Wow! Ebay.....FINALLY Something Good for Sellers

Jellybean Dreams

I can't believe that Ebay finally understands that it needs to give an automatic 5 stars to the seller's shipping cost star whenever he offers free shipping. The very idea that buyers - whether maliciously or by misunderstanding, were able to ding the shipping cost star when shipping was FREE made absolutely NO sense. I imagine the good folks at Ebay finally realized most sellers saw no legitimate reason to offer free shipping - they were still buried in the listings and could still get a ding on their shipping cost star even though shipping is free. Many realized that in having to raise their prices to cover shipping (YES buyers, shipping is NOT really FREE) they actually lost bids. Its nice to see someone at Ebay finally came to their senses however they were pushed into it.

Now, if they could just understand that telling buyers a 4.0 is okay while telling sellers a minimum of 4.3 will keep them in good standing......but, I guess THAT will take yet another three years!

Grannygoodpaint
happy to deliver some good news for a change ;-)

Some jelly beans all around?

Ebay - No! Where Else Can I Sell Online?

"Cats in the Iris"

Once people find out I have been selling online for years they always ask me about Ebay. Upon hearing about the "new Ebay" they are generally turned off from trying to list and sell there. Then I tell them about other online sites - and to my amazement, they are completely oblivious to the fact that there ARE other online sites except Ebay, Amazon and Craigslist. Maybe its time to set the record straight here...and I'll attempt to do just that. I'll be honest and tell you what I know and perhaps you will begin to see the large world of online sites where you can list and sell your items.

Bonanzle.com: - you can set up a free store there. I like the fact they have a little chat box right in your store so that if you are there you can chat with others. Its free and easy to list your items and you pay a small commission for anything that sells. You need to do some socializing and networking to get traffic to your site. This is generally done by visiting other sites and leaving messages for the owners.

Online Auctions.com: - you pay by the month for a store. It was $8.95 the last time I tried it. For the monthly fee you can list and sell whatever you like and as many listings as you like. This was a great site for interacting with the community but I could not make many sales there. I'm sure it was the items I was offering but it seemed to me there simply was no traffic other than other sellers.

Etsy.com: - this is THE place for handmade items, vintage items and art and craft supplies. For 25 cents you can list an item for 4 months - your store is free and you pay a small commission on your sales. This is another site that depends on how well you can interact with the community and network.

Overstock.com: - this was the site I felt could have put a dent into Ebay in a big way. There are two parts to this site - one is retail and the other is auctions....yes!, auctions - they seem to want to keep that part a big secret. I have done pretty well with auctions on this site in the past. I sure wish they would advertise auctions and let people know they are there. They're missing out on a LOT of revenue. Prices for listing are a bit lower than Ebay and, of course, you can accept cash, checks and moneyorders or any variety of money movers such as Paypal.

eCrater.com: - far as I can see its free to list and free to sell! They give you a store and you can list as many items as you like. I have yet to make a sale on the site. Perhaps I'm just offering the wrong items.

eBid.net: - I hit a sale and paid them $49.95 to be able to list there free for life. I can have up to 5 different stores going. I have two right now - one for art and one for other things....neither has made a sale. They don't seem to have as much traffic as is needed to make good sales.

Boocoo.com: - chances are you haven't heard of them. They are brand new, still in beta I think and listing is free right now. This site is owned by a variety of newspapers across the country. Its easy to list there and they give you a free store. I believe there is a small fee if you sell an item.

These are just some of the online sales sites presently out there. There are many others (Atomic Mall, ePier, SpecialistAuctions, PlunderHere, Blujay, Ioffer to name a few) that I did not include here. Those above are sites I've actually listed on and still list on many of them. So, when you feel you're trapped by Ebay's high fees and draconian policies why not give one or more of these a try? On most of them you can't lose anything but your time.

A little watercolor painting today. 5 X 7" Cats in the Iris

Sellers: Ebay.....Needs Your Help!

Life Cycle II

Yep, that's what I said, Ebay is soliciting the help of its sellers to sign a petition against the Main Street Fairness Act.

"The Main Street Fairness Act was introduced by Massachusetts representative Bill Delahunt on July 1, who said the bill was designed to help states "retrieve billions in sales tax revenues that are owed but currently going uncollected while providing long overdue relief to Main Street businesses by restoring fairness and competition to the marketplace."

Before you yell out "help WHO????" consider this, most online sellers faithfully collect the state sales tax on purchases in their own state. Under this bill sellers would be forced to collect state sales tax for almost ALL states! A horrendous job considering how many different states and counties within those states one would have to figure out.

There's another point to consider - this would let the tax people "get their foot in the door". I'm sure we all realize that once done, it will never be undone and the tax that is presently aimed at larger sellers will eventually fall deeper and deeper until it encompasses ALL sellers both large and small and will reach out to their own websites and into every site they list on until nothing can be sold on the web without paying a tax!

Most sellers simply want to throw up their hands and say they would never do anything to benefit Ebay. Plenty of them are and were being manipulated, squeezed for fees and treated like criminals by that site and plenty of them left because they could no longer profit there. Okay...Ebay is soliciting help to fight this - but YOU should sign the petition to help YOURSELF! Consider it folks...it does make sense. Hold your nose, close your eyes - do whatever is necessary, but sign up to fight against this. In the end if this bill passes it will boil down to just another imposition on YOU, the seller.

