Good news for
eBay sellers stuck in the mire of sagging summer sales eBay is back on TV! eBay
just rolled out a new TV ad campaign that premiered august 1st on
ABC, NBC, HGTV, E, ESPN, Fox Sports and TLC. This is just one small portion of
eBay’s mission to revitalize the site and increase the ranks of both buyers and
sellers. Let’s face it eBay has changed significantly in the last 10 years not
all for the better. The crazy feedback system, the glut of overseas sellers
selling commodity merchandise at pennies on the dollar not to mention the
ongoing battle with Amazon has just turned off a large portion of both buyers
and sellers. Despite this there is reason to be optimistic the recent changes
to seller performance standards and how top seller status is calculated seems
to be step in the right direction for the disgruntled seller sick of having to
phone eBay to have a defect removed. eBay has also started an outreach program
to inactive and booted sellers to bring them back into the eBay fold. Granted
some of these sellers deserved to be booted but many more were put on the
blacklist for a set of standards that were ludicrously subjective. Combine this
with a TV and internet campaign to bring in new buyers and you have all the
elements in place to stir up a stagnant market. eBay’s CEO Devin Wenig said at
their recent eBay Open event that he’s looking to add 100 Million new users.
While this may sound like a lofty goal it is not entirely impossible. New buyer’s
equals more sales and new or rehabilitated seller’s equals a more diverse pool
of merchandise drawing in even more potential customers creating a cycle of
rejuvenation that eBay needs.