ebay may look alot different by this time next year. If you watch any of the business channels on t.v. at all you may have seen some stories just in the last week or so about Ebay troubles. Alot of analysts seem to think that with Ebay will be totally dominated by the "Buy It Now" listings and that fewer actual auctions will be taking place. I couldn't find any numbers online that break down Ebay's selling, but I think I remember a reporter on CNBC saying that something like 54% of the active listings on Ebay are BIN items.
I joined Ebay way back when it was in it's infancy so I've seen it evolve into what it is today. The new policies they've enacted may seal their fate as an online auction leader. In the last few years Ebay has tended to alienate the sellers that got them to where they are today. Their latest fee hikes have chased a lot of sellers I know away, and their dispute resolution that favors the buyer a clear majority of the time has also. When a buyer can file a claim against you weeks after an auction ends, get their money back and keep the merchandise...something is just wrong with that. I talked to a guy last night at the bar I was at about ebay and discovered that he has over 10 different screen names he uses on ebay. He also proudly talked about how he had bought some accessories for a guitar on Ebay ,didn't like them , so he filed a claim with Ebay/PAYPAL to get his money back....after he had left positive feedback for the seller. Ebay sided with him and he got his money back- 31 days after the auction had already closed. My brother sold a woman some Crown Royal bags and she filed a complaint against my brother 45 days after the fact...she got her money back and got to keep the bags.....the next day when I went to check her account she was no longer a registered user of Ebay. Imagine waking up on a monday checking your bank account out and seeing that Ebay/PAYPAL has withdrawn money from which then caused overdraws to occur and bank penalties as well. a minor transaction on Ebay ended up costing my brother around $80-$100 in penaltiesand fees. I think sellers need to realize that there is a culture of this type of buyer behavior developing on Ebay and it makes me sick to see it. The woman who filed the claim never responded to PAYPAL nor did she answer any emails pertaining to it from my brother. After about 20 days he stopped getting the messages about PAYPAL waiting for the "other party to reply" and they simply withdrew the $$ from his bank account the next monday without telling him. They then deemd the "Case Closed". Ebay wouldn't even talk to my brother on the phone about the situation either. With their employee base cut in half just in the last 2 years I guess they don't have the people to answer phones now ?? If this doesn't scare you as a seller I don't know what would about Ebay. they basically dissed a charter member who had faithfully bought and sold on their site since it became Ebay back in the mid 90's. Funny Ebay has the time to call my cell phone and leave messages about their latest offers though.
