"Learn to bear bravely changes of fortune".

It looks to me like further signs of the "Amazonation" of eBay.

Higher closing fees for items posted in a shopping format at lower listing fees driven by DSR performance. The happier the customers the more exposure you get and the more increased FVF eBay will reap.

I think eBay is also attracted to the way Amazon reigns supreme over their sellers and has a "at our pleasure" attitude about if you sell there or not. This is a reversal of the last 5 or 6 years of eBay's campaign tactic of driving sellers to the platform, they took the buyer for granted and focused their marketing on "you to can make a living on eBay, everyone is welcome come sell here". They were at trade shows and any event that had a large group of potential sellers pounding this message. Well look what they got, an unscrupulous unmanaged International den of thieves destroying their name and platform while we the sellers that made them who they are (and many who left along the way) took the brunt of the problem.

At the same time Amazon took another approach, the opposite approach, customer's are gold and sellers offer goods here at our pleasure in a very regulated system. They pay little upfront and share a bigger piece on the back end and they will make buyers happy or they will be gone and no unhappy buyer will be left in the lurch, you will resolve. This is not the "we're the asphalt at the swap meet and you buy and sell to each other and work it out if you're screw each other" kind of a strategy.

Guess where I shop?

eBay knows whats wrong and they are desperately trying to fix and create a format buyers can use. I think I understand the strategy and direction of this new plan. To little to late? Executed ineffectively?

I have my concerns.

Louis Palafoutas - PeSA Member

and vintageroadshow.com, Louis also sells under the eBay names wjoutlet and vintageroadshow

Is eBay messing with your seller experience!

• DSR's getting you down?

• Best Match Confusing?

• Has your eBay Seller experience gone "As Expected"?

You are not Alone!

eBay has initiated numerous radical changes in the last several months and you are not the only one trying to keep up! The good people at PESA and ECMTA (Professional eBay Sellers Alliance and E Commerce Merchants Trade Association) discuss matters like this with the members of the two associations on a regular basis. They figure that many members trying to find a clear path forward is more productive than one eBay seller trying to do it on their own. Continue Reading

Dave White of the widely listened to Internet Radio show "eBay & Beyond Basics to Business" will be firing up the engineers console at his radio show soon. This is my debut as an Internet Radio Show Co- Host!

So give a listen - the show starts soon - just follow the link below and be sure to call in with any questions. The show is replayed on a continuous loop all week so if you miss the "Live" version you can always join in at a later date. Dave tells me we are also on i-Tunes. Just look for "eBay & Beyond Basics to Business" in the i-Tunes Store under podcasts.

The Title of the show is "eBay & Beyond, Basics to Business" and that sums up a lot of stuff. I think Dave is wanting my perspective added to the show because I have sought out the "Beyond" end of the spectrum when it comes to eBay and eCommerce. The show's listeners want to learn more about outside sources of revenue, exposure, and income which go beyond just eBay sales. Frankly I am glad to help and believe that more eBay sellers should look outside the big box that is eBay into the rest of the Internet world. There are so many opportunities and interesting ideas available to online retailers. I sometimes forget how myopic the eBay world can be, once you are in the eBay universe you sometimes forget there is a whole other solar system out there.

Neither Dave White or I would ever say that abandoning eBay would be a wise business decision. There are still too many advantages to having an eBay channel set up for your business. Fee hikes, feedback changes, DSR levels, all do not outweigh the real measureable expeosure gained via eBay sales. If a company were to simply look at eBay sales as an advertising budget decision, then they would be looking at the lost cost per sale advertising campaign in the world.

But I digress, this story is about Dave White and his great radio show and how I hope to add value for the listeners with honest answers to questions about blogging, web 2.0, web 3.D and more.

The show is broadcast live every Sunday between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The beauty of the Internet is that after that time you can join the show in a continuous loop 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world just by following the same link:

Show Goal: provide honest, fair and independent information and training to eBay and internet marketers.

David White host of eBay and Beyond: Basics to Business
David has been selling on eBay and the internet for over 10 years. In 2000 he was invited to teach at eBay University, instructing thousands all over the US how to buy and sell on eBay for almost 2 years. David also runs his own consulting business, assisting individuals as well as businesses establish and grow their internet business. David has sold over 20,000 items on the internet and continues to conduct educational programs for internet marketers.

Our Trading Assistant Journal published an article today asking "What Kind of eBay seller are you?"

We thought we would mention this commentary post here for any readers who have not yet joined the rss feed at the TA Journal.

Please take a moment to read today's article over on the TA Journal and join both of the feeds here and there. We love it when you stop by each day!

Think of eBay as an ecosystem...

As in any ecosystem, members of the community depend upon one another. The eBay ecosystem is composed of buyers and sellers... without one or the other the system falters and all become extinct. As in any ecosystem, different classes of organisms compete for survival.

The sellers in this ecosystem are comprised of occasional sellers, part time sellers, somewhat professional sellers, Powersellers and the Mega Conglomerate Super-sellers.

The question is, what kind of eBay seller are you?

I see eBay as a community... and as in every community, whether a country or a small town, there are different status levels, income levels, outlooks, thoughts and fears among those who participate in the community. The community as a whole seems cohesive from the outside, but when one wades into the inner workings of any community, a whole range of thoughts and ideas about the community ecosystem and its rules will become apparent.

As eBay members and sellers, we must keep in mind the simple facts of life in any community. Some rules work fine for some members, yet the same rules are looked upon as a poison by other members.

Read More on the TA Journal!