daleeric
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:07:54 AM
Just sent the below letter to Safeharbor/Customer Service @ E-Bay via e-mail. Perhaps if enough of us write in we can get some free listing days from E-Bay. Let E-Bay hear your voice on this issue. Perhaps they will finally see that their success hinges on their Sellers' success.
Dear E-Bay:
We have had the worse sales ever since the tragedy of September 11. It seems that consumer confidence has been destroyed by this attack. If these items that we have listed do not sell, I am afraid these listings will be our last for a while. We can not afford the listing fees, especially if none of the items sell. And we most certainly can not afford a "Featured Category" listing. We participate in the Auctionwatch forum "E-Bay Outlook" and many sellers are reporting the same problems. Decreased bids, decreased sales and lower ending prices. I asked Safeharbor what items were selling well last week and I was told that E-Bay didn't have those statistics. You really should have those statistics available to any seller that might ask. Perhaps you should forward this letter to those higher in the organization, so they can brainstorm as to what E-Bay can do to help their Sellers. If your Sellers' Businesses fail, E-Bay's Stock will drop and E-Bay will fail. E-Bay is built on their Sellers' success or failure.
Auctions for America are a wonderful sentiment, however, many Sellers are having difficulty paying the shipping on the items and the publicity on this promotion will do little to help the average seller make ends meet. E-Bay was our main source of income, and now it seems that it is gone
Regards,
Daleeric
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kept2much-07
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:20:14 AM
I'm just wondering what the canned response to your letter will be?
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tomwiii
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:23:04 AM
Bet that got ole Meg-lo-maniac quaking in her hip-waders!
After 18 happy mos. on feeBay, I've concluded that they truly scorn us wee-sellers!
How do ya spell R-E-L-I-E-F??
Yahooooooooooooo!
Carnaby!
Maybe it's time I taught the chimps something socially productive: tarot card reading? Amway? Insurance fraud?
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glasshappy
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:25:56 AM
The last thing I want right now is a free listing day. Talk about sales dropping. All free listing day does is create more listing work with fewer returns. How about free relistings like we used to get in the old days.
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fetishtemple
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:41:16 AM
glasshappy:
That would mean that someone at ebay would have to fix the relist feature.
I used to love relist and used it to point successfully ending auctions to the new auction for the same thing....hasn't worked in 2 or 3 months. And it is not my machine.
It also irks me that I can't relist those items that don't sell and get my relist free.
Just one person's frustrated opinion.
D
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glasshappy
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:44:25 AM
fetishtemple:
Not sure what you mean, I relist stuff every day, get charged for it, but it is working fine for me.
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rgrem
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posted on October 2, 2001 12:09:03 PM
Free listing days are quite unfair to many who can't avail themselves of it. I think if ebay or AW wants to do something for us, give us each 25 free listings over the next 60 days. Or it could be equal to the # of listings we had in the last 60 days, with a max of 25.
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daleeric
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posted on October 2, 2001 12:11:06 PM
No charge for relists sounds fair to me. Right now there is no charge for relists if the item is sold the second time around. I am sure that I will get a canned response, but it is worth a try.
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holdenrex
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posted on October 2, 2001 12:41:01 PM
That's a terrific idea, rgrem! I have a fulltime job and sell on ebay on the side, so by the time I hear about the free listing days there's no time to get a new batch of auctions together without taking off a full day from work. Usually all I can get listed on the FLD is a bunch of lame stuff that didn't sell the first time - it's no wonder the FLDs seem to have such a low sell-through rate for me. You really should pass that suggestion to ebay.
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sadie999
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posted on October 2, 2001 12:57:38 PM
I'd like to see eBay do something kind of like the coffee shops do - for every X listings, you get one free. This would benefit large and small sellers equally.
It'll never happen, but I'm a dreamer.
Free listing week would be nice also. Or a week's notice for free listing day - to all sellers, not just PowerSellers. While I did manage to get a lot of listings on last time, I didn't really like the stress of having to rush like that.
Ultimately, we're probably all pi**ing in the wind waiting for eBay to acknowlege or help small sellers in any way.
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genxmike
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posted on October 2, 2001 01:27:25 PM
EBAY does not need the small sellers. If you want to get EBAY's attention, become a bigger seller.
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amy
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posted on October 2, 2001 03:36:11 PM
Out there in the "real world", who helps the "small merchant"? Which "safe harbor" does the little mom and pop corner store owners write to so they can have "free rent" days? Who do the real world merchants turn to for a bail out in hard times?
In the real world, does the landlord care if the merchant is having a hard time? Does the landlord give 25 free days of rent for every 25 days of rent the merchant paid?
Why should it be any different on the internet? Aren't we "small business owners"? Aren't we independant business people? If so...why do we think we should be given charity? Why do we want "business welfare"?
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rgrem
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posted on October 2, 2001 03:58:02 PM
My point is not that I should get anything free. But I should get my share. I have a problem when a FLD springs up and I listen to everyone say they listed 100, 200, even a thousand items and I didn't happen to be available or have the stock at the moment. When ebay or AW does do something, I should have a shot at it also. Otherwise, knock off any free anything.
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mrpotatoheadd
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posted on October 2, 2001 04:23:26 PM
When ebay or AW does do something, I should have a shot at it also.
eBay isn't doing it for you. They have free listing days when it suits their purposes.
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tomwiii
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posted on October 2, 2001 04:41:35 PM
I always AVOID FLD's as they are a PLAGUE of garbage and technical glitches!
How about a FREE OF AFA YEAR? Do me a lot more good!
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daleeric
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posted on October 2, 2001 04:51:30 PM
Amy, sometimes businesses offer incentives. E-Bay will be effected by this slow down eventually. For every sale that I don't make or item that I don't list, they lose the end value fee and listing fee. Perhaps I will just consign some items to a local antique store till times get better. Numerous small sellers that find other venues will add up as lost revenue for E-Bay. E-Bay is not immune to reality. We are not the only sellers out there having a difficult time.
Would a landlord offer a free month? I think so, if it meant that or a long vacancy. It isn't a good time to have empty real estate out there right now. The upkeep, fees and taxes add up quickly when there is no income.
[ edited by daleeric on Oct 2, 2001 04:53 PM ]
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dman3
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posted on October 2, 2001 05:22:45 PM
The answer is Yes there are a good many time land lords offer not only free rent for a time but also give other breaks when times are bad for mom and pop stores and small businesses.
The only people who will never cut you a break as a small business is the tax man if you own the building your business is in they will insist on there taxes or forclose after a period of time..
For Ebay sellers who have there tax ID and selling is a business to them the government is offering relief to small businesses who have been effected by the attack of 9/11/01
contact the SBA for details and see if you qualify..
I believe I heard the government has approved like 100 million for any small business in the country that feel there business is hurting due to this attack and more will be made avalable as it become nessary.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
[ edited by dman3 on Oct 2, 2001 05:27 PM ]
[ edited by dman3 on Oct 2, 2001 05:28 PM ]
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amy
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:09:36 PM
"My point is not that I should get anything free. But I should get my share. I have a problem when a FLD springs up and I listen to everyone say they listed 100, 200, even a thousand items and I didn't happen to be available or have the stock at the moment. When ebay or AW does do something, I should have a shot at it also. Otherwise, knock off any free anything."
Ebay does free listing days for two reasons...to increase their bottom line (sales have been down or to increase participation in one of their programs such as billpoint) or as a goodwill gesture (the annual free listing day in Dec).
If ebay had to wait until EVERYONE was available there would probably be NO FLDs. The fact that you have no stock is not ebay's problem.
The annual FLD always comes around Christmas. So instead of whining abut how unfair it is, plan for it. Be available at that time of the year, have stock on hand, write up auctions for the couple of months before hand so you have them ready when the notice comes. Take the initiative to be ready when the next one comes. That way you will get your share.
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amy
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posted on October 2, 2001 10:23:12 PM
"The answer is Yes there are a good many time land lords offer not only free rent for a time but also give other breaks when times are bad for mom and pop stores and small businesses."
No, normally landlords give breaks when THEY are hurting, not when the tenants are hurting. If occupancy is down and the landlord can't get new tenants THEN they cut rents or offer incentatives. But if a few tenants are having a hard time and there are other prospective tenants waiting in the wings the landlord doesn't cut HIS income because his tenants can't make a go of it.
At this point ebay is not hurting so there is little reason to cut some special deal for the sellers. Ebay still has new sellers coming on board to take the place of those who might leave or who will take up the slack of those who are selling less.
Instead of writing letters to ebay BEGGING them or CHASTISING them about their duty to the sellers, recognize that they have NO DUTY to us, only to themselves. Recognize that we hold the responsibility for our businesses.
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rgrem
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posted on October 3, 2001 02:23:29 AM
Amy, it is very insulting for you to start this "stop whining" bit. You don't know me, you don't know my business. I have a valid point and when someone suggests something that might help them, you go for the throat and and tell them to stop whining. Grow up.
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BJGrolle
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posted on October 3, 2001 05:15:35 AM
It would be nice if eBay gave more notice of these free listing days, but I believe the reason they don't is because they want as few sellers to be able to take advantage of them as possible. A free listing day makes them appear to be generous, but they effectively limit their generosity by giving only a few hours notice. That means that people who work at full-time jobs, have little to no stock on hand, or for numerous other reasons just plain don't have the time to prepare anything, are out of luck.
Since we know that these free listing days do crop up now and again, I believe that it's our responsibility to be prepared as much as we're able to be. Try to always have some stock on hand. Try to always have some pics taken and descriptions written up in storage.
We're still a couple of months away from a "hoped-for" FLD in December. That should give plenty of time to take advantage of the next one.
"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."
http://bjgrolle.freehomepage.com
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susan1232
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posted on October 3, 2001 06:48:41 AM
Sorry, Dman, but that is so not true. Not all Landlords would give the small mom and pop a break. I've had the same landlord for 13 years and he'd never consider such a thing. I'd have better luck getting a break from the tax man than from him!
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daleeric
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posted on October 3, 2001 07:16:03 AM
If the small sellers are doing badly, I can't see how E-Bay would not be effected. Don't businesses offer coupons .40 off corn flakes or buy one pizza get one free to customers? We used a coupon to get a discount on a pizza this Sunday. Does Amy have a problem with that too? This company offers coupons as a matter of their typical business practice. It is everyones business practice except for E-Bay.
We also offered our previous tenants an opportunity to pay the security deposit in installments since they liked the house so well and we like them more than anyone we had interviewed.
The fact is what E-Bay has to offer right now isn't too great. None of my items have exceeded what I paid for them in their reserve. I can't make a living like that. This is like throwing money in the wind. E-Bay will have to adapt to a new economy. We can't have a 5 million sellers all selling flags and gas masks.
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sadie999
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posted on October 3, 2001 07:26:57 AM
IMO, there's not a whole lot of whining going on here. Some folks are having low sales and wish eBay - an entity which they helped build - would give them some relief.
eBay not caring about small sellers is as smart as a grocery store who only wants customers who have 8 kids. Geez, you want as many customers as possible, no?
How would a free listing now and then hurt eBay? It's incentive to list more, knowing your dollar is getting a bit more. More listings --> more sales --> more eBay revenue.
How would a free listing day hurt eBay? More listings --> more sales --> more eBay revenue.
My point is that eBay is NOT acting in its own self interest by screwing small sellers. It's being short-sighted and I think ultimately stupid.
