eBay's Decreasing Transparency Poses Risk to Sellers

[pierrelebel]

By Ina Steiner
EcommerceBytes.com
October 23, 2013

eBay made a couple of major changes on its marketplace that decrease transparency, which many users say make buying and selling on the site more risky. eBay spokesperson Ryan Moore said the recent changes to customer feedback pages and advanced search were made based on customer input along with recently announced site enhancements. But it's difficult to find eBay users talking positively of the changes on the eBay discussion boards.

For more: http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y13/m10/i23/s01

[recped]

But it's difficult to find eBay users talking positively of the changes on the eBay discussion boards.

Well I don't have any problem with these changes! Seems most sellers complaining are the types that use this info to vet buyers, if they spot anything even the slightest whiff that the buyer has ever had an issue with a transaction it's off to cancel bids and add to their bbl. These are the same sellers who use Best Offer on $10 items for the primary purpose of screening buyers. ("Look, they made a lowball offer and a year ago they gave a neg to a seller.....need to immediately decline the offer and out them on my bbl....better call eBay and get it on the record that I have a potential troublemaker....blah blah blah").

As a buyer all I really need to see is the Title & Price of previous sales of an item I'm interested in and if I really want to see the item page I still can by using Search on the title.

I do enjoy periodically reading the Ecommercebytes follow up comments that always come from the usual suspects. Such bitter people, must be a horrible way to live.

[i*m-still-here]

The article says :  ""Bay rolled out the second change on Monday of this week when again giving no warning, it removed the ability for users to research bidders using eBay's Advanced Search."""

That is not correct.

See the thread below:  Advanced Search & FB: Can't See a Buyer's History any Longer

I posted about this change below and at first I thought the same, but recped pointed out that this information is still available.

However, this second change does seem like a precursor to doing away with it altogether.

[rose-dee]

Those who think that having transparency in eBay transactions was mainly for the benefit of sellers being able to snoop and swoop down on potential problem buyers, and who therefore believe that that this move by eBay is entirely neutral (and perhaps a positive change), may be forgetting that: 

a)  The open marketplace also permitted buyers to take a look at sellers' recent activity.  It was informative to find out what sort of items the seller had experience in selling, at what prices, and how frequently; and 

b)  Even more important, sellers will no longer benefit from the spontaneous 'cross-pollination' of this marketplace.  As a buyer on eBay, how many times have we taken a look at what someone else has purchased that was of interest, which led back to a seller that might not otherwise have been discovered?  

Not that there's anything any of us can do about this change now, but point (b) above has some potentially serious implications for sellers -- we are now, as of this shift from transparency to opacity on the site, completely at the behest of eBay's search engines and placement strategies/policies.  In other words, a lot more direct control by eBay itself.  

No longer will we be able to browse around amongst sellers' sold items to see what others have bought, which leads to more sales, but we will have to depend on eBay, Cassini, and the "Feed" to spoon-feed us what we want.  I offered the opinion a while ago that of all the recent changes to this site, it's not Cassini, but those "Feeds" we need to be looking at and analyzing as sellers.  This removal of detail from FB pages tells me eBay is taking just another step toward shepherding its buyers in that direction.  You may say that the "Feed" accomplishes essentially the same thing as random and spontaneous browsing and buying, but it doesn't.  It is targeted, and it is controlled.  

The why of this move?  I doubt it has anything to do with user input.  I think it has everything to do with moving buyers in the direction of "assisted" shopping, which will play extremely well into the needs of the largest commercial eBay sellers. 

[rose-dee]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

By Ina Steiner
EcommerceBytes.com
October 23, 2013

... which many users say make buying and selling on the site more risky. 

---

This of course is the other important argument.  EBay may be removing the "phishing" and "peeking" that was going on, but they are going to create a whole world of other nefarious activity made possible by partially hidden transactions.  I doubt many people will use advanced search to check a seller (or a buyer) out before entering into a transaction.  It's just too much bother, which is exactly the problem.  Having everything out there in the open and inter-linked worked. 

Has eBay now abandoned its founding credo of a completely open marketplace with this move?  I think so.  

