June 30, 2001
8:07 PM Subscribe
A lot of people have made the mistake of thinking that Ebay would act as a funnel to whatever e-biz they set up. When it turns out that Ebay would rather keep those customers ... it's a little like a Gap in a mall throwing a fit because the mall let the Marshalls at the other end put up Sale! signs on the kiosk out front, even though the Gap had signs all through its store saying to go to the Supergap across the street (where it has more favorable lease terms).
I think Malls have complicated tenancy agreements because of stuff like this. Probably, Ebay should have something similar -- and these people should realize it IS a mall and not a use-and-abuse service.
The reality is that two kinds of Ebay users change the dynamics of the service in certain ways. One is the veteran snipers, the people just like the real-life auction hounds who always get the best deal because they know more than anyone else. Average joe is a sheep in a meadow of wolves in this scenario. The other is the e-biz funneler, often selling his loss leaders in dutch auctions, all with the hope of converting his customers into, well, his customers, rather than eBay's.
To my mind, both types offer some things of value to the community, but at a net loss, because they take away from the value of the service as a person-to-person auction system. Those persons are not equal, and eBay is fronting as if they were, which is convenient for both types. Too bad for the average Joe, though.
posted by dhartung at 11:41 PM on June 30, 2001
I think Malls have complicated tenancy agreements because of stuff like this. Probably, Ebay should have something similar -- and these people should realize it IS a mall and not a use-and-abuse service.
The reality is that two kinds of Ebay users change the dynamics of the service in certain ways. One is the veteran snipers, the people just like the real-life auction hounds who always get the best deal because they know more than anyone else. Average joe is a sheep in a meadow of wolves in this scenario. The other is the e-biz funneler, often selling his loss leaders in dutch auctions, all with the hope of converting his customers into, well, his customers, rather than eBay's.
To my mind, both types offer some things of value to the community, but at a net loss, because they take away from the value of the service as a person-to-person auction system. Those persons are not equal, and eBay is fronting as if they were, which is convenient for both types. Too bad for the average Joe, though.
posted by dhartung at 11:41 PM on June 30, 2001
I agree.. These guys are operating at the extreams of e-bay's business model, some trouble is to be expected..
Not to mention, this guy would get eaten for lunch in the real (automative especially) auction game. Whining and costing the house money there will only result in some guys from the yard taking you out back to have a 'debate' involving tire irons..
posted by Leonard at 8:40 AM on July 1, 2001
Not to mention, this guy would get eaten for lunch in the real (automative especially) auction game. Whining and costing the house money there will only result in some guys from the yard taking you out back to have a 'debate' involving tire irons..
posted by Leonard at 8:40 AM on July 1, 2001
Seems like a guy who was doing backchannel deals outside of ebay but using Ebay to get contacts.. Ebay recognized it and cut it off. Now he is complaining. *shrug*
posted by stbalbach at 8:55 AM on July 1, 2001
posted by stbalbach at 8:55 AM on July 1, 2001
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Then those vicious bastards went and gave him a jacket.
In other news, that crazy old guy in the tinfoil skullcap who waters the patch of asphalt that is his front yard for nine hours a day wants the CIA to please stop it with the mind-probing rays, already.
posted by dong_resin at 10:06 PM on June 30, 2001