eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

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June 12, 2009

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

By: Ina Steiner

Fri June 12 2009 11:00:59

To the Editor:
I am becoming concerned with eBay's performance over the last year, and maybe you have answered this already, and I just have not seen it. I am aware the economy is taking a toll on many of us. But I am thinking that eBay site as a tool for sales/buy continue to drop. I am thinking that this is happening because of the numerous sites opening up all over the internet doing the same as eBay and therefore is thinning the eBay pool. Maybe there's just not that many buyers looking at eBay as the only source any more and therefore is getting harder as time goes on to sell on eBay.

Those of us that have placed the efforts and time on eBay sales are actually slowly coming to extinction, if we don't do other things. Is this the consensus of others or am I wrong to see this?
Thanks for your time.
David

Comments (22) | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: MH

Fri Jun 12 11:50:22 2009

Don't put all your eggs in to one basket has always been a good motto to remember whether times are good or bad.

Utilizing eBay's services is not different. Many sellers sell on eBay, have a brick and mortar store, sell at local events.

Others sell at farmer/flea markets, sell on eBay as well as from their own website, and at other sites on the internet.

It has never hurt to keep your options open. So if you have yourself out there on the net, and are doing all you can locally, you will find your sales will stay steady or possibly even grow.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: kw

Fri Jun 12 12:50:43 2009

David, you are absolutely right and I hope the trend continues. Ebay is destroying its small to mid-size seller base with high fees and low visibility on the site. Buyers and sellers are moving towards alternate sites for better prices, better customer service, and less cost for doing business. I would suggest you check out some of the other sites because ebay is not the future. There are many choices but I would suggest looking at Bonanzle, eCrater, and eBid for starters.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: KK

Fri Jun 12 15:02:25 2009

With the economy like it is and all those people that lost their houses and jobs, I'd figure that they are not online either and if they are, they aren't looking to buy anything but searching for work. MH is right, don't put all your eggs in one basket; however, I am finding that as for online selling, eBay is still my biggest venue over the other online competitors (eBid, Amazon, Overstock, ect...).

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: The White Bonzuffalo

Fri Jun 12 15:53:37 2009

Considering that the powers that be at eBay could hardly wait to get rid of all the ''flea market junk'',what would one expect?

Even in the best of economic times, people can go to their local big box store, get the stuff they want, and not have to wait, pay shipping, and HOPE it's what they ordered.

Collectors know eBay is okaay, but there's better sites to find everything but the ordinary,with no waiting for an auction to end.

For those that love the thrill of a ''real'' auction,there's live in the booth auctions.
For the bargain hunters there's special deals offered by many sellers.

For sellers there's real live people that actually LISTEN to the sellers, AND the buyers, and interact on a daily basis with the members.

Amazing what excellent customer service, NON canned responses, and real, honest, down to earth people, can do!

Bonanzle; Growing and evolving every day...getting better,getting bigger...come on over join us today!

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Karen

Fri Jun 12 18:27:18 2009

I too sell on several different sites, Ebay, Bonanzle & Etsy. But ebay continues to be my biggest generator of sales. I am a small business owner and my business is my 2nd job. I have also recently taken advantage of the ebay adcommerce. This has helped to increase my sales a small percentage. I have seen a decrease in sales with the economy but my sales have also increased in the custom order area. This tells me that people are still buying put are getting more particular about what they buy. Since I make everything I sell this helps actually generates more revenue for me because I don't have to pay the fees.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Helen

Fri Jun 12 22:11:17 2009

As ecommerce develops, it's hard to imagine that one marketplace would maintain the monopoly for so long. It was a giant that had to fall at some point.

Multi-channel is where all online sellers need to go. Whether it's Amazon, Bonanzle or niche marketplaces like Etsy & Alibris. It's also now easier than ever to get a standalone hosted online store - all sellers should have one and direct primary business there so that if another marketplace starts to collapse, your business will be ok.

Vendio offers a complete multi-channel solution called the Vendio Platform. The Platform allows sellers to list on eBay, Amazon, Google and their own store using one set of inventory. We are also giving away a robust, full-featured online store for free regardless of the number of products.

Check it out: http://www.vendio.com

:)

Helen

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: joe

Sat Jun 13 07:35:19 2009

Most comments are correct, but this thread is just a sales pitch for other venues...still...very good advise.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: joe

Sat Jun 13 07:36:38 2009

advise = advice

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Patricia

Sat Jun 13 12:58:31 2009

There is no question that there are fewer buyers around these days and its due to the economy BUT if you spread your wares around to other venues and perhaps even open your own website you will survive it. Sales won't be as good anywhere but combined there should be enough to pull you thru. The worst thing a seller can do is sit on Ebay and wait for things to change. That spells "doom".