My painting for today is called Life Cycle II. Its an oil I painted and sold back in 1976.

Ebay - Turnaround? ..Or Spinning Its Wheels!

"Gala Apples"

Saw this on a blog and got permission to print it here....dem's my feelings exactly:

Whatever happens to Ebay in the months ahead, it will change. Definitely not the turnaround Donahoe wants but it will change or it will die! Simple as that. For over 2 1/2 years he has been promising a turnaround and a big change....that is NOT happening. Ebay has stagnated from quarterly report to quarterly report and now depends heavily on Paypal's success (which also is not forever). At this point about the only hope Ebay has is to oust present management and his team and hire people experienced in online sales and what it takes to make those sales (the latter being the most important). Donahoe relies on Ebay's name and since that isn't working he probably doesn't know which way to turn at this point. The result is nothingness...a stagnation that will kill.

If Ebay were my site I would immediately divide it in the style of Overstock...with the diamond sellers on one side selling retail and the small sellers on the other side selling auctions and BIN's. Its Ebay's only hope and that hope is fading as days go by. Sellers are leaving and other sites ARE getting a foothold - whether Ebay wants to admit that or not!

Ebay needs to bring community and fun back to the auction side. They need to let up on some of those draconian policies that are chasing sellers away. Make it okay for sellers to make a profit selling on the site!

Take the power to destroy sellers out of buyers' hands and make that an administrative decision! Get rid of the childish DSR's and go back to relying on feedback and that percentage figure of negs and neutrals.

Ebay needs to get their hands dirty - get into the trenches and work with buyers and sellers. Time is gone where they could simply sit back and rack in the money....they need to realize this.

Grannygoodpaint:

I have one word for John Donahoe: Rakuten. I think he best work and work fast on a logical turnaround that is built for success and not the quick buck. Rakuten wants world dominance and they are aggressively working on it. Its only a matter of time before they reach out to US buyers...AND...US sellers...! ;-)

My painting for today....Gala Apples - an apple for the teacher?

Rakuten, Inc. - What is Next for Ebay?

"Spring Walk"

I posted this on a UK blog this morning and felt it was good enough to post here on its own. As sellers are hearing the news about the giant Japanese company Rakuten, Inc. buying up Buy.com - they can't help but wonder what this will do to Ebay and its three year destruction path called "disruptive innovation." I'm hoping something great will come of it. What is needed here is stiff competition and I'm hoping Rakuten will become just that. I'm sick to death of hearing the excuses about auctions not being popular or that the economy is to blame. Underneath it all perhaps bad management and the wrong business model are to blame?

My post: I think you’ll find that here in the States we are pretty much for the underdog…the downtrodden. The idea that Ebay was a place where the elderly, the disabled and the stay at home moms could earn some money was worth supporting, and make no mistake auctions are pretty much alive here. Ebay, in the last few years, has managed to kill the excitement of auctions and destroyed the feeling of community that was so alive on the site. They’ve pitted buyers against sellers and driven off some good decent small sellers at the whim of buyers having a bad hair day! Ebay’s reputation is mud here right now.

I feel Ebay would profit from splitting their site – much as Overstock has done. Retail on one side – auctions and fixed price listings on the other. Instead, they try to combine them as Amazon does and its not working. They simply have no skin in that game – they sell nothing but a service and right now they are doing that very badly!

I think Ebay may finally be realizing they can’t make it on retail alone. The competition is stiff, wiley and well-honed. Up against the likes of Amazon they look like what they are – shabby and disorganized. It will be interesting to see what Rakuten will add to this mix. If Ebay does not get back to their roots and their niche as a place where one can find the unique, the rare, the vintage, etc. I believe they will drag on like this for years or until the present management is finally ousted. That’s my take on it after selling on and observing this business for past 12 years.

My painting for today is a watercolor - "Spring Walk"

Ebay - Art is not an iPod

"Tranquility"

I really hesitate to even bother with this post but it seems to be necessary to bring up a big point. Ebay has probably the largest artist community in the world yet instead of helping artists they are busy pounding them into the same mold along with iPods and other items sold on the site! The same rules apply to artists as apply to iPod sellers....quantity will make you a Top Rated Seller and TRS sellers get top billing in the listings. Offering free shipping will also get you better placement in the listings. So, now, instead of a piece of art selling on its own merits buyers are instead seeing the art of those sellers Ebay gives the most exposure! Most art will not even be seen on the site. Top sellers will grind out the same art enmass to keep themselves at the top - good art will be missed or not seen at all! Ebay still uses its best match search in the arts category. That just has me scratching my head....best match to what? An artist can be brilliant but if he takes his time and lists just a piece or two a month then he will find himself buried in the listings and given little to no exposure. Soon....he is forced to walk away. I just have to ask you art buyers and collectors....are you aware of all this or are you content seeing the same artists over and over again - is this really how you want to buy your art? Comments please....

After my vent I think we need something calming. My watercolor for today is called "Tranquility"

Ebay? The Great Meeting Place?

This was a comment on my last post - I felt it was too good to be tucked away in comments so I'm posting it on its own.

Submitted by EventHorizon1984:

I, along with thousands of other sellers are waiting...we're waiting for the next "Ebay" - the next large community of sellers and buyers. I don't see one on the horizon and if one doesn't show up soon then the whole business of online sales will go to the big, rich, retail companies who only wish to expand their presence to the internet.

