eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

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Ina Steiner

AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

July 20, 2006

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

By: Ina Steiner

Thu July 20 2006 22:59:18

eBay seller cries were heard around the Internet and around the globe after "Black Wednesday," when eBay announced it was limiting Store inventory visibility yet raising Store fees in several countries, including U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia.

I'm busy doing a lot of reading (discussion boards, emails, articles) and listening (to eBay's conference call with analysts and the eBay Town Hall Meeting), and of course writing (Friday's Newsflash newsletter and Sunday's AuctionBytes-Update newsletter). So here are some random thoughts, too fractured and informal to make into an article....

Ever since Meg threw her hat in the ring for the Disney job, she's lost the magic touch. It must be getting to her. Who thinks it makes sense to say something like this - which is being quoted by reporters and being read by buyers: "The marketplace has been overwhelmed with identical, often poorly-priced items that have diluted the magic of the eBay experience." Yeah, really makes me want to go to eBay.com and start shopping. *****

eBay will promote eBay Express, but will include auction-style BIN items and put those items ahead of Store inventory items. Will this confuse buyers? eBay said it would promote eBay Express as a place to find new in-season items. Will merchants list new in-season items in an auction-Style BIN format? Would eBay Express buyers find vintage clothing ahead of new items a turn-off? *****

It sounds like eBay is fumbling here, or at least doing a very bad job in communicating its strategy. Seller whiplash is the result. *****

Why wouldn't eBay want to have both - an auction site and an "ecommerce" site? It looks like eBay wants to manage the stock - the numbers don't look as good on Store items to analysts. Whitman said Store inventory makes up 83 percent of listings, but only 9 percent of Gross Merchandise Volume

Having said that, the result of increasing Store fees may have the desired result in terms of "cleaning up" Store inventory. Some sellers - ones who say they plan to keep their eBay Store - say they will rid them of items priced at under $5 and will clear out the deadwood. That's exactly what Whitman and company are looking for with the fee hike.

In a video interview on CNBC (available on the Wall Street Journal site link- paid subscription required), Whitman said that with the 2005 fee increases, eBay "didn't understand the impact that store inventory format had had on the marketplace quite as well as we do today."

One CNBC reporter, who said he had gotten lots of emails from sellers who felt eBay was "jerking them around," wanted to know if Whitman wanted Store owners to "go away." Certainly there is confusion among sellers and feelings of being unappreciated by eBay. *****

Robert Peck of Bear Stearns wrote in his research that, "With more listings flooding into the core platform, we think it could further erode the already declining conversion rate if the demand side of the equation does not pick up. As such, we believe demand remains the key determinant of the success of the new store fee structure." In other words, eBay needs buyers.

But Peck is making an assumption that Store sellers will take items off out of their Stores and put them in auction format. Some of that will happen, but a lot of Store inventory could only be supported with a 3 cent monthly listing (and Gallery) fee, not a higher listing fee times 4 (assuming a 7-day auction listing is relisted 3 times to equal the 30 day period of Store fees). *****

Here's what I'm seeing sellers deciding to do in reaction to Store fee hikes: 1) Keep store; 2) Close store; 3) Keep Store and rid it of <$5 items and clear out the deadwood.

I guess I was somewhat shocked to learn that some sellers had been listing $3 items on eBay Stores. Unless something is a "loss leader" or vital to something else you are selling, how can it be worth the time and effort to list and fulfill $3 items? *****

If eBay wants "better stuff," why put in the second tier in listing fees for Stores? Isn't eBay encouraging people to list items under $25, since the listing fee is 5 cents instead of 10 cents for items $25 and above? (I'm just sayin'......) They must really want those auction format listings! (Still not sure they are going to get them.) *****

There are many sellers who are invested in their eBay Store and would like to keep it. I am working on an article for Sunday's newsletter to look at the issue of whether it makes sense to keep an eBay Store and if so, what strategies to utilize to cope with significantly higher fees.

