Ebay is going the way of Yahoo Auctions, lower prices to sellers, treat us better or its over
I didn't like they way I was treated 10 years ago. I didn't like the way I was treated 20 years ago. I used to sell on yahoo auctions exclusively until they destroyed their seller platform so I was then forced to Ebay. I didn't like it but eventually go used to it and it worked for well over a decade. I didn't like the draconian way I was treated either on the phone or by their dispute system. Certain buyers knew how to rip off sellers and there was no protection. No my listings under re-listings just disappeared over the last year as they wanted me to migrate to their new listing tools and I don't have time to change over. When they get tired of losing money and are on the verge of bankruptcy, it will be to late. In the stressed economic climate and the post pandemic era EBAY should be the #1 place to get things cheap, instead the money is going elsewhere and I don't ever buy on Ebay anymore. Ebay is going down like MySpace did to Facebook and Yahoo Auctions once did to Ebay.
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·3 years agoYahoo auction were born from the failing of the merger between Onsale and Surplus Direct. In the day both were undisputed kings of B2C eCommerce and rather than beating up on each other they merged. Long story but they killed the Goose that laid the golden eggs.
Back then we were an "anchor tenant" in the Onsale Exchange as their only entertainment/educational software vendor. It was their third party venue, it was exceptional and I helped in site building as a software engineer. When it folded again, many reasons, long story they sold the Exchange to Yahoo. Of course having stake in the venue I approached Yahoo about the sites future and literally "They could cared less."
Yahoo bought the venue because other search engines like Lycos, MSN etc. had contracted a company whereby it was like ten or fifteen search engines now had auctions. The provider of said auction venue made all forms of claims that they were going to put eBay under. Yahoo decided buy the Exchange from Onsale figuring they'd have "a step up," a venue that had already succeeded along with the vendors. They wanted it because every other search engine of any consequence now had auctions and the listings of said auctions shared across the venues, Lycos, MSN etc.
They'd no interest whatsoever in the Auction venue short of it being a catapult to online store software they were building. They didn't care listen to anybody and as Onsale/Surplus Direct all went under the main site B2C sellers migrated to eBay and soon Amazon Auctions/zShops.
The auction operation with the search engines failed dismally... I knew some eBay management back then and they laughed themselves silly. Yahoo stuck with it for a longer time making the money on selling online storefronts and that too in time passed away... eBay still there, still strong even making Amazon's auction/zShop venue look quite pitiful in comparison.
There's the history lesson of the day. Never, not ever count eBay out. For years on end atop years on end this company has navigated VERY treacherous waters. Sure, some mistakes were made that'd likely sunk entities like Etsy, Mercari and others but eBay's resilience and quite frankly brilliance has them still standing today. It's a very different world today both in competition and the general state of the world especially post Covid. Wall Street is all too aware of eBay's history and it's one of handful of Internet commerce based business that you never see Wall Street count out.
harafkac0
·3 years agoThe biggest challenge ebay faces and has faced for many years, and unfortunately will likely face for the foreseeable if not indefinite future is people's perception of ebay... I'm an avid ebay shopper, most people are not, my wife isn't... My wife loves Amazon, she shops amazon and I mean exclusively.
I've tried to tell her, it's cheaper on ebay but my wife, while she most definitely understands "cheaper" clearly has the word cheaper linked with kitsch in her mind. But I kept quietly and patiently trying to drive her the way of the bay until one day she told me "but ebay is just auctions and all for garage and yard sale stuff kind of like Craigslist but just different format." And she said it in such a way that my jaw just dropped and I was at a loss for a rebuttal, it was one of those where you just know it's not even worth replying.
And there you have it, I had heard about this perception for years but I was shocked to actually hear it coming out of someone's mouth but come out it did, just like that, and hear it I did. Unfortunately I am pretty much convinced that no matter what ebay does, this public perception is not likely to ever change.
Sad, but true.
Ebay did command market share at one point but that's because they were the first and thus only kid playing in the sandbox. Ebay nailed internet sales but Amazon came along, and ebay tried to copy Amazon... I can't say which is worse, their failure to keep up or their bad attempts at so doing but again it is not likely that today they will ever shake the public's perception.
mam98031
·3 years agoWe don't need "most" people shopping Ebay. We will never have "most" people shopping here. Heck Amazon can't even make that claim. But we all need enough buyers to make it worthwhile to sell on the internet, whether it is here or elsewhere.
tev4all
·3 years ago@offleasenotebooks
I say this in all sincerity,
Don't be a glutton for punishment.
mam98031
·3 years agoAuctions died for me in about 2014. I've tried to run them off and on over the previous years and it was simply a waste of my time. For my category auctions simply don't work anymore.
