Ebay stopped all cash back on June 16th, promising rewards partners this was only a “go dark test” and its purpose wasn’t to decide to continue/discontinue relations permanently but to see the impact on sales with loyalty sites taken out of the equation. I urged cashback shoppers to avoid Ebay during the blackout so they could feel our wrath. Apparently, we haven’t much wrath.
Ebay notified their loyalty (cashback) partners today that they were severing ties “indefinitely”:
“At this time, following careful analysis of the test results, eBay has determined that the traffic it generates via Loyalty Publisher Partnerships results in relatively low incremental sales and revenue for eBay and its sellers. As a result, eBay Partner Network has decided to pause its partnerships with third party Loyalty sites indefinitely in both the United States and Canada. Effective November 16th, all US and CA Loyalty Publisher Partnership campaigns will be suspended and no longer eligible for earnings. ”
Read the full email after the jump.
Later in the message they say that this is “in the short-term” and that “longer-term” they will “look for ways to optimize our partnerships with third party Loyalty sites for the mutual benefit of eBay, our partners, and most importantly, consumers.”
Translation: no more cash back for eBay.
eBay, you suck. I’m not shopping with you this holiday season and you screwed up BIGTIME because if you would have just gone ahead and announced this termination way back in June, MAYBE people would have gotten over it by now. Instead, by postponing the inevitable (don’t try to tell me you didn’t already know where this was going), now you have freshly-irate consumers to contend with.
There are way too many deep discounts out there thanks to the oft-quoted “difficult economic times” to expect spurned cashback customers to pretend you didn’t just break up with us and come sniveling back for more like pathetic Jerry Springeresque codependent housewives. Here are a few of the good guys who haven’t jilted us: Best Buy. Newegg. Walmart. Target. Kmart. Overstock. DeepDiscount.com. Buy.com.
They offer great deals PLUS coupons (oh, hey, welcome to 2011, most stores have those now) AND they reward us for our loyal patronage with cash back. And they will be the ones I’m going to dance with this Christmas season and beyond.
Goodbye, eBay.
From: “eBay Partner Network”
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 7:02 PM
To: xxx
Subject: eBay Partner Network Loyalty Program Update
Dear xxx,
We appreciate the cooperation, flexibility and patience you have shown us throughout the course of our extended eBay Partner Network Loyalty test.
As you know, eBay Partner Network launched a significant incrementality study with its Loyalty Publisher Partners on June 15th, 2011. The purpose of this test, as stated previously, was to measure the incremental sales and revenue being generated via eBay advertising partnerships with cashback, points-rewards, and other incentive-based third party websites.
At this time, following careful analysis of the test results, eBay has determined that the traffic it generates via Loyalty Publisher Partnerships results in relatively low incremental sales and revenue for eBay and its sellers. As a result, eBay Partner Network has decided to pause its partnerships with third party Loyalty sites indefinitely in both the United States and Canada. Effective November 16th, all US and CA Loyalty Publisher Partnership campaigns will be suspended and no longer eligible for earnings.
While we recognize that this decision will not be popular with our Loyalty Publisher Partners or their users, we are certain that this is the right course of action in the short-term. Longer-term, we will continue to look for ways to optimize our partnerships with third party Loyalty sites for the mutual benefit of eBay, our partners, and most importantly, consumers.
Thank you,
eBay Partner Network Team
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes…screw ebay….
Their first email stated this….
“The goal of this exercise, in the end, is not to reach a binary decision between continue/discontinue this form of partnerships, but rather to quantify the incremental value of these partnerships and to price them properly so that we can all continue working together with full confidence going forward.”
Then this last email they changed the purpose….
“As you know, eBay Partner Network launched a significant incrementality study with its Loyalty Publisher Partners on June 15th, 2011. The purpose of this test, as stated previously, was to measure the incremental sales and revenue being generated via eBay advertising partnerships with cashback, points-rewards, and other incentive-based third party websites.”
Bunch of liars….this is why I stop selling on ebay as well.
“Not to reach a binary decision between continue/discontinue”
They lied. Pure and simple.
Not only are they turning buyers away with this announcement, they continually raise their selling fees, and instituting non-sensical policies, and sellers are leaving in droves as well. This is a perfect example of a company being arrogant, thinking they will always have lots of customers no matter what they do. The corporate landscape is littered with the remains of thousands of companies like this, and if Ebay does not start listening to it’s customers (both buyer’s and sellers), they will be one of those failed companies eventually.
Good, gives real hardworking affiliates more of the pie than these companies that are allowed to link back straight from eBay, hijacking traffic that’s already there. All the while other affiliates get booted from the program for it. Good riddance to these parasites.
“…and come sniveling back for more like pathetic Jerry Springeresque codependent housewives. ”
You clearly have issues.