ESCAPED FROM eB*Y

[CandygramComics]

It's good to see so many other brave souls departing from the ghastly Feebay and heading to the glory of eBid. I opened my account a couple of months ago and had a few problems but since then I've done a helluva lot of research on ebid and they have rave reviews on most online auction comparison sites. Sellers AND buyers speak highly of them and I'm more than happy to begin trading here

Their fee system is way more seller friendly and I can feel better about listing way more items here than I ever did on feebay as I won't have to sell a kidney just to pay my monthly account! Buyers are going to benefit from the lower prices we may all be able to offer and once the falloff on eBay is apparent the buyers WILL look elsewhere... EBID is consistently listed in the top three online auction sites and I have to say that their customer service and response kicks butt and they are more vigilant and proactive regarding problems.

Go EBID! I'm looking forward to bringing my trade - and that of family and friends - over from the dark side!! lol !! Good luck to all EBID newbies!!!

[vansport]

Looks like I'm in good company here, like most of you guys I've finally given up on being ripped off by the aforementioned, after 5 years of trading there and sales into 6 figures I have reached THAT point.
I have just signed up for the cheapy account here at the moment, so that I can get a feel for the site, first impressions are mixed, it is weird doing my usual searches and getting results in 2 figures as, on feebay, and there were usually around 2000 results if not filtered but it is also exciting being in at the start of this mass exodus, I see it as a new challenge
I need to morph sensibly though, my first instinct (driven by temper on getting the email re new fees) was to close my account there and then but after years of 'playing by the book' I decided it was payback time so I am going to close my shop, list occasionally and sensibly and just use every available opportunity to drive my customers from there to here, I intend to email all my past customers (around 800 from feebay at last count) and tell them where we've gone, gonna take a closer look into this 'Buddy' system too.

Also need to look into payment options as I really do not want to give Paypal any of my hard-earned cash, as most of you will already know they are part of feebay, also I reckon if you use the same account they (and therefore feebay) can monitor us, any suggestions welcome here, I was considering Nochex as I've used them before.

Good luck to all those in a similar situation as me, I hope feebay loose millions!!

Phil

[Reyesontour]

Sarah,

At the risk of sounding like I don't know anything... What is photobucket?

Thanks..

Reyesontour

[Reyesontour]

Phil,

I am glad I am not the only one whose temper went off the charts over the last few memos from Ebay. Last week started with the pricing memo and then delisting four items that had been listed for a year (yes, I should have been looking for them but with 1800 items I didn't know they were there) saying that I was circumventing fees by listing buy it now for 99 cents. When I called them they read the book which sent me out over the stratusphere. I am tired of their nonsense so went looking for an alternative. Now, I have to set those items up over here. It will take awhile... I truly hope that people find this site and I think they will because so many people are upset. I don't understand why they didn't stick to providing a service instead of trying to run our business. If I wanted to work for someone else, I would be.

So, I second your wish. : )

Have a great day!

Reyesontour

[kedo]

Sarah,

At the risk of sounding like I don't know anything... What is photobucket?

Thanks..

Reyesontour

A free photo hosting service. Lots of sellers use it to add extra photographs to their auctions.

[Dress4Success4Less]

I was just on their message boards and WOW have things gotten worse. I still have my small ID running with only about 40 items listed because I just started here. It is a scary thing to list items and have no bids on it the same or next day, but I'm optomistic about this site. I just wish they would advertise on TV to get the word out to buyers. I began notifying all my epay customers that I've had since '99 about this site and the reason's why I was leaving. Some have replied that they had no idea that's how they treated us sellers. I guess I was just tired of waking up everyday wondering what my feedback was going to look like or which stupid star was going to fall. They made it so it wasn't fun anymore to sell. Phil, I still am offering paypal on my auctions but I heard that Google Checkout was the way to go. The only thing I really liked about paypal was the bank card that they send you to withdraw funds instead of transferring them. I wonder if Google offers that? I wish everyone the best in all their future sales!
Gia

[BelleKeats2]

Hi,
I haven't jumped ship completely, still have a store on feebay. The store is the same name as here Belle Keats and my user name is the same. Hope this is a success, with feebay by the time I learned how the system really worked it all changed. I was finally making money, but now I'd starve if I had to live on what I get from sales there.
Hope to make a lot of great friends and some contacts as well.
Hi to all

[JanetB]

Welcome to the family all you newbies! It's so encouraging to see so many newcomers joining up.

[magpiesnest1]

I'm getting a warm feeling now all the ex-feebayers are joining here too-I'm positive I've done the right thing now too. Some bedtime reading for anyone who's intrerested http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa...53&#1206183153

[raindropsies]

I'm getting a warm feeling now all the ex-feebayers are joining here too-I'm positive I've done the right thing now too. Some bedtime reading for anyone who's intrerested http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa...53&#1206183153

Post # 97 is really funny IMO.