For some categories auctions do very well and others not so much. Auctions haven't been the main source of sales on Ebay for many years and likely only account for about 20% now.
You might want to ease yourself into fixed price listings and see how they do for you. Buyers are likely trying to tell you that they don't want to wait a week or bid on auctions. Most buyers now what to purchase what they are looking for and then move on. So you should consider this. And BTW this change in the way buyers buy things is why most of the other sites that use to have auctions went bye bye. Now Ebay is about the only game in town for this time of site.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoAuctions died for me in about 2014. I've tried to run them off and on over the previous years and it was simply a waste of my time. For my category auctions simply don't work anymore.
For some categories auctions do very well and others not so much. Auctions haven't been the main source of sales on Ebay for many years and likely only account for about 20% now.
You might want to ease yourself into fixed price listings and see how they do for you. Buyers are likely trying to tell you that they don't want to wait a week or bid on auctions. Most buyers now what to purchase what they are looking for and then move on. So you should consider this. And BTW this change in the way buyers buy things is why most of the other sites that use to have auctions went bye bye. Now Ebay is about the only game in town for this time of site.
Agree 100% that for a LOT of categories the auction type format does not work well. The percentage shift of eBay sales from auction type format/sales has for sure shifted over the years and probably has a lot to do with expansion of the types of items being sold. Commodity type items are best listed as BIN if you can manage to be competitive in the market place. Auctions still work well for some items like collectibles, antiques and some other rare and/or vintage type items. The OP is not currently using auction type formats and for the items they are selling that is probably a good decision.
In my area there are a number of consignment auction houses that I use to sell/move items that I have acquired. It's not so much because I don't want to list them on eBay but because either I can't because they are the prohibited items list or because I cannot do so and be competitive. The consignment auction houses I use will sell about anything that is legal, including firearms and ammunition, there are no VERO issues and there are no issues with items being politically correct. They also are great for items that are either too big or heavy to even consider listing on eBay. Their seem a bit high but if you factor in everything related to the eBay selling cost there is little difference and they are even cheaper sometimes since a number of them split their fees between the seller and the buyer by adding a buyer premium to the selling price.
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@dbfolks166mt , @mam98031
Both of you hit some key points on eBay's version of Auctions and I can add to this particular topic because I have a part time job at a local auction house and put together their train auctions AND review cast iron lots for them to identify higher value pieces to be sold individually opposed to being in a grouping. I have also been acquiring most of my inventory from estate auctions and auction houses since 2016. I buy from auction houses and (like @dbfolks166mt ) also consign with several including two that are out of state. Prior to Covid the industry was for the most part live auctions with only a few companies doing online auctions. When Covid hit, in our state ALL live auctions were shut down by our state's government. Companies scrambled to get spooled up doing internet auctions with the vast majority of them initially used the Auction Flex platform. I spoke to them directly because at one point I was considering buying the software and running my own auctions.
Many companies have decided NOT to go back to live auctions because they get better prices selling online AND they get Buyers from around the globe in addition to their normal local crowd of followers.
eBay's auction format needs some work that is for sure, but it is still a viable and profitable option for certain items and categories. eBay's current biggest mistake is recommending the 99 cent starting price. They FAIL big time in NOT educating Sellers on how to properly determine a viable starting auction price. Here's a good example and you can actually see this for yourself if you create a listing for an item auction style and then before completing the listing switch the format to Buy it now (GTC) ... if eBay has some historical sold data (and this can be subjective mind you) you will get TWO prices ... one is the 99 cent auction starting price recommendation and the other is the "Median" sold price for the Buy it now format ... pic below shows this. eBay would do better by NOT showing the 99 cent starting price but rather a statement for Sellers to do Sold search research and see what items actually sold for before determining where they want their auction to start.
One of the benefits of auctions for BOTH the Seller and eBay is that the price can go up higher and thus earning more Fees for eBay and more profit for the Seller. My auctions are priced so a ONE bid sale hits my target profit margin ... more bids means more profit. It's the same way I price GTC listings so there is no difference in a 7 day auction selling for one bid or a GTC listing selling on day 7 after being listed.
mam98031
·3 years agoIt is due to a shift in how buyers want to shop. Most buyers want what they want now, not later. It is really simple. But is some categories auctions work well for like collectibles, clothing and the such.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoIt is due to a shift in how buyers want to shop. Most buyers want what they want now, not later. It is really simple. But is some categories auctions work well for like collectibles, clothing and the such.
