The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies

eBay

NEWMAN CHUN WAI WONG

Midwestern State University, USA

DOI: 10.1002/9781118989463.wbeccs245

eBay (ebay.com) is an international online auction platform with a headquarters in San José, California. In 1995 the founder of eBay, Pierre Omidyar, listed a broken laser pointer as a test on his personal auction website, but got an actual offer, and as the traffic to his website increased, Omidyar saw the potential of developing eBay into an enterprise. The original name of eBay was AuctionWeb, and was later changed to eBay representing Omidyar's consulting firm, Echo Bay. eBay has expanded globally since 2008. In addition to the United States and Canada, eBay offers localized sites in Europe and Asia Pacific, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Hong Kong, India, and New Zealand. Over the years, eBay has developed from a start-up company in the dot-com bubble to become the world's largest virtual marketplace.

eBay does not have a physical store or sell any tangible products, but provides a virtual platform on which individuals and businesses buy and sell a wide range of products and services. It is free to register as an eBay member and purchase goods on eBay. eBay charges sellers a small amount to list items, and a percentage of sales when an item is sold. In addition to the traditional auction listing, sellers may list items at a fixed price (Buy It Now) or for bargaining (Buy It Now or Best Offer). eBay's feedback system allows buyers and sellers to ...