SELL NOW: Canadian Demand Roars Into 2004

[carly@ebay.com]

Unlike most retail businesses, buying on eBay grows after the New Year. Heading into 2004, we’re already seeing huge growth in demand that is outpacing supply on the site. And much of this demand is coming from Buyers in Canada. There’s no customer like the one right around the corner!

What does that mean for you? If you’re new to selling, there’s no better time to start than now. And if you’re an experienced Seller, get your hands on more merchandise because people are lining up to buy!

And don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is coming soon. So stock up on anything to do with love and you’re sure to sell.

Here are some categories that are really hot this Winter:

· Watches
· Diamond Rings
· Fur Coats
· Sunglasses
· Lingerie
· Handbags
· Kitchen Appliances
· Vacuums
· Cell Phones
· Digital Cameras
· Video Games
· MP3 Players
· DVDs
· Laptops
· Routers
· Skis & Snowboards
· Hockey Gear
· Vintage Jerseys
· Cars & Trucks
· Wheels & Tires

Don’t miss out on this surge in Buyers on the site. Good luck selling!

eBay Canada Team

[eserafini]

I agree with all of you on this.

When I saw the thread and OP, I couldn't believe my eyes because it really looks as if eBay.ca is trying to promote business in areas where the buyers are simply not there.

I would really like to see the numbers, numbers usually speak volumes in comparison to the above OP.

It seems to me that pink time could be put to better use.

Elaine

[amberwoodottawa]

This has been posted for 2 full days and no removal or no comment from eBay.
They arent winning any brownie points, the more people that see this in their face every day.

[systemagic]

My heart goes out to you Carly. You’ve made a first tentative posting, trying to be conservative with simple company-sanctioned marketing, and we’re all over you like a bunch of rabid animals. A little more consideration might have been better received however. I don’t think there are many people “New to Selling” on the PS board.

The first three items on your winter “hot” list are Watches, Diamond Rings, and Fur Coats. I took the time to run an analysis of the most recent 5000 completed items in each of these categories. 37% of Watch auctions resulted in a sale with the average sale price being $36.65, 36% of Diamond Ring auctions resulted in a sale with the average sale price being $60. 49% of Fur Coat auctions sold with the average sale price being $49. Based on these numbers I personally wouldn’t touch these items unless I could find them for less than a penny on the wholesale dollar. These items may be hot for Ebay. They’re clearly not for sellers.

Moreover Ebay promotions inform all sellers that starting auctions at $1 is effective when it’s apparent that, just like robust January sales, this only works for specific product categories. It’s evident that your promotions are geared to collecting fees irrespective of the seller’s success. Giving us more straightforward information would have infinitely more mutual benefit.

Ebay is the sole custodian of a great deal of valuable market information regarding exactly the “who, what, when, where and why” of Ebay product marketing yet the information you elect to put before your sales force are fee-based promotions.

Towards the end of 2003 I received your seller survey inquiring as to which market information I’d like to receive, would I be willing to pay for it, by how much would I increase the number of my auction listings if I received it… and so on. These questions reinforce the observation that your priorities lie more in the front end fees rather than in the success of your auctions. That’s where your interest diverges from that of your sellers. I failed to complete this survey because there was no opportunity to say the truth. I wanted to say that the only thing that would increase the number of my listings would be their success. Auction result orientation isn’t discretionary to sellers, as it is to you, but rather it’s an economic imperative.

Pursuing along this path (increasing yours fees etc) your future will be to bleed your sellers to the limit of their tolerance compelling fewer sellers to work harder for less profit. This will your “Ebay Community” if your corporate objectives remain unchanged.

Here’s a better future:

Seller and Ebay success are inexorably intertwined. If we’re successful - you’re successful. The inverse isn’t, of course, necessarily true unless things change.

If Ebay were to reorient its focus to increasing the frequency and efficacy of final value fees, (ie genuinely successful auctions) then all the other fees would also be maximized. It’s an unavoidable absolute truth that if sellers are successful then Ebay is successful on a more substantial foundation than by milking sellers for fees until they weaken. Seller personnel turnover, you may think, isn’t a huge expense in cyberspace but imagine Ebay’s success if, instead of coming and going, sellers accumulated infinitely into a greater and greater force. Collecting monies from sellers on the front end is a secure short-term outlook but results oriented income generation is a more substantial, more secure, and a stronger long-term foundation. Success begets Success.

