June 28 2006

Skype added to ebay

Skype VOIP capabilities will be added to ebay to improve communication between buyers and sellers. There are limited immediate benefits though for a marketplace which thrives on asynchronicity and anonymity ("fluffy_seller3085" may not always want calls!).

E-bay's press release is interesting (see below) and has an air of "we've bought it so we must use it". Indeed, I can see the Paypal:Skype link more easily - I buy my Skype time with Paypal.

However, two points are definite plus points: 1) the ability to chat by IM with a seller, especially around complex sales or items, and 2) enabling community certainly aids commerce.

On the latter point I have to admit to gaining some "pen pals" via ebay transactions: if you're the only other person in the world desperate to get an ancient motordrive battery pack for a camera then you'll certainly have things to talk about with the other party! In niche communities this is certainly a plus.

My hope is that there'll be a way to capture the IM transcript to append (edited, probably) to the item listing (in the same way that people can see the Q&A with the seller at present).

This is certainly an area to watch, and a competitive challenge to other retailers who'll now feel the pressure to offer more interaction, as well as suffering in comparision with ebay which - all of a sudden - will have a couple of million "customer care consultants", answering customer queries 7/24 by phone, IM and email...

Let us know your thoughts on this, as well as you experiences of using the sytem - mail editor@internetretailer.info.

Here's the full release from ebay:

SKYPE TO "GET THE UK'S FAVOURITE MARKETPLACE TALKING"

EBAY.CO.UK BRINGS SKYPE ONTO SITE, MAKING IT

EASIER FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS TO COMMUNICATE

eBay.co.uk, the world's favourite online marketplace, is introducing Skype™ functionality to its listings, making it even easier for buyers and sellers to communicate with each other. The new service will let sellers add Skype functions including free internet voice calls and instant messaging to their listings across a range of categories.

Sellers will be able to include a "Skype Me™" button on the eBay.co.uk listings page that buyers see. By clicking the button, buyers will be able to talk to sellers or use Skype instant messenger at no cost to ask about items and discuss deliveries or postage.

The pilot programme will start from mid-July 2006 and will be trialled in categories including art, antiques, stamps, coins, pottery & glass, sports memorabilia, real estate, baby products, musical instruments, and audio consumer electronics.

The categories have been selected for the difference using Skype will make to the ease of transactions, whether there are high selling prices, complex products or categories in which buyers may need extra details about the items for sale.

"This is a really exciting area of integration for Skype and eBay and will make it even easier for buyers and sellers to communicate," said, eBay spokesman Richard Ambrose. "We expect it will reassure buyers while dramatically increasing both the number and value of sales."

"Good communication is at the heart of smooth e-commerce transactions," said Alistair Shrimpton, UK Manager, Skype. "And Skype is looking forward to taking its first steps into this exciting market. We expect our free communication tools will enhance the user experience on eBay and make it an even better place to trade."

The introduction of Skype to eBay.co.uk follows extensive research amongst buyers and sellers. Sellers felt the opportunity to communicate more with buyers and share information about their products would smooth the purchase process. Buyers agreed the service would help them learn more about both seller and product.

"With the introduction of Skype, we are making it easy - and free - for our community to connect with one another," said Dan Wilson, eBay.co.uk community manager. "Getting information about complex items will now be quick and easy. However, for many of the other 15 million eBay.co.uk users, we also think it will help bring together like-minded collectors and enthusiasts, further cementing the community feel for the site."

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