Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

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

June 19, 2008

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

By: Greg Holden

Thu June 19 2008 12:20:02

As a Chicago resident, I can tell you that while eBay Live might seem like a big deal to you and me, it's barely making a blip in the local Chicago Tribune. I couldn't find any mention of it on the Chicago Sun-Times's Web site. What's going on? It may have something to do with the myopic news media, but it also might have to do with low attendance. We think it's low. But after some fact-checking, we're just not sure how this event compares to last year's convention.

The official number from eBay spokesperson Jose Mallabo was between 7,000 - 8,000 as of Thursday morning. Spokesperson Usher Lieberman said attendance is about the same (or up) from last year's Boston event. But a check of last year's coverage showed eBay reporting 8,500 attendees in Boston. Also interesting to note that eBay's blogger reported the number of exhibitors at 75, compared to nearly 130 services that exhibited at the 2007 show.

Usually, we only hear about conventions like the ones held by toy makers and candy makers, because reporters love to go there to get free samples and do stories about them. Maybe eBay needs to give away some of their famous "free balls" or other goodies to attract the local news media. Maybe as the meeting gets going it'll make more of an impact in the local news. But my gut feeling tells me this is mainly a big deal to the online community.

Greg Holden, who lives in Chicago, is an online business consultant and the author of eight books about eBay, including "How to Do Everything with Your eBay Business," second edition, and "Secrets of the eBay Millionaires," both published by Osborne-McGraw Hill. Find out more on Greg's Web site and blog, http://www.gregholden.com.

Comments (32) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: froliky

Thu Jun 19 12:48:07 2008

They put 400 punds of chrome and fins on cars in the early sixties and everyone thought it was an improvement.
Same kind of mistake is being made at eBay.
They are ignoring what will keep them going long term. They need to implement better risk prevention, processing/follow up and transaction security or users will continue to stay away.
The previous eBay feedback system partially worked because there was a complimentary and reciprocal communication at the end of an auction. Ebay management hasnow taken that away with the new feedback policy changes. Now there is a much more combative and cautious atmosphere. Until this is changed there will be member mistrust and anger. Also the attempt to monopolize payment methods contributes deeper resentment. Management has fallen short and business potential suffers.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: richardc

Thu Jun 19 12:54:18 2008

Greg, Thanks for the update on attendees, and exhibitors. After attending the last 3 eBay Live events, I saw no reason to attend this year. In fact I found many reasons not to attend.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: lebennington

Thu Jun 19 12:59:58 2008

Ebay has pummeled their community enough over the past 4 months. Why would we want to spend good money just to hear about the next round of changes to make our lives more difficult?

There is no longer joy in Ebayville.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: It's laughable

Thu Jun 19 13:02:42 2008

The past two years of Ebay would be laughable if so many good sellers had not been sacrificed

Ebay makes rules to solve "problems" and their rules cause more problems, so they make more rules. Ebay is looking more like the Federal Governement every day.

And just like the government, Ebay will never admit it made a mistake. It just tries to spin its way out of each new problem.

Right now, I think you have Ebay execs and employees just trying to hang on and protect their jobs. They have lost the trust and good will of their customers. What else can you say?

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: thecruise

Thu Jun 19 13:31:45 2008

The Global Ebay Boycott, with over 47,000 signatures on just one of the petitions, has more attendees than does ''ebay Live''. The REAL story is written by ebayers themselves throughout the pages in ebay Discussions, ''Seller Central'', ''FEEDBACK'', ''The Front Porch''. The ''Hidden Stories'' are on the last several pages of ''Seller Central'' (read ''BOYCOTT IN EUROPE'' there, too) & ''The Front Porch''. Visit the numerous off-ebay, uncensored, community sites dealing with ebay's ''restructuring'' policies for the REAL story.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Mere

Thu Jun 19 13:42:45 2008

What??? ebay thought that more of their sellers would pay hard earned money to show up and hear their latest "spin" on all the past and upcoming changes on their site?

Ebay has one goal and that is to shove PayPal down the throat of every ebay seller around the world.

They can change their business anyway they want but I have the choice of choosing who I do my business with and it isn't ebay.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: coffee

Thu Jun 19 13:48:02 2008

Even living in a suburb of Chicago won't get me to this years' eBay Live. Due to the lack of support they've shown their long-time mom amd pop sellers, they've completely lost any support from me. I'll take the $$ I saved by NOT attending eBay Live and gladly spend in on another e-commerce site.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: RicRoe

Thu Jun 19 13:53:18 2008

Why would sellers that have been shown the door by eBay executives flock to an eBay sponsored event?

eBay executives have done their best to alienate sellers with new one way feedback policies, reduced listing visibility, payment holds, default search results that discriminate against small sellers, and a general attitude that small sellers are no longer valued by eBay.

