eBay announced it will discontinue by year's end a little-used auction format that allowed bidders to participate in real-time. The move, the latest in a series of steps taken by eBay since January, is an effort to reinvigorate its core auction business.
Jim Ambach, vice president of Seller Experience at eBay, says the platform known as Live Auction is a small piece of eBay's overall auctions business and "falls outside our immediate focus." That focus—according to recent comments by company executives, including new chief executive John Donahoe—is placing more emphasis on fixed-price listings.
Live Auctions are moderated by a live auctioneer representing either a physical or virtual auction house. Unlike eBay's traditional online auctions, which have a pre-set ending time, Live Auctions end when bidding action stops.
eBay suggests the move will affect a small number of service providers, including merchandise suppliers and auctioneers, and several hundred sellers who used the format to list their items for sale.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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