Open House Discussion with Rathin Lahiri, Head of Marketing, 3rd Nov 5 PM

[rohit@ebay.com]

Dear Users,

We are pleased to announce the next session of our Open House Program where users get an opportunity to chat with the eBay India Team.

Join Rathin Lahiri, Head of Marketing for an online discussion on marketing initiatives of eBay India.

Rathin will discuss:
--Efforts to get new buyers for our sellers
--Other Marketing Initiatives and results
--How can our buyers and sellers help eBay's marketing efforts
--Your ideas and suggestions if any

Rathin will be available on this thread on Friday, the 3rd of November, 2006, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM IST, for an interactive discussion with our community members.

You can submit your questions before or during the event by making a post on this thread. Click Here for help on using the discussion boards.

See you on the 3rd at 5:00 PM!

Thanks and Regards,
Rohit,
Community Development Team

[indconcepts]

Hi Rathin,

Thanks for taking out time for the Community.

We last interacted with you in the month of Feburary.

We are aware of your efforts to bring in more and more Buyers to the site. But the point is, whether ebay is able to retain a higher percentage of these new buyers .... or ..... most of these new buyer are here for just one time purchase ( and after that just forget their ebay ID).

Last time also, I had suggested that some kind of reward points must be started to increase the buying activity on site.

Gift certificate / vouchers can be a big hit especially with corporates.

Also, if there can be a possibility whereby a Seller (having a store) is able to issue discount vouchers to his existing customers .... can really do wonders.

Do let us know if any such marketing options are in pipeline ?

best regards

Umang Midha .

[3dcollectibles]

Hi,

There should be Advertisement about ebay on the entertainment Tv Channels which most people watch in INDIA. BAAZEE used to do lots and so they was succesful in the media field.


Regards

Deepak
:-)

[cosycom]

Dear Mr. Rathin ,I participated in recent discussion board regarding exports with Mr. Amarjeet.
We are manufacturing and exporting LED Display Signs , Digital LED clocks and many other high tech electronic products and have found many customers abroad through ebay. Recently Ebay has also obliged to provide a special category of the same name in consumer electronics against my repeated requests. Many Thanks to your team for the same.

I have another request to you to provide a category of the same name or of a suitable name like Consumer Electronics on your India Export Bazar front Index Page also, since it is not possible to easily find our items in your current format .Your current format basicaly support handicrafts only and there is no place for electronics and technology products.India has now a lot of potential to export high technology products also, I believe many other sellers and manufacturers will be interested to use ebay for selling their high tech products to their international clients .

I have written to Mr.Amarjeet also and anticipate your positive response.

Thanks

Narinder Singh
cosycom

[assemblerz]

Dear Rathin Lahiri,
I am talking of your Affiliate Program. Using this program is benificial for both ebay & sellers. Sellers get new buyers & their incentives & ebay gets its new customer base. But this program seems to be best for these countries:
Austria
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany Italy
Netherlands
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

India is just neglected. There is a link to become an affiliate. http://pages.ebay.in/affiliates
This link or concept is not ment for Indian as it talks about getting payment in USD/Canadian Dollar/Euro/Pound/Krona. This will make an Indian Seller opt out of the program as he will go deep into foreign exchange complications. If ebay can give the payment in form of DD - INR , this program will make more sense to get a new set of Buyers which even sellers will be willing to help ebay.

Regards,
Narendra
Assemblerz

[mysalesoffer]

Dear Rathin
Here with giving you suggestion for eBay shop
In eBay shop you give free of charge gallery image and don’t charge of it
But your gallery image don’t display in search page but only display when any buyer go to shop to view item
I open shop and found that image of gallery is not display in searching page so I close eBay shop
Because you don’t display gallery image in search page of shop format selling
I suggest you may charge for gallery image but start display gallery image in search page also of shop format selling
so seller like me can once again return to open eBay shop

[amitava123gems]

Dear Mr Lahiri,
You may try reducing international listing fee.
Though I am not sure how that works.I use my own promotional ideas which is no fixed idea really, but they work most of the time.You may see that most of my buyers, even to some extent international buyers do buy repeatedly from me.
Indconcepts,before telling about free gifts, I give that to almost all buyers.This is one of many ways.
Also US site listing is a good option.One can list say 15/20 items in shop format in that site.That pulls buyers to eBay india. The only thing I am afraid of is ,buyers are tempted to pay PP for items even though they are india eBay items.There are hundred different ways to pull buyers.
Cant say no ,you know.That way some dollars have accumulated in my PP.But as i have said earlier,I am interested to get payment in PaisaPay.,Weekly cheks are very good option for Indian buyers. I can see that mani in my bank account. I can buy fire works for Diwali with that buck.
But you must try to find out why international buyers have dropped here.
Thanx,
Truly,
Amitava

[halwawala_in1]

Dear Rathin Da ,

:-(Welcome to the Board .

Yes, there has been a great change on the site - some good some otherwise too .

Instead of going in long discusions , let me suggest :-
a) Free International Listing weeks should be more frequent .
b) There has been a tremendouns increase in the number of buyers quantitavely - BUT qualittatively DEFINATELY NOT !!
C) during past few months international hits to ebay.in has been declining regularly , kindly try to find out the reasons .
d) A few sections of the ebay family is badly after known and established Sellers making it really difficult for them to survice and indulge in healthy competitions .
e) Let eBay be a level playing field - some policies which are NOT suited to Indian subcontinent should be framed accordingly.
f) Why an Indian Seller is looked down upon as an inherent Cheat and Thug - Sellers overseas can state their names, addresses , phone numbers , Western Union , Bid Pay etc. etc. - while we Indians are penalised for thess Sins ? Sir why this multiple Standards .

I would be pleased to join you online too .

With best wishes for a very hapy and prosperous Deepawali to you and the entire eBay community .

A PROUD INDIA - halwawala
:-x

[amitava123gems]

Thanx Mr Gupta,
I think some items should be specially highlighted like the cut and faceted stones, handicrafts, dress materials, collectibles etc.
International buyers are more interested in such items. They have the God-gifted buying power, which is so vital. Policy matter is eBay's concern. I can suggest only.
But, anyways, I am not a true seller. I am basically a collector. So, whatever it is, I enjoy being here with you people. Cant find anywhere! Look up eBay.
Thanx,
Truly,
Amitava

[mysalesoffer]

Dear rathin
When I was not power seller eBay make a change
Start charging gallery image fee and make change of multiple listing from 10 to 5
At that time I was about selling 125 items and paid every months selling fees about 1400 to 1500
Now I am power seller and selling about 300 items and every month I am paying is about 1100 to 1200 even after paying gallery charge of Rs.0.25 of every item
If you make a change in gallery fee of rs.0.25 0r can change listing policy from 5 to 7 so we can select gallery image and can list for 7 days ( if we select 5 days we select 5 days we don’t find more customer and our gallery fee goes In vain so for some products we don’t choose gallery image and It don’t sell so made a change in listing policy either stop charging in gallery image or made change in listing policy to allow seller to list multiple item at list in 7 at time so we can sell our item in 7 day duration In auction for 7 days and you earn more in selling fees