We'll frame this like the shadow of a fairy tale.

"Once upon a time there was a Great meeting place. People had never seen it's like before. This Great meeting place thrived for many many years. There came a time that when the powers that be decided to improve the Great meeting place. Certain small people were told to leave or were removed by force. Many other small people fled. In time these little folk congregated in a dozen or so small meeting places. Because the other Lesser meeting places would not take them.

But the Great meeting place put forth the word that these small meeting places would never be it's equal. That these small meeting places would need the banking support and guidance of the Great meeting place. For all time.

The small meeting places boycotted the Great meeting place. But the Great meeting place survived and continued to thrive. And laughed at the noise.

Now on their own, these small meeting places squabbled amongst themselves and soon dispersed into dozens of other small meeting places. All faced years of hardship and uncertainty as to their survival. But being stubborn and spirited, survive and grow they did. And in the fullness of time became a multitude of great meeting places.

The End."


Sounds very familiar doesn't it? You're thinking the fairy tale version of eBay?

In case anyone is wondering, the above was an abbreviated history. The "Great meeting place" is not eBay but Great Britain. With the "dozen or so small meeting places" as Australia and the Thirteen Colonies. The latter becoming thirteen States, which in turn became 50.

We're expecting something similar. With Google providing the common bond and communications between the 'small meeting places'. Abet this being the Internet, the process will not take centuries, but years.

The Great meeting place is not going away, but neither should all of you small sellers. Consider where you would be, if your ancestors decided to turn around or give up?

"Don't worry, on a new job it's quite common for things not to go well at first."
Cora, Quigley Down Under (1990)

Thoughts on Ebay, the Economy, Online Sales & Cupcakes & Wine

Cupcakes & Wine

Lately, I've been reflecting on the economy and on my sales and the sales of other artists. Since I'm retired, its pretty easy for me to think about the future. Financially, I'm not wealthy but I do have a modest income - enough to cover my needs. These days I think more about the people who are out of work and desperate then I do about myself. I keep hoping for a turnaround, but that doesn't seem to be happening yet. I keep wishing that the leader we put into office, with such great hope for change, would begin doing something for the citizens of this nation. It saddens me but there is nothing I can do except be grateful for what I have and hope the rest will prosper soon.

Online sales for small sellers of collectibles and artwork has fallen off to the point where it is almost useless to list items and hand over fees. The smaller sites need AUCTIONS there is no excitement in searching by keywords and blundering onto what you want and the same stuff sits month after month. Their present format is confusing and not successful...yes, I'm talking Etsy, Bonanzle, eCrater, etc. etc. They're gaining more sellers but those precious buyers are still mostly out of their reach. None of them advertise...that I can see. Overstock does advertise but for the life of me I cannot understand why they seem to hide the fact that they have auctions running too - if you don't believe me go to the site and LOOK. Sellers deserve more than this type of service. Sellers are willing to pay for service but most of the small sites operating today aren't prepared to give us that.

As for Ebay, the old CEO, campaigning for California governor, is still bragging about the thousands of little people she helped start a business on Ebay while her hand-groomed successor, the new CEO, tears it apart and puts most of those sellers out of business. No use mentioning any more about them. Its water under the bridge now and not worth the space in this post.

I, along with thousands of other sellers are waiting...we're waiting for the next "Ebay" - the next large community of sellers and buyers. I don't see one on the horizon and if one doesn't show up soon then the whole business of online sales will go to the big, rich, retail companies who only wish to expand their presence to the internet. It will be same brand new chinese junk you now find in any mall or large store and the excitement that was once Ebay and online sales of the eclectic, the rare, the vintage...will perish!

Not the best mood for a Sunday morning but I felt I had to tell it as it appears to me and then we, perhaps, can collectively hope for a turnaround...in the economy and the online sales.

Something different today, an abstract, called "Cupcakes & Wine"

Happy Holiday Season - Good Luck Online Sellers

In my mind there's a feeling of snow in the air and a fresh scent from the pines and the trees have shed their leaves and are settled down for their Winter nap. Well, that's in my mind anyway...having spent the first half of my life in the northeast. Here, we almost hit 90 degrees on Thanksgiving Day. :-)

In spite of the warm climate I love this time of year. In the past 10 or so years I was so super busy at this time of year....rushing around packing and shipping out items...trying to keep billing straight, seemed like I was always at the post office...knew them all by first name. I remember days when I was up long hours trying to keep everything straight. These days (yawn) I spend long hours watching TV or Netflix and walking or exercising. Days are not busy anymore...just like most small sellers on Ebay our days are filled with time to spare. One wonders how much this loss of traffic and loss of buyers costs Ebay. Does anyone have figures on it? I know they have figures on Amazon and their amazing third quarter profits but does anyone keep track of the loss of revenue at Ebay?

I did see many Ebay TV ads yesterday and hope it helps the small sellers this year. One can only hope. As for me...my mind is set toward the holidays and the happy feeling among people during the holiday season. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and enjoys every day of it.

My image for today is actually a glass pendant made from my painting "Santa Gave Me This".

Ebay....Boooo! Happy Halloween!