When eBay ends up just a place where you can only buy cheap electronics and discount jeans, because small sellers have found other venues on which to sell, everyone will shrug and say, "the online auction thing just burned out." No it didn't, it was burned down by its creators.
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mrpotatoheadd
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posted on October 3, 2001 07:39:07 AM
How would a free listing day hurt eBay?
Currently, eBay's A4A program is not on track to meet the goal they set for themselves. I can't imagine that they would consider failure to be acceptable, and I don't see how offering a free listing day would do anything but decrease the number of A4A auctions posted.
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sadie999
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posted on October 3, 2001 07:46:42 AM
eBay has already announced that the $100M will be from the A4A auctions and donations. Meggypoo will make it look like a success even if she has to strong-arm some of her rich pals.
I meant how would it hurt their revenue.
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mrpotatoheadd
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posted on October 3, 2001 07:55:07 AM
I meant how would it hurt their revenue.
Unless somebody from eBay who has access to their financial records and data regarding past free listing days is willing to pop in here and provide some input, I would suppose that any responses you get to this question are going to be guesses, at best.
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amy
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posted on October 3, 2001 08:01:13 AM
Rgrem...I don't need to know you or your business to know that your complaint about the free listing days was whining.
I have been using ebay for 3 1/2 years. In that time there have been 7 free listing days offered by ebay. An eighth one should show up shortly before or after Christmas.
Of those 7, 3 were the traditional Christmas free listing day "thank you" that ebay has done for several years now. Although we don't know the EXACT day, we do know that there will be one. Normally ebay lets us know in advance that there will be the Christmas free listing day just not the exact day....they tell us to watch the announcement board. So a seller who is taking responsibility for himself will get things ready in advance.
Right now there 78 days until Dec 20. A seller who is taking the initiative could be writing up 2 auctions a night and saving them until the free listing day...so when it is announced he would have about 150 auctions ready to go. It doesn't take long to launch 150 premade auctions, so even if the seller worked a regular job he would be able to participate.
Of the other four FLDs, one was for the down time that occurred in the summer of 1999. We had advance notice of that one too...only again, not the exact day. So again, the sellers had enough warning to get their auction write-ups ready so they could launch when ebay said "GO".
Two others were for a billpoint promotion (you had to offer billpoint in the auction). If I remember right, we had some advance notice that those were coming up, although not much. Again, the exact day wasn't revealed until it happened.
The only true, no advance notice FLD ebay has given was the one this summer.
Sellers have the ability to get auctions ready in advance so when a free listing day arrives the seller is ready to go...or he can sit back and whine because he hasn't taken the initiative to make sure he is ready to take advantage of a freeby such as FLD, which he knows in advance is coming up.
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daleeric
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posted on October 3, 2001 08:15:31 AM
I just heard that Nordstrom is laying 1,500 people off and blames poor sales after September 11. I don't see how E-Bay can be uneffected by the low sales of their average or small seller. I think that E-Bay should do free relists whether the item sells the second time around or not. That would be a acceptable compromise. Otherwise, they will certainly feel the pinch as we do. I am not going to hold my inventory till E-Bay decides to throw their poor sellers a crumb, in the form of free listing day. I am actively looking for another avenue for sales. As my wise Italian Grandfather would say: "Cry before not after."
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packer
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posted on October 3, 2001 08:18:32 AM
For me I have NEVER taken advantage of FLD.
For (1) reason the notice is to short. For the things I sell it is very time consuming to get even one listing ready let alone 150.
For (2) I can't afford to have have 150 items sitting in the wings just WAITING to pounce on a FLD.
For (3) It does'nt do me any good to list my stuff on FLD because the market is then so flooded resuling in way lower end bidding results.
For (4) The chances of eBay crashing is so great that listing in that FLD time frame is suicide.
When eBay runs their FLD's it is my que to take a much needed break from eBay and I do.
packer
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