posted on May 25, 2003 08:32:13 PM new
Some of eBay's most active users are angry about a software switch they claim could undermine the online auction site's usefulness to them.
The complaints are a blow to a company that has emerged as the most successful survivor of the dotcom collapse, thanks largely to its renowned skill in building an intensely loyal community of online buyers and sellers.
The switch, which takes full effect this week, will require high-volume sellers to use new software to input their listings. Users say the change has greatly increased the time it takes to post goods for sale, adding substantially to their costs.
They also accuse eBay of trying to use the move to extract higher fees from users even though this makes it harder to run small businesses on the site.
An eBay spokesman acknowledged that the new software, known as Turbo Lister, has antagonised some users but he added that most had welcomed it. He said the higher fees were associated with optional new features that increased the value of the site to sellers.
The complaints come from some of the most active private sellers who have turned online auctions into a thriving cottage industry. Often operating from their homes and in their spare time, many conduct hundreds of auctions a week. "eBay took a product that worked and cost us $1 a day, and replaced it with a product that did not work and cost us $80 a day," said Jay Senese, whose CD business is eBay's highest-volume seller. "It is clunky and it is expensive."
The Turbo Lister software forces users to click through five online pages to complete each listing, rather than the one page required by the old software.
"It went from me working 20 minutes a day to four hours," said Barry Lamb, who carries out 400-500 auctions a week selling car audio systems.
Users complain eBay has added the steps, and other features, partly to increase fees. These include a 10 cent charge to schedule the timing of an auction in advance and a 10 cent fee to use a more attractive visual template for their listings. In the past, sellers could plug in their own templates without facing a charge.
While eBay's huge popularity with buyers means sellers have little choice but to use the site in the short term, antagonising a core group of its customers risks accusations of arrogance and could weaken its business in the long run, said Robert Shelton, a technology consultant.
The depth of the antagonism to Turbo Lister is evident from the large number of complaints posted in recent weeks on eBay's own online message boards.
posted on May 25, 2003 08:40:32 PM new
So use an auction service. I wouldn't recomend this one for high volume sellers as the delays will drive you crazy but I know that the other service I use has cut my listing time in half at least.
posted on May 25, 2003 09:30:14 PM neweBay took a product that worked and cost us $1 a day, and replaced it with a product that did not work and cost us $80 a day
I think the added costs are why they don't want to use a listing service.
But the whole basis of the problem is how this new system effects high volume sellers.
posted on May 25, 2003 09:31:49 PM new
The sellers are so mad that ebay listings grew a million to go over the ten million mark right after the old lister went bye-bye?
posted on May 25, 2003 09:36:18 PM new
Reamond - thing is, if they are paying for delayed listing or templates which are free on listing services they are paying what they would pay a service, then add in time and it's cheaper to just use a service.
posted on May 26, 2003 04:36:55 AM new
I started out using eBay's listing program and didn't like it at all. I agree, use a listing service instead if you don't like the software. It's easy to complain about something, it's even easier to switch the way you do things. I like using Vendio. I prepare my auctions in an html editing program ahead of time and just cut and paste everything when I'm ready to sell. Or, I'll schedule them for a specific time. As I buy items, I photograph them, write the descriptions and save them on my computer. When it comes time to list things it seems to just take minutes.
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
posted on May 26, 2003 06:07:45 AM new
But there are those of us who CANT use Vendio because they don't support what we sell. That is very frustrating. I would LOVE to be able to use Vendio becuase I have found it to be the easiest and most affordable. My only options are Turbo Lister or going strait through ebays "sell your item". Both are a pain.
I am still waiting for the magical day when VD says they have added the support for my catagory. <sigh>
