Brain Drain Continues! Is It Time To Punch Out At eBay?

September 19, 2008 · Filed Under Internet Marketing, News, eBay, ecommerce · 1 Comment 

Just The Latest Loss

Eric Shoup is just the latest manager that we are aware of who has “punched out” from eBay in the past 8 months. As has been well chronicled by Scott Pooler of TradingAssistantJournal.com, Scot Wingo CEO of Channeladvisor.com and Randy Smythe of MyBlogUtopia.com among many others, it appears that there is significant change taking place at eBay. Scott Pooler wrote a blog regarding eBay’s loss of talent and  his latest post today which asks the question

Is the management team forcing new and untested technical challenges down the throats of the engineers just to make changes in a panic? 

 On my ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business blog today I wrote about the 28 % internal approval rating of John Donahoe CEO of eBay. I have to question whether the number of managers “punching out” of eBay is directly connected to the concern over the rapid and drastic changes ebay is undertaking or if this is just normal attrition that occurs after a change at the top?

Based on the number of employees changing jobs and the rumored impending layoffs at eBay coupled with the significant drop in eBay stock, I feel the answer is clear. Staff, users and investors are not pleased with the the direction the company is taking.

What do you think?

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eBay To Challenge ACCC PayPal Ruling

June 13, 2008 · Filed Under News, eBay, ecommerce, paypal · 1 Comment 

eBay has posted a response to the ACCC draft noice denying eBay the ability to require PayPal as the only payment option (with very few exceptions) on the eBay.com.au site.

The draft notice by the ACCC was posted yesterday, and according to an article on the Austrailian newspaper The Sydney Morning Hearld, though this is a draft ruling that must still be formally adopted, the ACCC rarely retracts a draft decision.

eBay contends it will fight the decision, and has rolled back the planned June 17th 2008 implementation of the PayPal only requirement until July 15th.

eBay has lost several judicial battles recently, and there is some feeling that eBay, known in some circles as the 800 pound gorilla, may be facing a battle such as the likes of King Kong. (Randy Smythe’s MyBlogUtopia) Previously thought to be invincible, little by little eBay is taking hits. In and of themselves these hits may not have much effect, but when these hits continue and build, the resulting cumulative effects may begin to weaken the gorilla allowing competition to build a formidable attack. 

eBayLive 2008 is just 6 days away, and I look forward to hearing the sentiments of those eBay.com.au users that will be in attendance. We will search these members out and bring you live reports from the event live next week from our microphones of the ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business radio program.

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