Have Your Perceptions of eBay Changed?

by: iheartjacksparrow

My thoughts on the survey: Another survey which will result in eBay declaring, "You spoke! We listened!" Then they'll do whatever they want no matter what the respondents state.

How my perceptions have changed: When I started on eBay in 2000 it was a wonderful place to sell, and I could buy all sorts of wondrous things that weren't available in stores near me. Now, it's a complete mess where I would never sell again and it's almost impossible to find what I want (usually have to do a Google search which directs back to an eBay listing).

How eBay can stimulate shopping: They can start by doing away with every policy that has been instituted since JD arrived. And realize that it was the "noise" were what made eBay the go-to place to buy and sell. And if eBay is going to have focus groups, they need to start with the people who regularly comment on this site.

by: Basset

No survey here, but one negative I can think of offhand:

Automatic suspicion of emails purported to come from eBay. I get several eBay emails that are promotional including newsletters like Power Up.  For example I got a ''Special Edition'' Power up a while back in my regular email, but NOT in eBay messages. So I never opened it. I guess it is legitimate, but I'm not taking any chances.

In the past I would have dared to open it to see what information it included. But not now.

So I would suggest that eBay make sure promotional, survey, policy, and newsletter items are sent to eBay messages - or expect them to be ignored.


Encourage buyers?

Encourage Sellers!  Sellers have always been a healthy portion of eBay's buyers. Many sellers can't buy if there are no sales.  

Hint: one does NOT encourage seller-buyers by using terms such as ''defective'', especially over events that are out of sellers realm of control.

by: brokentoys19

Why the survey? After all, ebayers are just noise! And zero communication is 5 star communication.

Just like when they failed to mention that breach for 2 months, then neglected to have their ceo on both the main page and major media outlets reassuring the userbase and answering the tough questions.

by: brokentoys19

I should add great timing after the outage July 31 and the silence. LOL

by: Ming the Merciless

Gee, ebay is telling analysts and bloggers that not only have they recovered pre hack members but have actually gained many new members since the The Hack.

The Lynin Ryans of Lithium at work.

by: Bill

I never received a survey and I think it is all a bunch of BS that eBay is expounding to WS to prove that they are aware and doing something to take care of the lack of users (both buyers and sellers) that have revolted from the use of the site since the breach.

by: NetWatch

Yet another spin control and "reputation management" by Ebay, and- as always- utterly out of touch with the eBay users. Strictly done for appearances, and yes, as always, they will do whatever the flawed CEO and top brass concoct regardless of the actual survey responses.

by: Ebay's Slow Death

''where it will get to probe users in person''

Well, us Ebay Sellers have certainly been probed by them enough on the internet, where we have made a lot of ''noise''.

I wouldn't be willing to be probed in person by Ebay.  They would certainly mess it up, and I'd be making even more noise!

Ebay is such a mess, and have made so many Sellers and Buyers angry, there is no going back. Well, maybe if they got a new CEO and team and did a ''Classic Ebay''.  But, that is about as likely as being probed by a space alien.

I didn't get the survey either. They probably already know what I would say.

by: laurengrace

Sales are the lowest ever. Fees are the highest ever.Hsrdly any listing promos in the slow summer months.

by: Rexford

Before the breach: I thought that the CEO was a talent-less vision-less weenie who never understood what made the site successful in the first place and is doing everything in his power to rid small sellers from the site.

After the breach: My perception is that the CEO is cowardly and has demonstrated his complete lack of leadership skills as it relates to addressing the hack.  Moreover, I have no way of knowing this, but it would not surprise me at all if he is actually delighted that the breach has hurt smaller sellers' businesses.

I feel that if the CEO stays much longer, eBay will eventually be sold off in bits and pieces, because that will be the only viable alternative.

by: maxmad

In the last 6 months, we have gone from we don't really like what ebay is doing, to we ABSOLUTELY HATE ebay, and will take great pleasure to watch them destroy themselves, and we are going to help them meet there goals anyway we can, with ebay and paypal,

Ebay have proven they are crooks, they have lost all our trust forever,

On a side note, we did a test last week, between 2 accounts, one trs, and one old account not used for many years,

The items we listed on the old NON-TRS account, with no stars, the items came up on the top pages, and we are getting sales.  

The identical items on our TRS account, perfect stars, are buried so deep, we stopped looking for them around page 55.


These Manipulative crooked bastards, are going to get what they deserve, soon enough.

That's unfortunate that they can't see the issues, but We will not be answering any ridicules ebay surveys, let them crash and burn.

by: LightWing

If they took my responses they would start with firing squads and torches to HQ.

by: Linda

Notice they were only concerned about the large retailers?

by: NetWatch

@LightWing..."Suddenly one of the patients awoke. "Help me doc! Help me!" "Vell vhat seems to be zee problem?" Dr. Flipshire asked the man. "I was having this terrible nightmare...I'm running. Running as fast as i can..." The doctor lit his pipe, then said, "Yes, go on. Continue, tell me more." The patient gulped, "There were hundreds of angry ebay sellers and they were carrying ropes and torches and I was running away from this huge castle..." The doctor observed, "You mean that in zis dream you thought you ver the Frankenstein monster?" The patient cried out, "No! I thought I was John Donahoe!" (excerpt from one of my satires)

by: Rexford

Linda says "Notice they were only concerned about the large retailers?"

Which is why no small seller should waste their time on these surveys.

Donahoe is like a dog with a bone pushing the site to large retailers, but the chickens are coming home to roost.

by: moto-science

Yes, I don't a rats @ss if I sell on Ebay.
Last six months = 50%  less sales.

First rule of business : Don't piss off your biggest customers ( sellers).  

by: Eric Saeger

I'd love to have the time to try Maxmad's test mentioned above.  I think the whole TRS thing is a big bill of goods as far as visibility goes.  Donahoe is so obsessed with roping in new cluebie sellers (with no customer service skills whatsoever) that the really hard workers are continuously getting thrown under the bus.  I assume this would be grounds for class action with regard to theft of services or somesuch.

by: maxmad

their outright negative behavior towards sellers, would indicate (and I'm sure ebay has the data to back it up) is that ebay sellers and what they buy are a meaningless, part of the picture,

don't expect any changes from ebay any time soon, this is your warning call to move, add, your items to other venues before you burn down with ebay.

Just when you think it can't get any worst, ebay will find a way to suck more life, money, and time from you, that is what they have been doing for the last 6 years, and they WILL continue, until they win and you loose.

by: Rexford

Maxmad nails it.

I still believe that they will fail without small sellers.

The bad PR that small sellers share spreads like wildfire.

by: maxmad

@Eric Saeger

We had suspected this for some time, after seeing newbie id's items show up in search way ahead of us, even users with terrible feedback and dinged stars,

After our simple test, with identical ITEMS with identical TITLES it was quite the shock to see it first hand,

Multiple user id's for china sellers is very common, I purchased 4 china items a few weeks back from 4 different seller id's, 3 of those items were shipped from the exact same location.

Not sure how ebay will fix that loophole, but I am sure whatever they dream up, will hurt everyone.

As mentioned, ebay will get what they deserve in the end.