What Do You Think of eBay's New Ad Campaign?

by: Ming the Merciless

THe cost of this ad campaign shouldn't have come at the expense of small and medium sellers.

Enterprise/Diamond sellers have contracts with ebay so you know they're not paying their fair share  for the ads or ANY share for that matter.

The cost of ebafia's ad campaigns should be borne EQUALLY among ebafia's offshore, untaxed cash on hand, shareholders, and ALL sellers.

Sellers shouldn't have to underwrite shareholders or support enlargement of ebafia's cash reserves.

Frankly, my dear Devin, I don';t give a damn how beige cardboard boxes are!

I want my full discount back.

by: futervest

Just more of eBays HYPE. They are failing miserably and are trying to resurrect a dying market. There decisions cost thousands of sellers to walk Now they are panicking to generate sales.

by: FeelingFroggy

ummm ads what ads.

by: Rexford

I wasn't aware that there was an advertising campaign.  I haven't seen any ads in my area.

Off topic, I did notice that Target is now on eBay. Thankfully I don't sell anything that Target sells.

by: toolguy

For those that think eBay is failing I just have to say look at my favorite seller! They seem to have NO problem moving merchandise on eBay!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ipg=200&LH_Complete=1&LH_
Sold=1&_ssn=bidadoo_business&_sop=3

by: papergoy

It's a good start in theory.  It is one thing that eBay can use to differentiate themselves from Amazon- that you can get the unique on eBay.  Now if they follow it up with more campaigns and the like to drive traffic, it could work out well.  They simply need to remember that people like me are what makes eBay a success- and they cannot simply imitate Amazon and expect to succeed.  I know they love the idea of catalog shopping- and with off-the-shelf items it works fine but with the oddball it just isn't sensible.  But hey, it's a start- hopefully they continue in this vein and don't suddenly change course mid-stream as is their wont since the days of Meg.

by: pace306

Theres no fool like an old Tool ...

Ecommerce sales this year have risen %15 overall. eBays sales only grew %3.

That means that eBay is running 5x LESS then the average!

No eBay isnt going out of business, but it IS stale, run by people who have no experience in ecommerce, and it universally hated by both buyers AND sellers (if both hate you - whos left?)

eBay shares are what ...? $34, Amazon's on the other hand just crossed the $1000 a share mark ...  

So NOW TOOL, exactly what position is eBay in?

by: toolguy

"run by people who have no experience in ecommerce"

I bet Bidadoo could care less if ebay has any experience!

They're selling $million every month on eBay!

And what does the stock price have to do with selling on the web site?

It means NOTHING, ZERO, NADA

You just get over the fact YOU aren't cut out for eBay. . .

Maybe you should consider another site for your electronic stuff.

Looks like you have TOO much competition on eBay.

If you aren't succeeding it's NO ONE'S fault but YOURS!

Stop blaming eBay for YOUR shortcomings!

by: dans parts

I am with others above - What ads?  I haven't seen any, so I can't really comment on them.

@Tool - Your example/comparison rings kind of hollow.  The Seller you highlighted sells in an EXTREMELY narrow, VERY high-dollar, low-supply/high-demand niche category, unlike 99.9% of most eBay Sellers.  Including your items and my items.

While you and I are fortunate enough to have chosen to be in other small niches of relatively low-competition categories on eBay, this type of comparison does nothing to prove/disprove the majority of Seller's sales/sell-through rates, Watch numbers, Bidder quantities, etc.

My numbers, even in a smaller niche category, plotted on a graph, would show a steady decline from the "mountain-top" of several years ago, with nothing but a small "boulder" or two sitting on the side of that slope to even periodically interrupt the steady downward trend.

Apples & oranges.

And even apples and oranges does not account for those who have left, willingly or unwillingly, from the effects of that same downward slope.

If you have better comparisons, please share them with us.

by: eXtinctBay

The buyer who sees this commercial will expect their purchased item to arrive in a colorful, shiny box with pretty eBay balloon stickers.

Instead, they will get their merchandise in a beeeeeeige Amazon box, since their seller had it dropshipped through Prime.

And the buyer will then check the price on the River, and discover that buying new goods on the Bay is not always a smart idea.

There is a reason that eBay is known as a destination for the unique and vintage things not available on Amazon. Not commodity items. It is the way the site was built.

Unfortunately, they are too stubborn to realize this, and continue to alienate both buyers and sellers with their constant attempts to change the site.

