Thoughts on eBay policy

[robertsloan2]

If the problem is that traffic is declining, the way to reverse it for real would be the opposite of what they're doing. Not by making it easier to search for established old-timer Power Sellers who already know about it. Give listing discounts and increased visibility to the newest New Sellers. Once there, once involved in the communities, it's

Comments

[robertsloan2]

Yes. I think the reverse -- putting the newest sellers right on top, would encourage new members and get them through their startup faster. Which puts money in their pocket to spend that they'll probably dump right there on someone else's auction.

The auction listings showing up by what closes soonest when I search on a category makes it convenient. But if even at closing my auctions aren't ever on the front page, what good are the high eBay fees? I'll have to see what actually happens after these changes to tell whether it's even cost effective to stick around. I'm not thinking it'd be a good idea to buy 49 more items in order to crawl out of the "under 100 feedback" category if I get crushed too far under the power sellers.

In a live interview, a power seller was so outraged by the final value fee raises that he was completely unmoved and unimpressed by the increased visibility. Power sellers looking at the bottom line are going to get bit hard by that increase, so the changes as a whole aren't helping them either.

There was some confusing bait and switch language in the descriptions, all the nasty things like "sellers can't give negative feedback to buyers" or the discounts only to high power sellers but increased fees all round, take careful reading of the whole thing. There was bait out at the top and then a lot of obfuscating language. Lower fees were straightforward "lower fees" and raised fees were "adjustments" and other BS.

I also don't like the way one of the officials laughed at the strikers either, it's put me off nearly as much as the rest of it to hear his attitude.