ALL BIDDER'S IDS WILL SOON BE HIDDEN

[bits-n-pieces]

If this isn't the stupidist move ever on ebay's part, it certainly ranks right up there in the top 3 or 4!!!!

Ebay's solution to fake second chance offers was to make bidder's ids hidden once the bidding hit $200. So typical - a worse fix than the problem. The simple, straightforward, common sense solution would have been to get rid of the second chance offer feature........but no.....ebay prefers to fiddle.

Well now, they are so pleased with the results of that fiasco, they are going to extend the policy. PAY ATTENTION - THIS WILL BECOME A SHILLER'S PARADISE - JUST ANOTHER BACK WALL AUCTION HOUSE......ebay has announced that they will extend the r**g format to ALL bidders. Only the seller will be able to see the real ids.

Ebay already has a lousy reputation for policing fake goods, bogus listings and weeding out the small number of dishonest sellers, so now they want us to believe that they can control hidden shilling! Give me a break!

This will only further erode the lack of buyer confidence. A bidder may venture to go a couple of increments above the opening price, but will think twice about getting involved if the price starts to climb. This will surely result in much lower prices for sellers.

This latest insult to seller will do more to damage the businesses of auction style sellers than the fee increases, no feedback for buyers or default best match search garbage that they are rolling out.

I find it hard to believe that tptb are so stupid that they don't realize that hidding all bidders will depress prices. It is more likely that this move is calculated as part of a larger plan. I firmly believe that ebay is positioning to get rid of auctions entirely and force sellers to list at fixed price with shipping either included or required to be input in their fields.

I realize that there are lots of new goods sellers who likely won't be affected by this because they sell fixed price already. This is going to damage the dealers in antiques, collectables and curiosities the most. We are the bunch that made ebay, but now I fear we are just a bother and we will be eliminated, one way or the other.

[tea_past_times]

Well, as I understand It, from reading various online sources, it is the Plan of Ebay's new management to eventually eliminate the auction portion of their business. They have their eyes firmly focused on becoming another Amazon.
The whole business of running auctions has become to much of a burden for them to administrate and they wish to eliminate 80% of their seller base in favour of super sized sellers with hundreds of thousands of fixed price listings.
Expect to hear this time next year that Ebay will no longer offer the Auction format on their site. If you still care to be involved at that point, you will need a minimum of 20,000 fixed price listings to get noticed in search results.
They are definitley trying to rid the site of the auction format and small business people. The hidden bidder Id move will greatly reduce the public's interest in the auction format.
It's all about transition. They want your dollars now, to assist them in where they are heading. Eventually though if you want to offer an online auction you will have to go elsewhere. Too bad. I loved the auction aspect.

[tea_past_times]

Of couse once the auction format is gone, you will have to list starting at the price you actally want, which will result in higher fees for Ebay. They also get the large increase in Final Value Fees. They get you coming and going.

For example I'm going to list 300 auctions starting at 99 cents this month. That will cost me $45.00.

When auction format is eliminated all together, those listings could cost me as much as $300.00, just to list and never mind the final value fees.

Auction format with a low start price doesn't make them what they feel is enough money, so they are going to rig the site to get you twice with fees every time.

[tea_past_times]

I know, I know, don't be paranoid, but if I told you at Christmas that they were taking away your feedback priveledges, would you have believed it??

[tea_past_times]

Fewer sellers = Fewer Employees needed. Much easier to administrate 200-500 Super Sellers than millions of tiny sellers. And of course as the changes take effect, less of a need for pinks. For example when 80% of the people who post here have lost their powerseller status, will we still need a pink to answer questions??

[tea_past_times]

By 2010, they should be able to get all the existing Powersellers in one room for Ebay Live.

[tea_past_times]

Well back to my going out of business sale.....:_|

[craftycatsattic]

I'm actually not that unhappy about hidden bidder ID's. Several sellers in my category have been running private auctions in the last year because other sellers or buyers were contacting our losing bidders and offering duplicates or illegal copies since what we sell is printed matter.

I can't disagree though that it does take the fun out of bidding and raises some questions about shill bidding.

As for the elimination of auction format listings, I guess I will have to do some reasearch as this is the first time I've heard wind of this. I have been poising for a change back into the work force anyway once the last of my children gets into the school system but have enough inventory to keep me going for a couple of years so that news is certainly unsettling.

[recped]

Contrary to the rumour mill eBay are not trying to eliminate auction listings but they are trying to increase the fixed price side of things.

[craftycatsattic]

Thanks for the clarification. Where on earth do you guys find all this info?

About fixed price listings... This Christmas when eBay ran the listing promo I experimented with a lot of fixed price listings and when I looked at the numbers, my sales increased significantly because of them. Sure they don't sell at the same rate as auction items but then if you're like most of us starting low to entice bidders, you're probably winning on a select amount of auctions and breaking even or losing on others. The new fee structure is definately making it more enticing to do fixed price listings on items $20 and up. You get more exposure and pay less total fees if the item sells.

[tea_past_times]

The article I read. quoted The CEO as having said he wanted to "move away" from the auction format. I just figured that after he had moved away, he'd eliminate the feature down the road, when it's financially feasible to do so.

[tea_past_times]

Once he had established his new site Ebamazon.

[tea_past_times]

Right now he's too busy re-arranging the "FLEAMARKET" and hiding from the "NOISE" (Two things he has also said about Ebay and it's sellers.)

[tea_past_times]

Thanks for the clarification. Where on earth do you guys find all this info?...


Actually I have to give credit to Ebay for knowing where to go for information about the company. You see, during the recent sellers strike, their board monitors, were busy tossing comments out of their chat boards and suspending sellers who dared to discuss it.

During that time I found that there ARE other places on the web where Ebay Powersellers can and do gather to openly and honestly discuss the issues, without interference and censorship.

I also learned about 15 other sites that offer online auctions too.

I learned about Ebay Stock Prices, and who in the company has sold their shares recently.

Once I had a week to explore I discovered that most meaningful information about Ebay is best discovered off the site itself.

If you want some great links, email me, cause if I post them here, Big Brother will delete.

[tea_past_times]

"You never learn how big the world is, until you get kicked out of the house for awhile"

Phil - 2008