Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 11, 2008 11:31:04 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

EBay's Turnaround Bid: Users Not Buying It Now

Posted Apr 16, 08 8:57 AM CDT in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – When eBay releases its first quarter earnings today, investors and curious onlookers will get a good look at the auctioneer’s turnaround efforts. But conventional grumbling has it that the changes haven’t done much. EBay overhauled its fee structure and tried to encourage sellers to improve customer service, but buyers don’t seem to be responding, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“I don’t care what eBay charges me as long as they bring me more buyers,” one merchant said, adding that that hasn't happened yet. EBay says it’s too early to judge, but some analysts think the changes are too little, too late. Customer service is nice, but eBay “needs to do much, much more around the perception and real fear of fraud,” said one e-commerce exec.

Source Wall Street Journal

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Amazon Kept Laughing After Dot-Com Bust

    Jun 20, 08 4:45 PM CDT
    Amazon Kept Laughing After Dot-Com Bust Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon emerged from the dot-com bust as a mighty triumvirate, but only Amazon has kept its mojo in the decade's latter stages, the Economist reports. Yahoo, the oldest of the lot at 14, shooed away Microsoft, surrendered part of its business to Google, and failed to stay current. It survives, “but on the web’s equivalent of life support." More »

  • eBay Auctions: Going, Going ... Gone?

    Jun 4, 08 12:49 PM CDT
    eBay Auctions: Going, Going ... Gone? EBay is the Internet’s top auction site—which would be great if consumers still liked auctions. Long gone are days when consumers happily stalked their prey, which went to the top dog in frenzied bidding. These days, most prefer quick, one-click, fixed-price shopping—and eBay is scrambling to accommodate them, BusinessWeek reports. Old-school auction sellers, meanwhile, are furious. More »

  • eBay Profits Jump 22% Under New CEO

    Apr 16, 08 6:50 PM CDT
    eBay Profits Jump 22% Under New CEO EBay's revenue soared 24% in the first quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports, with profits up 22%. Fueled by continued success with its online auction business and PayPal, its online-payment component, the company also raised its projected 2008 earnings to $8.7 billion to $9 billion, well beyond Wall Street expectations. More »

  • Can New CEO Keep eBay on Top?

    Mar 31, 08 2:12 PM CDT
    Can New CEO Keep eBay on Top? As John Donahoe takes over from Meg Whitman as CEO of eBay today, he inherits a grande dame where Whitman oversaw the rise of an e-commerce belle. Still dominant in online auctions, the company has nonetheless faced slowing growth and stiffening competition. But analysts think Donahoe, the former eBay Marketplace president, can hold the site's high bid on the market, USA Today reports. More »

  • EBay Finally Settles Patent Suit

    Feb 29, 08 12:17 PM CST
    EBay Finally Settles Patent Suit After years of legal battling that escalated to the Supreme Court, eBay has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit by e-commerce technology company MercExchange. The companies aren’t revealing the financial terms, but eBay will buy the three patents that led to the suit. The auction giant said the agreement won’t affect its 2007 results or 2008 financial guidance, reports the Wall Street Journal. More »

an eBay employee waits outside a building on the eBay campus in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
New eBay Chief Executive John Donahoe   (AP Photo/eBay, ho)
An eBay sign at the company's San Jose, Calif. headquarters is seen Oct. 17, 2007.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

eBay  • earnings reports  • John Donahoe  • e-commerce


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »