Earning on Ebay #6: 10 More Reasons I Love/Hate Ebay

I bought it on Eeeebaayy...hello readers! In case you missed the first 10 things that I love and hate about selling on Ebay, jump over to my other hub before you read this. I realize that the world of online commerce is constantly changing and evolving. With these constant changes, I am finding more things that I really enjoy about selling on Ebay. Unfortunately, there are also more issues that I have seen arise as well. Without further ado, here are ten MORE things that I love and hate about Ebay.

1. Expansion upon expansion - Ebay has constant ups and downs, but they have been pretty consistent with creating new ways to enhance both the online buying and selling experience. One example that stands out to me is Ebay’s buyback or trade in program. They will buy electronics (and repair if needed), and then they take the responsibility of reselling the item. This service allows a seller to streamline the process and avoid problems such as dealing with finicky buyers or payment issues.

2. Take Ebay with you - I have mixed emotions about some new technology, specifically the Apple Iphone. However, Ebay has created a very good application which not only allows me to track my purchases, but now I can create listings from scratch and handle any buyer questions on the go. This new Ebay mobility makes it much easier to integrate Ebay selling into my daily life. Rather than having to sit down at the computer to upload a picture and then create a listing, I can snap a picture from my phone and do it all while I wait for the bus. Of course sellers still need to create a quality listing, but creating a mobile option is a great option for busy sellers.

3. A more stringent top rated seller system - Ebay has just recently retooled the requirements for becoming a top rated seller and enjoying some of the perks associated with it. What this means is that it is much more difficult to achieve, and maintain, this coveted title of the Ebay selling realm. I see this as a positive thing because it gives much more value to sellers who actually work to achieve this goal. Just like little league trophies that were given to every player were not seen as much of an accomplishment, a selling status that is meant to stand out means very little when anybody can get it. Ebay has separated the men from the boys when it comes to seller accolades with this new system.

4. FREE pictures - Ebay selling is all about exposure. Savvy sellers use this to their advantage and create listings that really pop with vibrant pictures and an engaging write up. Unfortunately, new or lazy sellers will throw up a “Buy this used thing cause it’s gewd” description with a bigfoot style picture of what may or may not be the item in question. Ebay has taken the restriction off and now pretty much all listings can have multiple pictures. This gives sellers the potential to create a great selling page and increase their chances of high selling items.

5. The database of Ebay - If you have an item with an unknown value or origin, Ebay can end up becoming a very valuable resource. While googling will always be one of the best ways to conduct research, Ebay allows you to view pricing trends and see how much interest there is for certain product categories. You are able to view completed listings and see if they sold, and how the sale occurred. You are even able to go into a past listing and see how many bidders there where for a particular item, which can be very useful when you are trying to find the selling potential of an item.

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1. A more stringent top rated seller system - This was one of the reasons that I loved Ebay, but it has also become a reason why I dislike Ebay. I was a top rated seller before there were more requirements, and these extra rules seem like extra hoops to jump through for a number of reasons. In case you aren’t familiar with the system, here are the requirements. I get it, by requiring tracking it decreases disputes of non-received items, and a return policy makes sure that buyers stay happy. However, increasing shipping costs is bothersome for low volume sellers. Worse yet, a return policy on used items can end up being a poison. If I sell a video game that can be beaten in a weekend, and a buyer decides to utilize the return policy, then I automatically become a free rental store. I have seen how Blockbuster is struggling, and I don’t think I am going to be able to thrive in that business.

2. The Wal-Mart effect - I see this as a huge issue for Ebay’s future. I have seen big box sellers, such as Toys R Us, with their own Ebay selling pages. I have also seen Ebay “Deals of the Day” that come from sellers with feedback ratings in the millions. This has the potential to do the same thing to small time sellers that Wal-Mart does the Mom & Pop shops. When so many similar products are offered, the only thing that will differentiate a seller is price. The big time sellers will be able to do a transaction where they are only seeing a 50 cent profit, but that is because they are doing thousands of these transactions a day. Individual sellers came to Ebay to have a selling medium specifically for them, not to compete with a digital reselling Wal-Mart. These big times sellers will have the potential to snuff out the small resale aspect of Ebay, and eliminate all of the benefits for the rest of us.

3. A buyer’s market - Even though Ebay says that they have seller protection and try to be fair to both sides, the cards are stacked against you as a seller when it comes to disputes and the Ebay feedback system. I have dealt with some absolutely ridiculous and demanding people online, and I have to put on my salesman hat and happily smile as they make a giant pain of themselves. Rather than drag out this point I will simply say this: Ebay buyers have the option to leave positive, neutral, or negative feedback to sellers. Sellers only have the option to leave positive feedback. The main reason for this is that buyers won’t ever leave negative feedback because of the fear of retaliatory feedback from a seller who feels slighted. I still have a problem with this as a seller. If I have a buyer that waits to pay until an unpaid item case is open, and then asks for a return because they misread or neglected to read the description, then I do not think they deserve a positive feedback from me as a seller. Unfortunately, the true portrait of bad buyers can now never be revealed because of this change, but it seems like a necessary evil at this point.

4. Dilution through Accessibility: Ebay has become much more user friendly over the years, and with the release of the Ebay app and other selling options, it is now easier than ever to start selling. This can be good for a many reasons, but I see it as a problem because of a lack of quality listings and quality buyers. I have come across some awful listings with misspellings and poor descriptions of an item's condition. Also, buyer commitment has waned substantially. I have never seen more buyers neglect to pay, ask unneeded questions, or just change their minds on something that is supposed to be a semi-binding agreement. Honestly, I would rather there be fewer bidders on a item to get a committed buyer who does not make the process difficult.

5. A lack of genuine authenticity: Knock offs or cheap reproductions of items have always been around, and Ebay is not immune to this issue. If I have a genuine designer coat for sale, I would be very hesitant to list it online. This is because knock offs have come along to drive down the price. Some immoral sellers will even list what they know to be knock offs and say “like designer brand” or “designer coat?” This only serves to confuse buyers and hurt the chances that a seller with a legitimate item will be able to sell for a fair price. If it isn't outright fake items, it can be tons of low quality alternatives. These items usually come direct from China, and while they are usually inferior to the real deal, they are also much cheaper. This creates a problem when buyers are looking to save. They may consider going cheap while sacrificing quality and it can hurt your sales.

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