eBay Silences Founding 'Voices' Members

by: Ming the Merciless

@ Marty

Q. Do you know how Neg Meg Whitman acquired her $6 BILLION dollar fortune?

A. From selling her ebay stock options!

Q. Can you name the single largest component in The Ho's compensation package?

A. Stock options

IMO, if the ebay's current stock price truly reflected the overall health of the company, it would still be selling below $10 a share.

But as we've pointed out here and elsewhere, ebay did a massive buy back a few weeks ago.

Then as ebay announces a third consecutive disastruous quarter, Caball Street decrees another ebay success because the disaster wasn't as bad as ebay had predicted, Of course ebay lowballed if not falsified its guidance.

Then bingo! The stock begins its miraculous climb to above $20 now.

Granted, it isn't at the $30 something it was several months ago or the $60 something it just a few years ago, but execs need some money and want to sell their stock.

Fruity keeps us appraised of their SEC filings so we know this is true.

Ebay's stock price is a nothing more than an elaborately constructed house of cards that even a slight breeze or a good flashlight will bring down.

So, Marty, would you buy a used share of stock from The Ho?

Ebay is managed strictly for the purpose of raising stock prices TODAY. No ebay management team including the duplicitous Neg Meg Whitman has ever spent as much as two seconds thinking or planning for the long term health of ebay.

There are basically two types of stock investments. The first is buying a stock because you think the stock price will increase significantly in a short period. The second is a long term investment where the stock steadily rises, pays regular quarterly dividends, and makes consistent and orderly gains over several years.

Ebay falls into the first category, and you can see how successful this strategy has been.

Ebay: billions made, not one red cent in dividends paid.

It isn't in management's best compensation package interests to manage the company for long term growth.

Curious, isn't it, that ebay more than doubled its stock price in a few shorts months whiole reporting tremendous losses.

Case closed. It's is and always has been about executive stock prices and stock options.

The only way to end the abuse is to tax executives when they receive the stock not when they sell it.

DEATH to ebay corp. in 2009.

by: Martin

First lets clear something up, by saying LAY OFF (garnor,cheryl) I meant BACK OFF< leave them alone not LAY THEM OFF!! That is ridiculous.

In any case, look you all might be right. It might be a giant waste of time, it might be too late, it might not matter.

I am also not trying to make light of attempts by other Voices members past and present to help as well. There were great people let go and I didnt like it anymore than you or they did.

I dont claim to have any special powers or to be better than anyone.

I just have some ideas, some connections and I know this site inside out and backwards and know this companies numbers (The public ones).

I certainly dont want to disagree with many of the valid points people make as to why they are so aggravated.

This is indeed the root of the problem. The base has been decimated and negative word of mouth is unraveling this company in the same manner it was built only in reverse.

marty

by: fruity

hey ebay don't want you so man up and cope. lol.

I say fire them all. If the grunts haven't been able to move it up the food chain, then they're incapable of supporting a selling community. Hey if they want to be your friend, they can tweet. You dont really need to hear their sob story of how they feel you and agree with you. you want results or are you just gonna sit there like seals waiting for a fish.

Best thing sellers can do is treat ebay as the enemy and when they throw those curve balls at your business, you poop in their yard. They live and die with paypal. You bring hell to paypal, you have them on their knees. Just for kicks its totally worth it. lol

by: Linda

@marty:
"The base has been decimated and negative word of mouth is unraveling this company in the same manner it was built only in reverse."

That is the most pithy summary of the EBay debacle I've seen in a single sentence. Thanks.

by: fruity

LOL Ming, I dont talk SEC too much cept complaint writing. I read them but I dont understand most of it. I like to learn though because I trade stocks now and then. The stock price doesn't bother me at all because when it dropped below $10 and so did the banks I cleaned up

by: fruity

oh and another thing, if AB is saying Voices members are going bye-bye and then AB posts an updating and ebay says they are not going away. Then why are the Voices members walking around saying they're gone? Its funny whenever pigpen doom and gloom comes around the topic always suddenly shifts.

by: fruity

is it because they're not meeting powerseller criteria and they're gone or because ebay really is kicking them to the curb?

by: Harriet

One of the reasons eBay is different than other companies is that their income was composed of small entrepeneurs who were essentially running their own companies on eBay's venue. eBay didn't and doesn't "own" these companies.

With most corporations, you have a CEO and other lower level managers and you tow the line or else.

But with eBay, the income comes from these people's sales, and if the hierarchy tells folks to leave by forcing them to comply to an ever higher unattainable bar, their income leaves as well.

So JD is trying to manage the company like it was a large corporation, and it isn't working.

The small entrepeneurs are leaving along with their money, plus they are bad-mouthing eBay anywhere they can. They are also determined to continue selling online, and are filling up other venues and bringing their money to the new places.

What JD has had to do to fill this gap is to open up eBay to low level, cheap items and also has had to start dealing with large enterprises who require special deals in order to stay on eBay.

The entire fabric of what was once eBay is almost gone.

I see many, many flaws in the new fabric, and if this experiment doesn't work, there is nothing to fall back on, and eBay will fold.

I am sorry but I don't believe for one minute that all the old time sellers were/are nasty, whining, unwashed, scamming losers.

There were many fine folks who sold happily for a long time on eBay and had many, many repeat, happy customers.  

They are what made eBay what it was.

Yes, things have to evolve and change. But not like this.

This is too over the top, too draconian, and getting worse with each new announcement, and it all to the detriment of sellers who provide the income.

