Ebay - The Time They Are A Changing

Since John Donahoe took over the reigns at EBay we've seen some pretty sweeping changes. Despite the furore over the "digital download ban" and "no negative feedback from sellers" the so called "listings Strike" has passed without any notable affect at all.

The reason being that the EBay 'flea market' Zeitgeist is well and truly dead. EBay is now just another online store, all be it a pretty major one. Perhaps it seems a shame that some of the original 'charm' of Ebay has been lost within the cut throat arena of modern commercial reality. However it also seems pretty pointless for 'powersellers' to start whining about the changes, especially as their certainly are alternatives for digital downloads and they have also been the beneficiaries of a number of changes.

I have noted that a number of ebay sellers have expressed concerns that their inability to leave negative feedback for buyers will result in the loss of their power to vet "non paying bidders" and malicious EBayers who simply dis people for a their own childish amusement. Whilst this is probably true, the carefully tended 100% feedback rating is tenably a thing of the past, the change is going to affect everybody equally. Surely the point of feedback ratings is that they reflect the sellers customer service not their skill at coercing disgruntled buyers, usually through threats of exchanging malicious feedback themselves, from expressing their honest opinions.

Sellers feedback ratings are indeed set to fall, but from artificially high levels. Feedback will again start to have some real relevance for buyers who would actually quite like be able to rate a sellers customer service. And why should buyers fear the threat of feedback reprisals for expressing their opinions?

I think that ebay is right to address the issue of the misuse and 'gaming' of the feedback system. For too long it has been a source of, nothing less than false advertising. I think that honest Ebay sellers have little to fear from the impending changes and everything to gain.

If you work hard to provide a quality product, solid follow up service and exercise good customer relations your feedback rating will remain high. Prior to these changes you could also maintain a high feedback rating by selling hundreds of digital "feedback" products for next to nothing with other "feedback" traders. To the vast majority of buyers the feedback rating of both traders would look identical giving the unscrupulous trader carte blanche to operate their short term scam. Surely this can't be right?

I think EBays policy of forcing digital downloads into the no feedback "Classified" section is a little heavy handed. This seems unfair to genuine traders with deserved positive reputations and smack of profiteering rather than administrative necessity. I believe setting a minimum price for downloadable products would have seemed like a more genuine attempt to address feedback gaming.

Nonetheless "Amazon", amongst others offer a reasonable alternative for digital product sales and by reducing its listing fees, making pictures free and increasing its FVF (Final Value Fee) Ebay is clearly anticipating competition in this market.

Whether or not Ebay profit from these changes is difficult to say, and frankly I don't care. However it does seem reasonable that they have a right to make whatever changes they see fit to their own business.

I thinks those sellers who are truly unhappy about the proposed changes should perhaps rediscover their entrepreneurial spirit and try to make the most of the new opportunities which have arrisen as a consequence of these changes.

About The Author

Ian is founder and CEO of niche-marketing-business.com. With a background in fund management, Ian is now a full time internet marketer and lives on the South Coast of England with his wife and two children.

Ian has collaborated on the complete marketing course Profitable Niche Marketing Business. (the complete guide to niche marketing).

If you have any questions for Ian please forward them to support@niche-marketing-business.com