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Ebay Sucks |
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There’s an old joke about a man who goes to a psychiatrist and complains about his brother who thinks he’s a chicken. The doctor asks why doesn’t he put his brother in a mental hospital and the man answers, “Because we need the eggs.” |
With an average of more than 100 million registered users and 26 million items offered for sale at any given moment eBay is the absolute master of the online auction & fixed price sales. They dwarf all other sites combined. Yet, it is hard to find a seller who has something good to say about them. Most people who sell on ebay are quick to bad mouth and complain about eBay’s policies and outrageous fees but eBay is still the one place that delivers the customers and sales dealers yearn for. They deliver the eggs. |
| But delivering the eggs does not give eBay the right to cook them in a style that only they can enjoy; and that is exactly what their self-centered policies do. It’s as though they are holding a huge banquet with millions of guests but eBay’s the only one allowed to eat. Sellers on eBay are awaiting the day that they can partake in some of the goodies. As it now stands, Ebay’s high fees and dictatorial policies makes it increasingly difficult for earnest Sellers to come out with a reasonable profit. So what’s a seller to do? |
Boycotts have not influenced eBay to change. They know they are the masters and have insisted you take them or leave them as they are. Each month brings new changes that favor buyers and adds restrictions to sellers’ ability to operate profitably. The latest drive appears to be an attempt by the Masters of the Auction World to make Free Shipping mandatory. If that rule comes to fruition, buyers and sellers alike will suffer and only eBay will benefit. To compensate for the free shipping Sellers will have to raise their prices and Buyers will have to pay more; but ebay will continue to collect its exorbitant fees. |
| The only counterbalance to this is for competition against eBay to grow. That is easier said than done because eBay is a world wide well-known name and it is difficult to get people to buy from other sites even if they may benefit by the move. Many people still buy from Macy’s even though Marshall’s can sell the same products for less. Old habits are hard to break. |
| Other new sites are confronted with the gargantuan problem of getting recognition. Advertising costs are astronomical and trying to figure out how to optimize search engine results have led more than one ad man to the insane asylum. Sites like eBid, WigIX and Bonanzle are making valiant efforts but competing with eBay is a daunting challenge that only the likes of Amazon.com or Yahoo can take on. For the smaller operators the task is one that will not be resolved by this generation of online auction sites. |
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