If you could change one thing

[statesplace]

Let’s have a discussion - without complaining and negativity - what is one thing you would like to see changed about the Ebay platform and why? What would the change do to help your business grow? Don forget the last part - the why is everything. 

I’ll start - I would have Ebay require onboarding for new members when they want to sell items. I believe this would help with a lot of the new seller painpoints and bring a positive light to Ebay in general. It helps my business because it builds trust in the community - most trust equals more sales for myself and everyone else. I would also love to see Ebay explain their why during seller updates. I get that I need to require 30 day free shipping for top rated discounts but WHY is that going to help my business. Some facts would decrease the anxiety for most people. 

[mistwomandancing]

Fell in love with Zappo's quite awhile ago and have purchased several things (shoes) from them.   Free shipping BOTH WAYS.   lol      If it doesn't fit, send it back with their label and on their dime.

They became so successful that I understand Amazon is buying them!  

[sharingtheland]

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@rainbowcolorzwrote:

@mistwomandancing wrote: The epacket program isn't an eBay thing.   That was given to China under the Obama administration.  There isn't anything our USPS or eBay can do about it.  

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No surprise there.  

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Can't blame Obama.   The epacket program was an ebay thing.

[slippinjimmy]

Amazon acquired Zappos in 2009 for $1.2B

[slippinjimmy]

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@sharingthelandwrote:

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@rainbowcolorzwrote:

@mistwomandancing wrote: The epacket program isn't an eBay thing.   That was given to China under the Obama administration.  There isn't anything our USPS or eBay can do about it.  

********************

No surprise there.  

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Can't blame Obama.   The epacket program was an ebay thing.

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epacket was NOT an eBay thing any more than it was an Obama thing.

epacket was a way for USPS to get MORE money than they were getting under the UPU Terminal Dues system. All that volume from China helps to defray the cost of supporting the USPS infrastructure.

In the shipping business (goods or people) volume and capacity utilization makes the difference between success and failure.

[mistwomandancing]

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@slippinjimmywrote:

Amazon acquired Zappos in 2009 for $1.2B

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All I did was take a nap!   Apparently this happened while I dozed.     

And since I'm feeling well rested at the moment, this is enticing me to window shop the shoes again.  

[tealt]

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@mr_lincolnwrote:

... thank you that makes sense and I understand it ... I think one failure was their "unique and used" identity NOT being the right platform to compete against the other guy.  Maybe there was a time when a new site with new name would have done better competing  ... like NewBay ... or something altogether different.

Anyway, will have to see what transpires ...

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Back in 2006 eBay did split the site and created eBayExpress, a site for the new items and a quick buying experience. 

Google "eBay Express"  and check down a ways on the page, and you will find the original announcement of launch.

It was a dismal failure and died a quiet death

I could see eBay creating some new, fancy filters to bring up a "Collectible eBay" type site (s),  a la the Under $10 that was just announced, but I can never see eBay truly splitting the site again, as they did in 2006.

[magsmg101]

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@statesplacewrote:

Let’s have a discussion - without complaining and negativity - what is one thing you would like to see changed about the Ebay platform and why? What would the change do to help your business grow? Don forget the last part - the why is everything. 

I’ll start - I would have Ebay require onboarding for new members when they want to sell items. I believe this would help with a lot of the new seller painpoints and bring a positive light to Ebay in general. It helps my business because it builds trust in the community - most trust equals more sales for myself and everyone else. I would also love to see Ebay explain their why during seller updates. I get that I need to require 30 day free shipping for top rated discounts but WHY is that going to help my business. Some facts would decrease the anxiety for most people. 

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I would like to see ebay STOP encouraging the race to the bottom $$ for any item.

“training” new sellers to list at 0.99c or drop their prices because they have a watcher or item is in a cart might not be in the sellers best interest.

[krazzykats]

I really dislike auto play videos or graphics.

I see them everywhere these days, and they automatically start playing, whether you want them to or not. They degrade browser speed, are distracting, and annoying, and cause me to spend less time on sites that play them.

If they became an allowable listing feature here, I would want the option to turn it on/off in my profile as well as, in the listing. Not a fan of auto play video or graphics.

And in some pages, it destroys the webpage content so much, that I just stop looking.

[slippinjimmy]

Auto-play video on eBay doesn't exist.

[retrose1]

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@tealtwrote:

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@mr_lincolnwrote:

... thank you that makes sense and I understand it ... I think one failure was their "unique and used" identity NOT being the right platform to compete against the other guy.  Maybe there was a time when a new site with new name would have done better competing  ... like NewBay ... or something altogether different.

Anyway, will have to see what transpires ...

---

Back in 2006 eBay did split the site and created eBayExpress, a site for the new items and a quick buying experience. 

Google "eBay Express"  and check down a ways on the page, and you will find the original announcement of launch.

