Ebays Latest Fee Increases--is This The Beginning Of The End?
|
On January 13, eBay sellers received an unwelcome announcement from eBay. Fees were going up.
Partly due to our tendency to "skim" messages and partly due to the way in which the announcement was worded, the result was widespread panic and threats of mutiny.
Many sellers started to "boycott" eBay, and began taking their business to places like Yahoo auctions, and Overstock.com. After issuing another email "clarifying" the price increases, eBay finally sent everyone a "Message from Bill Cobb" on February 6.
Bill Cobb, who became President of eBay North America in December of 1004, stated that he'd been "taking it all in" and "thinking hard about how we can make sure eBay remains a fun, safe place to trade, and a prosperous home for our many dedicated sellers."
Cobb addressed the issue of fee increases, and concerns about customer support, trust and safety, and frequency of changes to the site.
Cobb also promised a number of improvements to customer service, a credit for store sellers and a reduction in the minimum insertion fees for auction style and fixed price listings. He even gave readers his email address and invited comments, promising to read every one of them!
The Bottom line here is that the most significant changes made will affect eBay Store owners. But Store items are offered at a price determined by the seller, so increased costs can be passed along to the buyer. This is what "real world" businesses do all the time. The cost of doing business rarely goes down and Business people learn to expect increases in overhead.
The reason for raising the "But it Now" listing fee is that eBay wants sellers to think harder about how they set prices in this category. Too many have been unrealistically high, which means merchandise doesn't turn over. It becomes "stale". eBay wants to see a fluid market, with quick turnover and fresh merchandise appearing all the time.
The Gallery image feature has gone up in price by about 30%, but the size of the image is being increased by 56%. Pictures sell products, and larger pictures mean that shoppers can see more details. I really don't see this as a bad thing.
If you haven't invested in eBay stock, now might be a good time (eBay intends to split shares on Feb.18). Investors are panicking over eBay's announcements, and their less than stellar 4th quarter 2004 performance in part due to major investments in China.
The dooms-dayers say the "bloom is off the eBay rose". I beg to differ. eBay is still the largest online auction venue, accounting for more volume than all of their competitors combined. There's no way eBay is going away, and it won't be long before sellers realize that business will go on as usual.
You can still make a great living on eBay, whether full or part time.
Carolyn Schweitzer is a retired dentist, eBay Powerseller, and ownner/editor of several websites. You can read the full article plus view eBay's price announcements and the letter from Bill Cobb at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/473364
|
|
|
Free Auction Templates: How To Set Your Border Color With Foam
If you have not heard of Foamtemplates.com yet, home of the "Free Online Auction Maker", now is a good time to get your feet wet. I am going to show you how to use FOAMTemplates.com to make great looking auction templates for HTML compatible websites for free!The first screen you are going to see after clicking the "Free Template Generator" link on the homepage of foamtemplates.com, is going to be the preview screen. This will always display what you have so far...(related: Auctions)
The Effects Of Ebay On American Merchandising
With one brilliantly simple idea, eBay was born just a few short years ago.From its humble beginnings in the Collectibles business, it went on to achieve the lofty heights it enjoys today.As eBay has continued to grow to over 30 million registered users, it has transformed the ability of individuals (as well as Corporations) to move product of all kinds.eBay is now a place where virtually any item imaginable is available, for the right price.With a few clicks of your mouse, the doors to the world marketplace are opened for you.Similarly, with a few clicks of your mouse, the ent...(related: Auctions)
Auction Seller Guide To Success
When its time to clean-up around the house, some people havea hard time deciding what to keep and what to throw out.What they need is an incentive.How about collecting cash from stuff that was collectingdust?You can do this by auctioning-off your unwanted or no longerneeded items on eBay. eBay is the largest online marketplace of its kind. If you are considering this, then youneed to ...(related: Auctions)
What To Do After Your Ebay Auction Closes
So your auction closes. Now what?Hopefully you made a sale or several sales. Now the important work begins. Here are some tips on ...(related: Auctions)
How To Sell Internationally On Ebay Without Risk
Many people just getting started on eBay have reservations when it comes to selling to International buyers. Possibly they've heard a few second-hand horror stories, or they feel it's simply not worth the extra hassle.eBay provides you with the opportunity to sell to buyers all over the world. This opens a huge new market to the seller. It also allows you to receive more interest in your items and higher closing prices.In many categories, some of the most active buyers live outside the United States. As an example, at the time I'm writing this, if you were selling collectible Pyrex glass, many of your serious bidders would be from Japan.I have been selling internationally on eBay for five years and have been selling to Internation...(related: Auctions)
Usp On Ebay
If you have dabbled at all in the world of Internet marketing, you may have heard the term "unique selling proposition" or USP. USP is a technique that Internet marketers use to set themselves apart from the competition. Internet marketing is highly competitive and hig...(related: Auctions)
Snipe Your Way To Auction Success
Bidding for a bargain is all part of the exciting eBay experience. But what can really disappoint is when you're all set to win that fantastic, gold plated gizmo and someone else just beats your bid in the very last minute.This trixy technique is called 'sniping' and is perfectly legal. It's very annoying when someone does it to you but it can be a most effective way to win auctions?but only if you're able to keep a constant eye on the listing and have a computer all fired up and ready to go.But, we're faced with a problem. We can't always be on hand each time a selected auction reaches its final moments. It can mean having to log in many times each day or perhaps even in the middle of the night. Well, the answer could be to use special sniping software.
Garage Sales, Flea Markets, And Special Events... Oh My!
The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in order, events happening in your community throughout the day. Plug in...(related: Auctions)
Your Ebay Business - 8 Ways To Insure Its Success
I don't know if you've ever noticed, but it seems like every week or two we read about another Powerseller going out of business.If you want your auction business to be a long-term success, then it's important that you plan now for it's continued growth.According to some people the world economy may be moving toward a 1930's like depression. Others say there is no chance of that happening.Even without something as catastrophic as a world-wide depression, there are still plenty of little things that can put a damper on your success. But, whatever the situation, it's a good idea to hedge your bets.Here's eight tips for preparing your eBay auction business for whatever the future may hold:1. Keep your overhead low...(related: Auctions)
A New Definition Of Buyer Beware
"Who's Suzie?"My wife Katrina had been acting strangely ever since I had returned home from my Native American cultural class, not to mention the weird phone call I received just before I left, full of little pauses instead of our usual fast-paced communication. Now that I was home she had been pretty much ignoring me completely, then comes this strange question. Katrina was calm but I could tell there was something under her ...(related: Auctions)
Royal Memorabilia ? An Ebay Prince Or Pauper?
There has always been a fascination with royalty and as a niche area for collecting and auction tr...(related: Auctions)
Starting An Ebay Home Business
Do I need to explain what eBay is?If 'Yes', where have you been living for the past 5 years? On Mars?EBay is the world's largest Internet auction site. There are a reported 30,000,000 users, but that number has probably increased in the time delay between me writing this article and you reading it.Th...(related: Auctions)
Multiple Income Streams On Ebay Within 30 Minutes!
POWERSELL Status, the secrets revealed.If like thousands of people you have been using eBay and wondering how to gain a regular income, and work from home, this article will help you.Like many, I have been searching for years for that illusive system which will allow me to work from home, and spend more time with family and friends. MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS are the answer.What are Multiple Income Streams?Multiple Income Streams are the Holy Grail of the Internet, those thi...(related: Auctions)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Auctions