Had this today from our "friends" at eBay. I've added below what I sent to
> them just now on the contact form...
>
> Basically, the gist is that eBay shops will be less effective and cost more, > AFAICS.
>
> Anyway, here goes:
> --------
> From eBay International
> -----
> Changes to Shops Listings (SIF) Visibility
>
> It's vitally important - to your business and ours - that we maintain a
> healthy balance between listing formats on the eBay marketplace. From 2nd
> August 2006 we will be reducing the visibility of Shops Listings (also known
> as Shops Inventory Format Listings or SIF) in the main search results on
> eBay.co.uk. As it stands at the moment, Shops Listings are displayed at the
> end of all Search and Browse results. After the change, Shops Listings will
> still be displayed in the main search results but only when the main site
> has returned a small number of relevant items.
>
> Fee Changes
>
> From 22nd August 2006, we're also making some changes to Shop Inventory
> Fees, Featured Plus! Fees and fees related to the Mobile Phones with
> Contracts category.
>
> Please read our Information Page for further information on these changes.
> ==>formatting link>
> Thank you for your Business
>
> We recognise that these changes will impact many of you and will mean that
> you'll need to make adjustments to ensure that you can take advantage of
> these new circumstances. The changes we have announced today have not been
> entered into lightly; we have taken time and effort to ensure that we are
> making the right decisions to ensure the long term health and vibrancy of
> the eBay marketplace. We believe that these changes are vital to ensure that
> the thousands of sellers who rely on eBay for a living or a significant
> second income can continue to prosper.
>
> We know that as a seller you have a choice of outlets through which to sell
> your products. We appreciate that you choose eBay.
>
> ----------------------
> My message to eBay:
> -----
> I see there are impending changes to eBay shops. Despite the protestations
> that our business is important to you, in my view the changes are all > negative:
>
> 1) reduced visibility of shop item listings. Since these listings were
> always listed after regular auction items, the auction items already get
> priority over shop items. So why the change? I see that shop items will be
> listed if the search results show only a "few items". What is "few"? 10?
> 20? 50? 200? For any remotely common item, the shop item listings will
> never be displayed.
>
> 2) Increased listing fees: e.g. for the items I typically list, the regular
> listing fees are to be trebled.
>
> 3) Increased final value fees: a £50 item has its FV fee put up by just over
> 19%, plus an additional 0.25% up to £500. I would imagine that covers the
> vast majority of shop items. If these changes only apply to shop listings
> and not to every listing, that makes it even worse!
>
> As a seller, all these changes are unwelcome. To cover the increase in
> fees, I will have to increase my item prices, and even then my items will be
> much less visible. I can't see how this will help me sell any more, and it
> makes the whole eBay shop scheme less attractive to sellers.
>
> As a buyer, I buy from both auctions and shop listings depending on what I
> want and the relative prices. If the shop items are not visible, I'm not
> likely to go and search for them specially. If there was a prominent "show
> shop items" button, I'd click it.
> ------------
>
They'd already put the fees up a few months back, hence we pulled our eBay shop. They didn't seem to care then, so I don't see them worrying about it now.
Richard