posted on February 5, 2008 03:15:31 AM new
I am canceling my re-lists on my store as they come up in anticipation of being closed.
So, I am cheating a little bit. I have to have oral surgery and was going to close my store 2/6 anyway until 2/16. What's another week?
Good time to do paperwork, re-organize, etc.
So, between today and the day we come back, I am ending the listings that close on that day. No reason to relist 150-200 ads everyday when the store is going to be closed anyway. Easy enough to relaunch thru Vendio.
Might be chump change for you to do so, but just a thought. Also, if this is a duh...sorry
Beth
posted on February 5, 2008 03:18:02 PM new
I plan on closing my store before the next billing cycle. I've already got my ecrater store up and running again.
I have a customer bringing me things to sell tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have them up by Sunday and will have them ended before the strike. My TA customers couldn't care less about a strike. I'm just not going to mention it.
I was also going to open a store on ecrater and
close my ebay store this week.
I was searching around and found BlueJay to be a places where there is more traffic then I have seen on other sites, also found Plunderhere which looks good.
There are lots of auction sites with stores but not enough listings listed and sales are not good, I would rather do nothing then waste my time setting up on sites that are sitting on the back street.
posted on February 5, 2008 04:53:45 PM new
I just saw my title...meant to write Plan to Boycott.
I will probably keep my ebay store open after the boycott. I am changing the mix of ads though and moving things to my ecrater store and my store here on vendio.
The ecrater boards are full of ebay folks opening store. Even recognized a couple of vendio-ians. Some folks use the savings in ebay fees to buy google or yahoo ad words for their crater store.
posted on February 6, 2008 08:40:55 AM new
I plan to close my store during the boycott and not do any auctions either.
I'm still not sure what I will do after the boycott, but I'll spend the boycott time looking into my options.
I'm one of the ebay sellers who has put all my eggs in the ebay basket.
Does anyone know if Vendio plans to make any changes to support other sites?
posted on February 6, 2008 02:55:42 PM new
tonimar1,
Ecrater as of a few minutes ago has 916,450 items and Blujay has 303,011 items. I sell on ecrater, and would venture to say they have more traffic.
posted on February 6, 2008 03:18:20 PM new
deichen, have you been on ecrater long?
Today I signed up for auctions on PlunderHere didn't have time to list more then 2 auctions right now because all my pictures were stored on my original hard drive that crashed. So my new hard drive now only has my lasted items which are still running on ebay.
But as they come off what don't sell I will either put into ecrater store or on a few other auction sites. I'm going to try a few different ones at the same time.
Also when I close my ebay store I can't use all the store items and just move them over because all my pictures were on my bad hard drive so that means lots of work ahead.
I think I will also sign up with OnlineAuction.com How fast life is getting complicated...lol
For what I sell Ebay is the best, but I do not know what I'm during until after the strike is over.
posted on February 6, 2008 03:20:30 PM new
I have been selling on ecrater for 1 year, this month. I don't think you could compare it to ebay, but it is way cheaper and I sell about 2 to 3 items a week.
posted on February 6, 2008 04:18:59 PM newBLASPHEMY!
Oh! Ralphie, me boy-o!
Should we be...HONEST?
OK, kid, I'll trust yer doggie-instincts...
WE PLAN ON SELLING AS USUAL DURING THE BOYCOTT...
There, we got it off our HAIRY CHESTS!
One thing I learned 18mos ago when I had to end all my listings & then had to re-start slowly over 3 weeks is this:
YOU FALL OUT OF SEARCH, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO RECOVER!
The plain simple fact is that we can't afford to LOSE OUR POSITION just when our auctions are beginning to take off...
PLUS: everytime in the past that a BOYCOTT has been attempted, it has laid an egg...was a dud...a total waste of karmic energy, much better applied to STOCKING EBAY & THE EMPORIUM
posted on February 6, 2008 06:45:58 PM new
Hi Tom & Ralphie
Hope both of you are feeling good.
I don't understand what you mean when you said:
YOU FALL OUT OF SEARCH, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO RECOVER
There have been many times when I just didn't have time to list anything for a week here and there and when I did I sold and had lots of watchers and hits. So I must have been in the search for that to happen.
posted on February 7, 2008 06:00:35 AM new
Thanks Pixi!
I have put my store on extended vacation (over 10 days) twice in the past few months. I find that the sales are just as good or better than before. It has not effected my PowerSeller status.
One theory is that putting your store on vacation (actually making listings disappear) causes them to be re-indexed. I don't know about that.
Everyone needs to do what they think best in their own economic situation. I for one look forward to being closed as of today until the 24th.
Beth
posted on February 7, 2008 06:12:41 AM new
Good luck to all of you who plan to boycott. I wish it would work but experience tells me it won't. EBay has already prepared the spin on this ("a few disgruntled sellers" )and I wouldn't put it past them to do a listing sale at the exact time of the boycott. I could do a DAY but not a WEEK. I have plans to do some traveling later this Spring and I can't afford the down time. It always takes me a few weeks to get up to speed when I take time off and I just can't do it during this, my busiest (hopefully) season.
Actually I am WAY more concerned about what the BEST MATCH search going site-wide will do to my sales than the fee/DSR debacle.