Comments are more than welcome, There's so much news going on, it will really take me a while to synthesize it all. I'm wishing everyone luck with coping with the ramifications of Black Wednesday.

Comments (21) | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Bidofthis.com

Fri Jul 21 14:24:34 2006

>>>''The marketplace has been overwhelmed with identical, often poorly-priced items that have diluted the magic of the eBay experience<<<
Perhaps eBay needs to hire an army of editors for each category and create an editor's pick section...
they would need an army to pull it off....
eBay pulse is a start...but clearly not good enough (as I type this, the first item to be retrieved from pulse.ebay.com is BECOME A MILLIONAIRE, 1$ MILLION IN ONE DAY. EBOOK...... WHAT A YAWN!) ...
eBay pulse is based on ''watch this item'' perhaps they could incorporate ''email to a friend'' and something like ''most discussed'' which could be based on the # seller/buyer interaction/comments in an auction...

Crazy as it sounds ...perhaps eBay should enable a 2 week auction listing that would be encouraged for more *unique* items....the only way these items can be found and higlighted before they dissappear from the site... perhaps only when a site editor that finds a ''unique item'' could offer the seller an ''Upgrade'' extension for their auction...

just some random thoughts....
Brian

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Ina

Fri Jul 21 16:24:39 2006

I like that out-of-the-box thinking! It would be interesting for an independent blogger-slash-affiliate to do something like that. Go through and find good stuff, blog it, and use affiliate links! Sort of a DailyCandy for eBay!

There's already a site called BayRaiders, but they do weird/unusual/celeb stuff. This idea is like DailyCandy - stuff you would actually bid on/buy.

Affiliates get good money, and I know there are a lot of good writers out there in the eBay community.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Teambiz

Sat Jul 22 09:59:11 2006

I think they are making a big mistake I sell low dollar items, and my sister in law sells ton's of toys indiviually like fisher price little people and such, and she's a huge power seller selling aprox 60 to 200 items in a day...Mom'n'Kids is her store.
Ebay is biting the hands that feed them. I'm afraid they will regret this move.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: MailCar Limited

Sat Jul 22 15:00:11 2006

eBay has mostly eliminated the ability for Search to deliver traffic to a Seller's eBay store. It is time for the eBay Store Owner to take full responsiblity for promotion. Here are some Basic E-Commerce Store Marketing Ideas , many of them one time tasks, that can yield some good results.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: MailCar Limited

Sat Jul 22 15:10:24 2006

Sorry! Here is that link: http://www00.mailcar.net/blog/index.php?blog=1&title=an_e_commerce_sto
re_marketing_checklist&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Bidofthis.com

Sat Jul 22 16:46:06 2006

Right around the same time eBay was going to pull the plug on Half.com, the site became diluted (polluted?) with redundant merchandise.

eBay did not try to convert Half.com sellers to eBay store sellers which which would seem logical.

I think that Half sellers instead of transitioning to the eBay store platform started experimenting with eBay (i.e. dumping their wares on ebay) because eBay made it sound like the end of Half was nigh.

Of course sellers could have ran to Amazon in anticipation of the ''end'' (this is what I did)... but they would have to start anew with feedback (though I had feedback from Amazon Auctions).

When eBay intially bough Half.com I was upset because I felt that Half was essentially a reverse auction which lowered prices of goods....
however over time I embraced the site and realized that not only was it a way to increase the quality of goods offered for sale on eBay (by removing items from sale from the site) that it was also effortless compared to selling on ebay...

Half.com has had little exposure since this time... perhaps eBay should be pushing Half brand?

Also they should be encouraging dutch auctions by sellers instead of redundant auctions with overlapping end dates (spamming the index).

