Today marks the end of a week-long boycott and the jury is still out on whether or not the move was successful — with even the deadline appearing to be at issue.
As is the case with any issue concerning eBay, opinions on whether or not the week-long boycott over fee and feedback changes was successful range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some bloggers, eBayers and pundits say it had zero impact, while others claim the strike achieved its goal. Meanwhile, there are some reports breaking this afternoon that say the boycott is extended until March 3, though at press time, this remained unconfirmed.
Coming In, Loud and Clear For those who stopped buying and selling to simply give eBay management a strong message that they are upset about the new policy prohibiting sellers from leaving negative feedback, the boycott is deemed as noteworthy. Clearly, this go-around received unprecedented media coverage compared to other boycotts. Also, eBay did respond by running specials to boost listings, which means the move at least was on the company's radar.
Finally, according to reports, listings were down 13 percent during the week, which while it didn't bring the auction giant to its knees, does account for something. Timothy Church at SeekingAlpha.com wrote a detailed posting breaking down some numbers, trying to quantify exactly how much financial impact the boycott had on eBay.
Buh-bye Boycott On the other hand, some eBayers, such as author and Power Seller Brad Schepp, say for the most part, it was business-as-usual for those who want to continue making money at the auction site, despite policy changes.
He said, "The vast majority of successful Power Sellers walked right through the strike the way a tough boxer walks through a jab." The reasons? He said because they are too busy running their businesses and approach the job with the realistic view that management will make decisions based on its stock price and own interests, regardless of how the community may feel. The bottom line, according to Schepp: "So despite the media circus, the strike has struck out, folks. Let´s move on."
Some Still Hopeful About Long Term Impact Still, stalwart proponents of the boycott, such as Valerie Lennert, who had posted an anti-eBay video at YouTube and helped organize forums for boycotters, said the effort has merit, and that disgruntled sellers will continue to leave the site even after today.
"Sadly enough, I do believe these changes will begin the downfall of eBay. I hate to say it because I love eBay, but to make sweeping changes this drastic, they've already got to really be hurting and worried about the bottom line," she said. "Unfortunately, the execs are so out of touch with how most eBay users really feel… I think they're just hammering another nail in the coffin."
Michelle Megna is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com.
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