It also has a lot to do with what eBay has become over the years. Initially it was collectibles, antiques, vintage type items............ but it has grown into largely a commodities based platform where the BIN does in fact work better for most things.
I seldom buy commodity type items off eBay since I live in a large metro area and I am close to most major retailers. I can find the items cheaper at retailers and truly have it now as opposed to waiting 3-5 days for it to arrive through the shipping process.
I am grateful for those buyers that avoid auctions both on eBay and elsewhere since that is where I do a LOT of my sourcing as well as consignment. It's a matter of knowing which auction venues are best for sourcing and which are best for consignment.
mam98031
·3 years agoWe just disagree. No big deal. For me, I remember vividly when auctions were no long effective for me. And the same held true for many other sellers as well. It held true for other sites that at the time did have auctions too, but none of them are left either. I know there are some specialty sites that still have auctions, but I'm talking about sites more similar to this one.
"Auction worked well initially for eBay when customers are willing to sacrifice speed for lower price. The format quickly lost traction when Amazon entered by selling branded, high-quality products at a fixed price with quick delivery. Customers fled from eBay for the novelty and better services at its opponent. What’s more, auction is not the most effective model in driving sales conversation. A very high percentage of auctions do not end in sales. "
https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit/submission/ebay-no-more-auctions/
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoWe just disagree. No big deal. For me, I remember vividly when auctions were no long effective for me. And the same held true for many other sellers as well. It held true for other sites that at the time did have auctions too, but none of them are left either. I know there are some specialty sites that still have auctions, but I'm talking about sites more similar to this one.
"Auction worked well initially for eBay when customers are willing to sacrifice speed for lower price. The format quickly lost traction when Amazon entered by selling branded, high-quality products at a fixed price with quick delivery. Customers fled from eBay for the novelty and better services at its opponent. What’s more, auction is not the most effective model in driving sales conversation. A very high percentage of auctions do not end in sales. "
https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit/submission/ebay-no-more-auctions/
I think it's more like we agree. A lot of it depends on what you are selling and generally most items are better suited to the BIN type format. One of the down sides to that is the BIN commodity type items also have the greatest level of competition in the market place. Even now eBay cannot compete, in most cases, with the speed of Amazon's delivery service.
The fact that eBay still has the auction format gives them a niche in what has become an oversaturated and highly competitive market place. In fact that is an area where they are still #1 among the active ecommerce sites. In the BIN commodity arena it is the competition that is, or will, force eBay to innovate and adapt to the changing environment.
I fully realize a LOT of auctions end without a sale it happens to me every week but a lot of BIN items also end without a sale or sit for an extended period of time before selling. While eBay could easily dump the auction format I am not sure they are willing to give up the revenue stream or potentially the sellers. If I was unable to use the auction format I would quit using the eBay platform not that it would matter to eBay.
mam98031
·3 years agoOK, as I said we disagree. I don't see the need for all these posts, but your choice.
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@dbfolks166mt WROTE:
I think it's more like we agree. A lot of it depends on what you are selling and generally most items are better suited to the BIN type format. One of the down sides to that is the BIN commodity type items also have the greatest level of competition in the market place. Even now eBay cannot compete, in most cases, with the speed of Amazon's delivery service.
The fact that eBay still has the auction format gives them a niche in what has become an oversaturated and highly competitive market place. In fact that is an area where they are still #1 among the active ecommerce sites. In the BIN commodity arena it is the competition that is, or will, force eBay to innovate and adapt to the changing environment.
I fully realize a LOT of auctions end without a sale it happens to me every week but a lot of BIN items also end without a sale or sit for an extended period of time before selling. While eBay could easily dump the auction format I am not sure they are willing to give up the revenue stream or potentially the sellers. If I was unable to use the auction format I would quit using the eBay platform not that it would matter to eBay.
@dbfolks166mt
-FIRST HIGHLIGHTED POINT: BINGO!!! My preferred format is Auctions BUT not everything I sell works with them. Just some rough numbers for this week. Over 450 listings, 71 Auction format heading into this weekend (including this evening). 4 have ended and sold and 23 others have one or more bids. Since I price them the same way I would a GTC one bid sales are fine, all those with more than one bid increase profit ... one has 30 Watchers on it. These kind of numbers are not unusual the week after I list a new batch of inventory. Two weeks I got a group of 15 items in a specific category ALL went up on Auction and 9 sold the first week. One more has a bid right now so that brings the total to 10 of 15. Of the 10 sold 5 had more than one bid.