Since eBay does not warehouse the merchandise offered there, they can never beat Amazon on price. If they could truly embrace small sellers again, perhaps the company could enjoy double-digit increases in revenue again.

Like the rest of the eCommerce companies out there....

by: toolguy

Dan, I have book marked many sellers but they all sell in niche categories.

When I need common items I go to Walmart not eBay!

by: mcposty

Cognitive dissonance at its finest

by: Volvo351

Yep, "eighty percent" of current listings are 'new' b/c eBay has thrown the small seller Under the Bus in favor of Chinese mega-sellers, who use our own nation's postal system a a weapon against us.

by: dans parts

@Tool -

When I used your link, the results showed sorted as Highest Dollar, and I didn't notice that.  I went back, re-ranked it to Ended recent, and looked and I see that some of what they sell is not 100% for stratospheric prices.

Even so, I feel the comparison is still not particularly relevant to most eBay Sellers.

by: dans parts

@Tool -

Like you, I am old-fashioned and also continue to go to WalMart for commodity items, UNLESS I find I can get them cheaper (and by that I mean WAY cheaper) on eBay.  Good example is OEM (not knock-off) toner cartridges for my printer.  Most I buy are at 20%-30% of what Staples/WalMart gets.

And that's because they are coming from a "small" seller.  Someone who probably got it for next to nothing at an auction somewhere.  NOT the Chinese Sellers, nor Mr. Big-Bucks Bidadoo.  All I have to do is be patient, and pro-active to wait items out until they show up on eBay.  Ants in your pants won't save you money on eBay.

Chinese Sellers and Mr. Fat-Wallet are not who built eBay. Small-fries like you and I did.  Others just cashed in on the success/trends.

And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.  But, that's the point I was trying to make about your comparison being apples and oranges.  Most on this Board are small-fries (relatively speaking, that is), and we worry/comment on what affects us.

So, does this advertising campaign help those small-fries?  Or the johnnie-come-latelys?

My guess is the latter, since that's what eBay has been catering to since Meg/Donuthole.

And that's what I and many others believe is contributing to the downfall of eBay.  We do not believe that eBay is healthy, unlike you.  I have just a shade over 3 years til I can officially/technically retire, and I hope eBay lasts that long, since my niche category is supported NOWHERE but on eBay - I'm trapped.

by: toolguy

Dan, I am also trapped on eBay!

I know for a fact I could not make as money as I do on eBay anywhere else, I won't kid myself and even try other worthless sites and that includes Amazon.

I'm semi retired collecting a small pension from Boeing for the 13 years I put in.

I'm only 58 so I have a while until I can collect SS. But I do have another venture growing (cannabis). I hope it can take eBay's place in a few short years. . .

by: RL15

have not seen the ad. if I see it, I still would not buy on fleecebay. if I want color, I want green, so I will buy from amazon and save some green.

by: Rexford

What would we all do without Mr. Goodwrench's words of wisdom.

by: Trying-My-Best

@rexford, Target has been on eBay for quite a years, also Overstock is on the site as well as others.  What eBay was to small sellers (years ago) it is now a platform for big retail to duke it out ...with ridiculous search and visibility preferences.  

of all the things to focus on ... a brown box is a new low for eBay.  

Exactly what is the point of this ad?  There's a reason Amazon ships everything in a box - aside from protecting the item, it increases the perceived value of the purchase, adds professionalism to the post buying experience.

I ordered the.''colorful'' eBay tape because it was free.  I'm using it to tape up moving and storage boxes.  It looks loud,cheap and ''noisy'' on my eBay mailings.  

Despite what Ebay wants to  believe, their is no source of pride buying on the site - and embarrassing to see a package (always a cheap gray mailer with the item jammed and stuffed in a cheap gray mailer) logo taped at my doorsteps for all my neighbors to see where I buy from.  

With eBay's best shot at Amazon over a brown box ... has me wondering how often eBay executives buy from small sellers on their site.  If they did ... they would know how miserable post buying experience truly is ... and a major reason why buyers are on Amazon for that great beeiiiggggeee box experience.

by: toolguy

@ Trying-My-Best

Everything my son has ever bought on Amazon comes floating around in an extra large box with NO packing!

Is that the professionalism you're talking about?

Amazon packers could care less about the customer "experience"!

They're treated worse than cattle.