eBay

chipper01work · ‎10-05-2017

Ebay has been doing a lot of crazy things lately to try to be more like Amazon such as product reviews and now showing how many other of the same items are available. They even include that the others are "new or refurbished". This is a blatant copy of Amazon and just another attempt at trying to copy the success of others.

I wonder if ebay ever realizes that Amazon is Amazon because of Jeff Bezos and eBay is what it is because of those making the decisions at eBay? eBay thinks the future is to be like Amazon. I have news for them, as much as I really don't care for Bezos, if he decided to compete with eBay with a full blown sister site to the main site ran as an auction platform, the employees at eBay would soon find themselves in the unemployment line. eBay cannot and never will compete with Amazon. Jeff Bezos would clean eBay's clock for them if he decided to compete with them. If eBay and Amazon switched leadership today within 10 years eBay would have a higher stock price than Amazon due to Amazon stock falling and eBay stock rising. The difference in the corporations is because of leadership and not product line.

campesinoplastic2014 · ‎10-05-2017

When Amazon does something, it works. When Ebay does something they get it wrong. In the instances where they get something right, they change it around until it no longer works, then they proclaim "this is what everybody asked for!". Ebay re-invents themselves every 90 days and is good at only one thing: glitches

luckythewinner · ‎10-05-2017

@chipper01work wrote:
Jeff Bezos would clean eBay's clock for them if he decided to compete with them.

Jeff Bezos did try to compete with eBay.

It was called Amazon Auctions.

And eBay cleaned Jeff Bezos's clock.

mistwomandancing · ‎10-05-2017

Actually, both sites are positioning themselves for the future in the e-commerce world, and they aren't just competing with each other... despite the fact that so many are mostly familiar with only these two, and seem to think Amazon is what eBay is trying to emulate. There are lots of specialty sites for the pre-owned merchandise offered online, as well as the multitude of pure retail stores, and much of this new concept of identifying and grouping offered merchandise is spreading and will be being seen far and wide shortly. So a few features (identified as *Amazon* by some) are, or will be, growing at a rapid pace in many places. This isn't just Amazon, or eBay "trying to be Amazon" It's positioning us for the future instead of getting pushed aside and falling back as these next years come and go! Ebay has no intention of withering away. It's changing as it needs to, to remain and retain.. it's strengths of the past (auctions) are still here for all who enjoy them, and it's ability to compete in the areas of antique and new merchandise is excellent. Whether you're looking for an airplane or a cheap trinket from China, you can likely find it STILL.. on eBay!

We mention here to some of the sellers who come with problems that they need to adapt to the e-commerce marketplace of today or be left behind. (Well, some complain that they already ARE being left behind.) But that applies to eBay as well, and they have no intention of withering away. This is a HUGE growth period in online retail and 80% of eBay IS new product with another goodly chunk of refurbished merchandise offered here! Obviously they are going to address that!

So, I'm sure ".....eBay grasps the reality of their situation....." and are positioning themselves for the *situation* of the Future Being Upon Us! I just wonder how many of the small sellers here are grasping the reality of this new online retail world themselves, and are doing anything to position themselves to take advantage of it.

pantlandia · ‎10-05-2017

Don't get me wrong, I am pro-eBay. I've made a lot of money here and continue to make good money here.

But eBay reminds me of the little brother that follows around and idolizes the cool big brother (Amazon) and tries to copy everything that he does, but isn't quite as good. The little brother doesn't quite seem to grasp that it's okay to be his own person and not be an exact copy of big bro.

coolections · ‎10-05-2017

To be honest Ebay could care less which seller gets the sale. You can be big, small, fat or tall, Ebay just wants a buyer to purchase that one item and could care less who sells it. I doubt it really has a whole lot to do with Amazon other than maybe they did something first. If you run a business you change things up and do what works best for your business. It doesn't matter where the idea came from.

tdumonde2014 · ‎10-05-2017

Ebay is not trying to be like Amazon, they want a streamlined buying experience for their buyers. They want their buyers to have to have the same experience regardless of what seller is selling widget "A". They are slowly moving in this direction and in time that experience will take place. Don't be surprised if you see "local pick up" and "for parts/not working" disappear. They also want sellers to ship quickly with a minimum amount of communication. I think that little by little they will raise their expectaions of their sellers and only want "professional" sellers, that is sellers who act professionally and who understand how to run a business and the risks and rewards of running that business. I suspect that they feel that they are too many sellers tying up their resources with petty issues, why was I charged 30 cents for a listing, why do I have to pay a "Reserve" fee, why do I have to pay a Final Value Fee when my buyer didn't pay, etc. Answers to these questions are available to sellers willing to put a little effort forth in preparing for their ebay selling experience. The times ther are a changing, will you be ready?

