eBay May Launch an Amazon-Style Fulfillment Service

by: Ming the Merciless

I am continually amazed that when an ebafia pet project is discussed here that a few posters we've never heard of before launch attacks against those they consider to be ebafia bashers when, in fact, most of what's said here against ebafia is entirely accurate for many sellers.

Constructive criticism? Pro ebafia comments, apparently. Many of us "bashers" here have offered many actual constructive criticisms and solutions over the years only to see The Ho and The Devil ignore them so they could squeeze still more money out of us -- "more wallet" as The Ho once inartfully called it.

The result? The Incredibly Shrinking Marketplace. Hundreds of thousands of fewer sellers and millions of fewer buyers. All because ebafia has never understood who their customers are.

Yes, snowflakes, we have debates here. If you can't defend your position, at least spare us the whining.

While fulfillment centers won't work for many, they would be business killers for others. If fulfillment centers weren't profit centers for Amazon, they wouldn't have them. In many cases that means less profit for YOU.

As a small seller, I look for ways to cut my costs not add to them by feeding ebafia's bottom line. The cost alone of sending my inventory to ebafia would be horrendous. Once there, I could not afford to absorb the same types of fees Amazon levies. It would simply be a losing proposition for my business, and I won't be participating.

Many of us believe that most changes ebafia makes increase their bottom line while decreasing ours.

Here are just a few:

1.  FVFs on shipping charges.
2.  Forced return policies that generate income for ebafia
3.  Ebafia's rigged search favoring a few at the expense of most
4.  Ever increasing listing fees, FVFs, and store fees for less and less sell through,
    fewer potential buyers, and incredibly inferior customer "service."
5.  The Global Shipping cash cow
6.  FVFs on unsold merchandise that ebafia "suspects" might have been sold off
    ebafia.
7.  Ebafia's failure to either negotiate as good a deal with shipping companies as
    Amazon does for shipping labels or their refusal to pass on the savings to sellers
    who use ebafia shipping labels aka profit center.

This is just a small fraction of the number of ways ebafia constantly has their sticky fingers in our pockets. There are dozens if not hundreds more, and each new iteration drives off more and more sellers.

Devin beloved brands will soon find out what the ebafia buyer base is like and probably won't like it. Devin Wenig will make sure that brands, enterprise and diamond sellers, and Chinese knockoff and junk sellers with special negotiated deals with ebafia that have thousands of negative feedbacks are the future of ebafia. #failing

Unlike some in our government and those who moderate ebafia's boards, the Steiners promote free speech here as long as it's reasonably on topic and civil.

Rexford is correct. The noise will not stop so deal with it.

by: toolguy

@pace306

eBay's in business to make MONEY. . .& they'll grab as much as they can. . .

by: maxmad

Seriously,  they have to come up with some plan, because once china looses the e-packet deal, ebay goes bankrupt within a month, they will first trick sellers into filling the warehouses, then they will start slowly selling the popular items direct, and booting or demoting sellers items, just like amazon did,

unfortunately ebay will never pull it off. it's a hail mary, one in a million odds to succeed, I believe this one will put the final nail in their coffin  

by: Marie

@Ming
"I am continually amazed that when an ebafia pet project is discussed here that a few posters we've never heard of before launch attacks against those they consider to be ebafia bashers when, in fact, most of what's said here against ebafia is entirely accurate for many sellers."  Personally I think this is quite true as you say for "many seller".  But I think it is important to keep in mind that it isn't true for ALL sellers.

It isn't always the normally silent posters that might venture out with a different opinion.  I've done it on many occasions but what is different for me is that I know what will follow just as it has for Marzy.  

I completely respect and would defend that you have every right to your opinion but many posters here don't see it that way if they have an opinion that is different than theirs, which is clearly noted by some of these posts going after Marzy just because he or she darned to say something.

EFS may very well be welcomed by some seller and depending on its structure, work very well for them too.  Certainly not something I would do, but others may like it a lot.  Similar with the Guaranteed Delivery program.  Not right for some, but a good thing for others.

