Is eBay Anti-American? Sell to Other Countries and eBay Could Make U Pay MORE, WTF?!?

Written by John Comments
Last Updated March 25, 2009

Hey there! Click to follow me! I send FREE content that includes the latest hints, tips, and "edutainment" research with videos, MP3's, and industry content You might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

For about 1 year (every since eBay introduced DSR’s) I have been on a personal crusade. My issue has ALWAYS been the fact that selling goods on eBay to international buyers can put your business at a competitive disadvantage with DSR’s (detailed seller ratings).

Let’s take a look at how John Donahoe’s personal DSR system hampers cross boarder US sellers:

You must pay extra fees to have your listing shown in European Countries and others.
Your DSR’s WILL be lower (see the video example).
You merchandise ads will you be lowered in search (best match uses DSRs to rank how your items are shown in search).
You must pay MORE for your listings with higher FVF fees due to less discounts.
China marketers get FREE listings on US sites.
Your business is put at a financial and competitive disadvantage.

For me personally, what pisses me off most is the face that eBay actually gives CASH DISCOUNTS to prop up this anti-American trade system. Now in a time when it makes sense for USA to export MORE, eBay is saying “hey China, take a bigger chunk and we will HELP! An institutionalized policy that suppresses US seller expansion to cross boarder trading? Hmmm… is that kinda, un-American?

This is NOT a rant or a bitch, it is just the COLD HARD FACTS. Fellow retail merchants, need to know the facts. The eBay universe is NOT friendly to international expansion.

The fact is that eBay has made it increasingly difficult to EXPAND to international markets for US sellers, while making it EASIER for other countries (i.e. China) to sell products here to us in the USA.

I do not understand how the LARGEST online retailer can be so anti-American in practice and policy. I know they are a world wide company, but that company was born and bread in the USA…ACT LIKE IT! Stop the unfair practices for international US traders. Allow US brokers to trade without being disadvantage and punished? Is that really too much to ask? I dunno…

Wolfgang

I bought my last laptop refurbished at eBay, it was shipped to me in Switherland from the U.S.

Now I'm looking for a Netbook to travel, I just couldn't find any at eBay. So I entered the site of eBay U.S. - and a lot of offers are there. But NOT ONE would sell to to other countries. Often stated in BIG LETTERS.

So I was wondering what's going on and I started to google, so I found your blog.

Thanks for this interesting information. I just can't believe that eBay supports the decrease of U.S. exports *shakinghead*. Sad, and I don't get my refurbished Netbook :-)

Wolfgang

hellhound

I have noticed actually the number of sellers from U.S.A that will not sell at all to Canada. Now can anyone at all give me a reason for that other than just being rude? If I am willing to pay the quoted shipping there should`nt be a problem but I have come across an increasing large number who will not sell to Canada at all. I myself ship worldwide but I also let the buyer know that there will be extra expense for the postage and of course a longer delivery time. I do pay a bit more for fees but I would rather sell my product to China or Pakistan than to have it collect dust on my shelf. I think that ebay should equalize their fees for evryone but at the same time make International shipping a must.

flanderk

Donahoe is a blooming idiot!

http://www.petitiononline.com/jdonohoe/petition...

Fire him and the rest of his mob and reverse EVERY one of his (& Meg Whitman's) INSANE "Disruptive Innovation" policies!

HouseOfBedlam

Jon,
I love your stuff, just ROLF after my 2nd viewing of this vlog.... old Art History/management major, math not my forte. The irony of you giving the ( our ) Peace sign 2 fingers in a V in an upward motion = up yours (ass) or F-U in most of Europe & other counties. I'm sure you didn't "mean" it that way... just kinda fitting giving the topic.
Thanks for passing on your wisdom in the most down to earth way &
Thanks for the giggle!

ebuyerfb

I should probably clarify that my Master's was in Computer Science and not an MBA. That means I'm forever cursed to looking at this situation from a rational and logical point of view. If I had an MBA like the great John Donahoe I might understand. I can come up with alternative theories about their motivations really are but they simply don't match with what we've been told by eBay.

ebuyerfb

Great video. I went to college myself and got a Master's degree and I still don't understand why they are doing this. I spent about 9 months from 2007 - 2008 selling almost exclusively overseas via USPS Express mail before they made the DSR cutoff rules. As a result once those went into effect I was almost immediately thrown off eBay even though nothing I did was against policy or even their SNP policy at the time of the sales. Now I'm back to almost all domestic, almost 5 stars across the board, and making about 10% of the sales I was making before (mostly voluntarily).

By the way I released a website on March 1st (about 3 weeks before eBay) where you can generate very similar DSR reports. We give you the actual numbers of 1's - 5's instead of grouping them into 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 5 categories and giving just percentages. It does concern me that they group 3 and 4's on their reports especially since many sellers complain buyers leave them 4's thinking they are good ratings. Comparing the number of 5's and 4's you've received might make an interesting analysis.

James

Since I have become Anti-eBay this does not effect my bottom line at all. Hey John want to expand your Market, I have 2 Power Seller Id's I could sell you.

John

For clarity to the readers of this post...

The POST is about the practices and policies of eBay and should NOT be confused with CBT (cross boarder trading) slowing in general.

I personally LOVE CBT and have and will continue to do so in the future. eBay just needs to STOP the practice of commingling CBT numbers with domestic numbers. That is just freakin' STUPID and it is not my opinion here. The policy is just plain stupid. Stupid is as stupid does. eBay has got a stupid policy for CBT. That is the real key to this post.

I want ALL that read this to understand, this is NOT telling you to stop CBT. This post is about telling eBay to stop the idiotic policy and incentives for NOT doing CBT.

Thanks for the comments guys!

John

sean malcony

I see people here posting that they stopped selling internationally when ebay implemented best match because their international sales plummeted. Sounds like a bit of a copout to me because almost the same time that eBay implemented best match across he board, the economy changed dramatically and international currencies dropped on average around 30% against the US dollar in just a few short weeks. That means that all of your international sales just got 30% more expensive for those people in those countries. I would wager that a 30% price increase has a lot more to do with CBT sales slow down.

I am a large volume seller and have 4.9 on every DSR and I sell roughly 20% of my items internationally. 50% go to Canada and 50% go to the rest of the world. If I were to listen to the posts here, I would have to assume that I need to pull out of international selling and stick with domestic selling. Not true. Sounds to me like people need to stop whining about things and start working on solutions. Cutting off your hand because you bruised your thumb just isn't a good reaction to a problem.

fitzcharming

John you're a smart guy but just in case you need confirmation, I went to college like the CEOs, have a master's degree, and gosh, you know what.....we learned over & over again about the benefits of selling internationally, the globalization of the economy, and the benefits of trading across borders. Hmmm... maybe they teach a different curriculum at little Univ of Central FL than in the Ivy League. Go figure.

Christine

Thanks for pointing out the "Show" button. I didn't even notice that! I've managed to get a 15% - 20% discount since they started this but now I can see how certain international shipping options can quickly drag down the score. I'm teetering on the edge on international S&H charges and just a few bad ones could bring my percentage down.

VintageSeller/Enngga

I do not believe there is a fair way to count Dsr's. Maybe they should just do away with all together.

phoenix2000us

You might want to mention this when eBay lines up for a bailout, that JD already joked about.

Follow the money - where does eBay get their money from?

Where will eBay HAVE TO GET more money from in the future?

Business declares their allegiance to the Shareholder - NOT the flag, not the seller, not the buyer and not the advertiser.

Maybe the government can buy eBay. Then we can see how they treat the US sellers.