E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Nora Macaluso 2001-11-08 11:06:37

See Full Story

While EBay remains first and foremost an auctioneer, its fixed-price push is helping the
company solidify its position as an open, online marketplace -- while at the same time
positioning it for a challenge to Amazon.com in the third-party e-tail market.
Forrester analyst Carrie Johnson told the E-Commerce Times that "auctions will always be
the sort of centerpin of whatever EBay does" but fixed-price goods may help power the
auction business even further.

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Brian Kellogg 2001-11-10 06:41:57 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

I really agree: their best days are behind them. An indifference to the 'little' person is also apparent on Half.com.

Online junk sales
Posted by: Tom Fouker 2001-11-08 14:56:27 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

The only people that are upset by this are the junk mongers who empty their closets/garages and try to foist their garbage on unsuspecting buyers.

The site should really be called "Other people's Junk." When I was a child my parent's took me to the brick-and-mortar version, it is called a "Swap Meet."

I am so very amused by the complaints. Big bad eBay is making it difficult for me to sell my children's broken toys. I can't sell my picture of dogs playing poker waa waa waa.

I'd rather play in the street than listen to this nonsense. eBay can do whatever they want and their sheep will follow bleating all the way.

Re: Online junk sales
Posted by: Jeff 2001-11-10 08:06:03 In reply to: Tom Fouker

Tom,

I politely disagree with your sentiments. I don't own any Ebay common stock but I will when the P/E drops low enough. Ebay's projected annual sales by 2004 are $5B. Currently they're $663M. Normally I would scoff at such seemingly ridiculous projections; however, Ebay's one of the very few "new economy" companies that actually is turning profits (and that hasn't filed for Chapter 11).

On top of that, Ebay doesn't need 10,000 - 20,000 employees to rack up those enormous sales figures either. Ebay has a mere 1,927 employees.

Ebay does not need "brick and mortar". They don't need warehouses. They don't need plants. Such physical entities eat away at profits. Ebay's expenses are incredibly minimal.

I know kids in their early 20's that managed to put themselves through college using only Ebay. They could end their auctions late in the week, package the products during the weekend, and ship the products on Monday, before their first class.

This certainly beats working at a retail store or fast food restaurants, as most young people do, where your manager sets your hours, and either you work those hours or you're fired.

Current Ebay shareholders will be laughing all the way to the bank before I'm 30.

Jeff

Re: Online junk sales
Posted by: Tom Fouker 2001-11-12 18:15:02 In reply to: Jeff

Jeff,

I never said that Sanford and Son (oops, eBay) is not making money.

Everyone wants a way to get rid of their junk, and eBay is one way to do it.

They even have a commercial that discusses it. THe one where the husband buys an ugly lamp from his wife.

Re: Online junk sales
Posted by: L.K. Mackey 2001-11-08 21:45:00 In reply to: Tom Fouker

Tom, I would be curious to know if you buy or sell on eBay. What kind of experience do YOU have to make this ludicrous statement? I have been an eBay member for over 4 yrs. I started out buying. I am now mostly a Seller. Do I look in my closet for my merchandise? No! I have a tax resale ID, and sell new items. My customers don't seem unhappy with what you might call "junk". Am I following the "rest of the sheep"? No! Neither are a lot of eBayers. I am not going to accept Billpoint/eBay online payments, after this insane Checkout feature was added. This also means that I will never run 1 single AFA again.
I think you should research your comments before posting.

Re: Online junk sales
Posted by: Tom Fouker 2001-11-12 18:12:29 In reply to: L.K. Mackey

L.K.,

There is nothing ludicrous about my statement. eBay IS full of JUNK. I know many people who laugh at the stupidity out there. Why? Because they are selling their junk.

Why go to goodwill and get a tax write-off on that old chair when some shlub will give you cash.

So you have a tax resale id, How much did that auction cost you. You refer to your customers as if you are Ray Kroc, how many do you have? What is it that you are selling?

I have seen a lot of new junk sold at garage sales. "I never used this 1968 ice cream maker, so I'll let it go to you at a reduced price. blah, blah, blah

You'll still go back to eBay because there is no other real place to go.

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Simba 2001-11-08 14:22:33 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

I'm not an eBay user, and I have no reason to dispute any of the recent message board postings on the eBay article. But I think there are different issues here. Whether or not eBay is listening to its community (assuming these message board postings are representative), the company seems to be a financial success.

I'm not talking about whether that's morally right or not - and I'm not saying what's morally right isn't important. I'm just asking this question:

Does eBay still have a financial incentive to listen to the community complaints about Checkout?

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Bill 2001-11-08 14:13:15 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

Ebay is in the process of creating their biggest corporate blunder since they started up. CHECKOUT is driving sellers (and buyers) away in droves. Their FAILURE TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE that there is a problem is infuriating even more. I normally will list 10-30 auctions per week, with bidding off so sharply since this began, I now have only 2 auctions and they are basically protests. Think you need to do another interview (including some ebay community members) and get brought up to date!!

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Carol Salter 2001-11-08 12:06:50 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

"...."level of trust" for EBay"

An oxymoron if I ever heard one. eBay is doing all it can to drive away any level of trust they had left by giving us "Checkout". Ask Pursglove what OPTION means. Take good look at Checkout forum on eBay.

Carol

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Robin Helman 2001-11-08 11:48:28 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

One point was missed here...

1) eBay has consistently failed to respond to its own "community." They make changes that only a handful want, ignoring the thousands of users who voice their concerns against the changes. The latest is a feature called "Checkout". While eBay swears it is optional, they have apparently rewritten the definition of "optional" as this feature appears on ALL auction pages regardless of the seller's choice.

More on this can be found here:
http://forums.ebay.com/dws?14@73.PbyhcVEbxEP^1@.eed08f5

Trouble is, eBay seems to be turning more and more to BIG business and completely forgetting the small Mom & Pop types that made them what they are today. Yes, this looks good on paper, in $$ anyway, but many of us started on eBay when they were just beginning. Had we not been there, eBay would have remained just a dream. Now that they are big, we don't seem to matter anymore. How sad.

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: FatDeadElvis 2001-11-08 11:36:22 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

What a crock!!!
Ebay is in a position to push all small auction sellers out of the business.
Their latest feature "Checkout" takes the sale and control out of the hands of the seller.
Wanna' know whats really going on visit the post boards at eBay.
The truth is out there.

Re: Do All Roads Lead to EBay?
Posted by: Marliene deSer 2001-11-08 11:30:46 In reply to: Nora Macaluso

There is a full blown revolution in place at eBay. Sellers and buyers are angry over two major issues: The mishandling of the Auction for America Auctions (where eBay takes credit for the sellers donations and the collected funds have NOT been turned over to Charity) and their most recent fiasco called CHECKOUT. Visit the eBay Checkout message boards for more information.