-SECOND HIGHLIGHTED POINT: Actually many end without a bid BUT with eBay's Auction product things may have to be relisted numerous times before 1) they sell with one bid or 2) are bid on by two or more people ... I see this ALL the time. As you see from above, some things sell the first time through, others I might Relist for several months Auction format before they sell.
Some of the online auctions I acquire inventory from run their auctions for 30 days prior to ending, others two weeks. Most have regular customers (not unlike Followers on eBay). I SELDOM get Buyers asking to Buy it now on the Auctions I run ... the times I get that is when I have a really unique item and someone wants to try and get it before someone else does LOL! While I don't blame them I also don't cave but let the Auction run its cycle.
eBay's Auction product allowing 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10 days would be vastly improved with some changes. I think there is a certain % of Buyers who ACTUALLY PREFER the slower pace of an Auction over a BIN ... gives them more time to think about the item or perhaps consider spending more then they originally were planning to, etc.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoAgree, it would be a poor idea for eBay to get rid of auctions for the simple reason that that is part of their brand. It wouldn't matter to me materially if they stay or go, but they still provide a unique opportunity for many sellers and buyers.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoAuctions on stuff like most clothing and accessories are great for flipping because they so often flop, but it can also be fishing in murky waters. I don't think most knowledgeable C&A sellers auction off clothing these days, so you might get something great or you might not.
luckythewinner
·3 years agoEbay is going the way of Yahoo Auctions
So eBay is a site that never gained any traction and will be closed down after only existing for a handful of years?
annadryl
·3 years agoI have been predicting that the Dark Side would harness the power of cats since the beginning of ebay!
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoIt has sent the spawn of Basement Cat. Abandon all hope.
 
cardxcraft
·3 years agoI sell on Ebay, so I hope it doesn't die.
With that being said, this too big to fail attitude is unwise...Kmart, Sears, Gemco, French Aristocracy 1790's, Enron, etc, etc, etc....
inhawaii
·3 years agoPeople have been predicting the downfall of ebay for the last 20 years.
Sincerely,
Ebay cheerleader #21
shar_27
·3 years agoWith only a 3.5% market share in US e-commerce, eBay's presence in the industry is marginal at best.
To put it in perspective, out of 10 people you meet on the street, 9 and a half of them are either unaware of eBay's existence or do not use the platform.
Despite being a former industry leader 25 years ago, eBay's current market share pales in comparison.
I feel it's hard to image how people would gush over eBay when in reality eBay is clearly struggling to keep up.
You simply could not wake up people who're faking sleep.
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mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@shar_27 3.5% market share??? Not good ... they need TV commercials ...
I hear eBay Motor ads on a local PA radio station ... wonder how many other radio stations they run those ads on?
yuzuha
·3 years agoNo thanks. I don't want cheap buyers, I want buyers who know what something is worth and are willing to pay it.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoGet ready for the Ebay cheerleaders
 
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@chapeau-noir Oh I LIKE that pic!
cardxcraft
·3 years agoHow can you not laugh....
annadryl
·3 years agoEverybody hates change, we all want like the good old days. Personally, I deeply regret that young people don't use matching punch bowl sets any more. What has happened to this world?
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoEverybody hates change, we all want like the good old days. Personally, I deeply regret that young people don't use matching punch bowl sets any more. What has happened to this world?
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@offleasenotebooks Ebay will not go under, they will be bought out before that happens and another entity will acquire the Fee income that the venue generates. I don't know if the same can be said for other venues like Poshmark, Bonanza, Mercari, etc. ... I don't think they aren't big enough to be a profitable acquisition whereas eBay is ...
Your listings did not disappear because of any listing tool; I suspect you did to sign up for eBay's Managed Payments in order to get paid for your sales and be able to list new items for sale.
buyselljack2016
·3 years agoThere are more sellers/items to sell than there are buyers to buy. ebay will not "go down in flames" because you, I, or 100,000 other sellers leave.
It is what it is.
coolections
·3 years agoI don't understand. You did not like it 10 years ago. You did not like it 20 years ago, and you do not like it today? Only you can decide if you do not like something if you want to continue to use it. Also, those who do not like Ebay have been coming here for years saying it will end soon. That was 25 years ago.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoBeen here since the mid 90s'; eBay is not going anywhere.
Listings (inactive) hold for 90 days; then 'poof'- they are gone because they cannot 'hold' 100's of Millions of 'dead listings' for people. Like any site, they need the 'space' for active workings.
dhbookds
·3 years agoBeen here since 2004..........seen predictions of Ebay's demise every year since then........