How does everyone feel about this "Best Match" Feature?

[gifts_of_elegance]

I hate it! I noticed my listing that ends in 4 hours is shown AFTER listing that ends in 18 hours!! I sell authentic Swarovski items, made by Swarovski and bearing the swan logo yet fake items that are posted as "Swarovski" (only resemblance is it sparkles too) take precedent as "Best Match" over my authentic items. I also noticed that many auctions that end within a minute are down at the bottom of the list, preceded by listings that have hours to go.
I can understand eBay feeling the need to "reward" their best customers and I have no problem with them showering them with gifts or other perks, but not at the expense of other sellers. We all pay the same for a listing and it makes no difference if we sell one 99 cent widget a month or a dozen million dollar items, we all deserve to have our products marketed equally. History has shown that such practices of favoritism is an invitation for corruption (kick backs, protection money, extortion) and limits freedom of expression from the little guy trying to make a living.

[whoscloset]

I'm actually happy with Best Match...but not for the reason you'd expect. The funniest thing has occurred since ebay instituted the new Best Match system.

My monthly DSR is rarely above 4.5 for shipping costs. I actually subsidize the shipping charges because in order to operate effectively from Canada shipping to the U.S. I HAVE to use UPS rather than the postal system. If I didn't things would take up to 12 weeks to arrive thanks to customs. Since I am being disadvantaged in search due to the low monthly DSR I stopped listing heavily in core. Not much sense in doing so if I'm just going to be showing up on page 6 of the search.

Well, people are still finding my products and when they do they are purchasing...yet my ebay fees have dropped DRAMATICALLY because I'm not spending very much on core listing fees. The end result is that while my gross sales are down about 20% my net profit has increased by about 50%...and I have the added benefit of only forking over 1/2 what I was before to ebay at the end of every month.

Adapt and overcome. 😉

[futuretech_liquidations]

BEST MATCH is illegal and totally unethical business practices as the buying should be left upto the buyer and not eBaY to dictate whom a buyer should buy from.

So much for a FREE MARKET and a level playing field when they are redirecting traffic to whom they want to get the business and hiding other sellers listing deep down in the search results.

No mater how they try to paint the story about protecting buyers -- blah blah blah -- all BEST MATCH is a means for eBaY to have even more control over your business - if revenue is down and they need a surge its very easy for them to FEED BUSINESS to who they see fit - and I am willing to wager they are doing it buy the hour if not more often.

See what your sales will be in July when all the new rulees go into full effect.

[dipmicro]

BEST MATCH is illegal and totally unethical business practices

Sorry to disapoint, but retail chains have been doing this for hundreed years. Scratch their back and your product is on the eye-level shelf, otherwise it may end-up in the bottom shelf. Perhaps you pay same commission as guy who is on the eye-level, you just may be not selling that much or your product is cheaper (= lower commision, same shelf space) or you want your payment up front and the guy on eye-level agreed to pay-after-sells.

eBay only agreed to list the listing and did not guarantee any particular position. I do not want to defend eBay, but I do not want to live in a society, where the store owner would have regulations from the government where he can and cannot place particular products on his own shelfs.

[futuretech_liquidations]

First off, ebay is not a STORE per see it is merely a online marketplace were anyone can list and sell their item and each person is responsible for the ad contents, and merchandise being offered - ebay does not warranty or sell anything itself nor makes any warranties whatsoever - they are merely a facilitator for the transaction between a buyer and a seller.

Whereas a traditional brick and mortar store owner actually sells items they purchase for resale - ebay does not buy your inventory and then sells it and then take a commission and send you the balance - do they?

If you just think about it in more detaill and read between the BS advertising they release about why and how BEST MATCH will work you will notice that the capabilities that they have with BEST MATCH will enable them to do more that they are telling us at this point in time - sure they say it is for good purposes only, too weed out bad sellers, etc. However what they do not want you to know is that they can now CONTROL who and what a BUYER see's when searching their site.

As a seller we all pay the same fees for listing an item what eBaY is saying is - sure you can list your item and you can pay the same as everyone else however we reserve the right to DICTATE AND CONTROL your listing as we see fit based on whatever criteria's we feel like using.

How would you react if you went into your favorite department store to buy and item and they only allowed you to shop in certain areas of the store and all the areas you shopped in just happened to be more expensive products.

Given the capabilities built into BEST MATCH don't you think that eBaY would not use it to their benefit - they would be stupid not too and we all know they are a very very greedy company just look at their history.

Anyhow, just my two cents worth - time will only tell, I was just curious as to what others thought about BEST MATCH.

[recped]

BEST MATCH is illegal and totally unethical business practices

Get a grip on reality! Best Match is neither of the above and no different than if you selected "Highest Price" as your search result sort.

Given the capabilities built into BEST MATCH don't you think that eBaY would not use it to their benefit

Their benefit is to increase sell-thru, if it works can you tell me how this hurts sellers?

we all know they are a very very greedy company

Because they wish to make as much profit as possible? I suppose you're here for the entertainment value.