"Those who enter the arena unarmed or unprepared are quickly dispatched."

lookng2015 · ‎10-05-2017

...and then they'll get rid of "used" and they'll just be one of the many many NIB online sites.

"If a product doesn't sell, raise the price" - Reese Palley
"If it sold FAST, it was priced too low" - also Reese Palley

tunicaslot · ‎10-06-2017

Ebay will never get rid of used - thrifting and garage sales are huge. Some people love the hunt - others love the saviings and Ebay knows it. Besides Ebay is the go to for that part needed for that appliance you bought 10 yrs ago - delivered to your door instead of having to drive an hour to pick it up and some little repair shop.

myangelandmyprincess · ‎10-06-2017

The one thing eBay needs to copy of amazons is the customer service. The difference in the two is like night and day.

“Birth certificates show that you were born. Death certificates show that you died. Photographs show that you have lived.” -Unknown

sandmansales · ‎10-06-2017

@tdumonde2014 wrote:
Ebay is not trying to be like Amazon, they want a streamlined buying experience for their buyers. They want their buyers to have to have the same experience regardless of what seller is selling widget "A". They are slowly moving in this direction and in time that experience will take place. Don't be surprised if you see "local pick up" and "for parts/not working" disappear. They also want sellers to ship quickly with a minimum amount of communication. I think that little by little they will raise their expectaions of their sellers and only want "professional" sellers, that is sellers who act professionally and who understand how to run a business and the risks and rewards of running that business. I suspect that they feel that they are too many sellers tying up their resources with petty issues, why was I charged 30 cents for a listing, why do I have to pay a "Reserve" fee, why do I have to pay a Final Value Fee when my buyer didn't pay, etc. Answers to these questions are available to sellers willing to put a little effort forth in preparing for their ebay selling experience. The times ther are a changing, will you be ready?

What you just described is exactly Amazon. ebay is a peer to peer marketplace where sellers are also buyers, not a multi-billion dollar business with warehouses in every state who manufactures products (Alexa, Fire, Kindle, etc) and owns newspapers and grocery chains. Two completely different companies. And yet...ebay follows Amazon's lead on just about everything except the vision part.

It's like putting a Bentley logo on a Chevy and calling it a luxury car because your big brother drives a real one.

Bezos is a visionary like Musk, Branson, Gates and has the following and stock price to prove it. He's developing rockets for gosh sakes. ebay...I honestly don't know what they are and suspect neither do they.

~Why be a second rate version of someone else when you can be a first rate version of yourself~

papyruspapillo · ‎10-06-2017

I am one of the little sellers who is feeling left behind. Ebay is the only viable site for my niche category, theatre collectibles. I used to do famously, but times have changed. My theatre-colleftible colleagues are also experiencing awful sales. Have you any advice for us? Thanks.

nawlinsron2 · ‎10-06-2017

ebay is a mere gatekeeper that hands out maps to the world's biggest flea market.
Any vision beyond that is pure fantasy, but it somehow keeps the stock price up.
3rd quarter results will be released in a couple weeks...vision will then meet reality.

castlemagicmemories · ‎10-06-2017

@pantlandia wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I am pro-eBay. I've made a lot of money here and continue to make good money here.

But eBay reminds me of the little brother that follows around and idolizes the cool big brother (Amazon) and tries to copy everything that he does, but isn't quite as good. The little brother doesn't quite seem to grasp that it's okay to be his own person and not be an exact copy of big bro.

@pantlandia

Exactly!

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎10-06-2017

Ebay's job is to generate sales. They do that by presumably showing bidders other alternatives that may make them more likely to buy (except for can't see me, we have no explanation for that hot mess).

Ebay wants buyers to buy things. They don't care if it's your thing or someone else's thing. Keep in mind that bidders may also go to someone else's listing and Ebay will show them yours.