Why does eBay push auctions so hard?

[Anonymous]

I hate auctions - always have, always will. The worst thing is when you click on something on your feed that's $4.99 only to find out that's the starting price. WHO wants to auction watch for 7 freaking days? Dealing with a sniper site is just as much a pita because you're still having to check on the item. I mean, I'm a housewife that doesn't exactly have an active lifestyle. This is literally all I have to do, and I still miss out on auction items because they get lost on my watched list. eBay sends reminders, but it's 24 hours behorehand.

I feel like this is a failed format, yet eBay is pushing it on us more than ever. Do they really think they're going to make more money? I guess I get it if it's something that you're not that familiar with and don't really care what it sells for. But, I see auctions for stuff all the time that I know no one is ever going to bid up. It's so annoying now that we have to de-select "auction" on every new listing now. That is the only reason people even do auctions any more. I regularly offer sellers more $ on an item to let me buy it now. Especially if it's a seller who's in the midwest, they usually agree to it because of how bad shipping has gotten. I feel like it's time for eBay to ditch this failed format. Begin your counter-commenting now: 

[tdumonde2014]

If eBay has over a Billion listings and 15% of them are Auctions, that means that there are over 150 Million Auctions. I hardly think that Auctions are "Dead" if there are over 150 Million of them.

[Anonymous]

I don't have all of these menus that you all have. You get a business listing tool, this and that... I feel like I am being deprived. I have none of this. I see none of it. 

[sales_sales_sales_sales]

So because YOU hate auctions NOBODY should be allowed to use the format?

Ebay rainbowdolls HAS SPOKEN! You Must remove Auctions ASAP!

NOBODY is allowed to use auctions again!

How dare anyone use ANY format not approved by rainbowdolls!

[mr_lincoln]

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@2013grotz wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

Oh sure, once in a great while something sells in the first hour of listing and just under 5 minutes has been the fastest fr me but that I can assure you is less than 1% of the sales here.

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 Interesting side topic.  My record is one minute.  Literally saw my last listing sell just as I got done posting the listing I was working on.  Really was shocking.

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That's awesome, one minute!!  I assume those people have some specific notification set up for things they are looking for.

[stephenmorgan]

@2013grotz wrote:

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That's awesome, one minute!!  I assume those people have some specific notification set up for things they are looking for.

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I had a notification set up for over two years before someone listed what I was looking for.  It was Buy It Now and I purchased it as soon as I was notified it was for sale.

[reallynicestamps]

@Anonymous 

I think it's  a "branding" thing.

EBay first made its name with online auctions, and a lot of new buyers still think of it that way.

Keep in mind too that the eBay customer base skews older - 45+, which is not a bad thing because as our kids keep reminding us, we have the money.

But those older customers may still think of eBay as the latest thing, because 1990 was ten years ago, right?

EBay is almost the last generalist auction site around. Other auctions tend to specialize in specific fields.

The "brand" is auctions.

Amazon's brand is overnight delivery, which almost never happens.

Etsy's brand is handmade crafts, which hasn't been true since they sued Regretsy out of showing that they weren't.

Branding is advertising.

Your best bet, if you actually like the 15% of listings that are still auctions is to Bid Once, Bid Your Maximum.

That advice is usually followed by Bid Late, but if you bid your maximum early, the worst that can happen is that some anxious underbidder pushes you to your maximum bid.

And you were willing to go that far when you set your max anyway, right?

If you win, you get an email.

If you lose, well you get an email telling you when you are outbid, but a new bid puts you over your maximum so .. don't.... just move on.

[pikabo-icu]

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@Anonymous wrote:

No, they're aren't any places to do it unless you're a **bleep** commie bot spouting out pro-vax dribble or whatever these soul-less clowns believe in. I may not be able to talk online virtually anywhere, but at least I know I'm not a chipped beef commie mofo who gave my soul away. #karma 

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Well I'm sorry you can't find a place to argue politics but seriously, eBay has enough problems..

I'm not pro any of that bleep but this still is NOT the place for it. 

[pikabo-icu]

And here we have it folks..

From politics to prize fighting in ten easy posts..   

THIS is why we DON'T talk politics on the eBay board..    

[sales_sales_sales_sales]

& I didnt mention Politics LOL

[pikabo-icu]

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@sales_sales_sales_sales wrote:

& I didnt mention Politics LOL

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Well no you didn't LOL

But it's been mentioned just the same.. 

[goaldeelocks]

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@stephenmorgan wrote:

Templates are easy.

After you save a listing a page pops up and you select Save as Template.  After saving, the next time you list something you will have the option to use the Template.  Edit it so all the stuff you want to keep the same is all that is on it and then save it as a New Template and delete the first one.

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Interestingly, the reason I got on this forum now is because I was looking for information about why my templates have totally disappeared ... but maybe I'm the only one that happened to

[stephenmorgan]

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@goaldeelocks wrote:

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Interestingly, the reason I got on this forum now is because I was looking for information about why my templates have totally disappeared ... but maybe I'm the only one that happened to

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Hopefully they are still there for you somewhere.  I just checked mine and they are all there that I created about three years ago.  With all the changes constantly being made maybe they are just hard for you to find?

[coolections]

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@21thegreatone wrote:

They push auctions so hard, because auctions on Ebay are dead.

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@21thegreatone 

That would be true for people possibly such as yourself trying to auction off common items, or people trying to scam the system because they ran out of freebies on their BIN allotment. Instead of paying for a BIN listing, they use a freebie auction listing and start the auction at their BIN price expecting bidders.

It would be a completely false statement for everyone else who has the knowledge of what to list at auction, and the price to start an auction to attract bidders.

[kds99]

So you think I was wrong to list my auction when my starting bid was $9.99 and the Japanese postcard sold for a winning bid of $562.00? Hmmm.

[rah-8679]

The fact that some buyers enjoy the thrill of auction format, and others do not gives sellers an opportunity to sell with both types of buyers without overhauling their stores onto a different site.  Best thing ever.