How about ... making eBid a FIXED PRICE only website?

[LITERARYPOSTCARDS]

Just a thought...

Given the universally-established 'auction identity' of its main competitor, how about making ebid a 'fixed price' website?

The main impetus for eBid's recent growth was the arrival of shop owners from the other side who couldn't afford the fees structure any more - but it was largely the original cost-effectiveness of shops that made people set them up there.

It would give eBid its own clear identity and set it apart from its auction competitor.

As word spread that this was the site to set up a shop in the true sense of the word, I'm sure many people would be attracted by the feel of it, not to mention the immediate bargains to be had. It would get talked about in its own right.

The objection might be that there are Buy-now prices on most auctions here anyway, but in that case why not go the whole way and create a shopping centre identity and get talked about independently of you know who.

[mfkirke]

It's quite a nice idea, except that the name is wrong, isn't it?

but then having the wrong name hasn't stopped Carphone Warehouse!

[MyHeartsMyFlowers]

Actually the idea does have merit because it would then be a direct competitor to the new eBay Express service being introduced before Christmas which will be just for fixed price items. Sellers on eBay will still have the high fees to pay so as long as eBid is still much cheaper then we could win more customers. Also, it could become a simple yet real online market place for the loads of sellers who don't want to open a web shop - just what eBay was meant to be LOL!.

Worth thinking about Gary and Mark?

[nobrassband]

Better to have flexibility, e.g. (a.) keep auction with buy-it-now option, (b.) have fixed price with best offer option. No need to restrict sales opportunities.

[Anichka54]

I joined eBid because it's an auction site. I guess a lot of others did too.

[MyHeartsMyFlowers]

IMHO I think the OP was just floating ideas to give eBid the edge over Ebay as Ebay will continue to dominate no matter what we do here because Ebay is such a well established worldwide brand - even when tarnished as it is now. Offering the choice does not make eBid distinct from any other auction site and low fees are not enough if there is nothing special to draw BUYERS in. Research has shown that there is a growing market for Buy It Now items which is presumably why eBay is starting eBay Express to tap in to that market.

[ladylauraac]

Sorry. I think thats a very bad idea. If everything was fixed prices, then it wouldn't be an auction site. I only have but it now on my auctions at the mo, because there is not enought members yet.

[donkeyote]

I think Ebid should stay as it is. Ebid is different from Ebay because Ebid is a nice place to buy and sell on, whereas Greedbay is not. Sellers are not happy with Ebay and never will be.
All Ebid needs to do is implement two simple policies that I have outlined many times before, and they can get rid of 99.9% of scammers and really take over the market.
(Those two things being:
1) Proper address verification, where Ebid sends new members a confirmation code by post, to their registered address
2) Make PPPay.com escrow free, and adjust it so that the buyer has five days after the goods are sent, to release the money. Then there would be no reason for anybody not to use it on items above a certain value (say £20-£30) as it wouldn't cost anybody anything, and would increase PPPay.com's revenue at the same time. The escrow service itself doesn't actually cost anything (well, not any amount that's measurable).
If Ebid had even better guarantees of security than Ebay, all over the front page, I would think that loads more people would buy from here. As it is, there are constantly loads of zero feedback sellers selling high value items, and this puts people off, I think.

[madelaine]

As it is, there are constantly loads of zero feedback sellers selling high value items, and this puts people off, I think.

THAT is a really astute observation! I feel the same way about the endless designer rip-offs. Makes this place look like a dodgy street market.

[HannaHolly]

Just a thought...

Given the universally-established 'auction identity' of its main competitor, how about making ebid a 'fixed price' website?

The main impetus for eBid's recent growth was the arrival of shop owners from the other side who couldn't afford the fees structure any more - but it was largely the original cost-effectiveness of shops that made people set them up there.

It would give eBid its own clear identity and set it apart from its auction competitor.

As word spread that this was the site to set up a shop in the true sense of the word, I'm sure many people would be attracted by the feel of it, not to mention the immediate bargains to be had. It would get talked about in its own right.

The objection might be that there are Buy-now prices on most auctions here anyway, but in that case why not go the whole way and create a shopping centre identity and get talked about independently of you know who.

Not for me. I joined EBID to buy and sell at an auction site- it's great we have the flexibilility to choose auction AND fixed price. If you want to see how a fixed price only venue has worked, take a look at Nochex classifieds - sadly not a very sucessful venture for Nochex.