The weather is turning cooler. In the northern part of the country temps are falling and there has already been snow on the northeast section. It is all signaling the holidays are at hand. This is the part of the year when stores get out of the red and earn their profits....well, usually. This year there is a decided misery over the country. I am retired and with my social security and small pension I am somewhat isolated from what is going on in the U.S. today. Here, in California we have almost 12 percent unemployment and there are worse states such as Michigan.

Now would be a perfect time for families looking to earn a few extra bucks to put some of their gently used items on Ebay and an equally perfect time for buyers who are strapped for money to purchase the things they need. Normally, this would be a great outlet and would help families pay a few bills each month. Sadly, such is no longer the case. More and More small sellers are reporting a lack of traffic and a lack of views to their items. More and more they are reporting they can't even find their items in search! To add to that misery Ebay came out with the TRS program (top rated sellers). They are rightfully considering a seller's performance record - BUT - they've still set the bar high enough that a lot of more casual small sellers, also with excellent reputations, slip thru the cracks! Ebay, has and always will be a place that coddles sellers who sell the most and ignores sellers who are just as good but sell less.

With all that in mind most small sellers need to simply take a deep breath and move on! Now is the time to list on a lot of other sites - most of which take a small fee or no listing fee at all. Many offer free shops! Etsy.com - 20 cents to list any item for 4 months. Bonanzle.com - free shop, free listing. eCrater.com - free shop, free to list. 1000markets.com - free shop, free to list. SpecialAuctions.com - free shop, free to list! I can go on and on. There is also Auctionbyte's EveryplaceISell.com - a directory of sellers and the sites they can be found on. Its a free service so take advantage of it!

The one thing sellers neglect to do when they move to other sites is they neglect to let their past buyers know where they are! This amounts to moving and not leaving a forwarding address. They'll move to a new site, list, sit back and when they don't get sales they will crawl back to Ebay. Always remember small sellers built Ebay in the first place. Ebay is losing buyers because of lack of these same small sellers. Ebay buyers do not want the brand new items they can find in Walmart - they want the rare, the vintage, the unique items they can only find on Ebay! Let these buyers know where you are! Comb thru your records of past purchases and contact these people. Let them know where you can be found and offer them incentives like free shipping or a percent off their purchases. Remember YOU built ebay and you can rebuild! Now is the time. The holiday season is breathing down our necks. It is my personal opinion that Ebay has set itself up for failure in the fourth quarter - don't go down with the ship!

Okay, ole Grannygoodpaint is getting down from her soapbox. I've posted some Halloween "treats" up above for those of you listening to the things that go "bump" in the night...

Etsy, Etsy, Etsy, Etsy!!!!! Jump Onboard!

"The Gazebo in the Park"
5 X 7" Watercolor

Today I want to toot my horn for Etsy.com (pronounced like Betsy without the B). Any seller of handmade or vintage goods can open a free shop on Etsy. Then they can list as much as they want for only 20 cents a listing and each listing is good for 4 months! Not free but almost free! Etsians are helpful and their community forums are a must read - as is their blog The Storque. The economy doesn't seem to be bothering Etsy any since they report an almost doubling of sales year over year for this June and July!

I am trying my darndest to do without Ebay. Haven't listed there in weeks now and I'm concentrated on Etsy and next will concentrate on building up my Bonanzle booth.

Sellers...take the plunge! If you sell mostly handmade goods then try Etsy for everything else there is Bonanzle or eCrater. I recommend them all. Also...very important if you do decide to spread your wares around DON'T FORGET to tell your customers where they can find you ;-)

My painting for today is a watercolor just listed. Hopefully it will brighten your day.

The Demise of Ebay Live - We Knew It Was Coming

White Daisies & Butterfly
9 X 12" acrylic

Its been announced that Ebay will forego the Ebay Live it had scheduled for next year. It is killing the program in favor of small, intimate gatherings probably complete with non-disclosure statements to sign. With that announcement, I reflected back on my own experience. It sheds a powerful adverse light on what's happening today.

The only Ebay Live I attended was New Orleans in 2004 - had a ball. In fact the event was so much fun that we actually did very little sightseeing outside of the convention center. We felt like welcome guests - a far cry from being treated like crooks and called "noise" today. I remember the last night - went to the big dinner that closed the event and walked thru the hall of applause made by the 750 Ebay employees who also attended. Imagine, Ebay applauding its sellers - who would think it would come down to the treatment sellers receive today. I wish I could only remember Ebay that way but the events of the last 1 1/2 years leaves a very bitter taste in one's mouth. Ebay seems to have bungled its business so much it will never turn around and its sellers, both past and present, will never let Ebay forget what its done.

My painting for today is perhaps a ray of hope...a miracle of some kind that will save the Ebay we all knew and loved...

Some Thoughts About Ebay and Sales

A calorie-free watercolor cupcake

As I understand it, Ebay wants to be like Costco (this week). Seems they've put aside wanting to be like Amazon, Overstock, maybe a huge retailer like Walmart and now maybe a huge liquidator. So far, everything they've tried seems to be failing. I have never before seen a huge and rich company such as Ebay without a solid business plan! Why their board of directors is even allowing this company into the hands of a management team who are definitely out of their league is beyond me.

