Hi,
Through various observations, I have found that increasingly it seems that eBay is becoming an non-international (potentially american-only) venture with it becoming only a luxury-venture for anyone else in any other countries. Consider:
1. Shipment costs are making eBay undesirable for most international buying, causing certain countries to have an advantage over others. There is no efforts by eBay to level the playing field or use its corporate influence to encourage shipping companies to provide preferential rates for eBay shipments. eBay could elicit more purchases if shipping costs were easier to deal with, therefore more revenue for shipping companies instead of relying on fewer higher-cost shipments. This is further frustrated by shipping processes like the GSP that only drive up the average shipping cost due to the nature of the programme.
2. Given that eBay is an American company, it seems that almost all of eBay's mechanisms are derived from American business practice, this often results in information that should be declared not being declared (e.g. itemizations), taxation numbers being not declared, etc. eBay however attempts to cover this fact up by creating policy, contracts and terms that make an illusion that it is its own ecosystem separate from the actual world around it.
3. Accross-the-globe shipments are almost no longer covered under eBay buyer protection for accross the globe shipments given the now very narrow claim times, given that it's almost obligatory to open a claim right after the estimated shipment time and not a day later. eBay should instead scale the time based on shipping distance and provide 60 days for Asia-to-Canada and 30 for Canada-to-Canada.
4. eBay is making the shopping experience on the international sites (e.g. .ca) an exercise in Caveat emptor (Buyer Beware) given that seemingly things are less accurate including shipping costs and exchange rates on the International sites than the .com (US) site when in reality, all sites should have all features rolled out at once if eBay was truly an international marketplace.
5. eBay has erected forums like these that are very un-international and requires you to manually go over to "the other sites" to talk to sellers (or buyers) in other countries. This is again not a sign of an international marketplace. Instead there should be centralized forums with perhaps each country getting its own section where it's open to go talk "in general" to everyone regardless of country who can speak english, etc, but not each "site" having its own forums. eBay further makes really no attempt to make the fact communities even exist outside of a minor footnote, meaning only mostly major eBayers know about the forums.
So yes, it seems like eBay hasn't vested an interest in making itself an international marketplace where people can actually enjoy the experience and experience a thrill, but rather a caveat emptor marketplace where borders are very thick and difficult to manuver, not vesting resources in convincing shipping companies and governments that there's better ways. Where most small items are "look but not touch" from other countries if "Free shipping" is off the table. eBay has grossly complicated logistics and continues to frustrate both buyers and sellers. I fear that this trend will continue and international sales except from Asia will decline.
I know I am biting the hand that feeds me in this thread, but ultimately I fear for eBay's future as policy become tighter and more restrictive along with complications to the point buyers will no longer know what's going on anymore and will require lawyers to interpret the goings on while sellers will get dinged as well in confusion of why they have all of these worried buyers talking to them about this, that and the other.
eBay policy needs more simplicity, not complication.
Disclaimer:
This thread mentions the GSP but is not a GSP-only commentary or question, it is not something that can be lumped into the GSP Comment Thread.
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