How could you not, with the draconian measures they have taken in the past year to whip sellers into line, massive fee increases and the iron fist of Paypal dictating exactly how you will run your business? So everybody from big powersellers to little cottage crafters hate ebay. And we keep going back for more abuse because, despite our high hopes, every time we find a new online marketplace they just can't deliver the paycheck we crave. So I went slinking back to ebay after a month away from there and desparately in need of a refill on my Paypal account.
'Cause, I am sorry, but no matter how cute and crafty etsy is, they just don't deliver the bling that their image promises.
I am working on some of my other stores too. Bonanzle is a bit awkward to me, listings are not that hard but I do get tangled up sometimes trying to figure it out. Maybe because I am an ebay old timer and I am used to the high price amenities you get there.
Surprisingly the store that I have most neglected is the one that has been paying the best dividends for the past month. That is my ecrater.com store. So I spent a little time over there tonight restocking and trying to figure out what I need to do to get it more visible on the web. It is actually a mystery to me. But the fact that it is 100% free gratis, no setup fees, no listing fees and no final value fees, does make it attractive and maybe worth a little more effort. And the fact that most buyers over there choose google checkout instead of the evil Paypal makes it even better. I guess I will have to investigate further and see what I can do to promote it, but for right now it is doing almost half as well as my ebay sales and 10 X my etsy or Bonanzle. Just thought I would pass that along.
It's so funny that you should blog about this, as I was considering it myself. More along the lines of asking buyers and sellers what they feel is wrong with eBay. Good post.
ReplyDeleteMissy
It's the "oldtimers" who are having the biggest problem with ebay. It was great for us when it was more like a big flea market. Now that they've tried to emulate Amazon they have lost that cachet they once had. And in the guise of "customer service" they have ridden roughshod over sellers, changing the rules and upping the fees. I haven't had any sales anywhere in about a month so I don't know what to do. Thanks for the post - it gives me something to think about.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Old eBay was perfect. I won't go back on a normal basis. Maybe every now and then for group promotions us girls have going on from time to time. I have handed that greedy company too much of my money over the last few years and I am done doing that. If they want to
ReplyDeleteoffer free listings I MIGHT reconsider, but I am firm in saying I am DONE with eBay.
I have had 5 sales on Bonanzle since signing up a few weeks ago. Market your booth every which way to can. Bonanzle is growing by leaps and bounds. In the next few months it should be even better.
The nice thing about etsy is that it is affordable. I like that. I am not losing anything there.
eCrater was a flop for me when I had listings there for months. I canceled my listings there. Pretty soon Bonanzle will have more listings than eCrater anyway so I feel that was a good decision.
Sorry for the long post, but I am a "oldtimer" too and wanted to share my 2 cents.
It is a little hard to let go of the idea of the "old" ebay but at least we all see the handwriting on the wall and yes, it is time to move on. I am happy that we are all sharing ideas to help each other with marketing. It is hard work, but I think the most important thing is getting involved in networking and learning a little bit at a time. thanks!
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