The way to do this is to provide, free of charge, as much detailed (the more specific the better) market information as possible. Treat us like your in-house sales force because, in effect, that’s who we are. We’ll do the rest. All your fee revenues will increase rapidly and substantially.

For starters: Of more interest than which products are currently hot are the products that do well long term. It takes time to find, and purchase, a temporarily hot item and there’s little benefit in tying up inventory in product that will soon grow cold. We need to know which products are stable perennial sellers to establish a groundwork from which to flourish. Then we can dabble in transitory monthly promotions.

I hope that this elucidates a seller’s needs a little better.

Marty

[amberwoodottawa]

Front end fees are preventing me from listing several new items that eBay could enjoy a sizeable profit (as well as PayPal) should they sell.

I was about to list a couple of high-end items that naturally come with a reserve price however the listing fees was in excess of $50 US each.

I am sorry but I honestly fail to understand where you have significantly higher costs in listing an $8,000 item compared to listing a $20 item.

As a result I will not be marketing these items on eBay yet I had a very good feeling that these would sell, perhaps not in the first week but within the month. In the mean time I would have laid out over $200 US for each listing and at those upfront fees, I can purchase better advertising elsewhere to hit my target market.

What eBay and PayPal loose are the commissions on the sale of these items. So you see, you may not realize it today, but business is being moved away from you because of your front end listing fees.

In time this erosion gathers momentum and before you know it, you are loosing on the front end and the back end (listing fees and commissions) as the only vendors left will be those selling junk for the $1 auctions.

Malcolm

[whoscloset]

Marty,

Wow! You can be my spokesman anytime! A very well thought out, articulate and persuasive argument. More than that, I agree completely.

Ebay are you listening!?!?!

Monique

[eserafini]

Hum!... Fascinating!

If you fail with one group try another: Selling on eBay
http://forums.ebay.ca/threadMode2.jsp?forum=13&thread=100004181&modifed=20040123114203&anticache=1074908895796

It was found by a user on CTS who posted the thread on CTS: Reactions so far are dead on:
http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jsp?forum=7&thread=100004209&modifed=20040123214203

Elaine

[ospreylinks]

Marty posted a rebuttal on Jan 23rd...

Today is Jan 25th and no reply from Ebay. I find this distressing.

They may have replied directly to Marty but if this is the case, this is inappropriate as they initiated this thread, made a sales pitch to the general community, this same community has taken exception as it has set a double standard.

Now we deserve an explanation or retraction.

Jeff

[systemagic]

I've received no direct communication but any response from Ebay would require consideration at a fairly high policy-developement level. I beleive that I remember reading something about how corporations often suffer from not having many suggestions forwarded because, for many employees, it's easier to just let the matter go, or to say "no", than to progress it to a superior. This must be particularly so when there's any perception of a degree of critique involved. In the meantime I think that I'll comfort myself by assuming that the matter has been progressed and that any time that elapses is just the due course it would require to consider and discuss the issues at hand. The head office in California is probably all abuzz right now.

[treasure-pot]

Not likely. I have not seen a similar effort on the US PS'er board so I find it highly unlikely that this weak and inappropriate attempt at marketing originated in California.

As with most critiques, eBay seems to pull an ostrich and believes that a lack of comment on their part allows an opportunity for issues to blow over. It is a very poor strategy - as a general rule most eBay sellers have a remarkably long memory. It may disappear from the radar screen in the short term but it continues to build resentment among sellers and the opinions that it's "us against them".

Bill

[systemagic]

I don't seem to have as much of a problem as some others with the promotional indiscretion of the thread. Heaven knows I'm a newbie to discussion groups and I hope that if I post something inappropriate that it can be forgiven without too much ado. I just wish it weren't guised in the form of genuine marketing data.

