Gosh, no one saw this coming

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

http://tinyurl.com/7f2r94

Who didn't predict this would happen to ebay? That's right John Donahoe...the silver spooning CEO of ebay who probably never bought or sold a single thing on there before being named the CEO. I'm sure enforcing the paypal only option starting in January is going to bring that stock right back up.

That's okay though...I'm sure he's still got his golden parachute to fall back on when he gets canned.

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Posted By: Jeff S.

Great article Dan - perfect example of a company dismissing the formula that made it a juggernaut. As a member since '97, I do appreciate some of the features in "My Ebay" - saved searches, e-mail updates of current searches etc., but long for Ebay of the late 90's and early 2000's.

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Posted By: steve yawitz

Shocking, indeed.

http://imageevent.com/yawie99

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Posted By: leon

Ebay is still the goliath of online venues but it's not what it used to be. I predict it will continue to shrink until they get back to their original winning formula (though I am not sure they ever will).....regards

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Posted By: Joann

I buy quite a bit on Amazon.com, and last month had my first genuine problem with one of their third-party sellers. After five weeks of fruitless email exchanges, I finally complained to Amazon. Amazon - not the seller, but Amazon itself - processed a credit within 24 hours. They refunded me so quickly that they clearly hadn't had time to investigate. They just refunded me outright, and now they are taking it up with the seller.

Will ebay do that? No. Heck no. Think amazon.com would respond to complaints about one of their sellers selling reprints, alterations, and otherwise engaging in fraud? Yeah. I think they would, and quickly too.

So how does ebay think they get to be a fixed seller company without providing one of the most very, very basic services of that kind of company - customer support? They think they get the fixed seller advantages while being able to retain their traditional "hey we're just an uninvolved forum provider" posture? It feels like they haven't thought this through very well.

J

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Posted By: Anonymous

A few weeks ago I tried to list something for sale and was blocked because my DSR on shipping time is below 4.1. I had only 13 ratings total that made up the result and every item I sold that drew feedback posted over the last several months is great, with lots of "great shipping, fast" and so on. Ebay's rule stated that: "Sellers are required to maintain a rating of at least 4.1 on each DSR to sell on eBay. Sellers with one or more DSR below 4.1 will be restricted from listing until their DSRs improve." That makes so much sense. A rating of "very good" gets you suspended. I also had to wonder how my rating is supposed to improve if I can't sell anything? So I called Ebay's new personal calling line that they say they give to us select few good ebayers to get help. It was Orwellian:

1. They can't tell me how old the "bad" rating is.

2. They can't tell me how many ratings were bad.

3. They tell me they recalculate every 30 days on a rolling basis BUT they can't tell me whether the feedback(s) that dinged me would roll off in the next 30 days.

4. They can't tell me when the feedback will be re-evaluated.

5. Since they use an entire year's DSR feedback if you have less than 10 active ones, if more than 4 feedbacks fall off my chart at any given evaluation and they don't take the bad one(s) with them, I could be suspended FOR AS LONG AS A YEAR.

Brilliant: set up a detailed rating system for sellers, prevent the seller being rated from seeing the rating details, give zero guidance as to what might happen (which just does wonders for my business planning), create no form of review or appeal from the rating, and suspend sellers who have 100% feedback and great comments with an overall very good to excellent rating over what might be as little as one pissy review. Now there's a business model I'd like a slice of stock in...not.

In frustration, I sent Ebay an obscenity-laced tirade of an email complaining about the stupidity of the situation. Needless to say, I never heard back.

Since then, my DSR has not improved although one rating did drop off. I tried yesterday to list some items. It worked, even though my DSR hasn't improved.

I am completely baffled... If the powers that be are trying to alienate their customer base, they are doing a very fine job of it.

Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Does anyone know what background this Donahoe has? Where'd he come from? What's his business experience?

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Posted By: Robert Klevens

John Donahoe (born 1960) became President and CEO of eBay Inc. on March 31, 2008, succeeding Meg Whitman, who stepped down from the role after 10 years, and who continues to serve on the company's Board of Directors.

As President and CEO, Donahoe has global responsibility for growing each of the company's business units, which include eBay Marketplaces, PayPal and Skype.

Donahoe came to eBay in February 2005 as President of eBay Marketplaces, responsible for all elements of eBay's global ecommerce businesses. In this role, he focused on expanding eBay's core business, which accounts for a large percentage of the company's revenues. Donahoe also oversaw a number of strategic acquisitions, including Shopping.com and StubHub, and classifieds sites, such as Gumtree and LoQUo.

During the three years he served as President of Marketplaces, revenues and profits for this division doubled.

