Why the eBay Scream?
I wrote the blog post below about a week and half ago. I finally felt like posting it after responding to a blog post over at Senseless Sellers.
Here’s my response to that post on Senseless Seller’s blog.
Can you believe there are “successful” eBay sellers with attitudes like this one? What a complete disgrace to the reputation of what a seller, whether on eBay or anywhere else, should be! Could you imagine walking into Walmart or any other “successful” retailer and having them treat you this way. “Get your facts straight or get out”. What a joke!
It is my belief that those in authority over at eBay AREN’T AS STUPID as 98% of the eBay sellers who recently took a survey posted on the Auctions Bytes newsletter think they are.
I believe eBay is WELL AWARE of eBay sellers like this one and ENGINEERED these new feedback changes to modify seller behavior on their platform and to EXPOSE the frauds masquerading as sellers who won’t change.
Sellers like the one you quote here are going to have an EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME with the new eBay feedback changes!
The attitude they currently harbor toward buyers as revealed in your quote will not die easy. It is ingrained in their belief system and eBay business model and they will be cursing under their breath for a long time.
eBay is shining a light on these sellers and if they don’t LEARN TO LIKE these changes, they will be running like cockroaches for other rocks (selling platforms) to crawl under.
=========My Blog Post====================
The eBay sellers scream-heard-round-the-world is continuing to build to a high pitched whine against new eBay decisions concerning fees and feedback.There is a growing number of anti-eBay comments bemoaning eBay’s right to run it’s business the way they see fit. And here is a petition ON eBay to boycott them in an attempt to “wake eBay decision-makers up” to their evil and haphazardly thrown together fee and feedback decisions specifically designed to run their own company into the ground.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people there are, who with little or no information, have no problem believing themselves to be in the best position to accurately judge the decisions of those with all the information at their fingertips, and whose job depends on successfully leading a company into the future.
I can’t help but think if any one of the eBay sellers now attacking eBay’s latest fee and feedback decisions was SUDDENLY MORPHED INTO the CEO of eBay, paid a $10,000,000 annual salary and given every last bit and byte of eBay marketing data along with the responsibility to perpetuate future eBay growth, otherwise they don’t continue to collect their 10,000,000 salary,
They would make the exact same decision eBay just made.
A snapshot taken in time five years ago of eBay buyer/seller demographics, marketing data and future trends would look completely different from a snapshot taken of eBay today. Why eBay sellers believe eBay should make decisions impacting the future success of their company based upon WHO THEY WERE and what they looked like FIVE YEARS AGO is absolutely beyond me. I wouldn’t be so stupid as to take that approach when making decisions for me and my family.
And let me get this straight. Does eBay’s primary competitor AMAZON, who many online pundits declare is kicking eBay’s butt, have lower seller fees than eBay? They might, I’m not going to do exact comparison “calcs” right now but a quick glance at both company’s fee schedules leads me to believe otherwise.
And does Amazon allow it’s sellers to dole out negatives against the buyers on their platform? Not that I can see. Amazon does permit buyers to write product reviews and rate their satisfaction with sellers…same as eBay.
Then exactly where does this anti eBay scream from sellers emanate from? It emanates from the immediate pain eBay sellers feel from changes they see, from their limited point of view, as negative. An eBay executive could park their butt inside one of these eBay seller’s home for an entire day, lay out all the data and passionately explain why these new fee and feedback decisions will be in the best future interest of the majority of eBay sellers providing superior customer service, but it wouldn’t matter.
All that eBay seller is going to understand is the pain felt from the immediate affect of those decisions and “that is the center” their initial scream will emanate from. The style of their communication will change when their pain subsides.
Like our American judicial system, I make it a practice to give my eBay customers the “benefit of the doubt” when serving them. When, not if, a customer acts in a way I don’t immediately understand I don’t rush to the conclusion they are guilty and out to harm me. I treat eBay that same way and choose to believe the decisions they are paid to make are in my best long term interest even when I don’t immediately understand how or why.
One last thought for those eBay sellers choosing to spend their valuable time, energy and resources getting eBay to “see the light” in what they believe are misguided fee and feedback decisions. This chart showing the internet traffic comparison of eBay verses some other online auction choices I hear eBay sellers saying they are going to give a try is very revealing.
You see that flat line on the bottom of the chart showing the “daily internet traffic reach” these eBay rivals currently have compared to eBay?
That flat line may also soon represent your online business income if you choose to show your auctions on a auction platform with that amount of daily internet traffic to view them.
Just a thought.
Turning a Negative Into A Positive
In a recent AuctionBytes survey question asking whether the new eBay feedback changes will have a positive or negative impact on their business, 98.7 percent of the 1,640 eBay sellers taking the survey responded “negative”.
98.7%… Are you kidding me? 98.7%…
I didn’t take this survey but I will be happy to count myself amongst the whopping 1.3% of survey respondents welcoming the new eBay feedback changes.
