posted on January 19, 2001 08:08:50 AM new
A friend alerted me to this URL where people are signing up for a boycott of eBay in reaction to their higher fees with no better service. If you are fed up with eBay's ever-increasing fees and lack of customer support, frequent glitches, crashes, etc., sign in here:
http://boycottebay2101.webjump.com
posted on January 19, 2001 08:10:33 AM new
Sorry, I can't seem to get the link to work. Trying again:
<A HREF="http://boycottebay2101.webjump.com"> http://boycottebay2101.webjump.com</A>
Yahoo and eBay auction counts updated every Wednesday at noon:
The Wednesday Report http://www.dtmagazine.com/auctioncounts.html
posted on January 19, 2001 08:12:03 AM new
Can anybody tell me how to make a link show up as a link on these boards. I have tried everything I know and it won't work. Maybe because I have a MAC?
Yahoo and eBay auction counts updated every Wednesday at noon:
The Wednesday Report http://www.dtmagazine.com/auctioncounts.html
posted on January 19, 2001 08:26:44 AM new
The least people can do when posting to such a board is use their eBay user ID. "Pissed in Seattle" and other such "names" do not give this "movement" credibility.
ebaY is where the shoppers are are and considering the exposure you get for your listing fees, it's still the best bargain around.
No one likes to see price increases anywhere but it has been 4 years without an increase at ebaY. You should be thankful the listing fees weren't raised to .50 for up to $9.99.
Yes it's lousy that the Postal Service and eBay are raising fees and that will have a major effect on sellers, however, just like in all businesses you have two choices: adapt or go under.
I hardly think boycotting ebaY by not listing your items there is going to make them say, Darn, let's cancel the increase in fees... so who is boycotting going to hurt?
posted on January 19, 2001 08:38:07 AM new
Geeez, keeryann. If that's your ebay ID, you haven't sold anything or bought anything for nearly two months. So, what brings you to this board? How much is ebay paying to to shill posts? People may not want to leave their actual ID for ebay to NARU them. So go here: http://boycottebay2101.webjump.com and put your message and don't pay any attention to ebay suck-ups like keeyann. She was probably telling the patriots back in the 1700s not to dump the tea into Boston Harbor, saying, oh what good will that do?
Yahoo and eBay auction counts updated every Wednesday at noon:
The Wednesday Report http://www.dtmagazine.com/auctioncounts.html
posted on January 19, 2001 08:39:39 AM new
Yeah, I am going to march right on over to another site and waste my time lising items that wont sell. All because ebay raised their listing fee by a lousy nickel. NOT............
posted on January 19, 2001 09:01:40 AM new
fearlessrick,
Your comments "How much is ebay paying to to shill posts?" and "don't pay any attention to ebay suck-ups like keeyann" have come close to crossing the line.
I suggest you acquaint yourself with the AW Community Guidelines, particularly concerning basic etiquette, before posting again.
posted on January 19, 2001 09:02:44 AM new
ATTENTION ALL WHINERS!
Go cry in the corner. Waaa Waaa Waaa Ebay is raising their fees. So What? Do you have any idea how much it would cost to advertise your items anywhere else on the net? Thousands of dollars a week would be the correct answer.
Listing on Ebay provides exposure of your items to millions world wide. Take a good look at Ebay's fees. You would have to be a total idiot to think that their fees are too high, considering the mass marketing ebay gives you for pennies! Enough is enough. Do your homework regarding todays advertising rates on the internet and cry in your pillow.
A ban on Ebay? Here we go again. A small handful of ebays 22 million users will threaten to take their ball and go play with someone else. Well good for you! Let the whiners leave ebay. My apologies for being so abrasive, but these whiners are getting to be quite annoying.
Thank you again Ebay for the endless opportunities you have and continue to provide for so many. Ignore the whiners. The smart members of your community understand the need to increase fees, and appreciate your efforts.
posted on January 19, 2001 09:14:15 AM new
As a seller, if the boycott decreases the number of competitors I have, I'm delighted. Please, disgruntled sellers. Go someplace else.
posted on January 19, 2001 09:30:50 AM new
There always seems to be people who enjoy stirring up trouble...eBay has been the best thing to happen to me since I started selling online three years ago. It sure beats going outside my home to try & make a living. Why would I bite the hand that feeds me??? Cry & whine somewhere else, you are only hurting yourself. While you're boycotting, I'll be happy to sell to your buyers. Thanks!!!
posted on January 19, 2001 09:46:05 AM new
Fine, with you few who will just take whatever ebay gives you, meanwhile, the list of people in support of the boycott continues to grow. Nearly 50 people in less than half a day. If you're not interested in your own bottom line that's fine, but keeping all of your eggs in one basket is not a sound business practice. I wish you well but this thread is supposed to be about people who disagree with ebay's price increases. They just reported record earnings. What justification is there to raise prices? Please answer that.
Yahoo and eBay auction counts updated every Wednesday at noon:
The Wednesday Report http://www.dtmagazine.com/auctioncounts.html
posted on January 19, 2001 09:52:18 AM new
Well, I just used vrane.com's new sales calculator to see how my ebay fees ate into my 2000 profits. Apparently there's a bit of a glitch in the program so that your actual net is underestimated - so we can safely assume the fee % figure is an OVERestimate.
Vrane.com says my ebay fees for 2000 were 6.7% of my gross.
Show me any consignment shop - RL or online - that will charge only 6.7% of the sale price to expose an item to even a thousand potential buyers, let alone several hundred thousand or even a million, and (in my case at least) assure that 85% of my merchandise will sell within a week - and in my case, with at least a 300% markup and usually more than that. Around these parts, the minimum consignment fee is 40%. And the average auctioneer's take here is 10% from each of seller AND bidder.
Sorry - ebay's still the best deal on the planet for my business.
posted on January 19, 2001 10:50:19 AM new
I never said I keep all my eggs in one basket, I have several online & offline 'baskets'. Ebays success is due to it's sellers & buyers! Anyone can post on this thread even if we don't agree with who started the thread & have the right to voice their opinions. It's always good to see different views!
posted on January 19, 2001 11:04:43 AM new
For those who say "it's just a nickle," please send me all your nickels. You may email me for my address. Thank you!
posted on January 19, 2001 11:05:05 AM new
Let's put this in perspective:
I'm placing a picture in a gallery where the sale will NET me more than an eBay sale. For this service, the gallery owner charges THIRTY PERCENT of the sale price and no listing fees.
I have some furniture out on consignment, and the fee is FORTY PERCENT of the sale price and no listing fees.
I could rent a booth in a high0-traffic mall near here: rental + commission percentage + insurance + theft ... I'd make less than eBay with more work.
eBay sounds like a VERY GOOD DEAL compared to the world of consignment and malls.
posted on January 19, 2001 11:13:01 AM new
Yet another boycott?
...."and that too, shall pass"....just as ToyRanch's march dwindled away last year...
Toy...where are you? I've missed ya...
Signing up for a Boycott and BOYCOTTING are two different things..
I boycotted for nearly three months last year...and in the end, just as I already knew I would have to, I did return to Ebay.
They are a necessary evil The place we love to hate...
posted on January 19, 2001 11:19:40 AM new
Count me out of this nonsense. I've made a good $5,000 on eBay in the past two years that I would not have made AT ALL without them. This raise is quite small relatively speaking and they take a very small chunk of my overall earnings. If it were a 50% raise or something I might think about it but as it is eBay works just fine for me.
posted on January 19, 2001 11:30:46 AM new
Gosh...60 people have signed up on the "boycott ebay page"!!
WOW Fearlessrick, only 22,499,940 more ebay users to go! Why, your almost there!! WAY TO GO GUY!!
Ebay would be a bargain at twice the price!
Abacaxi..you forgot to mention that all those other ways to sell don't have anywhere near the number of "lookers" that ebay has. The ebay "traffic" is priceless!
posted on January 19, 2001 11:32:18 AM newPrometheus11...well spoken.
I do not like it either, but when I compare it to the 1,500 per month rent on my store, plus the Liability Insurance, plus the shared Utilities, plus the Common-Area maintenance, plus the Business Telephone ( quite a bit higher than residential), plus the constantly-changing inventory, to keep buyers interested, I feel I have it good with Ebay. Raised fees? I don't have to like it...I can moan for 19 minutes, then move on...
I would never go back to a shop.
posted on January 19, 2001 11:43:21 AM new
Amy - "Abacaxi..you forgot to mention that all those other ways to sell don't have anywhere near the number of "lookers" that ebay has. The ebay "traffic" is priceless!"
Yes. I'm going to the gallery with the paniting because the owner has a BIG list of customers who want this artist ... otherwise I'd hit eBay and see what I could get. She probably has more people in her contact list than would ever look at it on eBay.
Furniture is way too hard to ship, so that's a given to have it local. For the rest, I'll pay the 6-7% in fees because the alternative is a yard sale where half the stuff gets stolen and the rest goes for peanuts!
posted on January 19, 2001 11:59:19 AM new
Abacaxi..I hope you didn't think i was being negative about your post. I was agreeing with you and adding something.
By the way...I know someone local who sells furniture (big pieces) on ebay. He ships it all over. Does well on his furniture too. He puts the buyer in contact with someone who will crate the item and ship it.
posted on January 19, 2001 12:46:33 PM new
Agreeing with both sides of the issue.
While I dislike the increases (PO, eBay, Yahoo, etc), my eperience owning other retail and publishing businesses, makes eBay and Yahoo a fair venue.
While listing fees, and fvf do chip away at profit, I manage nicely with 2 people - no insurance costs, or rent (plus, the IRS office deduction).
Operate a mall booth for about a year; a lot of work (note abacaxi a lot) and when finished, profit not much.
ePier - has many listings..I didn't notice any bids...
And, what will we boycott? Ourselves? Will we really punish eBay for operating a business that provides us an opportunity to stay at home on the farm...
Fearless...in many areas I agree with your thoughts - I'm just not sure who will be the loser....
posted on January 19, 2001 01:00:51 PM new
Maybe you could work on your boycott sales pitch a bit. If you are interested, I would be happy to send you a list of my competitors to practice on. Although I like my competing sellers very much, I think I would like their bidders even more! eBay is the greatest thing since liquid soap! (didn't you hate that gooey soap slime in the shower?) (or do you still use the bars because they're cheaper?). Cheaper isn't always better. I'll pay the fees, personally. Call me what you will, but I'm still proud to say I work at home on eBay . JMO.
posted on January 19, 2001 01:04:05 PM new
Some people never cease to amaze me. I rent a storefront in a very tourist oriented town. If it were not for ebay I would have to get a real job in the winter.
"IF YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND, THEN YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE"
[ edited by surfsworth on Jan 19, 2001 01:05 PM ]
posted on January 19, 2001 01:52:51 PM new
I notice that once more, those who dare express different views are told to leave. Soon, this board will operate just for the convenience of that one poster...Must be lonely at the top
Please, disgruntled sellers. Go someplace else....
Strange, I was under the assumption that this board was FREE to use as well as to feel FREE to express oneself, as long as it is in a non-aggressive manner.
No, we don't have to like the new fees, but those who so choose should have the right to express their discontentment.
. JMO. 