There’s a cheap listing day on eBay UK today. Auctions and Buy It Nows can be listed for just 5p, regardless of start price. And if you hadn’t heard about this one before now, it’s not surprising: it’s only for Polish residents.
It’s not the first time eBay Poland has run a promotion on another country’s site like this: they had one for private sellers on eBay Germany last week. eBay are struggling in Poland: they’ve been quoted as having just a 2% market share, versus QXL Poland’s 95%. The one thing they can offer Polish sellers is exposure in western European markets where QXL cannot compete.
Not that this will be much consolation to UK sellers when their competition can list at a fraction of the price they’re paying themselves.
Full translation of the Polish announcement courtesy of Google Translate; it’s not perfect but you get the idea:
Registered users will be able to Poland on May 17, 2008 to leave their items on eBay.co.uk for only 5 pensów. The promotion covers both the items listed in the form of an auction (Auction) and a Buy It Now (Fixed price / Buy it Now).
When?
Promotion will be held on May 17, 2008 from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59 (time)
What’s up?
Items listed in auction or fixed price format on the site eBay.co.uk users registered in Poland
Items whose scheduled date of issue on the site eBay.co.uk coincides with the date of promotion
Unsold items on the site eBay.co.uk re-issued by retailers during the promotion
What rule out?
Items listed in the notice Ad Format
Items listed in the magazine Shop Shop Inventory Format
Items scheduled on promotion, for which the planned start time of the auction takes place after the May 17, 2008
Items displayed only on eBay Express
Items listed in the category of Real Estate, Vehicles and Mobile Phones with Contracts
Items that violate rules governing the listing duplicate Duplicate Auctions
Items that violate the principles and rules for sellers in connection with the issuance Listing Policies
Items that violate rules regarding prohibited or restricted Prohibited and Restricted Items
Other information
Salesperson participating in the promotion may leave an item from any initial price.
As part of the promotion will be reduced only the basic fee for listing. It will be 5 pensów. The promotion does not include other charges. Check the details of the charges here.
If the item will be issued in two categories, the fee for listing will be doubled, ie 10 pensów
Before you can take part in the promotion, your country of residence must be set to “Poland”
4 Responses
Oh dear… I suppose this is to attract the millions of Poles working over here…
go have a word with your plumber and see if he is listing tonight.
I hope that this does not mean that .com exposure is switched off for those that still (for now) get it by default in certain categories.
And I thought that there were no trade barriers in the EU?
I’ve put a link to this on the PS board.
Not that I’m stirring or anything
Well that’s just typical, isn’t it. How many different things are they going to throw at us at once to cope with?