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: store-owner

Sat Jul 22 23:11:47 2006

Do a 'fee hike' search on ebay to seehow store owners feel

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: James Davis

Sun Jul 23 10:42:07 2006

I own a store on ebay, I sell fishing lures, I sell the lures in my store the one's that won't bring a bid or a couple of bids. I offer name brand lures, but know my market. I don't make much, but do make enough for the volume I do. Has anybody thought about what we are paying for the ebay store service. I have a featured store. I haven't heard anything about what they plan to do for my extra in fee's I pay for this upgrade. Guess they forgot to figure the cost of the store in with our profit percentage. So where's the site's that want the average store's business. The small guy, guess they opened the door for someone to step to the plate to be a new leader. I am a powerseller, but not for long. I refuse to hike my price's, it won't work. I'll be paying higher fee's month after month, and making even less from my sell's. I won't raise my shipping charge's to cover the extra cost, or at least I don't think so. Hey ebay is combating that too!!! They just don't want to fool with the small business anymore. Maybe they need to just have a minumum price that item's can be offered at, that out to get rid of us. The great auction site is dying, it will never be the same once someone steps to the plate, and they will, and offer a good site for the small guy. One thing for certain, after August 22, there will be less deals on ebay, at least from the 5.00 and less guy's.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Tony

Sun Jul 23 11:42:24 2006

"..how can it be worth the time and effort to list and fulfill $3 items?"

When you have a few dozen of the same $3 item that you aquired for 10 to 25 cents each and cost 75 cents to mail. You make the store listing once, pay .03 per month to list it and .24 FVF when they sell and charge $1.95 s/h. Getting rich doing this? No, but it brings in new buyers who are hesitant to spend a lot of money on eBay due to being afraid of being scammed. When they get their $5 purchase from me 3 days later they usually come back and buy more and get hooked on eBay thanks to my honesty and good business practices. And for that eBay flips me the bird. Thanks Meg & Bill!

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Ina

Sun Jul 23 21:38:39 2006

So sellers who offer low-priced items through low acquisition costs and selling efficiencies are not going to be able to continue to offer those items with the new fee structure...

So the question is, are there shoppers who come to eBay for those low-priced items and who won't come back once those types of items are gone? Is eBay really doing good by contracting the offerings on its site?

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Chuck

Mon Jul 24 09:05:22 2006

I am not for the eBay Fee increases by any means because it will raise our monthly fees by more than the quoted 6%.

I do believe it will have the effect of weeding out some of the riff-raff and "not quite" real business sellers; which I believe is one of eBay's underlying goals.

Sellers will have to adapt their strategy to continue making money. Those that can't adapt will fall by the way side. What we have to remember here is that even with the fee changes, eBay is still cheaper than running a full blown ecommerce website.

Chuck

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Doug

Mon Jul 24 12:35:55 2006

From our perspective (a high volume eBay seller), Meg seems to think she can steer the eBay battleship by pushing the rudder hard to the left, then hard to right, and not think she's going to throw people overboard. Large sellers need stability in cost structure and business strategy, which includes auction/store/BIN management manpower, infrastructure investment, and not just fees, which of course are a concern. So big sellers will continue to ditch stores in favor of their own platforms and other ''fixed price'' venues (Amazon, Overstock, etc.), and stick with eBay for auctions only. So if they want to swing the balance back to auctions only on eBay, I guess the plan is going to work.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Ron Mansfield

Mon Jul 24 13:41:43 2006

I say keep your store and adapt to the new eBay Store fees. Okay, look. I'm as concerned as you about the Store fee increases. (I'm not all that crazy about $4.00 gasoline either.)

Even before the hikes $5.00 store items were probably not profitable for most sellers unless buyers bought multiple items per-visit. But suppose that we could move $25.00 items from our Stores to a series of BIN listings and cut unit selling costs from $2.92 to $2.63 each, get the additional visibility of the ''traditional'' format's search prominence, sell more units and improve profit. Well, maybe we can.