In their attempt to change Ebay into "something else" they failed to recognize the one thing that MUST remain constant.....SALES! Its the one reason for their existence no matter what they want to be when they grow up! I know there are some sellers who brag they are doing "great" on Ebay....never better. Yet for every person who brags 20 others are so disillusioned with the lack of traffic and sales that they are desperate to find other venues that work. The trouble with other venues, that I can see, is that they work on the "if you build it they will come" premise...and that does NOT work! They need to advertise and let buyers know they are there. I see no ads for other venues other than perhaps Overstock which does run TV ads from time to time but never even mentions it has auctions.

Ebay has taken to enforcing new policies that don't weed out the bad buyers and sellers, they don't help the flow of sales nor do they welcome buyers to the site. To the contrary, the site is confusing and cluttered with ads that take prospective buyers off its site! One wonders how a company can go forward while actually stifling sales by manipulating search and by enforcing a ridiculous one-sided feedback policy. I am hoping that one day it will all become clear - but my adult logic and common sense tells me things will simply continue to worsen until hopefully - a new management team in finally installed - also hopefully, a team experienced in online sales. Until then, I look sadly at a once great new and respected company - a company who actually helped small sellers and the small sellers who actually built this company to what it is today. I wonder how much longer Ebay will be around and I'm thinking sadly...not too much longer :-(

My painting for today is a watercolor cupcake - fat free, calorie free but looking delicious!

Why is Amazon So Good?

"Did Somebody Say CHEESEcake?"

Every time I shop on Amazon I'm amazed at how really good they are. They put a LOT of sweat equity into their business over a lot of years....and it shows! Just yesterday I was again reminded of this fact. I spotted a book I liked on an online venue. I won't give the name. They wanted $4.00 for the book and $6.00 for shipping - since it was a rather large hard cover book. I hesitated and then thought "think I'll check over at Amazon". I was amazed to find several used copies of this book on Amazon all selling for 1 cent each with shipping standardized at $3.98. So, instead of $10.00, I ended up paying only $4.00. Sellers - you have to be competitive. I know it hurts but how can you expect to sell and accumulate a following when you have the likes of Amazon to compete with.

This brings me to Ebay. They started out trying to copy Amazon but true to Ebay and its laziness...they wanted to beat sellers into it instead. Its not working, nor will it ever work. Treating its sellers like the enemy is what is killing Ebay. Ebay needs to hang on to the monopoly it has with small sellers of the rare and unique while going forward with plans to bring in large diamond sellers...and it needs to show BOTH equal respect. Ebay needs to keep its auctions and separate them from fixed price. Maybe someday soon Ebay will change management to one experienced in online sales and the heavy competition. They'll use logic instead of a heavy hand and they'll find merit even in the smallest of sellers - if they do that they might even reach their goal. Unfortunately, as it stands now, I see nothing in Ebay's future except failure.

My painting for today....its all about the CHEESEcake! Because with all the problems that abound right now I'd say we all need a little comfort food.

A Post on Ebay Revisited...What Do You Think?

I originally posted this back on June 25, 2008. Getting close to a year ago. It was supposed to be from an ex-ebay employee and circulated on the Ebay discussion boards where it was torn down from time to time. Okay, time has passed and a lot of new policy changes came about. Read this post and tell me what you think of it now:


This is not my opinion nor do I know whether or not it really is from a former Ebay employee. I'm publishing it only to see how many of the changes noted in the post are actually going into play - you be the judge. I've edited out names, URL's etc.:


FROM A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF EBAY:


There will be those who will not believe me and I sympathize. I wish the facts were fiction but to deny what I know would be to live in a fairyland of make-believe. I understand that the bulk of this “manifesto” reveals a plot so against the spirit of eBay that it will be dismissed as lie. So be it. I cannot force the world to accept it. All I can do is state the truth as I know it and leave it to you and to your common sense and experience to judge.

The deck is stacked against me. Aside from the natural resistance to believe I know that the boards are stocked with eBay’s tools. Their goal will be to discredit me. I will be accused of being a “disgruntled”, “paranoid”, and “emotional” seller. Their words will be specially chosen for effect. That is part of the function of the tools and I am not fazed by it. However, to protect my own identity within the corporation, I cannot be too specific lest the details single me out to the powers that be.

What I intend to reveal is common knowledge to many in the management division behind the scenes.

By the way, the tools are not only the mouthpieces that promote the policies. The psychological tactics employed by the powers that be are far deeper and grander than that. The subtlety of the method is remarkable. The tools come in a wide range of flavors with their own, individual “characteristic” rhetoric. From those who are “for” the policy - and spread various degrees of hostility toward the sellers - to those who are “against” the change - and spread panic and further the divide with the buyers. Both serve the same exact purpose: a manipulation designed to remove the more involved and savvy small to large sellers who will not fit into eBay’s future business plan.

First, let me correct the record regarding the concept of sellers extorting positive feedback. While the violation was known to happen, the activity amounted to less than a tenth of a percent of the yearly transactions. Further, it involved sellers whose feedback percentages were below 80%. The absolute majority of sellers did not engage in such practices. Nevertheless, the powers that be could not resist the fact that promoting this notion of feedback extortion as a wide-spread phenomenon would be the perfect cover with which to hide the true intentions of the policy.

