FAO "gazza" -- eBid API is *desparately* needed

[lamoto]

Hi all,

I really, really want to start listing on eBid but I simply cannot do so without an API (application programming interface) to post listings and to retrieve listing information (i.e. winner and price details).

What is really upsetting is that it would take a good developer who is familiar with the internal eBid platform, a *very* short amount of time (hours/days) to develop a set of basic web services to expose this functionality.

I do hope that this comes soon -- until then I can't sell on eBid. My company's sales management is 100% software driven and unless eBid provides the APIs to allow automated programmtic listing management, it simply cannot ever compete with the likes of Amazon and eBay.

I'd be happy to discuss further what's required, but even a very simply basic interface would allow a lot of people to move forward:

1. PostListing(...)
2. RetreiveListingDetails(...)

Two functions! That's all it would take to get going...

[bykimbo]

You need to put this on the suggestions forum, not the kitchen table.

[damian_steele]

Hi all,

I really, really want to start listing on eBid but I simply cannot do so without an API (application programming interface) to post listings and to retrieve listing information (i.e. winner and price details).

What is really upsetting is that it would take a good developer who is familiar with the internal eBid platform, a *very* short amount of time (hours/days) to develop a set of basic web services to expose this functionality.

I do hope that this comes soon -- until then I can't sell on eBid. My company's sales management is 100% software driven and unless eBid provides the APIs to allow automated programmtic listing management, it simply cannot ever compete with the likes of Amazon and eBay.

I'd be happy to discuss further what's required, but even a very simply basic interface would allow a lot of people to move forward:

1. PostListing(...)
2. RetreiveListingDetails(...)

Two functions! That's all it would take to get going...

If you search in the suggestions forum, I think you'll find that this feature has already been requested and is being worked on.

[lamoto]

Yes, I've searched before on this in the forums and I can see that this feature was "being worked on" 18 months ago.

I was about to start writing a HTML screen-scraper to work with the bulk upload in TSV format, but I now find that ebid doesn't support PURGE of listings, rendering this (already severely substandard) approach impossible.

<sigh>

Basically, it looks like ebid is NOT a professional sales platform; until they supply APIs to do this (which, in basic form, should be *trivial* effort on their part) then it will remain a non-competitor to the big sites. Such a shame.

[bykimbo]

Given the balance of listings to sales on here, I don't think getting more listings needs to be their top priority. If not providing an API slows down the moment when the massive box-shifting powerseller types take over, I'm not sure that's a bad thing either.

[heatemyfather]

Basically, it looks like ebid is NOT a professional sales platform; until they supply APIs to do this (which, in basic form, should be *trivial* effort on their part) then it will remain a non-competitor to the big sites. Such a shame.

You hit the nail on the head there. Numerous things that should be trivial are not done, and most such suggestions just get shouted down by the forum regulars who, for the most part, don't know anything about programming or web site management; they seem very vocal on issues that wouldn't affect them in any way.

[lamoto]

+1 to the last post.

I'm by *no means* a "box-shifting powerseller" but I do want to run my business effectively. No programmatic access to a platform means that the channel is useless to me.

I take the point about sellers not being the priority but that is, I think, short-sighted in the extreme; buyers will come to where the most variety and cost effective products are sold (over time). By limiting the uptake of sellers, this will inevitably reduce the buyer appeal.

My gut feeling is that the owners of this site are not motivated to drive it forward. I hope I'm wrong, but the evidence is pretty strong IMO.

We all desparately want a viable alternative to EB -- this could, and should, be it.

But without a professional approach to gettig basic things done, it will never happen.

[lamoto]

I would actually be VERY interested to hear the site owner(s)' take on this.

I'd actually be willing to do the work myself, I'm that desparate for an alternative to EB!!!

[bykimbo]

+1 to the last post.

I'm by *no means* a "box-shifting powerseller"

I'm sure not, but where you lead, they may follow...

but I do want to run my business effectively. No programmatic access to a platform means that the channel is useless to me.

That is, of course, a shame... but I wonder how the statistics would stack up - how important such an interface would be to the sort of sellers who are currently, and very actively, looking for a route out of feebay.

I take the point about sellers not being the priority but that is, I think, short-sighted in the extreme; buyers will come to where the most variety and cost effective products are sold (over time). By limiting the uptake of sellers, this will inevitably reduce the buyer appeal.

Ultimately *everything* needs to be fixed, sorted, polished, supplied etc... but we're talking priorities. You said that you didn't think this was a *professional* site, and in a way I think that's not entirely a bad thing at this stage. A professional site would have all the facilities you want... but would also have high fees, robot support systems, all the bad baggage that we're trying to escape.

My gut feeling is that the owners of this site are not motivated to drive it forward. I hope I'm wrong, but the evidence is pretty strong IMO.

*My* gut feeling is somewhat different - that they are determined not to drive it forward at the *expense* of all that's good about it, and not to cripple themselves financially, make any rash investments, or invite the sharks in. The impression I get is of people who care, but are cautious about getting out of their depth, or over-run by money-men. Not perfect, sure (who of us is?) but not indifferent by any means.

We all desparately want a viable alternative to EB -- this could, and should, be it.

But without a professional approach to gettig basic things done, it will never happen.

I think *never* is too strong. It might not happen quickly enough for you, or even me (I'm patient, but I'm knocking on ) but it can still make it. If the enthusiasm of some of the users were a motive power, it would be zooming along at a million miles an hour.

As for the other posters comments about regulars with no knowledge shouting every suggestion down... I've not seen any evidence of that, so I'm not sure what he's on about, sorry. <shrug>

[lamoto]

They are fair points Kimbo.

But 18 months to develop programmatic access is way too long! Keep in mind that the site already has this functionality (internally) all that needs to happen is that it needs to be exposed externally. A lightweight implementation wouldn't have to be a huge development job (the EB APIs are, for example, monumental in their scale.)

Of course I don't know anything about the resources or motivations of the owners -- however, if resource is a problem, I bet that a large number of people on these forums would be able and willing to assist.

I really hope that the owners take the next steps to making this a viable competitor for EB; I don't believe that all big companies are bad, and I hope that one day this site succeeds in taking 50% of EB's business from it, while at the same time remaining cost effective and decent. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive...