It is an interesting article but I think they miss the point by focussing on the move away from Ebay to other selling and social media sites.
.... that is just the effect.
the cause is Ebay's institutionalised egocentric inability to listen to what their customers are telling them. They have steadfastly and consistently managed to upset most of their business customers big and small. If you read the board where private sellers congregate, there are constant threads of people being forced as private sellers to exceed even consumer laws for businesses, and losing a great deal of money in the process.
the private people wanted to earn a bit of money selling something they do not need any more, but often end up with a Paypal debt for their efforts instead. They then decide they will never sell here again.
the business people hang on longer as it is their income. However, their income drops trying to accommodate Managed Returns, defects and poor visibility. At some point the tipping point comes when they realise the benefits and income from selling are no longer outweighing their efforts and investment into their Ebay business. Then we see the business seller "giving up threads.
At some point Ebay will be forced to listen to customers, but as we have seen in the past from other "too big to fail" companies, if they carry on too long on this destructive trajectory before the inevitable "u" turn, it may well be too late.
There are so many other opporunities on the web now to get products seen, the article has certainly got that right, and they are increasing by the day, along with consumer confidence in buying from Ebay alternatives. Ebay has focussed on the buyer protection issue, at the expense of those selling, but they are 5 years too late in my view, for this gimmick to be fruitful. People stopped lying in bed at night worrying about their internet purchases several years ago, they are much more confident at buying from all the diferent portals on the web now, they do not need the constant sight of Tango Tony to make them feel safe before they purchase.
The new policies are alienating many sellers, and are not much of a benefit to buyers. Sellers have to abide by consumer laws anyway, and although there will inevitably be some purchases that go wrong, same as in the real world, buyers already have the full weight of consumer law in their favour, for recourse. Ebay's buyer protection is similar to all the insurance policies that are out there, like loan insurance ....... people soon realise that the additional protection is worthless, they already have it anyway through Trading Standards and the Court System.
You don't ride a bicycle (with a basket) by any chance do you?
