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eBay (EBAY) sellers already planning next boycott

Posted Mar 10th 2008 3:47PM by Michael Fowlkes (RSS feed)
Filed under: Rumors, Products and services, Consumer experience, Internet, Competitive strategy, eBay (EBAY), Marketing and advertising

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.

Continue reading eBay (EBAY) sellers already planning next boycott

eBay seller revolt to last a week

Posted Feb 17th 2008 11:10AM by Douglas McIntyre (RSS feed)
Filed under: Bad news, Products and services, Launches, eBay (EBAY)

The uprising against eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) by its sellers is now scheduled to last an entire week from February 19 to February 25. According to CNNMoney, "Sellers say eBay's new policies are likely to cost them more money, but what's really inspired an outpouring of wrath is an adjustment to eBay's feedback system: sellers will no longer be able to leave negative commentary about their buyers."

Under the new system, egregiously bad behavior by buyers will not be shown to other customers coming to the auction site.

The action does not come at a particularly good time for the big online auction company. Its shares have fallen from a 52-week high of $40.73 to under $28, fairly near their period low. Investors do not need another reason to be tempted to sell the stock.

Why management made the move is still something of a mystery. Obviously the company believes that over time it will make more money with the new system, but the bad PR and loss of some business from sellers may offset that.

A company that is already in the dog house with Wall Street would be better off waiting for good news and a recovery in its shares before making a move that risks harming its top line.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

eBay prevents sellers from leaving negative feedback

Posted Jan 31st 2008 2:02PM by Brian White (RSS feed)
Filed under: Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, eBay (EBAY)

In one of the largest customer-oriented changes I've seen on eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) in quite some time, the world's largest online auction house will no longer allow negative or neutral "customer feedback" ratings to be left by auction sellers on the accounts of auction buyers.

The thinking goes like this: a buyer may be afraid of leaving negative feedback on an auction for fear of the seller retaliating by leaving negative feedback themselves.

Imagine this: you purchase an item from an eBay seller and that package arrives with a product significantly different than what was advertised. You fulfilled your end of the bargain; the seller has not. If you leave negative feedback for the transaction, the seller may come back at you with an inappropriate feedback rating. Thus, both parties may not leave feedback at all -- and that's not what builds trust in the eBay community, right?

The changes won't happen until this coming May, and current feedback ratings for both buyers and sellers will be based on a 12-month rolling average instead of a "lifetime" rating, which seems more appropriate. Perhaps changes like these -- which seem to come as a response to customer demand -- will help stem the tide of nastiness some eBay customers have had recently about the auction company.

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Last updated: November 11, 2009: 03:43 PM

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