-------------------------------------
posted on February 7, 2008 04:36:53 PM new
Please tell me the dates of the boycott. I plan to participate. It may not help but it is the principle of the thing. I won't buy then either. Thank you!
posted on February 7, 2008 06:44:46 PM new
A 7-day boycott is of little consequence to ebay. If a boycott actually lowers the number of listings, ebay will simply respond with a 10-cent or 20-cent Listing Day, and auction quantities will return.
When the so-called boycott period is over, it would be more wise to concentrate on a few items that you know will sell well, rather than list a bunch cheap items haphazardly.
Or better yet, spend some time finding alternate venues to sell.
posted on February 7, 2008 07:16:18 PM new
I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I can't possibly see eBay backing down on any of their announced changes. EBay is playing to Wall Street. Once they made the big ballyhoo about the changes, they're pretty much tied to follow them through.
posted on February 7, 2008 07:22:35 PM new
When the so-called boycott period is over, it would be more wise to concentrate on a few items that you know will sell well, rather than list a bunch cheap items haphazardly.
//////////////////
good point!
I looked at Online Auction again,pretty poor merchandise,things they cant sell on Ebay or not worth risking the listing fee,they list them on Online Auction,Epier,Bidville,Ioffer.
posted on February 8, 2008 04:22:11 AM new
If eBay is playing to Wall Street that is all the more reason to not sell or buy when the numbers start falling stock buyers will wait for it to hit bottom before buying. If sellers would look at the new numbers on selling they would not fall for a reduced price listing day to sucker them in.
With the higher final value fees they will be paying more for each auction sold. Making eBay suffer by not listing or bidding is the only way to hurt them.
posted on February 8, 2008 05:17:40 AM new
It is not catering to Wall Street,Ebay is no different than you and I,an eye on the bottom lines.
Just like you carp about higher fee and lower sales,Ebay is doing the same-higher operating costs and lower revenue,hosting a site of low price items ,where is the BEEF?
We should all be like Ebay,reviewing our business strategy and wield out the weak stuff and focus on what sells well.
(Chrysler is now a private company,it is cutting back on product lines and dealer network,same idea)
*
Lets all stop whining !
posted on February 8, 2008 06:20:48 AM new
If some sellers opened stores on ecrater and at least parked some merchandise that wasn't guaranteed to sell on ebay, or put it at the price they hope for on ebay, send invoices (not ebay invoices) and an invoice with the packages telling them about ecrater, then maybe you could have an alternate venue to sell on as well as still using ebay. Some feel like they are stuck selling on ebay and have no other choice (that is exactly what ebay wants you to think). Think Wal-mart, their customer service stinks, long lines, etc..., there are alternatives. You could open your own website (many of you have) and park stuff there as well (no different than fixed prices on ebay). Sellers do have some choices, and can at least try to not be 100% dependent on ebay.
posted on February 8, 2008 06:44:41 AM newSome feel like they are stuck selling on ebay and have no other choice (that is exactly what ebay wants you to think).
Oh, that's my problem! I'm brainwashed by EBAY!
You could open your own website (many of you have)
Because as we all know, in NO TIME AT ALL thousands of people will be flocking to your virtual door, clamoring to get into your store. It's not like there are millions of similar stores on the Web, after all.
and park stuff there
Yes, by all means, the name of the selling game is to PARK YOUR GOODS. None of those messy cash-flow-producing inventory flips to worry about. Just park it, sit back, watch Oprah and wait for the money to roll in.
can at least try to not be 100% dependent on ebay.
posted on February 8, 2008 09:51:22 AM new
Hmm, cash, not sure of your point. People here were speculating that these changes were due to Ebay's stockholder concerns.I just pointed out their 52 week prices.
By my calculations Ebay's drop is closer to 30% than your 20% estimate of the market in general.
It is a difficult time, IMHO, for everyone and raising fees does not seem to be the best way to attract attention.
Most fee increases in any market get passed on to the consumer.
posted on February 8, 2008 11:45:29 AM new
Fluff,
I was suggesting that some of that might help more than boycotting. I am not saying it is an alternative and I think I said that. When did I say that thousands would be flocking to a website or ecrater? I DID NOT. Some of us don't HAVE to put all of our eggs in one basket. Obviously, for you, it works for you. Wear the shoe that fits.
Oh, by the way, I have been wondering for a long time, if you ever posted your proof about the package limit at the post office? Remember, you said that the PO had a package limit and could make you get to the back of the line to finish sending your packages. You stated it was fact and then disappeared from the thread. WHY?
posted on February 8, 2008 12:11:21 PM newRemember, you said that the PO had a package limit and could make you get to the back of the line to finish sending your packages. You stated it was fact and then disappeared from the thread. WHY?
Your memory is faulty.
I'm curious about the "disappeared" comment, though. Is there some unknown requirement that once started, one must continue to post compulsively here? I think most people are relieved when I stop. I have to tell you, though, I make a heck of a lot more money using the time to list stuff on eBay, so if you want me to keep posting, there's a price. Let's see, I make about $60 an hour on eBay, it's taken me about five minutes to write this, so that'll be $5.00, please.
