How Goes the eBay Boycott?
Can eBay Sellers Celebrate Success?
When the eBay boycott was ready to launch there was news left and right about how sellers wanted changes in eBay's fee and feedback structures. Now that the boycott is actually underway, news has been hard to find. If you're wondering how that boycott is going, I've got some answers for you.It Was Looking Good, For a While
At the beginning of the eBay boycott the number of listings on the site looked like they were spiraling downward, especially since eBay had run a discounted listing promotion the prior week. Sellers were getting ready to celebrate victory. However, today's numbers paint a different picture.
As of today, the listings on eBay are up 4.81 percent according to PowerSellersUnite.com. That's an increase that outnumbers the modest decrease of 3 percent when the boycott started. While it's hard to say exactly what impact the eBay boycott is having since numbers on the site tend to fluctuate daily, it doesn't look good for the eBay boycott right now.
The Bottom Line?
So what's the bottom line here? Actually, it's hard to tell. eBay publishes the listings numbers, so if the company is the big bad wolf that some sellers fear it is, they could be "padding" the listing counts. It's also possible that the boycott backfired. With established sellers being out of the picture, perhaps those who wanted to get involved with eBay figured now was a prime opportunity.
If sellers really are sick of eBay, maybe they need to unite and create some competition for the site. Right now eBay is pretty much a monopoly and if the eBay boycott didn't work, perhaps opening a viable alternative to the eBay marketplace will. That, however, will take time and money. The only way it's going to work is if those serious about walking away from eBay are willing to invest both.