posted on February 7, 2008 06:22:24 AM new
Of course we know all of this already - I suppose it is wishful thinking to hope the Street understands that more is wrong with eBay than a few disgruntled sellers. Of course the author of the piece is one of the disgruntled sellers so I guess it is little more than preaching to the choir:
posted on February 7, 2008 07:09:42 AM new
No one is well served by the inaccuracies in this article. She is wrong on just about every point, except possibly Best Match, which I haven't played with.
Look, folks: You're upset, justifiably so. But exaggerating claims or making flat-out misstatements does not help your case, it only makes you look foolish.
posted on February 7, 2008 07:34:24 AM new
I'm not sure all of the points are gross exaggerations.
1. There is off-site advertising that competes with on-line sellers: books, cd's, music, etc. It doesn't effect me as a seller but as a buyer I am very annoyed at the gyrating monkey trying to get me to lower my mortgage rate. I don't have a mortgage. And I have to OPT out of having ads tailored to my search habits.
2. I assume this is the opt out yahoo deal. There is a load of crap on your computer cookie-wise once you visit ebay not the least of which is tracking cookies. But, what else is new. So many sites are running google analytics now it is a pain to navigate.
3. There are technical problem, read the tech board. The shipping calculator is not always right, the listing tool crashes computers and EOA's can dry up without warning. So, its a big site, right? You got to expect some glitches. Well, maybe. I'd have to hear from someone who does Amazon to see if there are similar problems.
4. Best Match...refuse to use it. I like ending soon. Using best match to search for bound vols of old magazines I continue to get auctions/listings for magazine subscriptions. Best match is carp in my book.
posted on February 7, 2008 08:09:14 AM new
Far be it from me to defend eBay, but every e-commerce site has the occasional technical problem, including Amazon. No surprise that an entity as big and unwieldly as eBay has them too.
You know what gets me? AT&T's Edge data network (which serves iPhones, among other devices) has been down for more than 24 hours. You don't remember the last time eBay was down for more than 24 hours. It was a very long time ago.
Read the discussion boards? Why? Meet my friend Joyce, who is firmly convinced Sell Your Item is broken because she cannot get it into her head that you may need to scroll right at one point in the form to do what she needs to do. I've tried explaining it. Doesn't help. The discussion boards are not full of experts rendering expert opinions. And in that I am being kind.
posted on February 7, 2008 08:10:28 AM new
"But exaggerating claims or making flat-out misstatements does not help your case, it only makes you look foolish."
Does this foolishness include use of the epithet "fascist?"
posted on February 7, 2008 08:29:17 AM new
You don't think the site has sponsored links that DIRECTLY compete with listings sellers have paid for?
Here are the results for my search - Sterling silver necklace:
Here are the sponsored ads at the bottom of the page 1 (of 54 pages of matching results!)
I can't speak for buyer behavior when subjected to the various search tests - if the Search board is any indication, BUYERS as well as SELLERS are disgusted with search behavior and opt outs do not always work.
I don't know about the shipping calculator or listing functions because I don't use them. I know Markdown Manager works every now and then.
I personally have seen serious server problems via item count fluctuations in my own store - sometimes 200-300 item variance.
I don't know how Best Match will work but if it is the same Best Match that was used in Express I am not very optimistic.
I don't know about PayPal cancellations...I personally am not going to cancel mine.
At any rate, SOME of the article is true. I think one could add more verifiable points and take away some of the conjecture and still come to the conclusion that if Mr Donahue is behind all of this, he is not "fixing" eBay (not sure I would say he is the one who "BROKE" eBay).
-------------------------------------
posted on February 7, 2008 08:31:57 AM new
I appreciated the heads up about the Alpha site - it will now be regular reading. I didn't agree with the "eBay is in dire straits" tone of the article, and in fact, found another, more interesting and well written article on the site.
In spite of what has been said about me in the past, I do not work for eBay, but I feel reasonably certain that these changes (and any others) are not made on whim. Like any corporation, eBay has goals and plans, as well as contingency plans. A big part of their business is information and analysis. Does anyone here really believe that eBay didn't have a good estimate on how many sellers would walk? Believe me, they not only know, but could tell you the price points they sell at, their volume and just about everything else.
If eBay policies favor buyers over sellers, or even some sellers over others, it is because they feel it is in their best interests to do so, and not to drive some depression glass dealer in Ohio out of business.
[ edited by Damariscotta on Feb 7, 2008 12:15 PM ]
posted on February 7, 2008 08:32:42 AM new
Now, Fluffy, you really do have to expect a bit of poking when you tell other people to stop whining or exaggerating.
After all, you've set such a fine example in both areas. Quite recently, in fact.
The bar is high, I tell ya!
You can call me Zip. I don't mind. Don't mind Pinhead either, though that's not the origin of my zippy name.
As for the other, are you not allowed to type "#*!@" on this board? That's a shame.
posted on February 7, 2008 10:14:13 AM new
Now, Zip, be nice.
Fluff does not exaggerate, she just enlarges her version of reality, colors it black or white and moves on down the merry roads of Toon Town in her steamroller.
Beth
posted on February 7, 2008 01:18:24 PM new
have you seen the 1:43 EBAY OVERHAUL video on CNN?? "...as buyers are more honest about their feedback..."
[ edited by rhpepsi on Feb 7, 2008 01:21 PM ]
posted on February 7, 2008 08:11:03 PM new
I just read the article. Fluffy, you are dead wrong. They article is extremely well written and very accurate on what is going wrong with Ebay.
You can keep your head in the sand and keep saying that eBay isn't broken. I can state for a fact it is and for those who haven't diverified to other markets, are making big mistakes.
However as I have stated in other threads, leaving eBay is also a mistake. You can read the other threads for those comments.
posted on February 7, 2008 09:36:23 PM new
If you were to use Yahoo Adwords with a Vendio store, you would eliminate the concerns expressed in #4, #5, and #7, of the article.
posted on February 8, 2008 11:56:05 AM new
Oh c'mon guys, don't you know that FLUFF is the alpha and omega (the beginning and ending). Well, at least that is what she thinks.