The powers that be want to transform eBay into an overstock warehouse venue. A kind of outlet store for the internet much like a cheaper and streamlined version of Amazon. From a strictly business point of view, given the size of eBay and the growing costs of doing business, it makes a certain kind of sense to shift gears. Think about it: when eBay started, sellers were about rare and unique items but here and now the majority of items are common, used counterparts of what can be found new online at retail sites. Truly rare and unique items are sold at real auctions; the “stuff in your attic” isn’t glamorous enough and won’t keep eBay afloat any longer.

The trend away from the rare and unique to the big box retailer is not new. Several years ago the powers that be noticed that the big “powersellers” were simply listing items that existed in their retail stores or inventories. Thus the concept of “buy it now”, “best offer”, and “eBay stores” were created. It was the nascent stage of the plan yet to be. Little by little, without the population noticing, the mechanisms required to replicate the average retail storefront were already in place - and with its rise came the slow, steady downfall of the auction format.

Yet outright pursuit of a retail venue would have led to a major problem that at the time could not have been surmounted. The vast majority of people, on and off line, know eBay as precisely the place for auctions of rare and unique items. The sellers and buyers held onto that perception too but in truth their opinion even involvement in new and improved version of eBay is irrelevant by a certain Machiavellian calculation made by the powers that be. As part of the plan, eBay calculated thus: even if they lost the sellers as part of the change, the buyers will be coming back to buy regardless of who or what operated within the retail-outlet venue.

No, it was the stock holders who the powers that be feared.

Only the stockholders had the power to change the direction set forth by the CEO and the board. So it became imperative to change the equation. Part of the plan is to devalue the stock gradually so that investors merely dumped the stock as opposed to wanting managerial change ala Yahoo. Then to buy back the stock at lower cost and to such a volume that no rebellion against the powers that be were possible.

By the end of July that phase of the plan will be successful and there est of the plan will be revealed without fear of backlash from those who otherwise would have had the power to pull eBay back from the brink.
Indeed, if you believe the current changes are obvious signals that small sellers are not wanted - be prepared - you have seen nothing yet.

So far what have they done? All they have managed to do is silence a seller’s ability to warn others about buyers (half of the purpose behind the original idea of feedback), burden you with higher and higher fees, dangle “treats” like discounts while setting the bar of eligibility so high that the rewards cannot be reached. and, by the way PayPal deals with “complaints” leave you vulnerable to fraud. What if worse was yet to come?

They know if you do not feel safe that you will not use eBay. The changes that have been enacted only eliminates the small sellers. Meanwhile they want to eradicate the mid-sized seller too. And they want to ensure that both do not return.

For the mid-sized seller the DSR became the tool of choice. The powers that be raised the level of what is a good seller artificially high. No manipulation is required; they know exactly the effect of the policy. This is why buyers are told that 4 is a good score and sellers are told that 4.9 yields discounts and higher listing placements. As long as that fractured point of view exists, eBay does not need to interfere with the DSR as has been suggested, the buyers will be killing the sellers naturally.

By August there will be no pretense and the intentions of the new and improved eBay will be clear. The following is only a partial list of the rules that will be imposed. It comes from a memo that circulated within my corner of the managerial department the week before Chicago. I cannot be too specific about certain items and I cannot reveal details of the latest additions without endangering my anonymity.

1. Neutrals will be converted to negatives complete with red icons and reduced feedback scores. Afterward neutrals will not be offered as a choice of feedback.

2. The entire process of feedback will be automated. Buyers and sellers will chose standard feedback from a list. For sellers this operation will be performed automatically upon the buyer winning. For buyers there will be an extra free line with which to add a few comments about the seller without restriction to content. Replies will not be allowed.

3. The implementation of a stricter rules regarding shipping. From the boxes, packing, labels and tapes to where you can buy postage. Orders have been placed for prototypes of “eBay” boxes. UPS and FedEx will be instructed not to accept “eBay” merchandise if it’s not inside “eBay” boxing. They will know, of course, because when sellers buy the “eBay” postage from the “eBay” source, a detailed list of contents with item numbers will be available to the shippers upon scanning a bar code. As for those who continue to use USPS, another level of quality control will be implemented - buyers will be asked, upon confirmation of delivery, if the seller used “eBay” standard shipping items. Naturally, no verification of the buyer’s truthfulness will be attempted, and continued ‘infractions’ will result in suspension. eBay will have other ways to check if a seller is not using the “eBay” equipment - as they will be required to buy at cost the supplies immediately after items are listed. (This is such a large scale operation behind the scenes that I feel comfortable sharing as much of it as I know.)

4. Sales taxes will be included automatically; shipping cost and sales taxes will be used to determined FVF.

5. Item descriptions will be “standardized” with templates which include the posting of a new, universal return policy. Only yearly subscribers to the retail-outlet venue can opt out of these universal return policies but even they cannot alter the template structures being devised.

6. Strikes against buyers will be eliminated as the whole concept of a buyer and bidding will be altered. FVF will be calculated when payment is submitted.

7. Time to Close will be eliminated entirely. Best Match will be the non-alterable default. Best Match is a system that caters to the needs of shoppers not bidders.

8. Placement within Best Match will be determined by several factors, the most important of which will be the extra display features added onto the listing.