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Sharon

Sun Jun 14 12:19:43 2009

I work three part-time jobs as well as run a large booth in an antiques gallery and sell on-line. E-bay sales are lagging and I am disappointed with continuing policy changes that are not beneficial to small sellers like me. What's another viable on-line venue for antiques and collectibles dealers like me? Any suggestions?

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Foothill Web Design

Sun Jun 14 23:12:39 2009

I agree with the eggs in a basket analogy. Sellers need to diversify, find other venues and other methods to sell. Every eBay seller should be using eBay to generate customers, and their own website to make sales. The most basic exercise you can do is to estimate your cost per acquisition: How much does it cost you to get a new customer or make a sale? Figure out your cost/profit ratio on eBay, other sites, your webstore, etc. Put your marketing dollars where they're bringing in the most money. Marketing is another consideration. Are you building your own brand, or just relying on eBay to deliver customers? My $.02 cents.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Stefano Neis

Mon Jun 15 04:46:07 2009

Ebay is killing itself and the small retail seller. I have over 100,000 gross + feed backs (81,000+ unique) there as a seller. I tested the waters for more selling avenues last year and am now eight months into being fully off of the Ebay site. My transition period prior to that took 7 months due to the sheer amount of inventory I was relocating (50,000+ items). The result? Profit is way up and # of sales are slightly better than what I had on Ebay (I was Selling $15,000+/mos/ 1400+ items a month).

The solution to ebay is to create a network of sites & selling points that drive traffic into one another. You need a primary web selling location (For me that is Delcampe.com) that works for what you sell. Then you need other selling points that allow you to place hotlinks within their listings to your main selling location. (For me that is Playle.com & Ecrater.com)

You also need a ''holder page'' on the Internet that lists all the places you sell at. This is the URL you would use for your Business cards & such. (For me SCARTISTS.COM). You could also use the service provided here everyplaceisell.com.

You then need to start telling your past customers where you are. Lots of customer info is in your paypal history log.

You get new customers by word of mouth, Googlebase advertising (Most sites now do that for you) and your own email marketing.

You also can get new customers by having token sales on ebay every six months with the sole purpose of acquiring new customers.

Do all that and Ebay will be in your past.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: arleen zabell

Mon Jun 15 18:55:26 2009

I was busy with life and recently started looking for some things on eBay & I noticed that there are not alot of auctions and many fixed price items. So the reality of eBay is changing.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: o.c.d.collectibles

Tue Jun 16 11:38:14 2009

Thank you Stefano. That is very interesting information, never saw Delcampe Playle and Ecrater put together like that as a network. VERY interesting! I started listing meagerly on Go Antiques, (after a 1 1/2 yr break from 10 yr ebay) but I'm just a part time online seller, have 2 "live" brick and mortar booths in an antique mall. So I'm still not yet on a roll. I need to get going. It's so hard, the listing format is old, and is presently being re-designed, so I'm kind of waiting for that..

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Bob

Wed Jun 17 05:51:18 2009

Perhaps it's the annoying flashing gif on your store that's causing people not to buy from you. Or perhaps all the shoppers who see it just have seizures.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: jayzz

Fri Jun 19 12:53:13 2009

Almost all other venues have increasing sales, but Ebay sales continue to decline in an economic climate where it should be growing. Buyers appear to be using Google to find what they are looking for. I have the same sales on Ebay, as on the other sites I sell on and most of the buyers come straight from google.

For me, Ebay no longer brings me buyers. Last month, about 50% of my sales on Ebay ended with non-payment, returns for no reason, or delivery problems caused by customs.

I can no longer afford to deal with Ebay, and sales are increasing from other venues. I sell antiques and collectibles.

I research what an item is selling for on Ebay, and offer it on another site for about 1/2 what they can get it for on Ebay. It sells within a week off Ebay.

I am an example of how other sites are undercutting ebay sales.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Bea's Cottage

Sun Jun 21 08:54:56 2009

Good Morning All :)
I thought i'd share my 2 cents worth. I'm a very small seller. I sell mostly vintage items-things i've had stored away for years and need to get rid of them for want of space. I've been selling on ebay for several years now-and 'was' able to make a few dollars.

I sell... or list... maybe 7-10 days out of a month.. and i don't list more than 15 things...but i have a nice variety... and start my auctions extremely low...and-or fair.

But over the past 2 plus years.. ebay has gotten way out of control. Ebay used to draw people- even if they would just come to 'research' an item.. and eventually they would end up buying things-which i've found myself doing. But between all of ebay's ridiculous changes..-such as : sellers being unable to leave 'HONEST' feedback , or as ebay puts it ''NEGATIVE'' feedback..,as well as making the bidder's user name 'ANONYMOUS'-has been a good example of WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS FAIL.

Such changes have certainly been worst ebay has even made.
Then of course- we have the DSR baloney-which is interperted a thousand ways to sunday by each individual.