Prior to eBay, Donahoe spent more than 20 years at Bain & Company, a worldwide consulting firm based in Boston. Starting as an associate consultant, he rose to become the firm's CEO, where he oversaw Bain's 30 offices and 3,000 employees. He is a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church), and is a cousin of Mormon Tabernacle Choir director Mack Wilberg.

In addition to serving on eBay's Inc.'s Board of Directors, he is also on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College.

Donahoe received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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Posted By: Joann

Wow Adam. Just wow. What an incredibly crappy thing to have happen. Ebay is driving itself off a cliff so predictably that it is almost becoming interesting to watch.

I was shopping for a flash drive yesterday and looking at some of the neg feedback on some very high level sellers. Just from looking at pages of negs, it seemed like a whole lot of them came from buyers with fewer than 20 or so total fb's, suggesting that they are not experienced ebayers and maybe have some unrealistic expectations. Many of them were things like "product received but 8 days after purchased" or "product as described but did not work with my system". Huh?

Not that a first-time buyer has less a right to have a bad experience than an experienced buyer, but to allow them to spray negative buckshot around the system on what looks like whims isn't going to work well either.

Good luck to you, Adam, in getting back on track (if you even want to anymore). I would have had you throw in a few obscenities for me if I'd known you were sending ebay a missive.

Joann

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Posted By: dennis

unfortuantely, the spin at ebay corp. will be that the economy is bad,not the bad decisions made by the corporate higher ups. the old ebay would have thrived and prospered in this bad economy.

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Posted By: D. Bergin

This is just another example of the Wall Street mentality destroying a company from within. The problems began as soon as Ebay became a publicly traded company. Ebay immediately began to chase the short term profit goals to keep shareholders happy and justify the price of the stock.

In the meantime they alienate everybody who made them a profitable company to begin with and all those short term gains began to come back and bite them in the ass. Now they've already forgotten what made them such a revolutionary company to begin with and somehow they make the decision to try and emulate another company which they had pretty much buried and left in the dust years prior.

I've listed a few things on Amazon, let me tell you it is most certainly not a sellers paradise either. Sure some of the placements are free, but the fees are very high if you actually sell something, you have to purchase a storefront on a monthly basis if you have anything original or unique to sell.............and the worst part............if you put time into creating your own listings, another seller can come along, undercut your price and use the listing YOU created to sell their wares...........and it's a perfectly acceptable practice in Amazonland.

I find the whole process very clunky from beginning to end from a sellers standpoint.......................and this is what Ebay is trying to emulate.

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Posted By: Fred C

I don't really like this happening to ebay but the only thing you can do is boycott. Organizig a boycott probably wont happen and you'll find the usual scabs breaking the picket line.

I wonder if ebay is just preparing for a possible mandate (that may come soon) that allows the IRS to track auction sales so that they can look towards possible tax revenue from ebay sales.

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Posted By: Max Weder

Fred

Access to ebay seller data has been upheld in the Canadian courts http://www.kpmg.ca/en/services/tax/GlobalTaxAdviser/issues/200812/article1.html

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Posted By: Dave Williams

Another annoying E Bay idea is that smart shopper thing that comes up on the left of the screen.

Anyone else been getting that the last month or so?

I'm just not sure what they are trying to accomplish with that.

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Posted By: Jason

Well........keep selling on ebay then! Exactly the reason I have not returned. The only purpose that ebay can really provide as far as benefits from selling is store selling format. You can inflate your items to full retail and beyond and maybe sell something once a month or two with keeping your lsiting fees down. As a collector that is why I am choosing to form my own website and offer merchant account there. I only use ebay now to purchase for now. If they decide to change back to the days of old aution only format and change rules of feedback back to checks and balances, then I may consider coming back. Oh......they would need to fire their new incompetant CEO as well. If you are into retailing from store inventory at a really high inflated price then I would say ebay is for you. If you are looking to find bargains at auction format I say GOOD LUCK. I know they are there but the good stuff is like finding a needle in a haystack. The fact that this guy is a Morman doesn't surprise me either. Ebay's system is solely set up on a greedy prideful pool of ownership/employees. They could care less about the "free trade" concept at this point. It is all about the dollar. I am not saying that they shouldn't make a lot of $$$, but when that is your only purpose and goal, then you see what happens. the LOVE of money $$$$ is the root of all EVIL. Unless something changes drastically I really do not see ebay as the major monopoly that it became in the near distant future. I love what is going on and am enjoying every second of it. Now on the flip side......I hate what is going on for the people who are making their living off of ebay. Goes to show that ebay cannot give two shakes about their lifeline.....(people).

Keep selling and enjoy the bountiful ecommerce that ebay has provided you!

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Posted By: Greg Ecklund

So, in short, Donahoe is another in a legion of Ivy League bred consultants who are bean counters at heart, relying on endless spreadsheets of "data" and "metrics" rather than having an actual human feel for their business.

