Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

EBay CFO: It will get worse before it gets better (laying off 2,400)
Yahoo Finance ^

Posted on 01/21/2015 5:45:00 PM PST by Red in Blue PA

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 next last
To: Kickass Conservative

Saw they are going into hotels.


21 posted on 01/21/2015 6:20:25 PM PST by huldah1776
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: kaila
I am seeing things that would have in the past been sold on Ebay now being sold on Etsy and Ruby Lane.

I tried Etsy but didn't like it much, too much like ebay.

Ruby Lane is a wonderful site for Antique Dealers. Extremely fair pricing and they let you run your business without any bullying crap like ebay.

22 posted on 01/21/2015 6:23:21 PM PST by katnip (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

How bout dat “boomin” economy? This could put Barry’s unemployment rate numbers below 3%!


23 posted on 01/21/2015 6:28:04 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (When the hell do I get MY white privilege? I'm tired of busting my @$$ for a living.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind

Exactly why I stopped selling on ebay a few years ago. It was great while it lasted, now the fees and forced paypal and its fees erase any profit you might realize.


24 posted on 01/21/2015 6:28:36 PM PST by Finatic (Sometimes I think it would be nice to just get it on and get it over with. Once and for all.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: katnip
Wish I could find an auction site that would be good for CDs, still have another 105,000 to sell.
25 posted on 01/21/2015 6:29:23 PM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: 9thLife

They charge the sellers out the you know what. They’re as bad as the government. Fees fees and more fees.


26 posted on 01/21/2015 6:30:51 PM PST by sheana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

But Obama said everything’s fixed now due to his actions.


27 posted on 01/21/2015 6:31:30 PM PST by kaehurowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

Wait until Obama gets control of the internet under “net neutrality” and can shut down inconvenient stories like these.


28 posted on 01/21/2015 6:32:18 PM PST by kaehurowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: katnip

I prefer just paying for the asking price then to go through the bidding process and lose the item at the last minute.
I have found items cheaper on Etsy and Ruby Lane than a similar item on Ebay without having to do all that bidding.
I collect antiques- especially antique dolls. if you know of any other sites like that- please let me know.


29 posted on 01/21/2015 6:34:13 PM PST by kaila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: kingu

Another problem is that searches don’t turn up what you ask for because you have to plow through 100’s of off-category items. You give up before you ever get to the specified items. And that is just from a buyer’s perspective. As a seller I used to do pretty well on eBay. But with buyers never seeing my product it is hardly worth the effort.


30 posted on 01/21/2015 6:35:32 PM PST by Sicvee (Sicvee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: kingu

Can you sell your CD’s on Amazon? I haven’t tried selling anything there yet.


31 posted on 01/21/2015 6:36:16 PM PST by katnip (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Finatic

Something that’s been bugging my lately which is not entirely eBay’s fault, is the gigantic number of Chinese sellers that have flooded onto eBay selling everything imaginable.

I bought something for $12 from one of those sellers, and that included shipping from China to my door, with end-to-end tracking.

The only comparable shipping service that the USPS offers is First Class International, which offers NO tracking at all, and costs about $9 for a similar sized package.

If you want tracking, the price jumps up to close to $40.

And, of course, because of eBay’s rules, it’s a “transaction defect” if you ship without tracking.

I have no doubt that the Chinese government is providing ultra cheap shipping to ensure that their sellers have easy access to foreign markets.

The USPS and eBay, in partnership, are doing the opposite.


32 posted on 01/21/2015 6:41:09 PM PST by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: kingu

Try Amazon.


33 posted on 01/21/2015 6:42:02 PM PST by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: kaila
I prefer just paying for the asking price then to go through the bidding process and lose the item at the last minute.

Most of my recent eBay purchases have been "Buy It Now" just to avoid those games. I signed up for one of those eBay sniper services for a free intro and it worked well putting in a bid at the last second, but it wasn't worth the fees they wanted to charge.

More and more I've gotten used stuff off Amazon.

34 posted on 01/21/2015 6:42:45 PM PST by KarlInOhio (The IRS: either criminally irresponsible in backup procedures or criminally responsible of coverup.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: CrappieLuck
So, how is that “No firearm related item sales” working out for ya?

They changed that a while back after seeing all the business they were losing. Lots of gun accessories being sold these days.
I sold two replica Hawken Black powder rifles on ebay in the last 6 months, but had to sell the barrell, stock and lock in separate auctions.
35 posted on 01/21/2015 6:44:46 PM PST by BansheeBill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: katnip; fatima
I have 12 Amazon sellers attempting to liquidate their inventory to me right now. So, I'm going to have to go with ‘no, Amazon is not an option.’ Discogs is a possibility, but I would much prefer an auction format rather than pricing items.
36 posted on 01/21/2015 6:46:20 PM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind

All that’s true. eBay fees have gotten too high, and then you get double dipped from Paypal.

What’s really killing eBay? Craigslist and Amazon.


37 posted on 01/21/2015 6:49:48 PM PST by moehoward
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind

Oh, it gets even worse than that... Chinese sellers ONLY pay transaction fees, no listing fees. Just offering an item, an American seller is at a deficit. Additionally, almost every Chinese seller fakes the value for customs, thus buyers don’t have to pay duties - particularly important for UK and EU buyers, where duties can be as much as 40% of the value of the item.


38 posted on 01/21/2015 6:53:08 PM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: BansheeBill

Thank you for the correction/update. I didn’t not know they had backed off that rule.

Good for them.


39 posted on 01/21/2015 6:55:21 PM PST by CrappieLuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

Ebay’s wounds are partially self inflicted. The site is flooded with wholesalers and professional scavengers etc. Paypal is probably the real value there. Maybe spinning it off makes sense but they will kill Ebay in the process.

Often enough, “new crap” is not so much more expensive that “used crap” so Ebay may need to appeal less to value and more to uniqueness. It started as a site to trade Pez dispensers among the collectors. Now its a flea market of everything new and used. Amazon is better at new than they are because 1) you deal with only one shopping cart and 2) there is a tacit guarantee of satisfaction from the seller (even if Amazon isn’t really the seller).

If Ebay wants to make some improvements they may need to figure out a way to let people “shop” and pay only 1 time at checkout, and then EBay can divide the money up among the vendors the way Amazon does it. If I buy 20 things on Amazon I know it may come from 6 warehouses in 11 different boxes, but I don’t have to pay 6 or 11 times. And I know Amazon more or less stands behind it. Ebay’s social interaction rating system seems fair and they do guarantee most sales, but it still comes across as a mess because there is little uniformity, little over-arching comfort, and always the fact that in all things you need to deal with each seller individually. That’s fine for unique things but not for the general merchandize that fills up half their site. Worse, each seller provides different information in different ways in different fonts in different sizes in different colors. It may allow for individuality but anyone familiar with design and marketing would know it is not conducive to shopping. It may be great if you are looking for 1 special rare thing. But its not a go-to place for general commerce. Yet the site is full of all kinds of generally available merchandise. Fixing it may not be all that easy. They may need to split their site into the traditional “used/collectibles” and “general (new) merchandize”.


40 posted on 01/21/2015 6:59:44 PM PST by monkeyshine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson