It is okay that there is free listing for private seller but independent from being private or business there could be more offers to making it more attractive. I remember that there have been free listing days for all (in Germany) are they gone forever?

Stefan

http://prune.it/XUYc

I also think best match is an improvement on the old search. The only problem at the moment is that eBay seem to have increased the number of auctions in the ratio. Not sure if this is a knock on from the free listing cock up or intentional.

Now it’s gone to the other extreme and the site is heaving under a mass of junk. As an example, take a look at how many spice girls or Madonna CDs are live on the site and how many are actually sold and for how much, over supply in the extreme and they’re far from isolated cases.

All that’s happening is a site flooded with junk and prices going ever lower, there’s only so far you can go with this way before meltdown.

I find it quite amusing that not so long ago eBay took shop inventory out of the main search as it was flooding the site and people couldn’t find things. How they’d never do free or near free insertion fees as this would flood the site, yet a year of so down the line that exactly what they’re doing.

As for Best Match being the magic bullet to sort through all this, not so, one of the worst thing eBay ever put on the site. IMHO are somewhat clueless about what they really want, assuming they actually know that themselves, because from where I’m sitting it seems to be one knee-jerk change and reaction after another stumbling about in the dark.

I’ve just had the email from eBay telling me to list for free on auctions ON A BUSINESS REGISTERED ACCOUNT

The people who built up eBay were the small private sellers, the business sellers came later so this is for those who helped to build up eBay.

I’ve got a load of personal stuff that hasn’t been worth listing, but by heck, it is now.

I’m going to be listing all weekend.

However as a buyer I’m finding more of the best deals and the most relevant products near the top of search. Even sorting by price doesn’t appear to get better deals a lot of the time.

What is harder is browsy categories like collectibles as there are just so many.

Personally I’d like to see insertion fees rise, which in turn would increase sell-through rate. But eBay just keep attracting more useless product to the site, this latest 10 day promo is just crazy. I have nothing against true private sellers, in a lot of respects their inventory is what keeps the site vibrant and interesting and that bit different, which in turn keeps people coming back to the site. I’ve bought all sorts of stuff I couldn’t find anywhere else overr the years, but there has to be the right balance and right now eBay doesn’t have that balance right.