Open Discussion with Rajan Mehra, Country Manager, eBay.in, 18 July 4-5 PM

[sapana@ebay.com]

On behalf of Rajan Mehra:


Hi everyone, this is Rajan Mehra, Country Manager for eBay India. I’d like to invite you to my next Open House discussion on Wednesday, 18th July 2007 from 4-5 PM IST.

At the outset I’d like to offer a big thank you to our sellers for your enthusiasm and commitment in helping us improve the buyer experience on eBay. The fee change we implemented in April’07 has significantly helped us improve the quality of supply on our site, resulting in a better finding experience for buyers and more business for our sellers. As a result of this and other marketing initiatives, we have seen a rapid sales growth and for this I’d like to thank you.

Our community of sellers work tirelessly day-in and day-out to make eBay a great place to shop. Based on your feedback, we have introduced some product changes including requiring Immediate Payments to complete checkout and other changes that will improve your experience on eBay.

Business at eBay is growing and I believe the healthy growth trend shown by the e-commerce industry is a cause for optimism for all of us. ASSOCHAM, an industry body, has forecasted that the e-commerce market size will grow to Rs. 5500 crores in 2007 – 08 from its current Rs. 2200 crores.

I am also pleased to share with you some of the recent accolades received by eBay India. JuxtConsult, a third party research firm, has recognised eBay as the most popular shopping site for the third year in a row and also the most user friendly website. PC World Web Awards have recognised eBay India as the best auction website. I want to thank you for your support in helping us make this happen.

I’d like to take this opportunity to revisit the priorities I’d set out for our team in January this year and measure the progress we’ve made so far:

1. A key priority we’d set out was to make our site simpler and more convenient. We recently launched a simplified buying flow for Fixed Price items and introduced a Shopping Cart. The exciting marketing campaigns like ‘Bid for a Buck’, ‘Cricket Mania’, ‘1 Rupee Free Shipping Auction block’ has further helped in a healthy growth rate in buyers, repeat buying and overall buyer satisfaction

The next steps towards making eBay simple, fun and convenient shall be a completely new Home Page and Phone Support for PaisaPay users.

2. Providing a great experience to our buyers also means providing a safe and trustworthy trading platform. The TnS team has done lot of work in the past six months to ensure that bad buyer experiences are reduced. While they are proactively eliminating sellers who could cause bad experience, they are also ensuring that buyers who have a bad experience are reached out to and an appropriate resolution is provided to them under eBay’s Buyer Protection Program. We will continue to introduce measures that keep eBay a safe place to buy and sell.

3. Global trade on the eBay platform has been growing rapidly and India is poised to gain significantly from this phenomenon. Many of you would have participated in the promotions that we run around International Listing Fee. In addition, we plan to improve the existing Export Resource Centre, launch an all new Global Trade Tutorial and re-launch the International Selling Discussion Board.

4. Getting more users aware and experienced about eBay is another of our key priorities. Since 35% of India’s population access the Internet from cyber café’s, we have successfully initiated a program where Internet users at Reliance World centres are educated and encouraged to buy on eBay. Today this channel has become a major contributor to new buyers on site. The current coverage spans 16 major cities and shall be further expanded in coming months. We are exploring ways and means to extend this infrastructure to get and support new sellers on the site.

Having said all of the above, I also know that there are lot of things we still need to do to deliver on a seamless experience for our buyers and sellers. I’ll be happy to discuss the same with you in the Open House discussion. You can post your question in advance on this thread, or join me on July 18th at 4 PM for a live discussion.

See you on the 18th!

Thank You,
Rajan Mehra,
Country Manager – eBay India

[amitava123gems]

Sir,
Your effort at improving good buyer experience is paying off.Thanks for that.
You are suspending some of my best buyers, namely 'qatar991' and 'jinyogin' etc. Your system should be able to discriminate between the good and the bad.
If they are required to pay some fees to restore,they will pay that.But your system should send them the bill.
This is very painful.
1 buck free shipping bidders will always flock the portal.Good buyer you dont get everyday.I dont know how eBay will progress with reduced good buyer base.
Thanx,
Truly,
Amitava

[coolbrasco]

Dear Mr. Rajan Mehra,

Thanks for joining with us on this Open Discussion.

