These changes have had little financial impact, but have really upset many loyal eBay sellers. The sellers complain that the new fee structure has eaten away from profits and has made it difficult to resolve complaints and issues, which decreases a seller’s rating, something vital to the success of an eBay seller. To add more fuel to the fire, the technology changes have made it confusing to shop, deterring potential shoppers.
Its not all gloom at eBay, though. John Donahue, the new CEO, has attracted many big-time retailers such as Buy.com and Microsoft (MSFT) by offering them bulk discounts and giving them extra incentives, hoping to boost the number of visitors, potential market share and revenue for the company.
Ultimately, it is the customer’s appetite for bartering that will determine whether or not he will choose to search and buy on an auction site.
An ETF that could be influenced by eBay is First Trust DJ Internet Index Fund (FDN): down 48.3% year-to-date; eBay is 8.9% of the ETF.