The DSR system has practically driven me out of business-as no matter how quickly i ship, or whether i absorb the shipping costs,or spend wasteful time writing detailed descriptions (which no one bothers to read anyway)- I might as well be in a basement behind an old barrel as far as 'EXPOSURE' goes..(of my items)
Then there are non paying bidders who bid for the heck of it. All of ebay's changes have caused many sellers to resort to what would be considered violations on ebay... shill bidding... or the ebay user information doesn't match the paypal user information... etc etc.
I won't resort to such tactics. But such tactis -thanks to ebay's wonderfully bright team - are turning away customers by droves.
The Boycott of Feb 2008 drove a big chunk of ebay sellers away... which limits the 'variety' of items on ebay..
They're losing what little customers and sellers that do still exist.

Another point....Auction formats are practing non existent on ebay... which is what made ebay who they ''were''.. and i personally think ''Auctions'' are far more popular than just buying an item outright-in a majority of cases.

Ebay may be the biggest and most well known site out there.. but they are loosing their ground-swiftly.
I don't have the means or know how to set up my own site.. and wanted to keep my buisiness ''small''.

I've set up accounts on various other sites.. which cater to the kind of merchandise i have... such as OLA, Bluejay, silkfair and now am trying ETSY (Which has potential)...

Yes-David.. I wholeheartedly agree with you... ebay is heading for extinction. Thank goodness all of us.. have Ina, yourself and your team to keep us abreast of the truth of what really goes on .

Personally- i believe ebay is too far in .. to ever come back again. Far too much damage has been made- too much distrust, -the constant ''changes'' and double talk along with the disorganization at ebay- It's almost certain that they will not survive the holidays.

Now auctiva is charging... and every nickle hurts. I'm sure many sellers will have to add in additional costs.. such as auctiva..etc... which will surely chase customers even further.

I'm at the point.. where i'll spend the rest of the summer selling off what i can... and then i'm done. After i'm done.. I have no intention of ever visiting ebay. I'm sure once i'm done with them.. I'll probably even see the light of a dollar... as i've gone weeks on ebay.. selling nothing ...and had to dip into my own pocket to pay fees and such.
I'll leave the selling to the 'PROFESSIONALS'... it's no longer for me... and hundreds or thousands more like me. It would easier to get a little job babysitting.. or something like that for a few dollars a day... rather than worry if i'll have enough money to pay fees for things that don't sell... or even if my item is 'veiwable' (thanks to the DSR system)

All that i have will be donated to various organizations-as i don't want the headaches of running a 'BIG BUSINESS' or enterprise. If i had wanted to do so.. i would have done it years back... all by the books... BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BY CHOICE...not forced.

Ebay will join the ranks of the many many businesses that was number 1 for so long... and due to greed..they too will be listed in the books as THE COMPANY THAT COULD HAVE.. BUT DIDN'T...

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Ebay Pays My Bills

Sun Jun 21 23:46:33 2009

Dave I blame Google. Before Google came along Ebay was the place to buy. Now everyone Google's before they Ebay.

That's my take on the slow traffic.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Joe Richey

Mon Jun 22 10:06:56 2009

Ebay is not the only answer. In todays internet sales game you must be multi channel. There is no longer a EBAY gold mine and it will not return. Why? The internet is making the landscape equal in the aspect you can create websites and buy traffic for your own site just like EBAY does. There is many venues to now buy and sell and this will deflate any market place. You must refocus your marketing to cover many different channels outside EBAY. Ebay is no longer the golden grail.

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Kate Reynolds

Fri Jun 26 12:03:28 2009

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Kate Reynolds

Fri Jun 26 12:04:05 2009

Interesting blog. Shipping DSR's are the hardest to keep up with, I think. People don't think of the overall cost that it takes to ship, printing, sorting, packing, etc. Check out this blog on how using Endica can spare a lot of headaches.
http://3rdpoblogs.com/colderice/2008/09/18/increase-your
-ebay-shipping-dsrs-with-endica-1st-class-stealth-2/"> Endica by ColderICE

eBay Competition Affecting Sellers

by: Stephanie

Fri Jul 3 00:59:05 2009

I don't honestly think all of it has to do with Ebay competition. I quit using paypal because of my husband's financial mismanagement.

Now that he's dead, and I have more disposable income, I go back to ebay to buy.

Well, they are trying to force the sellers into only using credit cards. No more MO's or checks. Or at least that is the excuse that many of them are using.

I have, as of today, finally sickened of trying to spend my money on ebay auctions.

I waded through auctions for over an hour looking for an electronic keyboard to no avail.

So, I reckon I'll find another site that isn't trying to go New World Order cashless society on me and if I can't find any, I'll quit shopping online and go to local stores and spend more, but come away enjoying the experience a lot more.

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