This is not as bleak as it seems. We are actually being pushed by eBay to do something for ourselves that we should have done long ago, and keep complaining about, which is improving our products' visibility. Clearly eBay is not going to give Stores greater visibility in the search engine. You want your items to be seen? List using 10-day BIN and take advantage of your Store's newsletter marketing, RSS feeds, cross-promotional tools and your Store's ability to showcase your stuff.

Do you think that BIN selling always costs more than the Store inventory alternative, even at the old Store prices? Maybe not if we do it right. Here, look:

In the ''good old days'' if 10 $25.00 items sat our Stores 30 days and eventually sold over that period they'd cost us about $2.92 each in fees, (assuming the buyers used PayPal, we pay the 2.5% merchant rate and we used a gallery photo).

If, instead, we list those same 10 items using three 10-day BIN listings spread over 30 days, (1 listing of 4 units and 2 listings of 3 units, let's say), the per-unit cost will be $3.06, an increase of about $0.14-per unit, which is less than 5% BTW.

But hey, BIN means more visibility, right? We all know that ''traditional'' listings get the most eyeballs when they first start and just before they end. Ten-day listings do this for us, (as do 5 and 7-day listings, but 10-day is probably a better way go with this approach). Fixed price listings have a beginning and an end, and they show up in regular old searches. They also show up in our Stores.

Suppose all that grumbling we do is right and better exposure really does translate into better sales. Suppose we list 10 items in a single 10-day BIN listing and they all sell. Suppose we do that three times a month. The unit selling cost decreases to $2.63 per-unit and we've sold 30 units instead of 10. We gross $750 instead of $250. Hmmm.

Even if we list 30 units using three 10-day BIN listings and sell only half of them we have sold 15 units rather than 10 and the per-unit eBay and PayPal fees increase to a still manageable $3.02 per-unit. The per-unit fees have gone up a dime from the ''good old days'' but we are selling $125 more product. I can live with that.

And maybe I'll increase my unit prices a bit to cover the cost of potentially unsold BIN items, (and/or realize a cut in product costs due to my increased sales volume). The trick is to list about the right number of units that will sell over the 10-day BIN run, and do this repeatedly. Selling Manager Pro is an easy way to do this without much human intervention, BTW.

I say, keep your storefront. Organize it as a showcase for both your auctions and BIN listings. Use the cross-promotional tools Stores provide. My Store's email newsletters work like a charm. Many people read them. Newsletter readers then look at my items, and often bid or buy immediately. I also love the auction cross-promotion tools. Plenty of people come to my store, (http://stores.ebay.com/ChildhoodRadio) click on the ''NEW ITEMS!'' Store category I've created and then look at my auctions. The reverse is also true. Auctions and BIN listings drive folks to the Store.

Make sure all of your listings contain links that point to your Store which should be well organized by product category, or size or gender, or whatever works for your products. Use the cross-promotion box at the bottom of all your listings. Look at the traffic reports and see what else works or needs work.

Fine-tune your Store pages' keywords, (meta tags). Google, Froogle and others do index Stores, particularly if you have the feeds turned on, (yet another Store feature). And when folks arrive at your Store from Google and Froogle or your auction or your newsletter or your off-eBay website, if the Store is laid out right they will see your auctions, your BIN items; they see what's new and they have a search engine that searches just your items.

Any accountant or seasoned retailer will tell you that the key to retail profitability is to turn inventory quickly. ''Parking'' items in our Stores for a year, even at pennies a month is a dumb idea. We tie up our cash and our floor space, and our product is getting shelf-worn, and in many cases becoming obsolete. If it's not selling profitably on eBay stop trying to sell it there, or have a fire sale but be sure people are seeing your stuff first.

Yea, we can all go to St. Elsewhere as many angry sellers call other selling sites, I've been there and come back. It's not nirvana on those other servers either. Even if you set up your own storefront by yourself this will distract you from finding stuff to sell and from selling it. Sure, you can pay someone to set up and maintain elsewhere.com for you, but this won't be free or 100% reliable either. And your brand-spanking-new Elsewhere is going to start out as a very small town in the middle of nowhere, at least for a while. Before you leave the big city be sure you have given it your best shot.