Trust and confidence in eBay has been shattered by a series of changes that smack of a bias against small sellers, so exactly who do they expect to show up?

eBay has changed for the worse, showing up at a convention sponsored by a company that rolls out changes and blatantly ignores the negative impact is hardly a good use of ones time.

Its no wonder that eBay live was cancelled next year, its obviously a sign that eBay recognizes they have lost significant numbers of sellers that normally attend the event and do not want to advertise their losses by holding another under attended event.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Patricia

Thu Jun 19 13:55:52 2008

"Spokesperson Usher Lieberman said attendance is about the same (or up) from last year's Boston event. But a check of last year's coverage showed eBay reporting 8,500 attendees in Boston. "

Mr. Lieberman - I know you have to "spin" on Ebay's side but if you keep on handing out data like that you're going to end up being known as the "Bagdhad Bob" of Ebay ;-)

www.ACEOart.net

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: barb

Thu Jun 19 14:26:43 2008

I've attended several of the eBay Live events, but it just seemed like we were drinking the same old Kool Aid every year.
Just not worth the time or effort to attend.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Henrietta

Thu Jun 19 19:00:10 2008

Good one Patricia, Baghdad Bob Lieberman, the sky is not falling, nothing bothers me, bothers me bothers me now.

Management will reassure the sellers while launching yet another disruptive innovation. How many times will the phrase "we're looking at it" be heard before they go back to San Jose and the bonus checks?

I don't know why I let it get to me, I am so gone.

www.redinkdiary.blogspot.com

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: obagi skin care

Thu Jun 19 19:51:25 2008

I'm boycotting Ebay and as far as I'm concerned. They're done ! They have managed to alienate most of their users in 4 months than all the rest of their history combined.
I know a lot of people who have left Ebay to start their own site or trying the alternatives. I hope their market will go down drastically that they'll have to turn back to the old good way that it was.
--

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: obagi skin care

Thu Jun 19 19:52:18 2008

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Jeff

Thu Jun 19 20:16:45 2008

When Ebay announced these new changes back in January, sellers began listing at a frantic rate before the changes took effect in May. Because of everybody listing, the 1st Quarter results that came out at the end of March looked good. The 2nd Quarter results come out in a few weeks, and judging by the sell-thru rates for the last couple of months, things have not been looking too good. I'm just wondering what type of spin that Ebay is going to be providing to the stockholders of this company.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Bob

Thu Jun 19 21:53:03 2008

Ebay needs to go away.
Their policy changes are despicable!
Check www.concerneduser.proboards105.com
and find MANY alternative sites as well as help to navigate them, listing help, etc..
Time for the arrogance and greed to take a fall.
I for one will not be limited to ONLY accepting PP which is an EeBay owned company.
Donohoe can travel to Iraq and kiss my son's 4th point of contact.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Carol

Thu Jun 19 22:21:18 2008

No surprise the numbers of people attending are down...many sellers have left and buyers are following along. There are places to sell that DO NOT call their customers ''noise'' why would anyone waste their time?

cut and paste these in your browser to see what thousands are saying about the many poorly thought out changes:
The petitions:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ebay-buyers-concerned-r
e-feedback-changes

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/new-feedback-policy-unfair-for-sellers

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Jay

Fri Jun 20 00:24:01 2008

Define good sellers... Ha!

eBay is the only retail place in the WORLD where sellers beat, bash, ignore, threaten, and harass their buyers.

If customer service in the 'real' world matched the customer service of self-righteous zealots of eBay, there'd be blood on aisle 5.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Jeff

Fri Jun 20 00:26:32 2008

Wow. I totally agree. Sellers like negative feedback because they used it as an extortion tool to threaten buyers who had bad experiences.

That's why so many neutrals are on eBay.

What I like about eBay now is that a seller with 1 neutral is a good seller - a seller with 50 is suffering.

Because that seller is, as they say 'teh suck.'

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Tom

Fri Jun 20 00:48:19 2008

As a seller, here are some pros:

Before: Feedback only removed if offensive or stated personal info.

Now: UPIs, malicious, comments nonrelated to the item, etc are removable now.

As someone who has only gotten 1 negative in 5 years, I was personally glad to see my score boost back to 100%.

Then again, if other sellers who got negatives and neutrals before the changes aren't happy, is eBay supposed to baby them?

Grow up people. I agree with Jeff. I also buy on eBay, and that's where my 1 negative came from - a seller who never sent my item and left me a negative because I left it for him.

For those who complain about eBay so much - stop complaining so much and parading around 'saying' you're going to leave and just do it all ready!

Sheesh. Bunch of babies.

Windy City not Blown Away by eBay Live

by: Charlie

Fri Jun 20 09:48:23 2008

Sellers are moving to Amazon. The changes to the feedback system have driven many away. Ebay live? far from it.

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