[gifts_of_elegance]

dipmicro: Store owners purchase products to sell and I agree,they have the right to position it any way they want. When we list on eBay, we are not buying a product, we are paying for a service and we are entitled to the same service as everyone else.

[dipmicro]

We need to realize few things:

eBay is a business and not a charity. Every business will do what they think would make profit. No customer should tell them how to run their business.

however we reserve the right to DICTATE AND CONTROL your listing

Exactly. Would you like someone dictate you how to arrange your own website? Say you sell the advertising space on your website for flat rate, would you like the customers to tell you when and for how long their advertisement should be showing?

How would you react if you went into your favorite department store to buy and item and they only allowed you to shop in certain areas of the store and all the areas you shopped in just happened to be more expensive products.

It's their right to do that and it's my right to either accept it or leave and not come back. Department store is a private property and I am coming there voluntarily.

[coxengines]

"Either you are in the kitchen or you are not!"

Monique has "gotten it" and I truly applaud her for her insight and pro-active attitude.

Not only for adapting, but for actually using perceived "-" to her advantage and creating a "+" for herself.

Go girl, keep it it up!

Bernie
(Xena's real-life side-kick)

[dipmicro]

we are entitled to the same service as everyone else

Where is the entitlement from? Seriously, I am curious.

[recped]

It's in section 8342 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms!;-)

[dipmicro]

Wow, so many sections!!! I wonder how many other rights do we have from sections 8341 and 8343. Any section talking about our right for free money and spoils from the government? Boy, I could use that right.

[gifts_of_elegance]

recped: When I select "Highest Price" that is my option. But eBay is not making "Best Match" an option, it is the one that automatically pops up and it is not fair. Each listing has an ending and the item ending soonest should be on top, not at the bottom of the page after listings that end 18 hours later. This is not only giving preferential treatment to a select few but reducing the chance for a sale which means that the seller will have to pay to list the item again, and again, and again......Yes, this "Best Match" is a very profitable tool for eBay. I have never protested any fees that eBay has charged. I realize that every business is an undertaking for gain or profit but each customer is entitled to the same service.
EBay wants to "level the playing field"? They certainly are. My sales this month is only 10% of what I usually sell and the last couple of months have not been spectacular either. The favorites will flourish while the "unfavored" will fall to the side or seek greener pastures.

[gifts_of_elegance]

Monique: You got the right attitude and I applaud you for sharing it with us. I will be following in your footsteps.

[recped]

This is not only giving preferential treatment to a select few but reducing the chance for a sale which means that the seller will have to pay to list the item again, and again, and again

You don't understand, it's reducing YOUR chance of a sale while at the same time it's increasing someone else's chance of a sale.

Your task is to find a way for YOUR listings to gain the advantage.

The favorites will flourish while the "unfavored" will fall to the side or seek greener pastures.

But the "favourites" are just the ones with the best buyer satisfaction (service and price) and the knowledge to tweak their listings to attain the best ranking.

The ultimate end point will be if Best Match increases overall sales, if it does it's here to stay, if it doesn't it will fade away. It's far too early to know the answer but I can assure you that the eBay bean counters are trying to determine the answer.

[grandmotherwind]

I am appalled at the whole thing.After almost 10 years I am considering bailing out completely over this "BEST MATCH" thing.I went in and checked out the "WINNERS" of the "BEST MATCH" listings in my core catagory and at the very top...the alleged BEST match I found an Australian business with LOWER feedback ratings across the board.They also had 11 negative feedback in the past month.They also had a very high shipping cost in comparison to most of us who are eating some of the shipping cost in order to survive this farse.Can anyone explain HOW this business became the BEST match from any standpoint?
This whole thing is completely bogus

[pierrelebel]

"How does everyone feel about this "Best Match" Feature? "

I like it, I really do

Why? Because I find my listings consistently being advantaged. They find their weay closer to the top at the expense of other listings closing earlier.

What is there not to like? ;-) .

[gifts_of_elegance]

Happy to hear that there is one person on this board that is benefiting. Congratulations Pierre on your success!

[coxengines]

"Best Match" is awwwwsome!!!

As in any form of advertising, it is up to the creator of such to find ways to attract the required attention.

"Best Match" is no different. My hubby spent days researching the algorithm (in regards to keywords, etc) and we have made it work for us.

Just did a search on .ca with the typical keyword buyers would use.

Our 34 listings in that category show up first (with no one else in between), all of our auctions ending in 1 to 6 days. Only after our listings do others show up (some with hours to go).

On .com it's not that stellar but our listings consistently show up before others that end earlier.

So, again, do I like "Best Match"?:-D

Xena

[gifts_of_elegance]

Congratulations to you too xenalook! I am not that lucky. I have typed in "Swarovski Necklace" (what else would you type in if looking for a Swarovski Necklace?) and two out of three that I have listed came up 2,766th and 2,767th out of 4,669 listings. Time left is 2 hours and 56 minutes so its a sure bet that it won't make it anywhere near top before it expires.
But its all irrelevant. Seems the general population is very happy with "Best Match". I wish them and eBay continous success.