9. DSRs can be removed by retailers and powersellers who pay a certain yearly fee.

10. The end play itself which consists of four phases:
a) the main focus shifts to retail sellers whose fees are on a per listing basis
b) stores will be replaced by a classified section, fees will be based on yearly subscriptions and FVFs
c) occasional auctions will be conducted for unique items (celebrity auctions, items that have been featured on the news, etc.)
d) total elimination of auctions for regular sellers.

From the point of view of eBay’s agenda to change gears these alteration make sense. The powers that be want to turn eBay into a retail venue format. Therefore the “buyer” must be changed - bidding and commitments to buy are part of the past. In a retail venue, the item is either in your cart or not and you only commit to buy when you pay at checkout. The seller is also redefined in the way they will be required to do business. They will be forced to copy the methods of retail stores.

The goal is to become Amazon Lite. Unlike Amazon the merchandise will be stocked by the retailers in their warehouses, eBay will be just an electronic centralized venue for outlet sale - a “trusted” name with a wide customer base and popular name recognition.

That is the future and as I write this I know that it cannot be stopped. There are no investors with enough clout and will to challenge the CEO. Stock holders will simply walk away. eBay will not sink, however, it will be exactly in the position its rulers intend it to be at.

Sellers, my advice is simple. You are not wanted. Leave. If you stay, you will be crushed. Leave. Go away. You cannot win.

I am sorry because for too long I have been a complicit tool behind the scenes. I was part of those teams and think tanks that spearheaded many of the “innovations” you know very well and which will be used to destroy you. I know I will not be believed. I will be mocked and ridiculed by the tools and even those who are real, actual people will be hesitant to accept what I have to say. What has been done to this community, the plots and schemes hatched in meetings and across memos, is far, far worse to endure within my soul than any treatment I will receive at the hands of the tools by posting this. You do not know how much they hate you. It is my conscience that I want to clear going forward. Again I apologize. There should have been a better way for the powers that be to effect the change they wanted for eBay - instead they succumbed to cloak and dagger deception.

A Seller Asked About Ebay....

...what our sales were and our views. He was about to leave because he could not get views or sales. Here was my reply:

I found a newsletter in MyEbay that said I was doing great…and listed the piddling amount of money I made on Ebay I guess in the past 12 months. It was a pitiful amount when put next to the large amounts I made in years gone by. They wanted me to write a bit about my “success” - I was sorely tempted….my cursor hovered over that link for quite awhile while I plotted and planned just how I would “tell them about my success”….then I deleted the newsletter. It meant little to me anymore - Ebay means little to me anymore. I list a few items here…ever hopeful that management might come to its senses but the bulk of my items are on my own website and other free to list or small listing fee websites (Etsy, Bonanzle, Overstock) and they are all selling. Nothing spectacular but constant sales and good views as opposed to no sales and few views here. Its sad to think of how far Ebay has fallen and how much they still think of themselves! If they can’t get over their useless attitude of superiority they can only fail. Most of us are moving on…

Ebay's Analyst Day - Nothing New

Watercolor: "Red Woodroses & Lilacs"

Wow! What can I say about Ebay's Analyst Day? Some blogger already put it into one sentence: "Nothing new here - move on". That's about it in a nutshell. Lots of posturing by the speakers and lots of promise for the future and lots of selling so many millions of items a day, per minute - I call them fish stories. You know that fisherman who actually caught an 8 inch fish retelling the story as a three foot fish. In this case though - they are making fish stories around the slow and steady decline of a once mighty company. They are trying to put the blinders on analysts...will they be stupid enough to fall for it? Ebay's management team has succeeded in several things - none good:

1. They succeeded in arriving at the first decline in a quarterly report...and it happened in last years 4th quarter!!! If you can't succeed during the holiday season then you can't succeed...its as simple as that.

2. They've succeeded in driving off thousands of small sellers. The very sellers who attracted buyers through selling their rare, vintage and unique items. The things that could NOT be found in any store.

3. In driving off small sellers they also succeeded in driving off a buying force - since sellers also buy on the site. Secondary - they drove off buyers who frequented these sellers - both can be found on smaller sites.

4. They made it almost impossible for buyers to find what they're looking for. With Ebay's new Best Match - even the inventor of it said it was never intended to be the only search!

5. With Best Match Ebay has succeeded in manipulating search so that the buyer sees what Ebay wants him to see....small sellers are often so buried in the listings that they are forced to go elsewhere.

This is only 5 of the points Ebay's new management team has succeeded in doing in the past year alone. I would say they were let off pretty easy at only getting their pay frozen to last year's standards. I would have offered them $8.75 an hour - take it or leave it!!!

It is clear to me that Ebay is headed pell-mell towards that cliff. Its almost inevitable now that they will fall and fall big. Perhaps that is what is needed in order to bring them down to the size they've earned. Perhaps that's what the board has to see in order for it to come to its senses! Right now they are a failure to most sellers and certainly to small sellers. Their reputation is so tarnished by their treatment of sellers in the past year that that alone could cause their continued downfall no matter what they do at this point. Even if they turned around completely - word of mouth will continue - lack of faith in the company will continue for many many years! Can Ebay outlive its reputation?....I think not.

A good start would have been firing the present management team...but that just isn't going to happen. All we can do is wait and watch....like that guy standing out on a ledge 20 stories up...will he jump?....we all hope not yet he moves ever closer to the edge... :-(

My painting for today is a watercolor: "Red Wood Roses and Lilacs"

Ebay Wants to Be Amazon???

