Ebay considering Ending Auction format?

soolin

Irn-Bru-Kid wrote: »

Don't you think things might change at ebid if they were the only site to offer an auction format for sellers?

They have missed every single other opportunity and seem incapable of attracting buyers so I doubt sellers would turn to them. I've only ever sold a few items on ebid in the 10 years or so I have been listing there and all of those were BIN.

techspec wrote: »

Ebay have just asked me how i would feel if they stopped using auctions - and everything on Ebay was BIN.

I would feel PEEVED - you arrogant money mad muppets - thats the only reason i use EBAY instead of Amazon :mad:

I had that question in a survey a couple of years back now and I did get worried. 95% of my business listings are BIN but the few auction items I list are because I have no idea of price and want the market to find itself.

Mind you, they are just about to put up the listing fee for auction style items for business sellers almost back to the level I was paying when I first joined ebay.

RFW

Irn-Bru-Kid wrote: »

Don't you think things might change at ebid if they were the only site to offer an auction format for sellers?

As Soolin says they're either no good at 'catching the boat' or they just don't want to. Plus there are plenty of other sites with auctions.
Ebay may try again at splitting their site more, but after the failure of Ebay Express they'd have to pitch it right.

I have a vague recollection of answering a similar survey a while back, perhaps they keep asking to check on the percentages and see if there is a significant difference.

pikachu_bumface

Seriously? What's the point of ebay if there are no auctions?

My items generally sell higher on auction than BIN - I think people get carried away but there no way I would charge the final selling price s a BIN - some go for twice what I would have put as a BIN.

If everything was BIN what's to differentiate ebay from Amazon and Play? Although, some people think that is what they want from the site.

campdave

As a seller, I'd welcome it, as it would stop pretend private sellers flooding the listings with their free items they get every other weekend and per month.

As a buyer, I've got some good prices for things using auctions, so it would be a shame.

steveE2

soolin wrote: »

Mind you, they are just about to put up the listing fee for auction style items for business sellers almost back to the level I was paying when I first joined ebay.

Soolin although the listing fee is increasing to 30p without a shop this will cover all start prices over £1

soolin

steveE2 wrote: »

Soolin although the listing fee is increasing to 30p without a shop this will cover all start prices over £1

The majority of my auctions start at £4.99 or less , if I have a high end item I often do a BIN with best offer and play around with the costs until I get a bite.

elsien

As a buyer I buy both BIN and auction, depending on what it is and how quickly I need it.
As a seller it's pretty much all auction as most of the stuff I sell is small competition wins that I'd have no idea how much to BIN for. It's stuff I want to get rid of fairly quickly but at the best price I can get for it, and is sometimes stuff that I can't work out a BIN for as there aren't any relevant completed listings.

keaton

I'd hate it if eBay went only buy it now, that's what sets them apart from everyone else, its more fun to see bidding on your auction than setting a price.

I think most people enjoy to bid on the rarer or unique stuff too, thinking that they might get a bargain.

charlies_mum

I have two accounts, one selling new stock on BIN and one selling collectables by auction. There is no way I could put the collectables as BIN as sometimes I have no idea what they are worth.

Goldiegirl

I buy new things that I NEED by BIN.

But I enjoy auctions for discretionary purchases, like a collectable or a dress I might not need, but that I like.

Also, I sell my stuff by auction. It's stuff I no longer need, or stuff that's been in my loft since 1976. I'm not selling for an income, I'm selling for a little extra money and the fun of seeing how far the auction will go.

In spite of all the angst on the boards, for some of us there is still an element of fun and entertainment on eBay.

Taking away auctions, would take away the fun.

Buy I suppose the cynical answer would be that eBay don't want anyone to have fun anymore