Rebranding efforts have about the same likelihood of success as a business start up, less when egos are involved. More often, rebranding efforts opent he door to competitive entries and put the rebrander on the defensive for years, if the rebrander survives. See “New Coke.”

ebay owned the online auction business for a decade, now they're bored with it and want to move on. Fine, I'll enjoy reading about ebay being the next Netscape as ebay flames out and a new market entrant takes the whole enchilada.

As Auntie May says “Some people you just have to count your fingers after shaking hands”

No…its going to be the first FIVE auctions each month – unless you use a third party to list your goods. These first five “free” auctions are mandatory! Ebay is touting it as a gift! Pullleeeze – they must think we ALL have their level of intellect! Ebay never gives anything away. They used to – they used to have at least one free listing day a year – customer appreciation. That's only a memory now. Now they simply find ways to pork sellers even more…and buyers too because sellers have to pass on at least some of the fees Ebay squeezes out of them on to their buyers!

Now it is going to be a first two auctions a month but I was told by eBay rep – that all auctions in Sept will be charged this new rate. That will put many eBayers out of business.

Another nail in the coffin for eBay – Shame
Ebizauctions.com

What ever happened to the good old eBay which before all the changes brought by Donahoe and company was the singular leader in Internet retail?

Seems like the more Mr Donahoe has done to reinvent eBay, the lower eBay sinks.

If Mr Donahoe had a shred of vision, he would realize that buyers are leaving eBay because it keeps getting further and further away from waht they once flocked to the site for.

Auctions are still important for the person cleaning out a garage, antiques, collectibles and unique items – auctions are not dead, ebay raised rates on auctions to kill them and therefore took the fun out of ebay.

I also used to buy there quite often, mostly used car parts. Now I have to wade through thousands of auctions of junk and new products that aren't any cheaper than if I bought them at a regular speed shop.

To heck with ebay, they ruined it for themselves. Reset your business model to circa 2001, then you will have your traffic again.

I have a whole garage full of parts that need selling, where is the best online auction house at now? Anybody know?

Please – if you want new stuff? Cheap chinese junk? Clothes made in VIETNAM?? (why?) but go to buy.com directly or amazon. PLEASE!

and leave my ebay alone – I like auctions, I like antiques and Out of Print books that Amazon and Google don't have, don't appreciate and don't want (no isbn? no place for you!)

Please – go there, shop happy….and leave antiques, collectibles and all things “re-purposed” to us “old-style” ebayers.

Oh and some one please get John a job with Buy.com…so he stops ruining the one “unique” experience in buying that exists on the internet…oh wait TOO LATE – see you on Bonanzle

TechCrunch: How Facebook, MySpace and YouTube Killed eBay

[...] As early as 2006, several executives championed an internal effort dubbed “eBay 3.0.” The new vision for eBay was to resurrect the “fun” of auctions. [...] By the time John Donahoe took the helm of eBay in Q1 2008, he opted to “aggressively change our product, our customer approach and our business model.” In a futile effort to compete with Amazon and Google, eBay leadership essentially stripped whatever remaining fun existed out of its marketplace. [...]

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/23/how-facebo...