"The Incredibly Shrinking Marketplace. Hundreds of thousands of fewer sellers and millions of fewer buyers."  Where did you get these stats and would you share them please.  I check this every now and again and it isn't what I've seen.  It is continuing to grow.  Certainly not as fast as we'd like to see, but it is growth and not a decline.  Sales is a separate issue.  I'm simply addressing your statement about the number of members.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/242235/number-of-e
bays-total-active-users/

25 Million sellers is the most current stat I've been able to find and it is from 2015.  But I can't say that I've spent a bunch of time researching it either.

by: donald

   eBay FBE is not for me.  I do not trust eBay as is for me to trust them with my items too.

by: pace306

Tool - when its AT THE EXPENSE of your sellers - then they arent "your partner" are they?

eBay takes much space and time telling every one - including the courts that they are "just a venue" - well are they or was that a lie too?

Partners dont cheat each other - do yours? Do your supplier(s) look to rook you for as much as possible??? MINE look to work with me - they know that this is a partnership - when I do well, they do.

I dont steal from people - I expect my "partner" shouldnt try to steal from me either - at every opportunity

by: pace306

Marie :)

I know you werent talking to me or refering to me - but let me please say (and MING hardly needs me to defend him), that I sit with my friends in the industry each week (we get together Saturday mornings) and each and every one has the EXACT same criticisms of eBay... and we are all in different segments ... electronics, car stereo, baby, toys ....

Funny - one would think that the odds wouldnt be that way - yet they are ... and these guys are all BIGGER them me by a long shot.

I do 500k a year on eBay, they do a million or so a month !

As I said before - I WELCOME anyones opinions - just not the automatic opposite opinion - just to be a jerk.

I try to have back up and numbers for anything I post - I post stories about VERO - because I have the battle scars to prove it.

I post news about eBay, cause the reps visited an account I was at and I heard them say so.

I look at the facts (even though this is an opinion place) ..... not just shoot my mouth off (though it seems that way).

I will admit - that "poor Ina" gets the brunt of all the anger that sellers here feel - and for that we ALL owe her an apology/thank you ..... (eBay should pay her for doing all their dirty work!)

just my 2 cents  

by: Marie

@Pace

I agree.  I don't think Ming needs to defend himself and I don't believe I said or implied he did.  

by: Marie

@Pace

A handful of sellers, even though they are all in agreement does not represent what the majority of what 25 million sellers may believe.  

A good example is the reviews by many posters here regarding the Guaranteed Delivery program.  There was lots of concerned expressed here and statements that they would never opt into either of the options for this program.  Yet you go to the Ebay threads and there are lots of sellers that want to be part of the program.  As Ebay is phasing it in there are many sellers on the waiting list to be part of the program.

There is always two sides and sometimes more.  I think many posters here have great insight to the happenings on Ebay but that doesn't mean they have the only insight.  I value your opinions.

by: cillianred

Normally, I simply don't have the time to come back here after reading the articles in the a.m.  That's regardless of whether I post or not. Out of sheer curiosity, I came back today.

And I stand by my earlier comments.  I have always loathed bullying and I see much of it here when anyone dares to express an opinion that is unpopular with certain posters.  I find the snarky bullying to be incredibly juvenile behavior.

I certainly don't like all the things that eBay inflicts and they're quite possibly causing their own death spiral. BUT, until that happens, it is in MY best interest to hope that they pull up out of that death spiral because eBay is the best place to sell in my little niche. Actually, it's pretty much the only place right now. Continually complaining about policies I don't like does me absolutely no good at all. My energy is much better spent being used in a positive manner elsewhere.

I will continue to skip the reading of posts by certain members here.  In the years I've been here, the content of those posts hasn't changed much, so once you've read a few posts by certain members, you really don't gain any new information by reading more from them.

by: pace306

Marie

the people (and I) are samples - not %100 positive representations but a GOOD sample  - that people of all sizes - even larger - all encounter the bad parts of eBay WAY MORE then any good parts.

