eBay

vssoutlet · ‎03-10-2018

Some time ago, I warned and pleaded with eBay to stop trying to become another Amazon. Having just reviewed the 2018 Spring Update, I see that my warning (and those of my fellow sellers) has fallen on deaf ears. Their new "product oriented" listing format is a near direct replication of the Amazon approach where price is the only thing that matters; seller reputation and customer service fall far into the background. Under the new format, the lowest price sellers (aka sellers from China) are advantaged over domestic sellers. Don't believe me? Have a look at an official eBay screenshot below:

Note how you have a standard "stock" photo (just like Amazon) and a link to "other buying options" over on the right? What buyer behavior will this encourage? Pick the cheapest listing. Forget condition or seller reputation. All of that is secondary at best. Returns? eBay has that covered. If you hadn't noticed, non-damage-related returns are already automated. When you minimize condition and reputation, you really DO need a liberal return policy.

Using this new approach, I'm sure that eBay is hoping to gain on Amazon as the new venue for buying bubble-wrap, toothbrushes and toilet paper. And, if they really have this in mind, they will eventually be driven out of business by the much wealthier Amazon or Walmat or simply be purchased by one of these giant corporations. Perhaps that's the plan. After all, what are the buyers and sellers compared to the large corporate shareholders?

We've already had a problem with a customer buying off the "stock photo" presented by eBay when a camera package was automatically assigned to the eBay internal catalog. The buyer didn't really pay attention to the photos in the listing, just the photo represented by eBay.

eBay SHOULD be fighting for its identity and working with sellers to represent products to buyers in the most accurate and meaningful ways possible. Instead, it is trying to replicate a business model with which it cannot compete and does not serve the sellers of items that make eBay a unique place to shop - sellers of used, vintage, antique and unique items.

P.S. I put Amazon as a "tag" to this message. When I attempted to post it, I got an error. Apparently drawing attention to problems with competing "that other huge company" isn't cool.

castlemagicmemories · ‎03-10-2018

In my opinion, in some ways it makes sense for Ebay to monitor what Amazon is doing. It always pays to be wise to what your competition is doing. You have to do this to stay relevant. I get that.

But you don't want to become them. There is a poster that has a siggie that reads, Never try to be a second rate version of someone else; always be a first rate version of yourself.

Ebay has so much more going for it~~a unique identity based on unique, hard to find, vintage and collectible items. You truly can find almost anything here. Amazon may have their own product lines, and lots of new stuff, but their selection cannot hold a candle to what Ebay can offer. Prices are usually better on Ebay as well. Many prefer Ebay's format to Amazon's. So do what you need to, but embrace and promote your own strengths, your own identity, foremost, and that will be benefit them the most. Promote the fact that you can find almost everything here.

carlmarxx · ‎03-10-2018

@castlemagicmemorieswrote:
In my opinion, in some ways it makes sense for Ebay to monitor what Amazon is doing. It always pays to be wise to what your competition is doing. You have to do this to stay relevant. I get that.

But you don't want to become them. There is a poster that has a siggie that reads, Never try to be a second rate version of someone else; always be a first rate version of yourself.

Ebay has so much more going for it~~a unique identity based on unique, hard to find, vintage and collectible items. You truly can find almost anything here. Amazon may have their own product lines, and lots of new stuff, but their selection cannot hold a candle to what Ebay can offer. Prices are usually better on Ebay as well. Many prefer Ebay's format to Amazon's. So do what you need to, but embrace and promote your own strengths, your own identity, foremost, and that will be benefit them the most. Promote the fact that you can find almost everything here.

Well said!

castlemagicmemories · ‎03-10-2018

Thank you, @carlmarxx

I understand making changes to keep up with the competition, that only makes sense, but there should be a blend of keeping up with the competition while celebrating your unique identity, celebrating who you are. Why try to like everybody else? Why be just another site like everyone else?

The grass is not always greener elsewhere.

sparkysretroelectro · ‎03-10-2018

ebay sort of has to act like its doing what the shareholders would like- and a lot of ebay shareholders shop on amazon. Amazon is really moving the"new in box" merchandise, to the point that it is affecting employment trends across the US.

When dealing with vintage and collectables, individual item photos and seller reputation mean a whole lot more than fresh ink on a cardboard box... it would be a shame if a small seller with a phenomenal feedback percentage was overlooked- quite possibly resulting in a BAD customer experience!

dhbookds · ‎03-11-2018

Why try to like everybody else? Why be just another site like everyone else?

There's something to be said for following success.... and A does sell alot of stuff..... What ebay is doing is, to me, akin to groc stores who all have the meat in the back of the store, dairy in the side back, vegetables/fruit on the front, etc. In other words the basics are laid out the same.....no matter the chain or independent. Buyers have a basic understanding where/how to look for stuff....It's become an industry "standard".......

Within the stores, of course there are vast differences in layouts/ presentations, policies, etc.

luckythewinner · ‎03-11-2018

@vssoutletwrote:
Some time ago, I warned and pleaded with eBay to stop trying to become another Amazon.