The state of management has convinced me more than ever that the MBA may be the single biggest waste of time in education - 90% of people who get one would be better served by actually going out into the world and dealing with actual people. One of the most common blunders of a struggling company is a relentless focus on numbers rather than on customers and employees. If you focus on the people who matter the numbers will often take care of themselves.

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Posted By: Bob

Someday we will fondly remember the 90's and early 00's as the golden age of ebay and be greatful so many of us were able to add to our collections, especially those of us who have no card stores or shows anywhere near.
That said, I agree 100% with the criticism of the current CEO and his staff of morons who have ruined what was a great company. Perhaps someone at the Bay will take notice of plummeting stock values and decreasing interest and make a change. We can only hope...

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Jason wrote: "The fact that this guy is a Morman doesn't surprise me either."

Jason, please leave your ignorance and prejudice at the door before entering Net54. Thanks!

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Posted By: Steve

Ebay works just fine for me.

I think those with crappy customer service skills are the ones
crying the loudest. (Not directed at anyone specifically)

I buy and sell without any problems.


Steve

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

What's a Morman?

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Is that like a Moopman?

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Posted By: Jason

Dan-

Did I hit a sore spot? How did you come up with any conclusion of what I said being prejudice. I am in no way prejudice. I just simply implied that this didn't surprise me. Please read the staement before informing your opinion. Again......all that I stated was that this didn't surprise me.

Be well and God Bless,

Jason

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Posted By: Jason

Steve-

Who are you implying? We would all like to know.

Jason

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Posted By: Matt

"The fact that this guy is a Morman doesn't surprise me either. Ebay's system is solely set up on a greedy prideful pool of ownership/employees."

Jason - how do you read that and not come to the conclusion that it was prejudicial?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Matt, now you see why I told him to leave his ignorance at the door too.

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Posted By: Jason

Matt-


The statement was formed based on my opinion that this doesn't surprise me. I have friends who are Mormons, but the fact that he (ebay CEO is Mormon does not surprise me) was a statement based on the belief structure of the Mormon religion. I do not have time, nor is this the forum to broadcast why I said that. You would have to do the research on your own. First, let me say I DO NOT have an prejudice against ANY type of religion belief whether it be Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Athiest, etc. I think everyone has a free right to believe in what they choose. Secondly, I am a Bible Beleiving protestant evangelical so there you go. If I do not agree with types of religions or not does not make me prejudice. I think everyone should beleive in what they feel free to. Thirdly, I based my statement in question solely on the practices of the Mormon faith in what could be parralleled in this CEO's methods of running his company. I could say the same thing about how perhaps someone else would lead a complany that would beleive the way I do. Let's not turn my statement into a religious debate please. I was just voicing my opinion out about ebay as well as their leadership including their CEO. If you want to take that statement as predjudice so be it, but it definitely was not intended to come across that way.

Edited for spelling typos. I get in a hurry.

Jason

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Posted By: Jason

Dan-

If you are a Mormon and I offended you I then apologize. I meant in no way any prejudice or distaste on your beliefs. I would never do that to anyone. If this is going to turn politically incorrect and hurt feelings I will kindly remove the post.

Jason

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Jason, I don't think Dan is Mormon, just a really nice guy.



I, however, am a Bible Believing Christian who is a Mormon. Your post is fairly offensive (and I have pretty thick skin). I just see no correlation to how this individual has been running eBay and teachings of the Mormon faith (actually it's The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints not Mormon).



I'll add, I love and follow my religion, but do not agree with the changes implemented by the eBay CEO (whether he is or isn't LDS doesn't mean too much in regard to his business practices).



-Rhett

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Posted By: boxingcardman

I still find ebay the most useful sales outlet but that doesn't mean that it isn't frustrating as heck watching its management step on their d***s.







Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

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Posted By: Jason

Rhett-

I do not understand how it can be offensive. You would have to have some kind of grasp or knowledge on some of the ways or practices on that kind of religion. I can see parallel practices in the new eBay structure. As crazy or strange as this sounds I do not expect you to understand. I was only making the statement that the fact didnt surprise me. I did not say anything negative or positive about this type of religion in my post. If people get offended over that oh well..... there are greater tragedies. I for one had no intention to offend anyone on here. I really like who I know and have no real distatse for anyone in this thread. I was merely venting my opinions about ebay and the leadership is all.

As for Dan I apologize for the fact that he was offended even though I really did not see a warrant for it. I would rather keep this to baseball relations and not religion or faith on here, so I will not comment anymore on the post. We all come from different backgrounds, race, beliefs, etc, but we all share one common interest.....vintage baseball cards. Dan posted about eBay and I chose to post and share my own opinions. If anyone so does choose to email me privately about what I posted feel free. I am not going to get into religion on this forum.
Let's get back to baseball cards and/or complaining about ebay p[ractices if that is what this thread is about.


