An astute reader points out that in yesterday's conference call, Meg Whitman said eBay's priority was to get existing eBay.com buyers to buy on eBay Express rather than trying to attract new users to eBay Express. I find this surprising.

The reader says, "I read the phone conference transcript.....they have now turned 180 degrees on Express and now say that they are trying to get core customers to give part of their "wallet" to EE.....which is nothing like attracting folks who don't shop .com so there's no conflict .......which helps no one in either stores or at auctions....which makes EE a competitor....what Crap."

Here's what Meg Whitman said in her opening remarks in regard to eBay Express: "During Q3 we continued to work on tailored shopping experiences that meet diverse buyer and seller needs and increase activity across Marketplaces. eBay Express, which debuted in Q2, offer buyers a great source to find new items they might otherwise search for elsewhere. Early results show eBay Express is having the intended effects. 89% of shoppers who have made a purchase on eBay Express say the experience met or exceeded their expectations. And buyers who shop both eBay.com and eBay Express are spending significantly more time, and nearly 25% more money with eBay, than those who have yet to try Express."

And in response to a question about that statement, Whitman said, "With regard to eBay Express, the focus of the eBay Express marketing for the fourth quarter is going to be around our core eBay buyers and getting an increased share of wallet. What we know is that our core eBay buyers love eBay, but they do shop at other sites for new items in a more convenience-oriented format. What eBay Express, although early, has convinced us of is that they will shop on eBay if they have an opportunity to in a slightly different format. So the marketing is all around our core consumer share of wallet. We may get some new users. We have seen some new users based on the television campaign that ran in September. But priority number one, two and three is more share of wallet from our existing very loyal eBay buyers."

A big thank you to Seeking Alpha for publishing the transcript of eBay's conference call so quickly!! This is a great site to get insight about public companies here and abroad.