It does not surprise me at all that a mult-billion dollar company did not implement your suggestion.

vintagecraze50 · ‎03-11-2018

Ebay does have a very distinct difference still from Amazon. What they seem to be doing is to make the common stuff that sells everywhere else look the same as the other site and for buyers to be able to find these items more easily using these new grouped formats, instead of scrolling through 100's of listings when they hit the first page. People who do not sell the stuff that big boxes sell and sell more unique items are not going to be looking like this. Those types of listings via a regular search will always come up more distinct as far as pics and differences in seller ratings etc and found I believe pretty much the same way on the landing page.

dr.clockenstien · ‎03-11-2018

"... simply be purchased by one of these giant corporations. "

I think you just hit the nail on the head!

Exactly!

I used to work for H&R B. back in '08, and they absorbed Ameritrade aka. American Express.

I went through the stock market graphs on Yahoo, and to my surprise H&R stocks dropped dramatically, and Ameritrade picked up in value.

Ebay and Amazon don't mind the loss because they don't get slammed in taxes.

Brilliant move especially for this new tax year helping corporations.

While they wont have capital, they will have equity.

Thank You for revealing that possibility!

This is their form of downsizing, if you can't beat Amazon, then join them.

This is the new monoploly.

sandmansales · ‎03-11-2018

The biggest problem with this copied model is on ebay "Brand New" is often " Brand new, only used twice."

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

kim_y_buran · ‎03-11-2018

Yeah, look, I feel for you, but if you are competing in the market like thermostats, hammers, phone cases, - new general use items, you will be competing on price first and foremost. That's just how the things are.

retrose1 · ‎03-11-2018

@castlemagicmemorieswrote:
In my opinion, in some ways it makes sense for Ebay to monitor what Amazon is doing. It always pays to be wise to what your competition is doing. You have to do this to stay relevant. I get that.

But you don't want to become them. There is a poster that has a siggie that reads, Never try to be a second rate version of someone else; always be a first rate version of yourself.

Ebay has so much more going for it~~a unique identity based on unique, hard to find, vintage and collectible items. You truly can find almost anything here. Amazon may have their own product lines, and lots of new stuff, but their selection cannot hold a candle to what Ebay can offer. Prices are usually better on Ebay as well. Many prefer Ebay's format to Amazon's. So do what you need to, but embrace and promote your own strengths, your own identity, foremost, and that will be benefit them the most. Promote the fact that you can find almost everything here.

Ebay ~~has~~ HAD so much more going for it.

Disruptive Innovation took care of most of the uniqueness of ebay's identity. Of late, ebay has been living off it's past reputation and throwing anything against the wall in the hopes that something will work and they can regain some of it's past glory.

(*Bleep*)

retrose1 · ‎03-11-2018

@dhbookdswrote:
Why try to like everybody else? Why be just another site like everyone else?

There's something to be said for following success.... and A does sell alot of stuff..... What ebay is doing is, to me, akin to groc stores who all have the meat in the back of the store, dairy in the side back, vegetables/fruit on the front, etc. In other words the basics are laid out the same.....no matter the chain or independent. Buyers have a basic understanding where/how to look for stuff....It's become an industry "standard".......

Within the stores, of course there are vast differences in layouts/ presentations, policies, etc.

I think the analogy is not quite applicable to when comparing internet companies because of the reason real world store layouts are the way they are.

A grocery store is a grocery store and it is brand loyalty that keeps buyers coming. But the layout of keeping necessities and quick pickup purchases, like milk, in the back so that the customer is forced to go through the rest of the store and the store hopes that the buyer picking up a quick purchase will spend on other items they see as they walk past them to get to their need.

That can not apply to buyers on ebay/Amazon/Etsy as what they look for is brought up with the correct keywords. Browsing a category has become a thing of the past on the internet because of the sheer quantity of merchandise in most of them.

Any internet selling site needs to keep their individuality. They can not afford to look like every other selling site, nor can they follow what is considered industry standard. Because if you can not tell the difference between ebay and Amazon, how is a buyer supposed to be loyal to any one of them?

Amazon figured out a way by offering Prime - ebay has no incentive, so given a choice between a site that offers a great perk OR a site that looks like all the other sites, but has no perks, where do you think buyers will go? ebay knows because they have been telling sellers for years......buyers will go where they think they will get the best deal - and as long as Amazon has Prime and a good ad campaign, that site will not be ebay.

(*Bleep*)

vssoutlet · ‎03-12-2018

And make your platform as compatible as possible to make the takeover seamless.

I’m wondering when the federal government is going to step in and say ‘enough’ to Amazon taking over entire market sectors. Amazon isn’t even profit-driven, it’s market-share driven. Ultimately, a race to the bottom is bad for the country.

vssoutlet · ‎03-12-2018

That’s true. But this is how eBay starts most of its programs. They begin with a few categories which no one will argue about, then they slowly add categories that don’t make sense. And why should eBay be focusing on this type of item anyway? Amazon can always sell for less and deliver faster and cheaper.