The only thing constant is change.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: auctionboycotter

Tue Jul 25 21:44:23 2006

I have bought and I have sold on eBay (auction and store) and if eBay wants to "weed out some of the riff-raff and "not quite" real business sellers", they need to be looking at auction only sellers NOT at store owners. I have NEVER been burned on a transaction on a store owner on eBay. I have been burned SEVERAL times by auction sellers---weekend warriors who behave like they have never shipped anything before in their life. I have received books thrown loose into a grocery bag, taped with masking tape, and ripped enroute (big surprise) with half the contents missing. I have had auctions that never arrived at all, and the seller openly admitted that it had in fact never been shipped, and still had to file a complaint to get a partial refund. I have had auction sellers try to up the shipping from what was stated in the listing when the final value didn't meet their expectations. Auction sellers are more likely to overcharge on shipping to begin with, too, because so many of them are there for the thrill of the moment, not trying to build a rapport with customers. And, since they are not professional, the item's condition much more likely to be described as "good" when it obviously is "poor". My laundry list is endless with auctions...not so with store purchases.

But eBay doesn't want to go after auction sellers because they get much higher insertion fees for the auctions. When I sold auction only myself, I still looked at stores first. Now I only look at stores because I don't want to take the chances on dealing with morons any more. If I can't find it on eBay, I go somewhere else. And, I am boycotting auctions now in support of store sellers who I don't want to disappear over the next few weeks, because it seems to me that bidding on auctions is sending the message that I approve of their decision to put the screws to their honest, reliable store sellers and I don't. They could do better to go after the creeps who are selling items in store AND auctions for a penny, $99 shipping and immediate payment required, but they won't and everyone, including me, wonders why, since this is clearly fee avoidance and if eBay could collect the FVF on those items they deserve they wouldn't be asking the rest of the community to subsidize them. So, what's the reason this abuse is allowed to continue, I and a million other buyers and sellers would like to know?

My message to eBay is that if they reduce or eliminate the small/mid-sized stores who offer fair prices and equitable combined shipping, they have lost my business. 10 years ago the online auction was a novelty, but like most fads, it is dead. I thought it was fun for all of a month, then realized I was paying more for auctions than I could by buying in a store, and not getting what I paid for either. Plus, I do not believe most people have any interest in scheduling their life around an auction ending time.

So, that's my 2 cents.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Al Nelson

Wed Jul 26 11:08:57 2006

I have not heard anyone mention the one benefit that an eBay Store has for a lot of us. Certainly eBay has not thought of it or they would rethink their strange fee hike action.

Often a Brick and Mortar will place a few items out to entice a customer into the store to look at his wares. How is that different than my eBay store? If I sell lace curtains or shoes or shirts or any type of products where there is a repetition of the same thing to choose from and where I have several patterns or models or sizes to consider I want to maintain a store that prospective customers can enter and browse. The same works with Brick and Mortar newspaper advertising. They simply cannot advertise all of their wares or they would go broke fast.

In lace curtain sales, my product, a customer may buy a Valance and a Tier. Another customer may buy a Swag Pair and a Tier in the same pattern or any of many different combinations. My average overall sale is $75.00 to $100.00 but each component or listing may only be $10.00 or $15.00. To compound that I carry about 12 to 14 different patterns, each with the same options. How would I or why would I list all of these components in the core listings? I would go broke. I have to maintain a store. Fortunately I have a relatively high mark up so I can last it out. Most of the other vendors, if they stay at all, will have to raise their prices to accomodate the increases. Isn't that going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

Stores are just as important to eBay as they are to individual vendors. I really can't see eBay reconsidering their ill conceived stance but they certainly may be sorry they did what they did. With the type of continual price hikes that have been instituted there can only be two ultimate results. Either the vendors will close up or there will be a slow price increase to offset the fee hikes. Neither option will be good for anyone involved in the eBay game including eBay itself.