First thanks to the all the team members for the improvements and achievements made. We are happy that eBay is getting some shape. But the important fact is our sales growth is still the same as before. After Aug2006, it went up and after two new major changes nothing is exiting us. Why ? .

Definitely eBay team is working hard to bring changes and new implementations. We supported every changes and policies. But if the changes are frequent sellers become "Genia Pig" and victims of the research. Each time you change the system, our sales is affected and we are worried about new changes now ( Probably we should take a vacation for a month when you introduce new changes. 🙂 So that our time and money will be saved !!!). For example when sales picked up in Oct 06-Mar 07, again plunged in April due to new fees policy. Previously we faced problem is when the Gallery picture fees was introduced in Last Aug. Every time you change something our sales affected.

After "My shopping Cart" is introduced now, sales is gone below the earth and Shop vacation setting is not working properly , due to that my 1 week sales is gone. Please read my threads posted about each changes. We all work harder to keep eBay values and policies. Unfortunately we don't want to be Genia pigs, you have to take care us, this is my kind request. eBay is open system, you can clearly see how our sales gone down. When you are preparing for change exercise prepare for this Tsunami and take care us. Introduce successful promotions to keep the customers during the changes you make.

eBay's Fault :

I lost my sales from 10-16th July due to the "My Shpping Cart" changes, it is not my fault, it is eBay's fault(Read my thread below). How to get fees rebate for the period, whom to contact. We hope you take care sellers.

Please read my threads...

1. Shop Vacation setting now working properly.

http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threadID=500001794&tstart=0&mod=1184639137018


2. Low sales due to "My shopping cart".

http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threadID=500001793&tstart=0&mod=1184639435117

2. Low sales due to New Fees Policy.

http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threadID=600001745&tstart=80&mod=1179383213168

About handling New Customers : Once a customer registered and bought an item from a seller, since he is new buyers, seller has to take care, educate, help the buyer to keep in eBay. Because of small fault some sellers does not treat new buyers properly. Every new buyer is an asset to eBay, if no customers we are not here. So please arrange a workshop for sellers how to handle them kindly and take care them.

About marketing :

eBay can send free coffee mugs/Pens with eBay logo printed on it to existing customers work in call centers and software companies. That can bring eBay to a spot light. While sending packaging materials to PowerSellers you can also send some pens/mobile phone tags/wrist bands/small gifts with eBay logo. So that sellers can send directly to customers along with the items. eBay can save shipping cost.

Kind regards,
CoolBrasCo.

[jaipur_fashions]

Hi
Unfortunately I shall not be able to join the thread with Mr. Mehra . I wish I could ! I hope he answer my query.
Anyways, I will get back to it as soon as possible and read the posts :-)

[jaan12132820]

Hi MR MEHRA Iam brand new to ebay,I would like to learn practically under experience ebay seller,I hope somebody can help me out,I will appreciate and I dont mind paying for it,so desperate I am what is your advice.I am in mumbai and I am an importer of various products such as massage chairs,massage bed,foot massager,digital safes,mobile phones,etc.PLEASE HELP ME THANK YOU.

[dealjit]

Dear Mr Rajan Mehra,

I have had long discussions with your telesupport executive , and would like to bring this important improvement to your attention as well .

I have been using eBay in my listing in the US and in INDIA . Unfortunately in INDIA you dont have a Buyer Verification and Endorsement Criteria like they do in the US . When registration is sought , you should ask for some Credit Card or a Bank Account as Collateral , so that when the buyer Fails to Fullfill his --AGREE TO BUY -- Promise his account gets debited ayways . Why should the Seller Suffer losses in terms of time due to Non Serious buyers ?

You do have a Buyer Scrutiny Criteria while making a Sell Listing . But there is one category in ii : Buyer Feedback Score Less than -1 or -2 or -3 , I would rather prefer this as , I want to Sell to Buyers ONLY whose Fedback Score is +5 and above .

Over the Past year , out of 10 Sales on Ebay India , only 3 End up Paying while 7 Just dont respond and we have to apply for Full Value Credit and wait for 7 + 8 Days !!!--that is far too much . 15 Days and such a waste of time .

You have got to make sure that the Buyers are Geniuine , I have tried SMS Verification as a Critera , but has hardly helped . Buyers simply fool around by Bidding , Cut Genuine Bidders and end up doing nothing and wasting time . This does not happen in the US .

So as an Alternative you can Modify a Buyer Critera as an Option to Sellers who think like me as follows :
ALLOW ONLY BUYERS WHO HAVE :
1)Have a Feedback Score +5 and Above
2)Have Gone through Credit Card verification
3)Have an SMS Verification with the phone listed with the Same Name /Address as that Registered with Ebay and you can tie up with the Cell Phone Companies to add the Buyers Bought Value in his or her Phone Bill .
4)While Registering Seek a Copy of the Telephone Bill or Electricity Bill for Address Proof .
( You have enough Staff and Profits to Keep Such a Verification Office )

Finally for very large Values like Rs25,000 and above , you should have Recovery Offices in all Cities to liquidate the Stuck Payments.

I am sure that , the Name Ebay gets Sellers to Post on ebay but if there was any other ECommerce Portal with options with the above critera Sellers would prefer to Move over to that .

Thanks Very Much
J.Date

[sareewholesale]

Dear Mr. Rajan , I Would Like To Draw your Attention to the following
there is a feature of mutual feedback withdrawal avilable to sellers as well as buyers
Now withdrawn feedback, if it was a neutral once ,
after it is withdrawn you can’t see the rating so it’s easier to assume it was a negative.

So withdrawing a neutral is more detrimental as it will be assumed by future buyers as a negative .
Any justification as to why it is so ? and how does it help anybody , this feature ??

[sareewholesale]

Dear Mr. Rajan
Many sellers open more than one shop for a variety of reasons, different Product Profiles or to tailor products to different geographic marketplaces.
Life would be so much easier if you could have multiple shops on one User ID.
Whats The Hitch Actually In Allowing So ?

[verash]

Hello Mr.Mehra,

Why don't you have "Business & Industrial" Category on Ebay.in like it's available on almost every other Ebay site in the world. Don't you think this would expand the horizon for ebay.in as well? This category is doing so well on other sites and I reckon so can we over here.

Regards

Ashutosh

[runalaila_in1]

Dear Rajan Bhai
I Foresee The Current Year Would Be Remembered For A Long Time As The Golden Era For Ebay India
I Am Sure You'd Feel Very Good As You Are At The Helm Of Things At This wonderful Time

Numerous Changes Are Welcomed And Are Bearing Positive Reflections For Us.

Continuing The Good Work ... Do You Have Any Plans To Reward
Dedicated Age Old Powersellers With High DSR's ?
By Rewards , I Do Not Mean Chocolate Boxes And So:-D
Any Plans To Help Such Dedicated Sellers Expand Their Sales Channel With Peace Of MInd
And Added Co-operation From Ebay

[deepdar]

I have filed a dispute for item no 250139376486. 'Item not delivered after payment'.
The seller after accepting the payment mailed a consignment numbar without actually shipping the item. Sine thed he is not responding my mails and till today morning his mobile was only ringing. he was not picking my calls. At present I am not able to connect his number. may be he has played some mischief with his number. I am now convinced that he has malafide intentions. He is not going to deliver the item. Under such circumstancec why should I wait for 30 days for a refund. Once we are convinced that the seller is gone the refund should be immeiate. Why should the buyer face the music and be kept in dark about the investigations. The buyer is a party to the investigations. He has to be kept informed of the actions initiated to track the seller. Why should his funds be blocked for no fault of his? In such cases the buyer should get an immediate refund under the assurance that if the seller resurfaces he is still committed to buy the item. What legal action will be taken against the seller for providing fake consignment number without actually shipping the item.