I get the feeling the poster is not too happy

dennisinluton (1674 ) View Listings | Report 24-08-08 23:03 BST 97 of 101 James@ebay - On How to Kill The Ebay Small Collectables Market With Just One Email.

I hope the headline has got your attention- for your attention is needed in your role of messenger to convey the anger and frustration of not just me but everyone else in this thread back to ebay management - So it is not in my or anybody's interest to shoot you down personally with words -at least not yet.

I refer to the collectables side of EBay as it is the only part I really know although what I have to say is probably applicable elsewhere.

OK, the headline a little exaggerated - you actually need about three or four emails. 1) Informing about changing the feedback system which had stood the test of time 2) An email proclaiming the benefits of an ill thought seller rating system which managed to drive out some good sellers along with the bad 3) an email proclaiming the benefits of a new search system which upon testing seem to spirit half the items out of my shop into some virtual black hole.

Now I thought that the last email might be the "killer" but I carried on trading, unlike some others, without a hint of protest, or at least trading to those customers who either by luck or by virtue of having a "Mensa" like left sided brain structure found my items.

But ebay management seeing that enough of us were still clinging on by their fingernails had another trick up their sleeve - the "1p dreadful" . Well, silly old me - taking things at face value with a naviete that does not quite fit my age profile; not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth and all, I clicked with my mouse and what did I find -a scorpion - and there you have it -three animal metaphors in one sentence. You got to hand it to Ebay -they really worked on their marketing skills when they dreamt that email up.

So what do we have to do for our "1p dreadful listing" -not much, just put £349 up front each month. Well, that easy - its a no brainer. I may only have a GCSE in maths from 1966 to my credit but even I can work that out. Now I have an average of about 2000 listings in my shop at 3p each costing £60 + £6 shop fee =£66

So all I need do is pay £349 + £20 for my listings = £369. Oh golly gosh, wait a minute, my GCSE in maths(1966) tells me this does not add up. Where am I going wrong? Its back to my blackboard and chalk (a few moments pause whilst brain and chalk engages in task). OK I am right back here - thanks for waiting - have got it all figured out . All I need do to bring my average cost down to (6600/2000) 3.3p a listing is to put up 10470 listings -simple. I wont bore you with the maths but my pocket calculator was useful -did n't have those in 1966.

Now I may be daft but I certainly ain't stupid. Even if I had this amount of stock do you think I would list this on ebay? Well I might just be fool enough to do that amount of work if I was convinced that customers could actually see their way through the convolutions of search to all the those additional listings I had just sweated over and that ebay was not already busy rewriting the rules and I having to rewrite the business plan yet again to fit. I thought, again in my naviete, that eBay was a place to do business on, not some convoluted strategy game, where having completed one task you are then taken oup to the next more complicated level. I never was any good at Dungeons & Dragons and since those days have not looked at similar games -until now. Who knows what the next email will bring -I am even beginning to develop a phobia about Ebay emails - after all ebay is not exactly known for consulting with sellers beforehand is it, -a flat fee for auctions perhaps - but then even eBay would not by stupid enough to do that -would they?

So, I digress, what has this got to do with small collectables? Well quite a bit actually. I sell vintage postcards at an average shop price of £1.80. So whether a listing fee is 3p, 5p, 20p, or a mere "just 40p" is pretty critical for the bottom line. The maths I have given above, will be rather critical to other collectors/dealers/hobbyists in postcards, stamps, secondhand books and other low-ticket items.

So James (Ebay Management) do you really think that I am going to crucify my bottom line so that Ebay can enhance theirs? You don't have to think about that one, and neither do I, its a rhetorical question.

JAMES (EBAY MANAGEMENT) Fed up with sellers taking pot shots at you. I recommend a break - you will need it before the year is out. Why not take a leisure opportunity and browse around some collectables shops in ebay, perhaps buy one or two items if they take your fancy. Do it while you can. Because many will not be in existence the other side of Xmas, particularly if they are in similar categories to those mentioned above:-

TO OTHER SHOP SELLERS who are thinking of jacking it in. Hang in there at least for the Xmas season. Ebay may just think twice about its flat fee structure and how it dis-advantages some sellers to the benefit of others ( a crude but effective tactic of splitting seller opinion on the issue) However judging on past and present behaviour do not bet on it, but live in hope anyway. . At the very least list as many items as you can on 90 day S.I.F just before the deadline - at least that will see you up to near Xmas at the old listing fees. Not much you can do about the shop fee hike though. Then, like me, be off to pastures new. New year, new start etc.,

JAMES P.S. You might wish to consider ending your emails with something other than CHEERS!. Does not seem quite appropriate in the current climate.

P.P.S I have just seen the message "We're working to make " my ebay " easier to use -try out the beta". Really - if it were true it would be incredible - so if you think I am going to click my mouse on that - who knows what loathsome "creepy crawly" lurks the other side -back to my animal metaphors again.

Dennis