One last thought. I believe the announcement of the fee hike stated that the increase would only involve a 6% increase in fees for most vendors. They neglected to point out that the 6% is of the gross sale, not the gross profit or worse yet, not the net profit. If you have a 100% gross profit (doubling the cost of product) the increase means a loss of 12% of my gross profit. What it does to my net profit depends on what my other costs are but when the figure of 6% is used it is baloney. I am afraid that a lot of vendors do not maintain a 100% markup and if they do the figuring they will find that their profit structure will be even more affected.

Any proponent of free enterprise will agree that eBay can charge whatever they want and I certainly agree with that. The problem is that I and many others will eventually have to find a new venue to use to sell our products after eBay slowly slides down the hill because of high retail pricing and closed stores.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Al Nelson

Wed Jul 26 11:13:34 2006

I have not heard anyone mention the one benefit that an eBay Store has for a lot of us. Certainly eBay has not thought of it or they would rethink their strange fee hike action.

Often a Brick and Mortar will place a few items out to entice a customer into the store to look at his wares. How is that different than my eBay store? If I sell lace curtains or shoes or shirts or any type of products where there is a repetition of the same thing to choose from and where I have several patterns or models or sizes to consider I want to maintain a store that prospective customers can enter and browse. The same works with Brick and Mortar newspaper advertising. They simply cannot advertise all of their wares or they would go broke fast.

In lace curtain sales, my product, a customer may buy a Valance and a Tier. Another customer may buy a Swag Pair and a Tier in the same pattern or any of many different combinations. My average overall sale is $75.00 to $100.00 but each component or listing may only be $10.00 or $15.00. To compound that I carry about 12 to 14 different patterns, each with the same options. How would I or why would I list all of these components in the core listings? I would go broke. I have to maintain a store. Fortunately I have a relatively high mark up so I can last it out. Most of the other vendors, if they stay at all, will have to raise their prices to accomodate the increases. Isn't that going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

Stores are just as important to eBay as they are to individual vendors. I really can't see eBay reconsidering their ill conceived stance but they certainly may be sorry they did what they did. With the type of continual price hikes that have been instituted there can only be two ultimate results. Either the vendors will close up or there will be a slow price increase to offset the fee hikes. Neither option will be good for anyone involved in the eBay game including eBay itself.

One last thought. I believe the announcement of the fee hike stated that the increase would only involve a 6% increase in fees for most vendors. They neglected to point out that the 6% is of the gross sale, not the gross profit or worse yet, not of the net profit. If you have a 100% gross profit (doubling the cost of product) the increase means a loss of 12% of my gross profit. What it does to my net profit depends on what my other costs are but when the figure of 6% is used it is just not true. I am afraid that a lot of vendors do not maintain a 100% markup and if they do the figuring they will find that their profit structure will be even more affected.

Any proponent of free enterprise will agree that eBay can charge whatever they want and I certainly agree with that principal. The problem is that I and many others will eventually have to find a new venue to use to sell our products after eBay slowly slides down the hill because of high retail pricing and closed stores. EBay has been very good for me and I do not want to see happen what I think is going to happen.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Clarence Gillispie

Wed Jul 26 22:27:44 2006

I was just starting to finally show a little profit when EBay ruined my profit margin with this internal manipulation of the store listings. I had spent 10 to 12 hours a day building the business and many extra dollars on the EBay listing game There is no doubt in my mind that Ebay prefers stock holder profit taking to seller profit making. I feel that we sellers are on the wrong side of the fence to make a living. At first I couldn't tell what happened
but I knew something did. All I wanted to do was sell 5 pair of huron moccasins a week. I finally made that goal and when they changed the rules I quickly dropped back to 1 or 2 pair selling a week.It was like someone shut a faucet off!It is like the old Donkey chasing the stick routine or worse yet just reaching a doorway and have some smart ass hiding in the dark pulling the rug from under you! The authentic Canadian Indian moccasins I sell actually made by the Huron Indians was always a tough sell up against the cheap imports made in China and third world countries.
I have been informed by the Huron Indians that their prices are going to raise on August 1,2006.I think that is the end for the mocassinman.com! It may be the end of the small ''Real'' Indian Moccasin companies too!

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Sue

Fri Jul 28 01:14:57 2006

I wondered what happen, I thought it was me so glad to see that i am not the only one that has dropped tremendously in business, not worth the $1600=$2000 a month I pay in ebay fee's alone.
What did they do? Why are they doing it to the sellers? We are the one's making them money. I had 41 items on auction that ended today, 2 were featured and out of 41/ 5 sold and 2 were to the same person. Maybe we should all start looking at getting our own website.
I'm new here at this site and shouldn't say things like that but this is getting really bad as this is my job, my income.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Jack

Thu Aug 10 15:43:46 2006

Store inventory comprimises 83% of listings but only 9% of merchandise volume? Ever wonder why Ebay? Could be that you do need buyers, buyers with enough common sense to read a description and not stay at half-cock ready to retaliate when they get Offended. All thanks to Ebay policies. Ebay has lost many of the buyers that had the sense, had the money, and had enough maturity to realize that problems could be worked out with the proper attitude instead of running to complaints and chargebacks to get even. Ebay has created most of their own problems and usually compound them with the same quality solutions. The store think is the same routine. I have cleaned my store inventory of anything under $10, but will not run this merchandise at auction, it will go to the flea-market where you can still deal one-on-one with mature adults. Ebay buyers for the most part want something for nothing and Ebay supports them 100%.

eBay Jerking Around Its Store Sellers?

by: Rachman

Tue Aug 22 02:54:47 2006

I have several fixed price online stores and have been working online for about six years. A few months ago I also opened an Ebay store which turned out to be a monumental task and huge learning experience for me. I found that Ebay was overly complicated and time consuming compared to my other fixed price venues and non-intuitive in their features. My brain was in pain trying to figure out how to do the simplest tasks, which to me seemed designed to produce frustration and despair! When I was finally able to get the store opened, with the help of some other kind Ebay store sellers, I was excited to have a couple of sales within a day or so of opening. Encouraged, I spent many hours adding items but sales quickly took a downturn, I think, due to the change of their internal search perameters. More recently I was appalled to hear of the huge new fees (500% on higher end items!)and what management was claiming as the reasons for those increases. Ebay management does not seem to understand that the store sellers bring additional extra income for Ebay instead of taking income from the so-called 'core' listings. In my case (and there are more like me) I have rarely used Ebay core listing auctions, due to what I consider high fees and low results, but liked the idea of a fixed price venue with the Ebay customer exposure. I opened my Ebay store just before they changed the patterns that took Ebay Stores off the internal search features, and I started using auctions (which turned out to be ineffective) in hopes of bringing traffic to the store. Ebay made money from me and even had extra auction sales income due to my opening in their fixed price venue. This did not come from a sacrifice of 'core' listings. It was all extra income for them. Since the search change, sales have dropped significantly. The huge increase in their fees and the difficulty of doing even the simplest online tasks on top of the drop in sales just added the last straw to my poor aching back! I decided that Ebay did not want or need my business and that closing was my only viable option. My impression of Ebay, which was not good before, has dropped to a new all time low due to these recent changes. As of 8/22/06 my store is officially closed and all I feel is relief! I do hope Google or some other company will challenge Ebay in the auction and fixed price venues, because Ebay badly needs a dose of competition to make them address their internal problems. As long as they are the only game in town they can do what they wish, to the detriment of all! Rachman

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