Im still in the dark about GD. Didnt various eBay big shots claim that as it is (before the program) 2/3 of all items were being shipped in 2-3 days - so (as I asked back then) why is there a program like GD needed - if not to try "once again" to hurt people who cant.

Let me please explain why I didnt. I ship same day - but I moved from Brooklyn (which empties the mail bin in the PO) 4x daily to a small town in Jersey that does it 2x. Not only that - but because they are so small and overloaded - they transfer mail (from 08527) to the next town (08701) without notice. The ONLY way to know is tracking each package.They have even transferred mail to the town over that (07710)!  I have issues with it - because eBay keeps INCORRECTLY scoring my shipments as late (when they arent). Yes they correct them - but its a constant battle.

My point is .... Im all for conversation - good or bad about eBay - but PERSONALLY - I cant find any good.

BTW - since Wednesday - 40 sales on Amazon, 10 on eBay - really 7 since there were 3 cancellations .... so where is the GOOD on eBay? (Im sure theres some - I just cant see it)  

by: QueenMab

MUWAHAHAHAHA!! Greeedbay there is no way I will ever participate in a scheme for Devin to gain more profits. Dream On!

by: Ming the Merciless

@Marie

I've asked you in the past to present evidence for a few of your claims, and you categorically refused. I'm returning the courtesy. But that information is available.

Further, setting up straw dog arguments is both deceptive and pointless. I can't recall saying ALL sellers should do or not do X. Please direct your pedantic statements toward those who do say things if you must.

The number of "active" users is a highly subjective figure. If there is actual growth as you say, then my sales should be up. Instead, they've steadily declined since The Ho took over. I've met their current requirements and secret search sauce recipe, have a near perfect record over the years, and have less competition. My placement in search is reasonably good.

Despite these factors, however, the number of potential buyers viewing my items has declined from an average 75-80 a few years ago to less than 20 today in spite of a 300% increase in quality listings. I know several of my competitors, and they're experiencing the same decline. But if you prefer to believe highly questionable ebafia produced statistics rather than real time experience, that's your prerogative.

Ebafia views fulfillment centers as another tool to anonymize sellers because buyers would never see or receive our email addresses. While requiring sellers to remove contact information from their listings is probably primarily due to Google requirements, it could also be viewed secondarily as Step One in eliminating off ebay sales.

I don't sell off ebay because it's too problematic.

I certainly don't want minimum wage employees handling my delicate 2.5 million dollar inventory. I don't want to pay ebafia an additional half dozen types of fees associated with Amazon fulfillment centers.

What you choose to do and say, Marie, is your business. Ina and David encourage civil discussions of different points of view here so the noise will continue.

by: Ming the Merciless

I neglected to say that fulfillment centers would also eliminate a seller's ability to put package inserts in their shipments.

by: eBay Shill Buster

Ming, the bottom line is, eBay is showing negative growth period, declining marketplace revenue, if not for value added fees on shipping Donahoe used to pad the numbers for Wall Street eBay would have reported negative numbers for the last 6 years.

They have been cooking the books for years, eBay's numbers can not be trusted, they are buying back stock to keep EPS at an acceptable point, growing companies do not use those tactics.

by: Marie

@ming

I did not set up a "straw dog" argument on anything, I simply voice my opinion or observations which is not in concert with yours.  

Be specific, what have you asked of me that I've left something unanswered?  What "claim" did I make that caused you concern or the need for additional information.

As I've said a couple times, for myself I would not use a fulfillment center by Ebay or by Amazon for various different reasons.

I don't think we disagree on the subject of this blog.

by: Ming the Merciless

@ Ebay Shill Buster

Yes! Exactly what some of us have been saying for years, and our anecdotal evidence supports further supports ebafia's decline regardless of whether the cheerleaders prefer to believe the "alternative facts."

by: mindelec

I would not trust amazon with a collectible book and I trust ebay even less.  

by: RKTOYS

Nope.  Not interested in having my mint condition figures comingled with returns, damages, and counterfeits, nor am I interested in paying to ship both ways plus rent in between.  Really I don't know what this obsession they have with monkey-see-monkey-do vis-a-vis Amazon.