It was a dismal failure and died a quiet death

I could see eBay creating some new, fancy filters to bring up a "Collectible eBay" type site (s),  a la the Under $10 that was just announced, but I can never see eBay truly splitting the site again, as they did in 2006.

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Yes, ebay express was a dismal failure - and so ebay ended it after less than a year with no promotion, only to incorporated everything that made ebay express different from ebay into the ebay site.  Every change ebay made from the moment express was shut down brought ebay one step closer to the dismal failure that was ebay express.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@mistwomandancingwrote:

Fell in love with Zappo's quite awhile ago and have purchased several things (shoes) from them.   Free shipping BOTH WAYS.   lol      If it doesn't fit, send it back with their label and on their dime.

They became so successful that I understand Amazon is buying them!  

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Here's Why Amazon Bought Zappos - Mashable

https://mashable.com/2009/07/22/amazon-bought-zappos/

Jul 22, 2009 - The deal is done, and we're still digesting the news: Amazon has acquired Zappos for $850 million. The acquisition, confirmed by both sides, places the popular online apparel and footwear company squarely in the control of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos. But Amazon's already the master of online ...

[sharingtheland]

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@slippinjimmywrote:

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@sharingthelandwrote:

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@rainbowcolorzwrote:

@mistwomandancing wrote: The epacket program isn't an eBay thing.   That was given to China under the Obama administration.  There isn't anything our USPS or eBay can do about it.  

********************

No surprise there.  

---

Can't blame Obama.   The epacket program was an ebay thing.

---

epacket was NOT an eBay thing any more than it was an Obama thing.

epacket was a way for USPS to get MORE money than they were getting under the UPU Terminal Dues system. All that volume from China helps to defray the cost of supporting the USPS infrastructure.

In the shipping business (goods or people) volume and capacity utilization makes the difference between success and failure.

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Ecommerce sites can benefit from the epacket program but it was definitely a brainchild of three entities:  USPS, Hongkong Post and ebay.

USPS announcement; parts redacted by me for brevity:

April 20, 2011 

Release No. 11-037 

• Download PDF

HONG KONG — The U.S. Postal Service has initiated a new service with Hongkong Post that is structured to foster growth in e-commerce. The new ePacket service expands the array of options offered to e-commerce merchants in Hong Kong seeking to reach consumer markets in the United States. The ePacket shipping solution features tracking and Delivery Confirmation in the Postal Service network for lightweight goods and merchandise ordered by consumers in the United States from merchants in Hong Kong.

service.

“This agreement offers visibility previously unavailable in the small packet segment between Hongkong Post and the Postal Service,” said Paul Vogel, president and chief marketing/sales officer.

Joining Vogel today for a ceremony to formalize the agreement were Eddie Mak, deputy postmaster general, Hongkong Post; and Jeff Liao, CEO, eBay Greater China, South East Asia and Japan.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@magsmg101wrote:

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@statesplacewrote:

Let’s have a discussion - without complaining and negativity - what is one thing you would like to see changed about the Ebay platform and why? What would the change do to help your business grow? Don forget the last part - the why is everything. 

I’ll start - I would have Ebay require onboarding for new members when they want to sell items. I believe this would help with a lot of the new seller painpoints and bring a positive light to Ebay in general. It helps my business because it builds trust in the community - most trust equals more sales for myself and everyone else. I would also love to see Ebay explain their why during seller updates. I get that I need to require 30 day free shipping for top rated discounts but WHY is that going to help my business. Some facts would decrease the anxiety for most people. 

---

I would like to see ebay STOP encouraging the race to the bottom $$ for any item.

“training” new sellers to list at 0.99c or drop their prices because they have a watcher or item is in a cart might not be in the sellers best interest.

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Sadly, the item listed at 99 cents may sell for that when it rides off into the sunset with just one bid.  Then the upset seller cancels the transaction, and re-lists for more money, angering the buyer, earning negative feedback and perhaps a seller defect OOS as well.  

[castlemagicmemories]

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@krazzykatswrote:

I really dislike auto play videos or graphics.

I see them everywhere these days, and they automatically start playing, whether you want them to or not. They degrade browser speed, are distracting, and annoying, and cause me to spend less time on sites that play them.

If they became an allowable listing feature here, I would want the option to turn it on/off in my profile as well as, in the listing. Not a fan of auto play video or graphics.

And in some pages, it destroys the webpage content so much, that I just stop looking.

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You brought back a memory.  When I first started on ebay, around 2000, I was mesmerized by all the listings.  I was searching in the middle of the night, when all of a sudden, I clicked on a listing and music started playing!  It scared the daylights out of me  I quickly shut it off before it woke anyone up!

[mistwomandancing]

Amazing too to see all the countries of the world that do the e-packet thing too!   I also had no idea that the whole packet concept was so old and in use for so long.   I thought this was a new idea.   Interesting to read about it.