[ricarmic]

I also "discovered" some very good product lines when I saw material that some of my buyers were buying from other sellers. By this I mean that certain stuff on its own has significant demand that I would not have known to separate out if I didn't see it in the "cross pollination". This part makes me sad.

[mr.elmwood]

When ya walk into Cdn Tire, do they ask you where you shopped, what you bought, and yer opinion of that store?

When ya walk into Cdn Tire, do you demand a list of customers, what they bought, and how they felt about what they bought?

I have often though "privacy laws". What buyers and sellers, well, buy and sell, is really no-ones' business but their own.

Go online and ask Peoples Jewelers for a list of their customers and what they bought. Really? Pound sand? How shocking!

[i*m-still-here]

Rose, I've been reading your objections and I don't understand them.

You're saying that it will  no longer be possible to look at a seller's sold items.

Why not?

I can see your sold items no problem.

Moreover.......... Not that long ago eBay added the ability to see "Sold Items" where previously they had been lumped in with completed items.

I LOVE that feature and use it all the time.   

I'm not sure what I think of this change, but I'm not quite following your objections.

For now I don't actually see that there is a change that matters.

All the information is still available.

The article above is not correct.

[rose-dee]

I have to disagree.  Clearly the whole reason for eBay's original open platform was that you couldn't walk into a store and look at the goods -- or look at the store itself for that matter.  

Secondly, on eBay you aren't just buying from one company, whose reputation you can check through various other means (especially if they are a publicly traded company), but choosing amongst potentially millions of separate, anonymous sellers.  How else to provide some safety for online buyers and multiple sellers but transparency?  A brick and mortar analogy doesn't work in this instance. 

The only possible comfort buyers had that eBay might be a safe place to buy was that everyone could see what everyone else was doing.  That data meant something.  It worked here for many years, when eBay was a platform mainly for small independent sellers.  It doesn't work anymore because eBay has taken on some juggernauts of the commercial world.  EBay likely needs to, or are contractually obligated (who knows?) to accommodate those large companies, who, like Canadian Tire et al, probably would prefer not to have all their laundry hung out in the open, thank you very much.  

[rose-dee]

The "View Item" feature on FB (which has now been removed) was the easiest and simplest way for buyers -- especially newer eBayers -- to browse randomly amongst sellers of articles they might be interested in, by looking at what others were purchasing.  I am fairly certain that newer buyers weren't doing searches on sold items, which in any case is necessarily a linear search, not one that provides infinitely selectable links (well, not now at least).  

Checking the "sold" listings doesn't have the spontaneous and simple "cross-pollination" (i.e. inter-linking) that I'm referring to.  Before this removal, you could find an item, check the seller's FB page, click on any of the "View Item" links in that list and jump to other sellers, then find more sellers from the links you discovered, etc. etc.  In other words, it was literally an infinite browsing capability, not quite random, but interesting because of its unpredictability and potential for new discoveries.  I'm sure many buyers would not have used the "sold" listings search feature as their first choice for browsing, but rather taken a look at a potential seller's FB page, then browsed through the "View Items" to find other sellers -- a bit like Alice and the looking glass.   

No matter.  This is how eBay wanted it.  Now the buyer-targeted "Feeds" will do just that -- spoonfeed buyers what eBay's computers determine they want based primarily on their previous buying/searching history.  I simply believe this is going to make selling here even harder for those of use who are marginal already, and give buyers effectively far less free choice.  

[i*m-still-here]

Rose, I didn't understand your concerns because  in all my years of eBaying I have never searched out items the way you've described.

That has never even occurred to me.

Perhaps it's a common way to do a search for certain types of items?

[i*m-still-here]

A long time ago I used to "peek" at what a few very good known buyers were bidding on................. and then scoop in.

I always felt a little sneaky doing that, but hey........ It's business!

Then that all came to and end when sniping services became readily available and they also started disguising ids.

I guess that's a modified version of what you're describing.

(Man, my sales are happening........ I guess Christmas is looming.)

