Wednesday, August 20, 2008

eBay's Price Changes Irk Sellers

eBay, one of the largest auction sites around, has (once again) irked its customer base by tweaking its payment plans, including the phasing out the use of check and money orders.

The move, the company said, is meant to make it cheaper to list direct-sale items. That's a turn for the online auction site, which made its name by enabling regular folks to set up auctions for their items.

That has irked some long-time sellers, who perceive the move as more of a business decision to compete with Amazon than one aimed to help the very customers who turned auctions into an online phenomenon.

While it may be true that eBay is moving more towards an Amazon-like experience, the reality say some analysts believe that customers want just that.

Fixed-price sales accounted for 43% of the total value of good's sold on eBay in the last quarter and are growing at 60% a year, making fixed-price the fastest growing part of the company's business. The listing fee changes announced on Wednesday were expected to accelerate the shift toward eBay's fixed-price business.

Posted By Brad at 03:24 PM
Permanent Link: eBay's Price Changes Irk Sellers | Comments (1)

(1) Comments on eBay's Price Changes Irk Sellers

I do not care if Ebay wants to make things more friendly to fixed-price sellers, but why does that need to happen at the expense of folks who want to list true auctions? Almost ALL of my customers prefer the auction format, as they feel it gives them a better opportunity to get a good deal, at the expense of waiting a few extra days. And even on a regular auction, sellers can offer the buy now format simultaneously. So I ask again, why does Ebay feel compelled to punish those who sell on the auction format, the format that BUILT Ebay ?

Comments by Andy : Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 06:47 AM

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