Original Post
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The focus on price and how only 8 or so listings show up on the page creates kind of a safe way for bootleg sellers to get a leg up and sell even more of their items to unsuspecting buyers. I could see this reeeeeally deteriorating the quality of DVDs being sold, especially over time.
With this new format it seems people will still be buying the DVDs they were going to get anyway, but they will be buying the lower-priced ones instead of the "best match" ones with history and where a seller's reputation mattered and got things higher in the search based on several different factors.
With this new format, you have a seller who has numerous feedbacks about buyers receiving bootlegs getting a sweet spot on the right for the lowest price, simply because theirs is the lowest price.
Am I correct in assuming that the only difference from seller reputation is that if you are a TRS, you have the opportunity to be "in the box" if you are the lowest priced TRS? Nothing coming into play about items ending soonest, no any other factors about DSRs or anything? Just price?
That's like ... bootleg heaven. Reputable DVD sellers who have to pay real prices for real DVDs aren't going to be able to compete with the bootleg sellers who can mark down all their DVDs ridiculously low and still make a profit.
At least with best match, if you had a fixed price multi-quantity listing near the middle or top of the first search page, you'd have a shot at garnering some business, and then growing your listing's reputation to move higher on the page with more sales on the item. You could figure out what time to list to maximize the "new listing boost" ... but all that, it seems, is no longer in play. My guess is the average shopper coming to Ebay to look for a deal won't click on the "view all listings" link.
But now, you have a seller who has the same bootleg items as other bootleg sellers getting top billing (not the main TRS spot, but the spots below). In particular, these buy it now listings seem to be the ones the bootleggers have in common lately - a rash of new sellers interestingly enough with only these titles:
Jesse Stone: No Remorse (DVD, 2010)
Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart
The Wolfman (DVD, 2010, Rated/Unrated Versions)
Green Zone (DVD, 2010)
The Hurt Locker (DVD, 2010)
Food, Inc. (DVD, 2009)
The Stoning of Soraya M. (DVD, 2010)
Remember Me (DVD, 2010)
It Might Get Loud (DVD, 2009)
The Cove (DVD, 2009)
Shutter Island (DVD, 2010)
Where the Wild Things Are (DVD, 2010)
Search for these items and you'll see what I mean. (These seem to be the favorite ones of the new rash of bootleggers selling in this category.) Many reputable sellers have to avoid those titles because there's no way we can compete. And these are very good copies: I wrote a guide here: http:/
And this catalog, price-based format seems like it's just going to make things worse.
I hope this format isn't set in stone -- I hope that you will consider adjustments that will allow reputable sellers to be highlighted on that page too, not just the lowest price TSR.
Looking forward to hearing what you think about this.
-Jennifer P.
I'M ON MEDS, please take that into account.
