posted on February 27, 2001 02:50:47 AM new
Yawn………..ugh….(rubbing eyes, waiting for coffee).
To self: Well, it's time to start listing some stuff. (dread)
O.K., here's the form………lets see………….. 16 categories to get the exposure,
How many eBay pics?………..Hmmmm………..better go with about 6. (daydream sets in)
Wow, I remember back when we were free to use our own HTML . We could build our own web pages and link to them. We could put up as many pictures as we wanted or even sell from our own web pages…….not to mention the free email links..(sigh)
Lets see, which eBay item description template should I buy………..oh, I guess the cheap one will do.
Whoops, this one doesn't allow direct email…………….better pay the extra, so I don't have to use the email forms system. The extra two bucks is worth being able to communicate with my customers.
O.K……..here we are……..the eBay payment and shipping terms template………..I think I'll buy the sellers choice package. It's worth the extra dollar to keep my customers happy. EBay-express shipping is just not very reliable.
Um………"let eBay manage your transaction?"…no, I'll go ahead and pay the extra two dollars and handle my own transaction.
"Let eBay do your accounting?"………No, I'll go ahead and pay extra to avoid that.
"Let eBay advertise your products to your customers by email, phone and fax?"……..No, my feedback can't take that. I'll pay the extra fees to avoid it.
"Let eBay collect from your non-paying bidders"?.......Hmmm....should I accept "Great Collections"?......no, I'll pay extra and take my chances. (still paying off the last law suit judgement)
Lets see……..is that it?………….Yeah,…that's it. (yawn…….is that coffee ready yet?)
posted on February 27, 2001 03:49:19 AM new
You know RM, that's pretty depressing actually. It made me think that eBay has, in essence, given thousands and thousands of sellers the false impression that they were partners with them, only to inject them with a heavy dose of higher fees, limitations on service and restrictive policy.
I sadly just caught the tail-end of eBay's "Golden Age", but in talking to veteran sellers, there was a genuine sense of excitement that came with posting auctions, watching the prices take off unexpectedly and then stopping into the forums to chat with other members of the "Community". I suppose what I missed, in not starting auctions until 1998, was the atmosphere that there was potential. Stay-at-home moms, the disabled, novice entrepreneurs were all on a level playing field. You had the potential to make a decent living, become autonomous, genuinely enjoy the work, and noone was less than anyone else.
Yes, eBay has the right to raise fees, try to limit off-site transactions, impose every regulation within the law that they can think of...it's THEIR site after all, not "OURS" anymore. The real crime that eBay has committed, in my opinion, is that they've made this alot less fun.
posted on February 27, 2001 04:17:40 AM new
Yeah, it was a lot of fun in 1997 and 1998. You couldn't wait to get to your computer and check on your auctions in the morning and almost every ad was self-written and when we were new and made mistakes nobody jumped down our throat. Postage was reasonable,ebay was a community,and you didn't have to worry about bad checks and extra fees for everything from Paypal to 10 day auctions.
I wasn't in at the very beginning but I still feel like an old-timer. Pretty rough when you start reminiscing about 5 years ago as "the good old days".
We slowly closed down our B&M and dropped the flea market circuit because it was better to sit at the computer and make more money. Now we slowly close down ebay to open the B&M and the fun of real live people at flea markets who can touch and examine and not have to pay shipping and pay in good old cash. The circle of life............
posted on February 27, 2001 05:50:23 AM new
eBay continues to build a toll road that runs between the sellers and the buyers.
They continue to improve the road, expand the number of people it connects to and increase their control over the services needed/offered when using the road.
eBay increase the basic cost of using the road and the fees for controlled services.
Their profits increase and many sellers still find it a cost effective route to reach buyers.
Initially parallel route stagnate and independent service providers go out of business.
Government becomes more involved in regulating their activities.
Some sellers find the expense and restrictions of using the "toll" road no longer meet their needs. Some buyers find the nature of the sellers and products reaching them over the "toll" road no longer meet their wants.
Buyers seek alternative sources. Sellers meet the buyer demand for alternatives. The Internet facilites this non-eBay marketplace.
The non-eBay marketplace sees all manner of alliances and service providers develop. The market matures beyond being eBay dependent although eBay continues to have a small portion of the overall traffic.
ebay is yesterdays news. What's interesting is what will be developed by individuals to meet their needs without the problems/limitations some experience with the eBay, Amazon et al model.
Railroads once dominated a period of US history and yet today most youths have never ridden on a train(subways aside).
My problem is how to survive and meet my needs/wants in the middle of all the chaos and change which is far beyond my control.
So I'll try my best to utilize ebay.
And I'll accept that everything they do to separate themselves from meeting my needs creates an ever increasing opportunity for another solution to develop.
Then I'll have another Diet Coke and get on with the hauling, sorting and packing of inventory which is my RL part in all this.
posted on February 27, 2001 05:58:04 AM new
News Release 2007 :
In a unexpected move after most market players had retired for the night in North America eBaySend formerly known as the USPS
announced the purchase in whole by stock of
failing rival UPS, leaving PayPal subsidiary FedEx Ground as the largest remaining rival in the consumer delivery market. President
Clinton when questioned about it at her late night news conference said - " You can be sure it is a good thing. I have a hunk of that action also."
This following her comments on California High School students striking for higher allowances for married students with children drawing State financial aid to education.
[ edited by gravid on Feb 27, 2001 06:05 AM ]
