How should Ebay progress in the future?

goodfella66

I've just read the following article:

http://www.tamebay.com/2009/04/why-cant-ebay-be-more-like-amazon.html

I have to say I agree with all points on it & would love to see Ebay action them but no doubt they will take a different path. The implementation of a shopping basket & cancel before despatch would be controversial but, as a full-time seller, I have no problem with this as long as the feedback issue mentioned is implemented. It would also make sellers despatch a lot quicker.

I also fully agree with the auction side losing it's appeal. Some of the CDs I sell are flooded with 99p auctions now they are free but buyers would still sooner buy a £2.99 CD from myself rather than wait for an auction to end. As a buyer, I also do the same thing myself...it's been a while since I last bid on an auction. There is no doubt still a market for auctions on rare collectable items but I do feel the flood of 99p auctions on non-rare items are killing the format off as the "thrill of the bid" is no longer there!

What does anyone else think?

sunnysea83

I dont like amazon so wouldnt want it to be like amazon. Ebay is an auction site and i think getting rid of the bidding in favour of buy it now is a bad idea, i very rarely buy buy it now, i would rather bid for an item and if it gets to around the same as thelowest buy it now i will buy the buy it now instead.

I very rarely list anything buy it now, when i have they very rarely sell so i list them as an auction and they go for twice the price sometimes more.

Ebay is an auction site hence not having a shopping cart, if someone wants go use a site with a shopping cart then they shouldnt be using ebay.

If buyers didnt like the way ebay worked why does ebay have so many users?

I personally think ebays biggest flaw is sellers not being able to leave non payers who have received a non paying bidder strike negative feedback fro not paying and to warn other sellers.

StaffsSW

eBay is reacting to the changing needs of the market place - more people are expecting quick gratification, hence the focus on BIN and soon there will be a push on classified ads - the spanish site has had some good success with testing how classifieds that are grouped in with normal search results.

There is also a growing tendancy for people to search for very specific terms - like Nikon Coolpix, or Kings of Leon CD, so do not be surprised to see in the future a new landing page for product searches. This will have reviews, full manufacturers description and a selection of items available from new, refurbed, pre-owned auction and BIN.

I also expect another major overhaul of feedback, and in some ways, it may vanish as we know it altogether...

goodfella66

stevew8975 wrote: »

I also expect another major overhaul of feedback, and in some ways, it may vanish as we know it altogether...

I've seen test screens where the feedback numbers have disappeared altogether & there are certain traits (eg. reliability of seller etc) which are rated as good, very good etc. Considering that feedback is universally thought as being the main reason for Ebay's initial success, I'm not sure that that would be a good idea!

TurkishDelight

As a buyer I despise Amazon.

Some of us are not so stupid that we need to have things "simplified" for us.

glitter123

For me the new 10% FVF now makes me think twice about listing on ebay. Add to this the paypal fee and it often isnt worth the effort.

chja

I use both eBay and Amazon and both have their benefits and drawbacks.

Amazon is great if you want to list something at a "full" price, but are prepared to wait for it to sell. It doesn't cost to list, and now you don't have the pain of the listing expiring, you canjust put it up there and wait.

However, Amazon fees are very high for private sellers and you have to accept the postage credit that they give. It is also not so good for books and CD's now that Amazon themselves provide free shipping if over £5.

eBay is great if you want a quick win and are prepared to accept the possibility of taking a lower price than you might otherwise get. Its also great for listing "junk", now you can list for free and auto re-list if it does not sell. The fact that you can set your own postage means that you can at least cover your postal costs.

sunnysea83

The 10% fee and then the paypal fee on top really annoys me with ebay at the moment, ive been listing things at 99p just because i dont want ebay to get a fortune for my listings and i dont want to fill their greed. Shame there isnt another popular auction site

StaffsSW

sunnysea83 wrote: »

The 10% fee and then the paypal fee on top really annoys me with ebay at the moment, ive been listing things at 99p just because i dont want ebay to get a fortune for my listings and i dont want to fill their greed. Shame there isnt another popular auction site

Given that there are a lot more restrictions on who can sell on Amazon, and only certain sellers are allowed to sell in various categories, coupled with 18% fees, ebay looks very favourable in comparison.

There are plenty of other auction sites, but they do not get the traffic, and therfore buyers with the spending power, that ebay achieves.

vangirl_2

It would be a real shame for Ebay to become more like Amazon. I have spent many a bored Sunday afternoon trawling for stuff I dont need and have made lots of money from others doing the same.

I also think that the customer service you get on Ebay is much better. Amazon sellers seem to take much longer to despatch stuff and you rarley get any communication other than an automated response.

As for the shopping basket, how long do you really need to decide if you want something or not, people arent stupid. I have only ever had one person wanting to cancel a transaction. Why complicate matters more?

StaffsSW

The shopping basket is ideal if you want to buy from a few sellers at the same time - select all your items, then just send one payment, so it's easier for the buyer.

Anything that makes it easier for buyers to spend money gets my vote.