Classified ads: It’s time to start charging fees

June 12, 2008

This post was written in June 2008; specific information contained within it may be out of date.

I’ve been browsing the Local Services category on eBay, and it’s like the gold rush days from the wild west. Staking your claim in this category appears to be limited to how much time you have to throw up listings with little or no regard for the rules.

The problem is classified ads in Local Services are free and sellers are taking full advantage with scant regard to listing limits. Whilst eBay policy states “sellers must list one Classified Ad for the same item, service, or property.” that’s largely ignored, the most I’ve spotted so far is 669 identical classified ads with the same title.

It’s time eBay did two things: start policing Classified Ads to ensure they meet the set standards and charge a fee to disuade sellers from unlimited listing. It’s time to reclaim Local Services and make it useable again.

Written by Chris Dawson · Filed Under News | 2 Comments