eBay has fired 125 workers as part of a restructure of its US and European Operations.
The 125 were located in the U.S, Belgium, Spain and Austria and “were part of an effort to centralize some customer support, finance and legal functions and were not aimed at cutting costs” reports CNN, quoting the company saying that it is actually looking to expand on its 15,000 strong workforce going forward.
The changes are designed “to make the company’s services easier to use” and is part of a push to “reinvigorate a company that remains the dominant online auction site.”
eBay has come under increasing pressure from competitors, including Amazon who surpassed eBay in traffic last Christmas. The company launched a fee restructure in January resulting in a seller boycott.
Noble cause… supportable.
Ebay is getting rid of little mom and pop sellers. There trying to keep big seller just like Amazon making it hard to compete.
YouYap.com
Thats the part of business.
I wonder how much of this has to do with the Skype fiasco a few months ago. Always sucks when cuts have to be made… hopefully these people will find a job even with the economy going south.
Jon
http://dreamclue.com … get the message!
I’ve been asking the same question for years: How could a company stay on top when it keeps beating the crap out of its users. Maybe I’ll get my answer in another year or two. Next question is, who will step in and cover the non-professional seller’s market.
eBay’s grand experiment
As far as I know, this is the first time a major company has managed to offend 99% of their customers all at once.
The sellers, the boycotters, the strikers … the ones making all the noise are eBay customers. Not share-croppers as eBay seems to feel.
Just to set the record straight, All auction fees are paid by sellers to eBay. That makes the sellers eBay’s customers. eBay seems to have lost sight of that.
Think about what would happen if your company offended 99% of your customers, all at once. Apply that thinking to eBay. Watch what happens.
What’s humerous about this job cut at ebay, is that they cut jobs in customer service… All the while telling their sellers that in order to get reduced fees that they must have the highest standard of customer service!!
The customer service at ebay was already non-existant so when there’s a problem for the seller or buyer there, you get guided all over their site to be lead to a group of questions and if you click on the question that even comes close to yours, you will get canned answers… There is no number to call that you can talk to a human unless you have two hours to wait on the phone and continue to listen to programmed messages that are meaningless to your situation, and then when you do get to a human, they ask what you need and the minute you say something they push a button which guides you back to the automated messaging… TOTALLY FRUSTERATING AND UNACCEPTABLE!!
And now cut jobs in “customer service”???
I’m so glad I dumped them and went to a more user friendly site!!
I see the demise of ebay happening right before our very eyes!!
BOYCOTT VICTORIOUSLY!!
“fired” ? Doesn’t he mean, laid off?
ebay wants to cleanse themselves of their members and eliminate those who don’t fit managements desired profile. but, in that process they have included members who have made them the successful company they once were. i am not opposed to changes, often times changes are good, however, they have missed the mark on how far they are taking those changes while losing integrity along the way. an example (there are many): most recently, the conflicting stories were given for what has been named ‘mystery auction listings’ from the Shopping dot com site (sdc). Initial explanation: it was a glitch in the system, next: limited test that ran its course; then: it was an accident; finally they settled on the test excuse. they really think everyone outside their executive offices are stupid and can’t see thru the veil. what kind of company operates in that kind of vacuum?
in essence what ebay has done is created opportunities for other companies to emerge who have welcomed buyers and sellers with appreciation and customer service (ebay never had that concept). esty, online auctions, ioffer, overstock to name a few. ebay has spun off their own company to others and will not survive to the level that will be demanded by stockholders and the marketplace.
eBay has long lost their integrity, in life and business they are basic requirements. we can see the wizard behind the curtain and in this case, his ill intent.
in the meantime……
~ JOIN THE eBay BOYCOTT ~
Find your State or International Location folder and join us. Be informed!
A place to organize.
A place to unite.
A place to focus.
United we stand, Divided we fall.
http://forums.d...com/boycottebay
http://www.accknowl.com/
Boycott Victoriously …..while making noise!
Evacuate by May 1, 2008!
No company cuts its way to prosperity. Where is their growth going to come from? The simple fact is that eBay can not attract enough new sellers to offset that once a seller becomes big they take their biggest buyers direct off the marketplace. eBay already owns the auction market, and has no advantage (or competency for that matter) in the fixed price market vs. the world of retailers and etailers. Paypal is their only source of material upside. If the valley wasn’t so focused on Yahoo’s shortcomings, they would notice eBay shares most of the same issues.