What frustrates me most is that, with all the rich and valuable marketing information that must be available, the data that we're given appears to be pretty much worthless. (Heck, a lot of it appears to be largely untrue) This, despite the fact that it would be most profitable, for all concerned, if it were otherwise. The most comprehensive path to profitability should be among the highest priorities of every business large or small. That would be auction performance-oriented marketing.

I better stop here before I rant again.

Marty

[treasure-pot]

But that is largely the point, Marty.

A sad effort such as this lends credence to the view that eBay cares very little for the ultimate success of it's customers and is driven purely by the desire to extract every last possible schilling from sellers pockets regardless of the consequences.

In this blatant case, the lack of supporting statistics and the apparent unsubstantiated claims fuels the fires that I spoke of earlier.

If I can draw a parallel it is somewhat similar to cigarette advertising in the 40's and 50's. If this advertisement were to appear in the "real" world media I daresay eBay would be challenged legally to support the claims made.

It is also unfortunate that eBay violates its own rules regarding selling on the boards and now refuses to pull the thread after it has been reported.

Or maybe that's the point of all this. Fly a trial balloon and see how the minions react. Then ignore all comment while they extract enough community comment to determine the viability of future messages.

Or maybe its just an effort to flush out all dissidents. PS'ers with negative comments about eBay's methods can then by blacklisted for harassment campaigns. That's an area that we best get experienced opinion on, heh Malcolm?

Cheers!

Bill

[amberwoodottawa]

Bill
You know I can look at some of my recent threads and it looks like I am becoming an eBay basher and can assume therefore that maybe I am blacklisted.

I have a gut feeling however that they dont spend the resources to give a crap about me or my little opinions or suggestions.

But you know thats perfectly alright with me. Who knows, they may become one of my consulting clients a year or so down the road when they require a turn-around expert.

I meet up with companies like this all the time, that have all the answers and no need to listen to anyone or follow even their own rules.

They eventually contact people like myself (not the eBay seller, but the Business Consultant) and pay us lots of money to tell them what we told them before.

Heck I prefer to make money like that over selling on eBay anyway. I would have to sell 5-10 times what I sell to make the money I make as a consultant anyway.

Bottom line is eBay has some truly great opportunities to be a Long-Term service provider and not be a typical DOT COM company that goes out with a bang just as they came in with a bang.

To do this, they shouldnt be as short-sighted in the way they are running their business.

Malcolm

[amberwoodottawa]

How beautiful are we talking about here Marty?
Do you have any 8X10 glossies in your listings of these beauties?
Is there a return policy if one breaks (what exactly is the warrany)?
Is there a choice of colours?
Is there a volume discount?
Can I pay with PayPal?
Does my wife have to know?

Malcolm

[whoscloset]

Marty, Malcolm,

You guys are way too much fun!

I just got in from shovelling 10 feet of snow off my driveway and thought nothing could make me LOL but you guys did it again.

Thanks for the much needed comic relief.

Monique

[amberwoodottawa]

Monique
I thought you said you had a couple of young kids.

Come on girl,get them started early.

Heck I owned a big day care in the US and we taught kids computers from aged 2 up. Surely kids can pick up a shovel before they're 2 cant they?

Malcolm

[whoscloset]

Malcolm,

I had both of them out there today but I have trouble keeping them "on task". My 3 year old was trying to help the most but when he tries to throw the snow to the top of the bank it always seems to land behind him, back on the driveway! LOL

I still haven't figured out the benefits of having 4 males in my home!

Monique

[muminlaw]

Monique, if you have 4 males in your home and you're doing the snow shovelling, it seems to me you took a wrong turn somewhere!

One thing I learned quickly from John (my DH) and that was never to admit knowing which end of a tool is the business end! Unfortunately, I never realized that a computer is just another tool until it was waaaaayyyyy too late! Mind you, it sure beats using a snow shovel!!

Glenda

[amberwoodottawa]

Monique where were you when I was single?
4 males in the house. you are doing ths snow shovelling and running an e-commerce business at the same time
I bet youre really hot looking too!
Oh those Quebec girls, brings back memories!

Malcolm

[muminlaw]

DOWN BOY !!!!

[whoscloset]

Malcolm,
I'm all that and so much more of course! LOL

Monique