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If nothing else... eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) users are a feisty bunch. After just coming off a multi-week sellers strike, they are already planning their next revolt, tentatively set to launch May 1.The most recent strike was orchestrated in reaction to recent changes made on the site and lasted from the week of Feb. 18 through last night. While eBay is steadfast that the recent site boycott had no effect on its business, not everyone is buying that, and are anticipating hitting the site again come May.
Some statistics have shown that eBay witnessed a 13% drop in its online listings, but eBay denies any impact. The site claims that the statistics out there are not taking into account a 20-cent listings promotion that it had launched just prior to the boycott that temporarily inflated its auction listings.
We have looked a lot at the eBay boycott over the past couple of weeks, and we have repeatedly pointed to a couple key factors that are infuriating eBay users. These include increased final listing fees, removal of seller feedback, and changes that could result in some PayPal payments being held up to 21 days.
While all of the above were enough to ruffle some feathers, I have to believe that the ultimate "slap in the face" to sellers was the removal of the option for sellers to leave negative feedback on the site. Rate increases are nothing new to the site, which had to raise its rates as recently as 2005 and 2006. While sellers did not like seeing the rate hike, they ultimately accepted it as a cost of business. The feedback system however, seems to be a little too much for some to bear.
While it is still debatable what effect the most recent boycott had, organizers of this next boycott are hoping to accomplish bigger and better results from their actions. By taking around six weeks to get mobilized they anticipate a greater effect, and they are going so far as setting up "state leaders" and looking to form a better organized approach to this upcoming boycott.
So far, the sellers that are joining up have claimed to be 1,000 strong and looking to attract a much broader base of users.
For all you eBay users out there... did you participate in your the most recent boycott? Will you join the next sellers strike? As for the impact on the site, do you feel the strike had any impact what-so-ever on eBay? And one final topic of interest... which change made the site upsets you the most? Fee increase, feedback change, or PayPal change? Let us hear from you!
Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last four years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.
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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
4-07-2008 @ 12:59AM
broken said...
Sales already way down, these new policies are sure to break our backs, bills begin to pile up, more time required to just get by ever month. ...broken depressed tired n angry?
Now suddenly were all forced to adapt. How many of us have already thrown in the towel . I know im right on the verge myself...completely broken, hopeless, pointless continuing? maybe
I went and sort of vented on a buyers forum, felt really good lol, but in the end made me realize how rediculous this is. Buyers dont care or for that matter even really understand the issue, ebay doesn't care, and in my opinion has an end plan to eradicate us all, turn eBay into a mass eBay owned wallmart.
So basically its quite or adapt, we all know this. I bet there a million of us making web pages right now, hoping that will save us..and just might....if we have any spirit left, ebays slowly beat it out of us..broken us.
Sellers need to band together have a resource site, a place to go, a homebase to pool our minds....web developing, marketing, alternate auction venues ... whatever.
Is there a site like that already? if not someone should create one, create a home base, be the savour. Ide do it but cant barley understand HTML as it is lol
Healthier we all are, less sales ebay gets. Its a long term solution.
Just ideas :)
J
4-21-2008 @ 2:43AM
glenn said...
Sell! Sell! Sell! Sell!
Sell Your Stocks!
(but you better not wait to do it on ebay 'cause you'll never know if your buyer will pay you since sellers won't be able to leave feedback!).
(and with the new fee structure eBay will likely make more than you on the sale).
(or perhaps eBays phantom company will buy it to Pad sales, never pay for it and be free to do it again next week because you weren't able to warn anyone...)
hell of a way to run a business, ya think?
4-30-2008 @ 10:00AM
Madeleine said...
I was an eBay seller and buyer until this new no-neg policy, applying only to sellers, was announced. I have since retired my 1500+ 99.9% positive FB ID. I cranked up a new id that I can buy or sell and not give a crapola if I get a neg; I'll just close that id down and launch a new one-- oh, that is... if I EVER do any business on eBay again. I will not buy off eBay. I will USE it for research on my items. I will utilize it for MY benefit. But I will do no transaction that they get one thin dime. I was/am a good seller - I do not deserve to be treated like this. This is not a boycott; this is an exodus. The likelihood of finding a good seller just decreased, while the likelihood of being scammed by a bad one just increased. I will buy from and support sellers on the other venues from now on, and I advise others to do the same. The talk is all "...yeah, but eBay has all the buyers..." Not if all of us sellers (who also buy) don't ... BUY!
4-30-2008 @ 7:18PM
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5-30-2008 @ 9:03PM
coffeeboy2 said...
ebaY is done. It is amazing see other forums other than the Censored one on ebaY. where sellers posts are constantly deleted by the greedbay police. I have not yet heard a buyer whining on here on how great these new changes were, and screw the sellers, it's about time ebaY did something about those bad, mean spirited sellers !!!!!!!!!! I for one have been there almost 10 years and my last auction ended yesterday. A sad day, as I never had a day since I started when I had 0 items listed. Good luck to all, ebaY, or should I say Mr. Donahue, has ruined a great thing.