[rose-dee]

Actually, I suspect that the "Alice through the looking glass" type of browsing via "View Item" is probably something buyers do (did!) more than sellers.  As a buyer, the first thing to look at is the seller's FB page, then you see the recent history of sold items.  It's just one more click to see what other customers of that seller have purchased, and that information can be very informative for a potential purchaser. It was also easy to click back and forth, to return to your original seller's page.  No more. 

I don't think this is limited only to certain categories, but I do think certain types of buyers -- perhaps the more inquisitive or experienced ones -- probably check through the layers more than others.  I know as a buyer I certainly have -- and have happily discovered sellers I never would have found otherwise.  

As a seller, the only time I found the "View Item" information helpful was in checking the recent purchases of a buyer who had made an offer on an item of mine.  For example, I once had an overseas buyer make an offer on an antique garment -- it was actually a very poor offer for the type of item.  I took a look at some of the other items this buyer had recently purchased (many of which were similar) and at what price.  It very quickly became clear that a counteroffer on my part was an advisable thing to do.  

Sure enough, I was able to get a reasonable price, although it was still a good bargain for the buyer.  It was also clear from his items purchased that he was quite used to buying from North America and probably knew the rules, despite his message to me that he'd like me to falsify the value for customs purposes.  Had I not had that information available from eBay, I probably would have accepted his first offer, not knowing whether it would be wise to negotiate.  I would also not have known I was dealing with a buyer who was very experienced in purchasing these types of items internationally.  So, now we will be selling (and purchasing) just a little more blindfolded. 

[anguscoinshop]

enay i becoming more like a private web site. if it wasn't for feedback or advance search you wouldn't be able to see anything.

[dipmicro]

They are another small step closer to became Ebazon.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I have found over the years there is usually a reason eBay implements a New Rule.

Were unscrupulous people trying to take advantage of the system somehow in this situation ?

I don't know, but there has to be some or many reasons for the implementation of this New Rule.

While it has no effect on me whatsoever, i imagine it will an effect on honest buyers & sellers.

[rose-dee]

I realize you are slowly bowing out of eBay, Pierre, but I'd be interested in your opinion on this change (if you're still following this thread).  

I see it as a radical departure from eBay's founding credo of an open market place that did provide transparency for everybody, despite the abuses.  Do you agree?  Or do you see it as just another reactionary tweaking of the site?

[bb_cool_stuff]

I see it as a radical departure...

Agree Rose, this kind of came out of left field.

Interested in hearing other opinions also.

Of course it will be pure speculation.

[pjcdn2005]

---

@bb_cool_stuff wrote:

I have found over the years there is usually a reason eBay implements a New Rule.

Were unscrupulous people trying to take advantage of the system somehow in this situation ?

I don't know, but there has to be some or many reasons for the implementation of this New Rule.

While it has no effect on me whatsoever, i imagine it will an effect on honest buyers & sellers.

---

I'm sure that there is always a reason for changes that they make. They usually say the change is "better" for either buyers or sellers but unfortunately, I suspect that in many cases, the change is strictly for eBay's benefit. I'm not saying that this change in particular was done for that reason...just commenting on their reason for changes in general.

[ricarmic]

I thought I'd just add a little postscript incase some folks misunderstood my earlier comment. I only said I was sad it was gone, didn't say if I thought it was right or wrong that the transparency was there before.

The transparency provided opportunities for me which I tried to take advantage of. It also provided challenges for me which I had to live with or work around.

It's reduction creates new challenges and advanteges for me, and like all the other changes we see come out, I will adapt and make use of them or learn to live with them like all the other changes before them. In the grand scheme of things less transparency probably is better for me and my style of selling.

The main frustration I (and a lot of others it seems) have with these changes are that we find out about them after they are implemented.

The lack of advance warning is why I maintain a presence on multiple selling platforms beside eBay. While eBay is my most "productive" venue at this moment, I live with great concern that someday there will be a change that I only find out about after it is implemented and I'm "shut down by it". This problem isn't really only an eBay problem, it is true of any platform/venue, including all the other ones I utilize. Risk management and contingency plans are part of running any business on any platform.