Why…It’s simple…I don’t use eBay negative feedback. The ability to leave negative eBay feedback means nothing to me. I haven’t given one negative or neutral feedback in the 5,000 eBay transactions I’ve entered into over the past year and a half, nor have I in the slightest even considered using it. Maybe I should, but I feel no obligation to “alert” my fellow eBay sellers to a rotten eBay buyer.
In my opinion, it shows a lack of professionalism for a seller to say anything bad to a buyer. The onus should always be on the seller to handle difficult transactions, even when they are in the right. The seller is suppose to be the professional in a business transaction not the buyer, they should act like it. When I encounter a difficult buyer I do the following:
- Win the difficult buyer over to my side. The only way a seller can start “learning” how to please a difficult buyer is if their first reaction is not to take the easy way out…..which is going down the path that leads to both sides contemplating leaving a negative. It’s the seller’s responsibility to show some class and take the lead in resolving the issue. If the seller knows in their heart he or she is right and the buyer is not responding to all your efforts to resolve the issue then, in my humble opinion, the wisest course of action is for the seller to simply block that buyer from future auctions, cut their loses to a minimum and move on to concentrating on their next customer. Period…end of story…get over it and get on with it.
- I don’t have accurate data on the percentage of customers I win over to my side but I’m sure it’s the vast majority. Of this I’m sure…no buyer will champion your business more passionately than a buyer whom you have gone out of your way to please. They are walking and talking billboards that will sing your praises every chance they get. But the seller needs to learn and be willing to go the extra mile for that difficult customer. If the seller can’t get past how much their “feelings” have been hurt and how “in the right” they are, they will naturally glide down the path of lashing out with a negative.
- And exactly what benefit does leaving a negative have on the environment I sell in on eBay? Will the ability to leave a negative bring me more customers? Nope, if anything the possibility of a buyer receiving a negative may reduce the size of the clientele willing to walk into my shop. If I’m an eBay newbie buyer, and I’ve run across my share of these, and I’m thinking in the back of my head I might receive a negative if I screw something up, I’m not even stepping into your shop, I’m walking down the street, which by the way is ONE CLICK in the online world, and shopping on Amazon where I’m safe from negatives.
I’ve written enough for today…to be continued.
eBay “Touchy-Feely” Days Are Over
“The elimination of true mutual feedback completely changes the culture of eBay for the worse.”
This is a quote taken from an experienced eBay seller’s newsletter in response to eBay feedback changes announced recently.
This eBay seller, author and entrepreneur is far more experienced with eBay and it’s history than I am and his opinion is one that I value. Is he right? My opinion would take far to long to fully explain so I’ll just say, “Yes and No.” What I do know is that gone are the days an eBay seller can leverage “whether or not” to issue positive eBay feedback based upon how their eBay customer, who has already paid, “treats” them.
And as far as I’m concerned “good riddins”.
Those who have consistently read “My eBay Adventure” will know this policy change in eBay feedback, will have absolutely no effect on the way I run my eBay business. When I became serious about selling on eBay I didn’t need some Head Honcho over at eBay creating a rule forcing me to issue positive feedback to my eBay customers upon their successful payment of one of my products. I did it on my own.
I don’t care if you go back to eBay’s inception when eBay was nothing more than a digital garage sale where buyers and sellers “dickered” to complete a sale.
If you want to hang a shingle outside your front door or on your computer calling yourself a “seller”, OF ANYTHING, I don’t care if it’s a pair of your old smelly socks shot through with holes………….if you decide those smelly socks are worth selling and some buyer comes along, falls in love with your smelly socks, decides to trade his cash for them, and you agree to take that cash, that’s the end of your “leverage”. And it shouldn’t matter whether those smelly socks were purchased at a garage sale in Hicksville USA or at Macey’s Department Store in downtown Manhattan.
You’ve just entered into and concluded a positive business transaction. That’s the cold-hard reality many so-called eBay sellers can’t or won’t “live-up” to.
Another interesting quote from the same newsletter states,
“The touchy-feely eBay is gone forever.”
Yeppur-roonies, “touchy-feely eBay” is gonesville alright! If you’re looking for a “touchy-feely” environment, don’t trade your wares on a 4.7 billion dollar revenue per year Internet conglomerate responsible for a lot more than sustaining a “touchy-feely” atmosphere that doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. They’re also responsible to do everything in their power to return as much profit on the capital shareholders have in good faith traded for stock based upon an eBay financial prospectus. Man….sellers have a hard time letting go of the past, even when that past vanished five years ago.
“completely changes the culture of eBay for the worse.”
I’m not so sure about this. Real change is messy and often the change that most benefits the majority, or should I say the majority carrying 80% of the load, is also the scariest when viewed at first glance because the change is “real change”, not beatin-around-the-bush puffery trying to imitate real change.
