I'm sure many of you have seen this email from earlier today. Ebay says this is exciting, but cutting from 2 to 1 percent is not better for us (it is for ebay). Starting on January 1, 2017 some new eBay Bucks changes will be taking effect and we're excited to share them with you. We want to make sure you're always in the know as we continue to improve and expand the program. We think these latest changes will make Bucks even more flexible and beneficial for all of our loyalty members. Here is a list of the upcoming changes and new benefits: • Base earnings are changing from 2% to 1%, now with more ways than ever to earn eBay Bucks. • From car parts to copiers & you can now earn rewards for shopping in the Parts & Accessories and Business & Industrial* categories. • Earn Bucks when you sell. We’ll be adding occasional promotions so you can also get rewarded when your items sell on eBay.** • No more $5 minimum earn restrictions for redeeming—now you'll receive your rewards, no matter the amount.†; • Sign up for promotional emails and get invites for special bonus offers.
I haven't checked the entire terms, but I would guess there still won't be any bucks for the bullion category. The no $5 minimum, bucks when selling, and potentially more promotions could be good improvements.
Companies like this will always find ways to scale back "give away" type deals to increase their revenue. That's why they added the "$5 minimum" a few years ago and why they are making those change too. I'm sure decreasing to 1% will prove to be a larger money saver than getting rid of the "$5 minimum" will lose.
You're right. "Exciting" that they're cutting the base earnings in half... that's a good one. Gotta love these guys in marketing...
Meh. It just gets folded into the cost calculation when I bid or make offers. This isn't as big as losing the 8% effective discount when they blocked gift cards for coins. Sooner or later eBay might realize that I'm not buying nearly as much as I used to. Maybe they'll start throwing me some useful promotions again.
The real problem is...there is no major competitor with eBay. There are some small ones...but they get almost no traffic in comparison. eBay has a monoploy on this sort of venue and as a result they can do whatever they want to make as much money as they can.
Not happy . . . If there was a broad-based movement afoot to demonstrate our collective discontent, I'd be willing to change my buying and selling habits in protest of such a radical change. eBay doesn't respond to protests that last only a week, but 3 months is an eternity to a company which is so dependent on cash flow.