Peculiar and quite twisted.

by: ebaysucks

Never bite the hand that feeds you eBay!!

by: Ming the Merciless

@ Harriet

Would you agree that The Ho believes he's woven an entirely new ebay fabric?

What he doesn't understand is that as he weaves the moths soon follow.

He and other CEOs continue to "maximize efficienies" by firing workers.

Who in the world do these B School whiz kids think are going to buy their product or service if most consumers are either grossly underemployed or unemployed?

It doesn't matter whether ebay has 88 88 million registered members or not. What's important is how many users actually visit the site regularly, how long they stay, and how much money they spend.

The fact is that the majority of ebay members haven't logged in the last year, and those who have spend less time and less money than ever before.

I believe many of the brokerages and analysts deliberately choose NOT to see the the facts about ebay because they're receiving some benefit($) for not looking.

If The Ho had been around a few years ago, he probably would have recruited Bernard Ebbers to sell long distance service, Dennis Koslowski to sell home security systems, and auctioned off lunches with Bernie Madoff.

That's just the kind of guy The Ho is.

by: ebaystillsux

Ming said,

"Who in the world do these B School whiz kids think are going to buy their product or service if most consumers are either grossly underemployed or unemployed?"

The underemployed and the unemployed are not buying on eBay. They are the new ignorant and innocent sellers looking to pay their bills any way they can. They are the ones who don't know that today's eBay won't do that. They only know the old eBay where a 99 cent start price would be bid up to decent numbers.

As soon as they lose their possessions for pennies and get stuck with a seller's bill that only adds to their debts, they will join the ranks of the eBay bashers and spread the word, "Don't do eBay!"

Somehow I doubt if the Ho has even thought of that. Or cares.

by: Ebay No More

From the few positive responses on this thread it appears very few people care about this Ebay decision. First we lost Ebay employees from the seller support divisions. Then Ebay Live went poof. Now original Voice members are shown the door.

Ebay is drawing everyone a road map and if you continue to use Ebay as a seller you better be a large company. Anyone bother to read the feedback profiles on Ebay's newest Diamond sellers? They are not delivering the expected excellent transactions that Ebay had hoped. Anymore I don't care enough to rant and rave. Apathy and boredom are as much as I can muster when it comes to Ebay today. Of course along with my apathy comes my closed wallet.

by: Ebay Pays My Bills

Looks like I've been Un-blocked.

First of all let me say I never use foul language. It just isn't me.

I hope I can continue to post on this forum as I can see many of you are anti-Ebay.

Has anyone seen the new "Shipping Wizard"? LOL

I canceled the pop-up and didn't even give it a chance.

Has anyone here tried it?

PS: I'll try to keep it low key so David doesn't give me the boot again.

by: Jo

@ Martin

Speaking for myself only, and nothing personal mind you but I am cautious of you and don't trust you to some extent. I base how I feel on past experiences on the boards and other posters there. Also along with eBay's  current MO.

You appear to be choosing a more diplomatic MO to get your point across to eBay. While I agree this does at times work I will not go along with your attempt as I feel this is to time consuming and time may be just what eBay is hoping for. The noise needs to continue and continue loudly and on a daily basis. If you feel any input here is beneficial to your goals then there is nothing stopping you from SSing the contents of this topic, burning them to a cd and distributing them among your colleagues at eBay for review.

Someone told fruity here to  draft a complaint letter and post it here for people to copy, print, sign and send off to the appropriate Governmental agencies. I think that is a very good idea, since many people may not know what to say or how to say it. I suggest you do the same. Everyone hear fights their battles with eBay in their own way. JMO

by: Herb Rules

Hey there @ eBay Pays My Bills
I guess it's not just eBay silencing voices hey? LOL
Do not go up against Ming especially; it's pretty much a guaranteed block. Mysteriously...
Cheers my friend!

by: Ebay sPays My Balls

Cheers back at you Herb dRules.

It takes real guts to stand up to the rabble that stands up for what is right and just.

I love the fact that Ebay wants to control every aspect of selling items that they do not own. I do not have very much business knowledge and need the guidance of a company such as Ebay.

Just think ... without Ebay I might have to think for myself and everyone who knows me knows that is a bad idea.

by: NYM Arts

THIS JUST IN :
Ebay has Actively assisted in GRAND LARCENY and DISSAPPEARED both the Seller AND the Listing in an Attempt to HIDE THE EVIDENCE !( Aug 21 '09)
The Victim in this latest crime lost $9400 !
See All the details here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITF_kZyy48&feature=sdig&et=125167
3074.31

by: Ming the Merciless

@ Herb Rules

The Mighty Ming is indeed omnipotent! I can by mere telepathy sit in front of my monitor and zap any post I don't like.

Whiners like you give me a headache.

Once again:

1. I have NEVER requested or even suggested that any post be removed.

2. I am NOT affiliated in any way with the Steiners.

We've ALL had posts never make it. Press the wrong button on your 1000 key wonder keyboard and posts go poof.

'Herb,' your job may be next.

by: Herb Rules

Whiners like me give you a headache? Maybe I should ramp it up to whining daily for years; you will find that the headaches turn into amusing entertainment! LOL

My job? You still believe I work for or I am affiliated with eBay?

Disclaimer: I am not attacking Ming. I am merely chatting with humor.

by: J

"I am merely chatting with humor."

Funny how you don't "chat" until the thread is on page two.