posted on September 7, 2001 10:09:21 PM
Back in November 1999 I predicted the demise of eBay. Why? Simple. They CLAIMED to be "just a venue". Then, they started BANNING anything that could not be found at your local K-Mart.
Howeever, their previous success kept them afloat. New sellers would list FEATURED auctions at $120+ (with all the bells and whistles) even though eBay could no longer deliver the BIDS.
Now, however, I have noticed a DECLINE in the number of 'featured' auctions. It will only get worse.
In November of 1999 my bill from eBay was $2498.67 - a feee which I was GLAD to pay, as they were driving sales. I recommended eBay to my friends, as there was LOTS OF COOL STUFF for sale.
When they started banning everything, it all went to hell. Now, I have read from the postings, evan a GI JOE fake plastic grenade is subject to removal.
How are YOUR sales going? How many of YOUR items have been BANNED for no good reason? Are your NON-BANNED items getting any bids? And HEAVEN HELP YOU if you DARE QUESTION the judgement of the 19 year old eBay "cop"!
On top of that, can you remember the 500+ 'featured" auctions each day placed by BUTTERFIELDS - the eBay subsidiary?
They stopped that, but eBay has NEVER RECOVERED! The FREEDOM is gone! eBay and their CORPORATE PARTNERS may list whataever they like, but YOU (the small-time seller) CANNOT.
They have completed their transition from collectibles site, to MAJOR trading site, to K-Mart, ONLINE!
DECLINE, DECLINE, DECLINE!
2002 is their OBITUARY year. Their policies, coupled with the current economic conditions = DISASTER!
It's sad, because they REALLY had the momentum for awhile there! With a heavy heart, I bid eBay farewell. It was nice while it lasted, but they totally screwed it up.
It's a shame...
Jeff
P.S. - Pierre - GREAT JOB, initially - lightning struck! Meg, do us all a favor and RETIRE! You'll never reach the revenue goals you set for yourself. eBay was NEVER MEANT to be HUGECORPORATIONWITHONEMILLIONRULESANDFAVORITISMFORBIGCORPORATIONS.COM!
posted on September 7, 2001 10:32:11 PMNow, I have read from the postings, evan a GI JOE fake plastic grenade is subject to removal.
Yes, and if you would have read all the postings of that thread, you would have noticed that the seller emailed eBay, who apologized and allowed the item up.
How are YOUR sales going?
Very well, actually.
How many of YOUR items have been BANNED for no good reason?
None. I have had one item pulled for keyword spamming, which I was guilty of.
Are your NON-BANNED items getting any bids?
Yes, and lots of them.
And HEAVEN HELP YOU if you DARE QUESTION the judgement of the 19 year old eBay "cop"!
While I turn in auctions that I find violating the same policies that I am following, I am neither 19 years old or a "cop".
eBay and their CORPORATE PARTNERS may list whataever they like, but YOU (the small-time seller) CANNOT
First of all, it is eBay's site, and they can do what they like on it. If you don't like it, then don't go there.
As far as their corporate partners, I think eBay has been fair (if slow) in enforcing their policies. See the thread from a few months ago about returnbuy and their offsite links - which are now gone, thanks to those eBay "cops".
They have completed their transition from collectibles site, to MAJOR trading site, to K-Mart, ONLINE!
eBay didn't make it this. The sellers did. They saw a "venue" for selling items, and took advantage of it. That is called free enterprise, my friend. It is what drives this economy that you claim is failing (but at the same time, Wal Mart showed a 7% increase in sales last month over last year - pretty good for a failing economy).
I for one will keep selling on eBay well past 2002, and you can keep on griping all you want.
posted on September 7, 2001 10:35:59 PM
(other AW readers should not assume that 'cdseller' speaks for all CD Sellers on eBay. We are doing just fine, thank you.)
posted on September 8, 2001 03:18:25 AM
Wal Mart runs its business the same way Ebay is starting to do. Money for the corporation, nothing for the employees. Their 7% sales increase is a joke since they are laying off hot and heavy at all stores.
posted on September 8, 2001 04:41:28 AM
Bet you got them shakin' in their boots now.
>>
P.S. - Pierre - GREAT JOB, initially - lightning struck! Meg, do us all a favor and RETIRE! You'll never
reach the revenue goals you set for yourself. eBay was NEVER MEANT to be
HUGECORPORATIONWITHONEMILLIONRULESANDFAVORITISMFORBIGCORPORATIONS.COM!
posted on September 8, 2001 05:56:36 AM
Marie: (other AW readers should not assume ... We are doing just fine, thank you.)
=============
You certainly are Marie! Just wanted to let you know one of your repeat customers has finished grad school and is in her classroom now. She will be looking for even more great music to share with her 30 kids!
==============
There are always sales out there in my collectibles, antique papers & smalls & book categories! Just not the huge numbers of bidders there used to be apparently.
I am concerned about the way Ebay's feedback system is set up and furious they don't charge deadbeats for seller's listing fees. I think if they did have a valid credit card on file and charged them, we would see fewer.
I am selling higher end antiques other places because of those reasons and some others. Ebay is still great for hometown type collectibles! Where else can you get $20.+ for a printed postcard of a rural mid-western town (pop. 1200), because a bidding war started!
I have no loyalty to Ebay and as soon as I think there is a better auction site I will be there for listing and buying.
I haven't had any items pulled yet, but that is probably due to my categories.
posted on September 8, 2001 08:41:20 AM
I think eBay can coast along just fine and if more of the world comes online and we can buy and sell in Central and South America - Asia and Africa that will double and triple the users.
What I am worried about is that the unrealistic projections of business may result in a stock collapse that could result in them not having the money to stay in business.
