ReliaBlog

Protecting Charity

As I was reading the news this morning to stay in sync with the happenings of the tech world, I was really interested to see that Scott Beale, of Laughing Squid, was auctioning off one of the expensive Windows Vista Laptops that Microsoft has sent to popular bloggers, in an attempt to get their opinions. It created (an unnecessary) mini-scandal when MS did this. I think that the idea of Microsoft sending out nice laptops pre-loaded with Vista, before the release of Vista, is a good idea. I think it was poorly executed though. There was an uproar in the blogosphere that MS sent gifts to bloggers to bribe them, and then a further outrage that some bloggers would consider keeping the laptops. I found this especially interesting because I come to ReliaBid from Gartner, a firm that prides itself on analyst objectivity and has a very strict set of rules to assure that. I don't expect all bloggers to be purely objective, unless they declare themselves to be objective journalists. And even today, I'm sorry to say, it frequently feels like objective journalism, even, is somewhat dead. Microsoft sending computers? People accepting them? Not a big deal in most cases...

Rather than become embroiled in a debate, Scott chose to auction his notebook for charity. I think that is great. Not only am I a fan of the charity- the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), but I think this was a great way to turn the situation into one where all sides win. However, when I looked at the auction I was disappointed to see that there were apparently some fraudulent bids. I reached out to Scott and offered him ReliaBid's service free of cost, to help reduce bidding fraud and to get the EFF their donation quickly and without incident. We're happy to be helping out!

Internet Conference Raises Intersting Industry Facts

According to an article in the New York Sun Times, more individuals are turning to comparison shopping sites when browsing for items online.  Google's comparison shopping site, for instance, jumped in ratings from No.4 to No. 2 this year.  The article quotes information presented during the Internet Conference held by Cowen and Company.  The research done by Cowen and a panel of four large e-commerce seller who all received their start selling on eBay revealed some interesting trends in the industry.  All of the panel members during the discussion noted that they are moving more and more of their products to other channels and taking the brunt of their goods off of eBay.

Reasons for the move were credited to higher profit margins and sales rates on other sites.  Amazon was a big draw as a growing competitor to eBay due to their high amount of visibility and brand trust already amongst internet users.  With e-commerce set to grow by 20 percent in the next year, brand visibility and consumer trust become huge barriers to online sellers' success.  To overcome these hurdles and also acknowledge the growing importance of comparison shopping sites, gaining visibility throughout multiple websites becomes essential. 

One of the leading competitors to eBay, Overstock.com, announced recently that they would be doing away with their large flat fee listing packages for high-volume sellers.  Could this potentially signal that although other platforms are gaining momentum, their fee structures will need to change to more closely emulate those of eBay in order to become and remain profitable??

Introducing eBay Expert Julia Wilkinson

Ever wonder what the average selling price for the items you sell or are considering selling is?? Recently, ReliaBlog made the acquaintance of one author who has taken the mystery out of not only pricing on eBay, but also the act of selling as well.  Julia Wilkinson, author of eBay Price Guide and eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks, has taken these two topics and unmasked the nitty-gritty on them.

With the eBay Price Guide, Wilkinson has written the Bible for pricing online.  Her in depth tome has everything from every type of television to the rare and unique items found on eBay (think rare books/sports memorabilia, etc.).  Anyone who is even considering expanding their product line should check in with this pricing guide first for an accurate idea of how much items will sell for and whether or not a category is worthwhile.

This guide is a perfect compliment to eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks--which goes through and breaks down eBay piece by piece.  Suitable for sellers of all levels, from novice to expert, everyone will find bits of information that can be useful in their business.  Broken down into easy to follow sections, this book is a must desk-side companion for anyone who sells.

Wilkinson has also started a new online auction resource site to further help those within the industry start and grow their businesses.  Stay tuned--Julia will be contributing her knowledge by providing a few tips in an upcoming guest blog special.

eBay Used for Political Gain

What is the number one sign that something has made it into mainstream and popular culture?? When people begin using it to make political statements.  This recently occurred in Isington, a town in the United Kingdom where a teacher decided to place the local public school up for auction on eBay.  With a starting price of 2,000 pounds, Molly Doyle is bringing attention to the issue of education and corporate takeover of the previously government-run school system.  By comparing the idea of privatizing the schools to an eBay auction, Doyle looks to drive the point home that privatization is the same as auctioning children's education off to the highest bidder.

As a special needs teacher in the neighboring borough, Doyle understands the inner workings of the school system and wants other out there to grasp the consider the impact of introducing profit and business into the education of children.  With the ebay.co.uk site amongst the fastest growing sites online, Doyle has effectively managed to take out an advertisement for thousands to see.  Although a cost-effective move, if numerous others follow the eBay marketplace could become bogged down by these political advertisements and drive traffic away from the site and legitimatize the many true online auction sellers.

So far one person has bid on the item, accepting the responsibility for creating a positive learning experience for numerous children.  Luckily for the Islington Council, real estate auctions on eBay are not considered binding contracts.