"Blue Hydrangea & Sunflowers"
5 X 7" Watercolor

I have a Google Alert on Ebay and throughout the day I get articles and blogs about Ebay - most I delete. I'm only interested in other opinions on the present Ebay and how it is being run. Some of the articles amaze me in how wrong they are about the problems at the world's largest online auction site. Here's my take on it:

Ebay has and is making a big mistake. Donahoe is determined to go toe to toe with amazon and he’s in for a very rude awakening….that awakening has already started only he is too stubborn or uninformed to see it. Amazon built its business model over years of non-profit before it began to make its niche the hard way - thru hard work, determination and a good business plan. Donahoe believes he can bully his sellers into offering some of the same things (customer service, free shipping) that Amazon offers and then Ebay can sit back and rake in the money. He forgets a couple of things. The outraged small sellers are doing a great job of getting the word out about the bully Ebay has become…about its absolutely hostile environment to all but its large diamond sellers and buyers are not only listening they are finding their favorite small sellers elsewhere! Also in Ebay becoming a cheap imitation of Amazon…it is just that….a cheap imitation and nobody likes an imitator! If you want to buy Amazon style why would you go anyplace else but Amazon? Ebay’s niche was in the rare, vintage and unusual items that people could find nowhere else. How foolish they are to kill the very thing that gets people to its site….the very thing that interests people enough to buy on Ebay. Hey…I can get an iPod anyplace (in fact I bought my direct from Apple)….but the 5 milkglass lamps I needed for my vintage chandelier could only be found on Ebay.

The board of directors needs to wise up and fast. They need proper management…management schooled in the hard knocks of online selling. Otherwise, after this next drastic decline in quarter sales they will finally see that Ebay is on the path to destruction! Its rapidly becoming too late for Ebay to survive

My painting for today is something bright and cheerful to hopefully warm up the rest of the country. Take heart...Spring is next month.

Ebay? Bonanzle? Why Not Both???

"The Unicorn and the Butterfly"
2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inch miniature

Its funny because when John Donahoe announced Ebay's decline in the 4th quarter last year, he blamed it on our faltering economy. Well, yes...perhaps some of it was to blame but certainly not ALL of it. Yesterday both Amazon and even Overstock reported gains in online sales in the 4th quarter of last year. Amazon going so far as to say "our best holiday season ever". What does all that mean and what has it to do with Bonanzle? Well...you might say the writing is on the wall. Small sellers can't make use of Amazon...Ebay is less than worthless to us these days and I never was able to sell much on Overstock. Small sellers definitely need a place to go and I kind of like the homey feeling of Bonanzle. Yes, it needs traffic and yes it needs more buyers. SO! I suggest all you small sellers get off your duff and get proactive...which means go thru your list of buyers in the past years and invite them to your shop at Bonanzle. Give them an incentive...free shipping...free gifts...something to get them there. Its up to us to build our place in online sales and I think Bonanzle is one of those places that shows a great deal of promise AND management is people-oriented too (isn't that a novel idea?).

BONANZLE
Free Shop, Free Listings, Small Fee Only When You Sell!

We can do it, we can do it, we can do it, we can do it!!!!! In this year of change we MUST do it!!

My painting for today is a miniature that's in my own collection. I loved it so much I simply kept it. "The Unicorn and The Butterfly"

Let's Bonanzle! More on Bonanzle - Its a New Star in the Sky!!

2 1/4 X 1 1/2"
Cardinal in the Garden

Okay - still nosing around Bonanzle to see what there is to see. I'm racking up other seller's by tagging and favoring their booths. This gets a little back and forth action going. I'm a firm believer that it is the sellers buying from each other who sustain a new site until new traffic starts coming in. That is what is happening on Bonanzle right now. They are growing with amazing speed...oh yes...still very small potatoes when measured against Ebay BUT they are becoming the new haven for small sellers. Those very sellers who MADE Ebay what it is.

Back to tagging. In my previous article I forgot to mention that the TAG line is right after the description in each listing. Also, I discovered that if you forgot to log in you won't see the TAG line or the Favorite on anything. So sign up and login before you do anything else. Since booths are free there is absolutely no excuse...except laziness...to get you off your duff and opening a booth. They even go so far as to give you a booth logo if you can't make one for yourself. They also now automatically upload all of your listings to Google Base on a regular schedule. You only need to follow the simple instructions to start it rolling.

Now, another really neat feature on Bonanzle is that each booth owner has direct contact with whoever goes into his booth. Its called Real Time Chat and there is a rather large slot near the top of the booth where buyer and seller can converse in real time....or leave a message. Its all so handy and so unique! These are some of the things that make Bonanzle stand out.

Another is their customer service. Kind of reminds me of Ebay in the old days when you could actually write them and get an answer back from a bonafide human being! I recently had a hard time finding out how I could contact another seller thru his ID. Looked all over and couldn't find it. So, I wrote customer service. Had an answer back in a couple of hours AND they thanked me for bringing it to their attention and will soon make finding ID's easier! Nothing like the interest a small company has and you just can't beat their drive and ambition. I hope they keep at least some of it as they grow because they really are growing.

So....get there...take a look and join in!!

My booth again - ahem - the ad here:

Misspatricia's Booth

My painting for today is a tiny miniature. 2 1/4 X 1 1/2"