I also see that “thoughtful” complaining on eBay forums, in order to retreat to the old comfort zone of the past, is the advice being doled out by some seasoned eBayers. Man, sometimes I try, but I just don’t have the time or the inclination for eBay complaining. I’ll leave that to “expert” eBay complainers.
As for me, I’m a simple person, it’s way to hard for me to hold opposing attitudes in my mind at the same time so I’m ditching the complaining advice and holding the vision of a positive outcome with all my strength. I believe holding that vision, more than investing my valuable time attempting to enlighten a bevy of eBay six-figure suits who spent countless hours weighing and refining these feedback changes, will yield me greater short and long term results. What say you?
eBays New Best Match Search Tool
Hmmmm, this is interesting. Just finished reading a couple of excellent posts over at Auction Insights explaining eBay’s new “Best Match” search option currently being tested in a few select eBay categories.
I highly recommend reading these articles, as if the new “search by relevance” criteria is adopted as the default search method across all categories on eBay, it constitutes a major change significantly effecting both the buying and selling experience on eBay.
If I was a betting man, I’d bet we best get ready for “Best Match”, cause it’s here to stay.
My first thought after reading these articles was, why has eBay taken this long to employ “search by relevance” on it’s site anyway?
It makes sense eBay would want to help potential buyers weed out poor quality auctions, listed by eBay sellers with low ratings in key customer service areas. Sorting auctions solely by “time left in auction” seems pre-historic when compared to a weighted “search by relevance” method used by Internet companies such as Google.
True, eBay customers are not only the buyers who browse their marketplace looking for the best item from the best seller, but also sellers, like me who list these auctions for buyers. Talk about trying to please everyone at the same time….equally…“fa-get-ta-bout-it”!
I think eBay is right on by envisioning a buyer experience that helps them find the best item from the best seller in the shortest amount of time. And I’m all for eBay rewarding sellers who have consistently proven over time that they serve their customers well. That’s right up my alley.
I can already hear the “scream-heard-round-the-world” building to a crescendo in the eBay community.
It may be that eBay is not dumb and has already taken into account this inevitable scream and is willing to part with a certain percentage of their sellers. In fact, who knows maybe eBay WANTS to drive off some of their “headache” sellers, who do nothing but complain on their forums, to lesser auction sites. I wouldn’t doubt it at all. Sometimes it’s better in the long run, to bite the bullet and part company with consistent complainers.
The bottom line for eBay or for any business large or small, is to stay in business so that it can serve their customers. If eBay’s new “Best Match” search tool helps them to make money and stay in business I’m all for it.
Package With Care
It’s a good thing all my packages are A.V.T. You never know when Ace will be delivering your packages.
Hi,
I received the Coffee press today, and it was a good thing that you did such a good job of packaging it because 1/4 of the shipping carton had been crushed during transit! I’m sure that if you hadn’t used a sufficient quantity of cushioning material then the glass carafe would have been broken for sure! Thanks very much for your excellent packaging job!!!
Searching For Bobby Fischer
I’m no collector but if I was I would be on eBay searching for Bobby Fischer. It’s a sad commentary but death does wonders for the value of collectibles.
I was no fan of Bobby Fischer’s politics or his wacky view of the world, but a part of me died when I heard the news he passed away this past Thursday. It seems like yesterday I was glued to news reports coming out of ReykjavÃk, Iceland telling about his world chess championship match with Boris Spassky back in July of 1972.
Relations were tense as the the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union was still being fought. The Soviets dominated Ice Hockey in the Olympics and they had dominated world chess for the previous 25 years.
When Fischer beat Spassky I was proud as a peacock an American had beat the reigning Soviet Chess Champion and was inspired by Fischer’s brash “take on the world” attitude. But Fischer became an anti-hero of mine over the next 35 years and a reminder that pride can make even the most intelligent people look really stupid.
Taking Notes on ebay Products
Since I lost half my eBay business I’ve been looking for new products to sell on eBay.
Here in South Bend Indiana two huge Pep Boy auto parts and service stores went out of business. I was hoping to purchase some of their inventory at the kind of liquidation pricing I received from Radio Shack back in the summer of 2006. However Pep Boys sold their entire inventory right after the New Year, probably to some huge liquidation house. Pep Boys had hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars worth of merchandise in just their two stores here in South Bend.
Tomorrow I’m going over to our local Notre Dame outlet store. I’ve already talked with the manager and he is allowing me to take some notes on the products they carry. The owner of the store won’t be in for a few weeks. When he does come in I’ll see if I can work out a win-win for both of us. I’d like to carry Notre Dame products on eBay since they are products unique my area and have an appeal to buyers located over the entire country.
I’ll take as many notes as possible on these Notre Dame products, come home plug the information into Terapeak and find out if any of these items are profitable on ebay.
I’m also heading over to the estate sale I did some preliminary research on Terapeak.