It would be a shame to see the core business shut down due to wild claims of future growth.
posted on September 8, 2001 11:26:07 AM
eBay won't shut down if the revenue projections aren't met.
But as soon as it looks like revenues won't be met, eBay will raise fees significantly, at least for the small sellers.
eBay isn't "dead", but a reversal in growth will spell a big fall in stock price and hamper acquistions. eBay just unloaded a chunk of stock to meet internal needs and the stock price fell 5%.
posted on September 8, 2001 12:45:28 PM
Ebay is Dead! Counting today 09/8 I only sold 5 items in 9 days. before that time (08/31 - 08/02) I sold 134 items. I list about 450 items a month so I run about 32% sold! With 5 items sold in 9 days I'm behind 31 items sold, at that rate my total sales for the 30 days should be 17 items sold.
Not only will ebay be dead so will alot of sellers!. I for one will be deducing my listing for the next 30 days down to 50. If no more then 15 items sell, I'll be down to 30 listing come November. For the users who said their doing well, that's Bull. Some of you guys are selling items for $3.00. No way is their a profit or turnover at that price.
To make money on ebay you need to sell items over $10.00 with a 80% mark up. My sales were $3,000 a month with a profit of $1150.
Get real guys, thing are going to get real bad soon!
posted on September 8, 2001 12:57:15 PMFor the users who said their doing well, that's Bull. Some of you guys are selling items for $3.00. No way is their a profit or turnover at that price.
These are actual statistics for the past 30 days:
So far (most of my auctions are either ending right now or later this weekend), I am at a 78% sell through rate, with my average item selling for $24.78.
Oops, wait. I just got some more bids. Now I am at a 79% sell through rate, with my average item selling for $25.14.
I have had 737 bids on my items, which is an average of 8.47 bids/item.
And of those auctions, 91% were started at $1.00 NR.
You are very wrong I am a small Seller , The merchandise I have to sell cost me from .05 to .50 my selling is Good My item's sell starting from $4.25 and up.
correct me if I am wrong but my profit is 300% and up !!!!
True at this time I am not makeing a full time liveing selling on Ebay but I never list more then 4 or 5 Items per day.
at this time I basically sell one main catagory and This was my best summer of selling so far inspite of the ressesion online selling has been in for the last 14 months or so since last June..
posted on September 8, 2001 01:29:43 PM
eBay has lost some of the luster of the early boom; many bidders are no where to be seen and many sellers have abandoned eBay. Doesn't matter how registered users one has, it only counts if they are active. I consider bidders/sellers inactive if they show up once a month or less.
My own eBay listings have been cut way back. I put stuff on half as it is low maintenance and near zero overhead. Paying fees for something that doesn't sell hurts.
posted on September 8, 2001 02:22:21 PM
Yes listing to many Items that dont sell can hurt.
The key is to Know your market and not over list, listing a few Items each day I can read pretty well if its going to be a good week or a slow week for selling.
I have been listing online auctions for near three years and the Cycle has not changed much in all that time and its the same for yahoo and ebay only thing thats different is the type of Item that will sell on each site.
The High bid Prices in many catagories may have leveled off but there are as many bidders as ever if not more.
I don't know any one who ever dreamed that the high priced bidding rate that was going on a few years back could every continue.
Price were bound to drop back closer to where they should be.
What do you sell? Our auctions are at 40% with bids right now and the first ones don't end till Tuesday evening. Last week was rather slow. We had a sell trough of 69%.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Sep 8, 2001 04:37 PM ]
posted on September 8, 2001 04:39:09 PM
My sales are up from last year.I pay $2.50 each for the items I sell in one category,they sell for $6.00 to $12.00 each. The other items I sell do better.You really have to stay on top of the area you market in.I have alot of other sellers to compete with.I feel E-Bay will do as well as it has in the past for Christmas.But its like D-man said you have to watch you don't post alot of items that don't sell.I too am very careful about that.I never sell the same items from one year to the next.
posted on September 8, 2001 09:07:28 PM
The truth is that it doesn't matter if some sellers are doing well, all sellers must continue to do well for the site to remain robust.
The more sellers that drop out the less variety/competition and the less activity by buyers.
Think of it as a shopping Mall. As more stores leave the less buyer traffic.
Personally, I hope eBay hits 9 million listings this xmas season. It may forestall raising fees again.
posted on September 8, 2001 10:10:57 PM
What the originator failed to say is much of eBay goes in spurts and that general site direction has went awry.
Been at eBay nearly 5 years, powerseller this that. Blah.
eBay does go in sales waves. We always though Xmas ought be great sales there but they have always been disappointing yet in times such as March (for whatever reason) its boom times.
Sales wise the site has declined every year for us. Many reasons. Competition, site redesign that makes it even a worse mousetrap to use than it was. Consumer confidence. Consumer hostility at eBay has done nothing but increase. Rouge sellers and buyers have as well.
Some other points of sale we use outsell it 10:1, our mailing list outsells it.
I dont think 2002 will be the year of its demise at all. However... You might for the first time start to see true declination of sales and seller exodus.
eBay is profitable as it basically has no inventory liability. The more bad sellers, illegal stuff sold, rip off's the less good sellers get sales and they "back off".
That trend can be irreversible.
But in 2002? no way. 2003 perhaps 2004 if trends continue you'll actually see em' loosing money (like most the net).
If some enterprising ePier etc. were "shmart"
they would good enterprising small businesses using the site that have "what folks want". Ensure that they have some BIG advertising capital, suck those sellers in free initially if need be by strategically contacting the right ones (those that accept cards direct etc and have provable records). Make a huge advertising blitz and as such they'd have a good chance at making change happen.
Signed: WhyNot!