Jason

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Posted By: steve yawitz

...was quite prophetic.

http://imageevent.com/yawie99

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Posted By: Rob D.

Nicely done, Steve.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Jason wrote: "I do not understand how it can be offensive."

There's your problem right there.

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Posted By: Rhys

Jason

Would you be so kind as to share your insight into the ways of the Mormon church and how they could lead a company into bad fiscal practices? I am sure the leaders of the Mormon Church would be interested in reading your philosophies. They have Billions of dollars in assets and absolutely zero debt despite being one of the most giving of all organizations with disaster relief and aid to the less fortunate and needy. I am sure they could learn something from your extensive knowledge.

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

Jason, substitute "Bible Believing protestant evangelical" for Mormon, and tell us that it doesn't sound like a prejudiced statement.


The fact that this guy is a "Bible Believing protestant evangelical" doesn't surprise me either. Ebay's system is solely set up on a greedy prideful pool of ownership/employees.

I have to side with the majority opinion here.

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Posted By: Jason

Again.....I stated nothing negative about Mormonism. I only said the I was not surprised. Do your own research. I have nothing I need to explain. As I said I have no interest in religious debate here. Email me in confidnece if you have any questions. Otherwise back to feebay and baseball cards.

Dan-

If you have issue with me email me privately.

Rhys-

Where in my statement did I ever give notion to the idea that the Mormon church have terrible business practices? Maybe my comment was based on another analogy.

Jason

Randy-

OK.

Jason

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Posted By: David McDonald

"The fact that this guy is a (Jew) doesn't surprise me either.

Jason: I usually stay out of these non-card threads but not this time. Count me as one more of the offended. A Jew named McDonald gets to hear alot of ignorant commentary in one lifetime. Your aside about Donahoe's faith ranks right up there. What the hell does his being LDS have to do with anything? Is there some Protocol of the Elders of Mormon that we need to research? Some of your best friends are Mormon (Oy!), you're not prejudiced, you're not going to get into religion on this forum etc etc. Have it any way you want. Maybe you are prejudiced, maybe not. I don't know. But, man, you are insensitive. Your subsequent comments, your wriggling logic, continue to offend. I really hope you are not so thick that you are unable to understand what people here are trying to tell you (which is that your dumbass comment wasn't welcome).

Edited with respect to the following post. Hey! I never said I was sensitive. Anything else, MW? Wanna weigh in on the LDS thing? Glad you've got my back.

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Posted By: MW

David,

Please change your profane use of Christ's name. Thank you.

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Posted By: Fred C

If ebay forces everyone to use paypal as a method of payment then what will happen?

Some people will be hesitant to use an online payment method that is tied to their bank account. One way to control this would be to open an account specifically for paypal but I guess a minimum balance rule may discourage people from doing this.

Overall, I'm with the majority here in that I think this may be a bad idea for ebay in general.

Ok lets look at this from all different angles - what are the pro's and con's of this change?

Bueller, Bueller, Bueller...

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Posted By: Kevin Saucier

...who is a Mormon. Your post is fairly offensive (and I have pretty thick skin).

I'm also a fairly thick skinned Mormon (we prefer LDS) as well.


I only said the I was not surprised. Do your own research. I have nothing I need to explain.

Regardless how how or where you go with this, it's offensive. Seems like the more you post the more you just keep digging a deeper hole. May I suggest sticking to cards or the subject matter.



All the best,



Kevin

------------------------------



www.AlteredCards.com - in-depth education on advanced card doctoring techniques & detection with detailed examples

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Posted By: Joel

no problems here with eBay...list an item for .10 cents and have thousands of potential buyers from around the world. sell an item and pay only 8% or so in fees. accept credit card payments for only 3%. then I get a 40% discount on my monthly ebay invoice.

the new feedback policy was much hyped and complained about but it's been a non issue for me. paypal only has greatly reduced the non paying bidders - have not had one in months.

looked at selling on Amazon (only because a potential buyer wanted me to list an item on Amazon so they could purchase it with an Amazon gift card they had)...you think eBay fees are high? take a look at Amazon.d...seller fees are much higher. I did not fully read the payment procedure but it looked like they hold payments and then you get them once a week. I'll stick with ebay and deal with the changes as they come.

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Posted By: Steve

Regardless how how or where you go with this, it's offensive. Seems like the more you post the more you just keep digging a deeper hole. May I suggest sticking to cards or the subject matter.



lol that is usually the way it is with this guy.



He says something stupid then tries to dig himself out of the hole
he creates yet all he does is dig himself in deeper.

He then is too thick headed to see.


It is not the first time and won't be the last.


By the way I answered your question before you asked.

I was talking about no one specific when I made my first comment.


Steve