Tag Archives: ECMTA

IMA Disbanding? – Discourse in the Ranks – Transparency Issues – What?

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IMA_Logo

It has been reported in AuctionBytes today that the Internet Merchants Association is considering disbanding.

Ina's Steiner's article reveals information coming from within the IMA, this information details an internal rift between board members regarding "Back Room Deals", "Transparency" and Ethics.  Since I have no contacts within the IMA and I have had no accurate information to report regarding the workings of it's board, I will refrain from commenting about the specific facts or the problems reported in Ina Steiner's article. Auction Bytes has done a good job of reporting the news.

Here at the Trading Assistant Journal, we provide relevant commentary on the ecommerce and Internet trade business as a whole. As such a publication, I am inspired to ask one simple question regarding the public dispute within the board at the Internet Merchants Association.

What About The Members?

Has anyone on the board at the IMA considered how the "Internal Strife" and bickering on the board effects the rank & file member merchants who pay good money for a membership.  As a member of a trade organization purportedly offering value in the form of benefits, information, networking and education, is bickering and back room deal discussion considered as a benefit or education?

Do the board members at the IMA really think the membership is concerned with internal issues concerning "Back Room Deals" and "Transparency"?  Continue reading “IMA Disbanding? – Discourse in the Ranks – Transparency Issues – What?” »

eBay Live 2008 PESA Round Table – Brian Burke Answers Questions

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Brian Burke Answering hard questionsPeSA ECMTA had one of the largest display areas at this soon to be wrapped up eBay Live 2008. 

The PeSA Pavilion at eBay Live 2008 has been a hotbed of activity with numerous new memberships and interesting luminaries stopping by...

During the day yesterday people like Scot Wingo of Channel Advisor and then John Donahoe & Family were spending time in the PeSA comfort zone of its Pavilion. 

Brian Burke may not have been quite so comfortable.

One of the events of the day yesterday in the PESA Pavilion was a round table session with Brian Burke of Feedback Fame at eBay.  Brian had just recently finished a fully heated feedback session in one of the main conference rooms (read about that session in TameBay or AuctionBytes - I was in with Jay Berkowitz)  Yet PeSA had enough clout to get Brian Burke of eBay to come and sit down with any PeSA member who wanted to ask him the occasional question.

As you can see, there were very few shy PeSA members in attendance. 

With eBay pulling back from events like eBay Live (recent attendance of an estimated less than 4,000 eBay members). The multiple regional events groups like PeSA and ECMTA organize may become the micro eBay Lives of the future.

PeSA has provided a forum for its members to gain information at eBay Live and in its forums like no other group.  And at eBay Live this year, they are the only trade organization who has represented its membership with such commitment.

Thanks to PeSa ECMTA, these members got face to face with Brian Burke.  I really do not know if they got the answers they were seeking, but they at least got to ask direct and honest questions.

PeSA asking Questions

Review – eCommerce Summit ECMTA PeSA 2008 vs Catalyst Pinehurst 2008

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The eCommerce Summit in New Orleans wrapped up the event today with a Habitat for Humanity volunteer workshop.

Habitat

More than 100 of the over 500 eCommerce Summit 2008 attendees and journalists who attended this year's 3 day long conference in New Orleans, dedicated time and elbow grease to help this worthy charity build homes for people in need in New Orleans. Final numbers have not been tabulated yet, but at last count the event raised over $80,000 for Habitat for Humanity.

eBay Donation Habitat

On the first night, Frontier Marketing (one of the main sponsors of this Summit) presented a check for over $30,000 to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Frontier requested $1.00 donations from each active customer and over 15,000 customers joined the cause. To make the gesture twice as impressive Frontier offered a dollar for dollar matching donation. Frontier, together with their customers raised over $30,000 to help Habitat. eBay surprised the crowd prior to Lorrie Norrington's keynote address with a $50,000 donation for Habitat in the name of all eBay sellers. In addition, Genco Marketplace donated many fine prizes for a silent auction benefitting Habitat as well.

ECommerce Summit

eCommerce Summit vs. Catalyst Pinehurst? Catalyst

Recently (yesterday while in the NOLA airport via a Twitter Tweet from a friend) I was asked to compare this year's Summit event with the recent Channel Advisor Catalyst conference held in Pinehurst, NC.

On the surface one could say two events do not match up - based on the premise that Catalyst is primarily sponsored & promoted by a single multichannel solutions provider and the eCommerce summit is sponsored by two connected trade organizations with additional corporate sponsorship from multiple solutions providers. There is an overlap of sponsorship for each event, yet each event had a different look and feel.

Some points of comparison are available to informed observers, I am sure many of my readers could easily chime in with comments regarding the differences, I met with many of them at both events.

The initial impression: Continue reading “Review – eCommerce Summit ECMTA PeSA 2008 vs Catalyst Pinehurst 2008” »

eBay Estimator Title Tool Will Return – Will BEST MATCH Bug be Corrected?

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eBay enlists the help of PeSA/ECMTA to calm the storm of debate regarding the eBay Best Match Title Tool eBay estimator removed last week due to a story in eBay Strategies by Scot Wingo.

We followed up with a story here and added our own opinion that the removal of the tool was not due to a problem with the tool itself, but due to the exposure it gained in Scot Wingo's eBay Strategies blog and the open reporting of a serious bug in the Best Match algorithm. Continue reading “eBay Estimator Title Tool Will Return – Will BEST MATCH Bug be Corrected?” »

PeSA ECMTA DSRs Conference Call – Final Analysis – What Sellers Should Know

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Brandon Dupsky of ECMTA hosted today's special invitation conference call for PeSA/ECMTA members and selected invitees of the Trading Assistant Journal and eBay & Beyond Internet Radio Show.

The call, focusing on the reality of DSRs (Detailed Seller Ratings) and how they effect eBay sellers' businesses, was held at 5PM Eastern time on Thursday, April 10th, 2008.

The intention was not to complain or commiserate about the eBay DSR situation. The goal of this call-in session was to help members of PeSA/ECMTA find a clear path through the eBay DSR minefield and to find a way to move forward into profitability. Some members have found sales levels diminishing because of the new buyer feedback system.

All eBay sellers are obviously worried about being disadvantaged in the new Best Match search, which is tied to the detailed seller ratings left by buyers.

DSRs - Detailed Seller Ratings - What did we learn? Continue reading “PeSA ECMTA DSRs Conference Call – Final Analysis – What Sellers Should Know” »

eBay Detailed Seller Ratings DSR's HELP Call in or Listen -Thursday PESA ECMTA

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PESA ECMTADSR's getting you down?

Don't know what to do about the eBay Star ratings, having trouble figuring out the whole new concept eBay is promoting as the "Buyer Experience"? Trouble with Best Match?

You are not Alone!

eBay has initiated numerous radical changes in the last several months and you are not the only one trying to keep up! The good people at PESA and ECMTA (Professional eBay Sellers Alliance and E Commerce Merchants Trade Association) discuss matters like this with the members of the two associations on a regular basis. They figure that many members trying to find a clear path forward is more productive than one eBay seller trying to do it on their own.

Both organizations will be holding a joint conference call to discuss the eBay Detailed Seller Ratings - DSR's - and how to improve them.

This call will be open to not just the paid membership, anyone can join in on this call!

Tomorrow at 5 Pm Eastern and 2PM Pacific

This open conference call will be available to anyone using the special access code listed below.

This access code has been offered to readers of the Trading Assistant Journal and listeners of the eBay & Beyond Internet Radio show by special arrangement. Continue reading “eBay Detailed Seller Ratings DSR's HELP Call in or Listen -Thursday PESA ECMTA” »