| Why We Like eBay |
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eBay put out a press release awhile ago about their Timeshare Category. We were surprised at the concerned responses we received from customers and friends. eBay mentioned in the press release that Marriott and Century 21 were establishing large presences in the category. An Internet Walmart Problem? Our friends and customers worried this would “force out” smaller sellers like TimeshareValues. The imaged an Internet version of Wal-Mart moving into a small neighborhood. What would happen to the Mom and Pop store? We were very flattered by the notes, but the Internet and eBay in particular allows Mom and Pops to compete head-to-head with larger firms. An eBay History Lesson TimeshareValues has been posting timeshare property on eBay for almost 4 years. When we started, there was no timeshare category, or a real estate category. We listed our property in a “Miscellaneous-Other Category”. Almost all the sellers were owners or small organizations like ours. eBay used to have mixed feelings about Timeshare listings. In fact, three years ago they pulled all our auctions one day, with no notice. We were told they were "unlistable items". After we and several others sent emails, eBay relented. Quite a change from today. eBay now has a full Real Estate team. They have a Real Estate manager, who oversees the entire Real Estate Category, and a dedicated managers for Timeshares and other Real Estate subcategories. They have a full time attorney for the category, a first for eBay. They recently added a Product Manager for Timeshares as well. eBay has committed a lot of resource to this Category, including an increased presence on the eBay home page. The results are significant and very positive. Big Jumps We have seen a large jump in our auction activity. This month alone, we saw one auction get more than 7000 views for a seven day featured auction. We usually see around 3000. In a recent month 52% our website traffic originated from eBay. This is more than double the amount we receive from Search Engines. The bottom line is bidding and sales. We recently had an auction receive more than 60 bids. More than 30 bids is common. The Angle of the Playing Field The presence of Marriott, Century 21 and others give eBay’s Timeshare Category a big boost. They give it legitimacy. We see more new eBayer’s bidding as the Timeshare Category evolves and deepens. In our opinion, eBay has created level playing field, where you are judged by your total performance. Sellers who focus on quality, service and provide a lot of information not only survive, they will thrive. This is happening to TimeshareValues. eBay is encouraging small sellers and owners to list, and put out a new set of tools to assist. The Timeshare Super Listing Tool is their premier tool. It will generate a full auction or ad listing, with resort data and photos automatically. This is a real winner. They linked up with Chicago Title to provide closing. This is great for sellers who want a quick solution. There are other services, such as Prodox, Timeshare Closing Services, and Hawaii Document Service who do great jobs as well. But kudos to eBay for helping to solve the closing dilemma. Many owners don’t know how to close their property. eBay is filling a critical need in the timeshare space. There has never been a comprehensive site that offers support for the entire lifecycle of a transaction. eBay now offers this. Owners have a place they can come to and sell their property safely, efficiently and for the more revenue. Cost and Value They charge for their services - but the cost versus value is terrific. Where else can you reach more than 40 million people for $50? That is why we like eBay.
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