Shipping is kind of a killer (thanks ePacket) but, you know, if collectors are going to be that cheap, I'll just retreat to conventions.  I have watched my favorite toy store (not ToysRUs) go down that route and not seem to get anything out of it.  This store innovated years ago by letting customers stockpile items in the warehouse to save on bulk shipping.  But it only worked if you bought more than one item so customers moved on to complaining for flat/free shipping.  They finally got unconditional flat shipping and now all they do is complain that it's not fast enough.  You can't win so i won't even play that game.

by: Snapped

The opposite of love isn't hate. It's apathy.  When people stop talking about you, that's when you need to worry.

The experienced eCom sellers here who have been accused (actively, or via implication) of 'bashing' eBay, to include their latest expressions of doubt and distrust of the most recent trial baloon launched by the industry joke the 'venue' has evolved to be, have once again as a whole, based their expressions of opinion on fact.  Not because they are motivated by 'hate' - though that certainly can be a defendable position - but because they still care.  Because there is still some hope, no matter how seemingly unlikely, that their 'noise' will be heard - and given due consideration.  Maybe, at the very least, some 'feedback'?  Funny how that's given so much weight - unless it is eBay themselves involved.

That's (ironically) the purpose of 'cheering' too, isn't it?  No matter how down, if there's still time on the clock, there is still hope?  As long as there is still a care.  And these sellers do.

They care about eBay's success.  Why wouldn't they?  They've INVESTED in it.  Accusing them of supporting demise instead is simply not logical.

They care too about how and why their very livelihoods are being unconditionally decimated by hypocriticaly applied restrictions, by unconcionable forced buyer appeasement, by ever increasing (and unearned) 'take' escalations, and by erosion of control over their own operation and policies which already are, incidentally, in full compliance with stated objectives of quality product, fulfillment and customer service.  Why wouldn't they be?  It's market suicide not to do so.  Always has been.  

They care about their very identities as independent entreprenure entities being slowley, surely, obscured.  Or eliminated completely, which is where this latest FBE 'scheme' eventually leads, considering all else eBay has edicted with the goal of wresting inventory and process control, so to dictate supply availability, manipulate the e-commerce market, and homogonize the buyer 'experience' to the point of boredom, 'funded' by pillage, at the expense of diversity, and to the result of increased apathy.  

Incidentally, THOSE are the 'members' that need outreach.  The one's who don't post their 'displeasure' - because they simply don't care anymore.  And it will be much easier than it appears, because 'membership', even though 'counted' by accounts, is actually represented by individuals who may have multiple accounts.  Maybe even some of those many 'new' ones eBay brags about to demonstrate their 'growth'.  

These are sad conclusions of course.  ''Negative'', one might say.  But they are based on fact.  Which is a great deal more than eBay uses to accuse and convict and assess sanction - without due process or effective appeal.  

So when another chimes in to rebut, withOUT facts to support their contribution, and (again, ironically) negatively renders charges of 'negativity' for it's own sake, it will be challenged.  By the very same folks here who USED to sing praise to eBay to the rafters.  Before eBay forgot who their true customers are.  Before they - intentionally - threw away their success, instead of - as was repeatedly and constructively suggested - leveraging it, to both support and encourage all, WHILE they reached for what they view as a 'next level' eCom venue.  Before they (unconstructively) monetized, and plagerized, and colorized, every couple weeks.

Before they arrogantly dismissed constructive and fact based criticism as mere ''noise''.  You want productive discourse?  Then come in with fact based on more than eBay claims based on their manipulation of shells where they have removed the pea.

Because there is still time - so there is still some hope - no matter how little.  

And because the sound of silence is a whole lot worse.