# eBay Strike Feb. 18-25



## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

www.youtube.com/watch


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## stumpycc (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Chuck, I just sent it to all of our Garden Rail Road club members. and I will dend it to all of my friends also. 
Cliff


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## stanman (Jan 4, 2008)

This video contains misleading - and even untrue - information.

You first have to understand where this is coming from: It is from a group of "Power Sellers", who just may have to improve their service to buyers.

First of all, listings for the first quarter thus far are up 12 percent, year-over-year, according to American Technology Research analyst Tim Boyd.

 Next, why would buyers strike? It costs the buyer _nothing_ to purchase on eBay. In fact, _none_ of the changes affect a buyer negatively, and some will help.

eBay has announced a change to the fees for _listing_ items on eBay. Less expensive items will actually be cheaper to list; however, fees for listing more expensive items will go up. So you can imagine that the folks putting out information such as shown in this video are those selling expensive items.

The feedback change that has these sellers inflamed includes the fact that buyers can still leave negative feedback for sellers, but sellers will no longer be able to leave negative feedback for buyers. Also, the big boys, called Power Sellers, will have the placement of their listings depend on their feedback rating. If they do a great job, their listing goes to the top - a lousy job sends them down the page. So ask yourself which sellers are angry about the fee changes?

Similarly, the changes to PayPal do not affect buyers. For sellers, the 21-day hold would apply to only a small percentage of purchases and appears to me to be good business sense.

I could be wrong, but I think you'll find that not many sellers who are doing a good job will be joining this "strike".

It has become very easy to produce a one sided "ad" these days - and not just the ones for political candidates!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

First I've heard of any of this, but then I'm a buyer, not a seller, any one here care to confirm if any of these new rate charges are for real ? 

First thing thats going to happen, at least from the buyers pov, is I see some buyers hoping to snag low bid deals if a number of bidders do indeed boycott. Not everyone will participate, some dont care, especially on the buying end, this seems to be really screwing the sellers mostly, I wouldnt be surprised to see Amazon or Craigslist get more business. 

Ebay POs too many sellers and they could cut out there own base. No sellers, no ebay.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Fine! Let the "power sellers" and anybody else foolish enough to go along with them decide to boycott ebay for a week. I plan to list some of my stuff so maybe there won't be quite the glut and I'll see some better returns!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/doze.gif


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

If i read my mail correctly (and maybe i didn't who knows) the listing fees went down but the final value fee went up. So, if your item doesn't sell you're better off but when it does sell you lose more. Also in another thread I went on a rant about how the only recourse a seller will have is the craptastic dispute center of ebay and paypal. As far as i can tell, the only people getting shafted are the "little" guys who sell to make a few bucks. If ebay keeps it up they will lose out. Someone will move in to fill the void ebay is slowly creating. I'll keep selling, but i'll be much more selective about what i sell and who i sell to. I also don't think the strike will work. The fuel strikes didn't work and fuel is a tad more important than ebay.  Besides, if no one is bidding, maybe i can get some stuff cheap .  Like everything else, greed rules at ebay.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The thing about Ebay is that it is so large that those of us looking for the rarer items are _far_ more likely to find them there. In that case the price is not the first concern--availability is.  Indeed, in many cases it seems that there is always one other bidder I have to battle with for the desired object. At least I have a _shot_ at it (usually I am outbid, it seems, but so it goes). And I can always look again later for something similar. 

Many times I have found items on Ebay I am sure I could not otherwise have found, which makes Ebay my prime source for much of my railroad-related "Empire" items.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

take a look at this link fellow ebayers buyers/sellers youll laugh your --- off!!!!YouTube - "Ebay" by Weird Al Yankovic


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## bryanj (Jan 2, 2008)

Great , now I don't know what to believe. Thanks Stan for throwing the truth in there !


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## itsmcgee (Jan 4, 2008)

I agee Steve I am going to do the same


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

Excellent points, Stan. and Right on.   I don't see any changes in the train stuff I have been buying and selling. I just saw an Aristo dash nine go for 358.00$.  That's about 200$ more than I paid for mine early last fall.  Sounds like the sellers are doing just fine.  It will be interesting to watch this week. 
Paul


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

*Although I've been both a buyer (primarily) & seller on eBay (just sold over $1000  of my old O-scale equipment over the past few weeks), I think the "strike" is well justified!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/angry.gif  (And I WILL be participating myself!).  Being an only occaisional seller, I don't find the fee increases too onerous /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/plain.gif, compared to some "brick-&-mortar" auctions I've participated in.  (One RC airplane show I've sold at near NYC in the past takes a 15% /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blink.gif commision "up-front" - whether or NOT your item sells!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gif).  What I find REALLY objectionable are the feedback changes (particularly since I might be dealing with my first  non-paying /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif bidder right now!)./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/cry.gif  This is especially since I've worked to maintain a 100% positive feedback rating as BOTH a buyer & seller.  The new PayPal policy of potentially witholding funds for 21 days STINKS/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sick.gif to high heaven!  Last I read, eBay listings were down @ 12%; be interesting to see what happens over the next week.  Ebay's management may find they've killed/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif the "goose that laid the golden egg"!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wow.gif                             Tom
*


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I sent an email to evilbay telling them what I thought of the feedback change...I got a form reply that pretty much said "Thanks, but tough $#&%. We'll do what we like" .... As far as the fees, evilBay and paypal often make more on my stuff than I do already, grabbing for more just stinks.

There's nothing I particularly HAVE to list this week, so I probably won't.


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## MarkLewis (Jan 2, 2008)

What the fee decreases do is raise eBay's share of the things I sell to just over 8% of the selling price. Not my idea of a decrease.

That's a lot less than the overhead for a brick & mortar store, so it doesn't really cost me a great deal as a seller. But the lack of new feedback on sellers, combined with eBay's dreadfully slow response to complaints about non-payers, is keeping me from selling on eBay now.

It is not keeping me from buying. It has decreased the section of items on eBay, but the decrease in buyers has created some genuine bargains.

So a caveat: If you're a seller, you might want to consider other options, but with the changes buyers do get more power.

Mark


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