there...you will very soon be M.I.A. No matter how well you do on Ebay ..your selling days there are almost over.Need a new place to sell? Go to Poweresellersunite.com to find your answers.Market yourself,cause if you don't,you may as well just have a big yardsale.See you on the other side folks.

by: Somewhere-else

Mis-type that's Powersellersunite.com

by: texas sandy's skeeter clinic

Yeah, Ebay LOVES them big Doggy Diamonds, with their AWESOME sell Thru rate of .02%. No real seller could afford that and pay Feebay. Smartbargains at 88% is SUSPENDABLE and in the bottom 1% of customer satisfaction, you see them getting suspended anytime soon? Good job, Donuthole, Im selling my unique vintage items elsewhere. By the way, did you know Vintage is a red flag that will get you worse page placement in the wonderful Ebay search?

by: Ooops I'm Naru'd Again

@Chrissy,

Don't get me wrong I still sell on there too...and I'm still making some money at it some days (although it is less and less).  Today I only had 1 item sell sell out of 20 (action listings, new finds I picked up at an estate sale).  

Woooooopteeeeeeeedoooooooooooo!

Anyway I think you should reread Jim's post and although the wolf's not knocking at your door now...be prepared when he does come a callin'.

I know there are some bashers...but I think that's more of an raw emotional response from past successful sellers.  

If you take a sober second at some of the posts, the majority of sellers past and present are saying don't put all your eggs in one basket.  

Thanks it...take or leave it.  :)