posted on June 14, 2006 01:23:09 AM new
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - EBay Inc. said Tuesday that it would add a "Skype Me" button to certain categories of listings, allowing prospective buyers to contact sellers directly through the Internet phone service it acquired last year for $2.6 billion.
EBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman said the function is one way the company was pressing its "Power of Three" strategy to make the most of its acquisitions of the PayPal online payment service in 2002 and Luxembourg-based Skype last year.
"Each of these businesses is incredibly powerful on its own," Whitman told about 15,000 eBay buyers, sellers, partners and employees at a convention in Las Vegas. "EBay is No. 1 in e-commerce, PayPal is No. 1 in online payments and Skype is No. 1 in voice communications."
"Together, however, we think these three businesses can make even greater things happen," she said.
In the free service, those who push the on-screen button will be able to contact sellers by voice, text chat or both to request more information about a specific item in real time, she said.
That will help eliminate so-called friction that can get in the way of a sale, especially in high price categories or those that require a lot of information before a deal is made, she said.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company said users will have to download Skype software and buy headsets separately.
The button will be added in a trial starting June 19 on 14 categories of products where eBay determined instant communication can better facilitate trade, such as automotive GPS devices, NBA basketball cards, diamond solitaire rings, real estate, and cars and trucks, the company said.
EBay is also looking at combining the functions of PayPal and Skype, said spokesman Hani Durzy. One idea is allowing PayPal account holders to automatically send money to anyone on their Skype buddy list.
"It's one of the ideas we have about how we think Skype can benefit the other two platforms and vice versa," he said.
Skype has some 100 million users, most of which do not overlap with the 200 million members of eBay, Whitman said.
posted on June 14, 2006 02:34:00 AM new
No one ever said they were smart at ebay. Just seems to me that it would be a easy way for people to offer to sell off of ebay. Wouldn't bother me any but I would think ebay would know better. In any case you can Skype me out as I never plan on using the junk service.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
posted on June 14, 2006 05:38:36 AM new
Let me see if I'm reading this right. A button will be put on an auction page that will allow the buyer to call the seller to ask more questions. What are they thinking???? Don't like a seller? Skype them at 3:00 a.m. Talk about the potential for abuse. . .
Sorry, but it would bother me. If I wanted a buyer to contact me by phone for every auction, I'd publish my phone number in my listing or on my About Me page. Most of us do this out of our homes as a small business. I don't need phone calls at all hours of the night. If they need to contact me via phone, they can request my contact information from eBay.
Edited to add: It should be made an option when listing. If the seller wants it added, then great. If not. . . Does anyone else get the feeling that we are paying to work for eBay?
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Jun 14, 2006 05:40 AM ]
posted on June 14, 2006 06:36:30 AM new"EBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman said the function is one way the company was pressing its "Power of Three" strategy":
posted on June 14, 2006 07:21:57 AM new
"If I wanted a buyer to contact me by phone for every auction, I'd publish my phone number in my listing"
BINGO!
I used to publish my 800 number in my auctions and quickly learned that it was a bad idea. I'm not worried about 3am Skype calls, since I don't have a Skype account and have no plans to get one.
Calling through the internet instead of by telephone might be a money saver for some people, but it's just another way of doing something that's been easy for a century. Other than cost savings, there is nothing new to be gained by it.
This is not innovation, it's irritation.
Dr. Arcane, revelator of mystical secrets http://www.drarcane.com
Got questions about the secrets of the universe?
posted on June 14, 2006 07:54:26 AM new
>> In the free service, those who push the on-screen button will be able to contact sellers by voice, text chat or both to request more information about a specific item in real time, she said.
Great! Now we can talk on the phone and text message at the same time!
posted on June 14, 2006 12:29:19 PM new
I sure wish I knew Meg's home phone number. I'd call her at 3 in the morning and ask her, ARE YOU CRAZY WOMAN, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING??
posted on June 15, 2006 07:47:14 AM new
Isn't that we have e-mail? So people can contact us in the middle of the night and we get back to them on our schedule.
Fenix has to be thrilled. All those people in the UK calling her asking where there item is. It would be like noon there time and 3 am our time (give or take).
posted on June 15, 2006 07:48:44 AM new
There are definitely legitimate times to talk to someone on the phone. Most to all of it can be handled by email. If there is a problem with an order, by all means call me, I will return your call. However, there are a LOT of lonely people out there, and this will be a burden on sellers. Personally, I don't tie my ebay account to a home number (you're crazy if you do) and I don't/won't have skype - They still call me on the number I have listed, I will never answer my cel phone unless I know who is calling. I figure if it is important, they can leave a message and I would be glad to get back to them. I've been trapped in stupid conversations with bored or lonely customers, and I don't want to do that again if I can help it. It is a HUGE waste of time.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
