Ripping you off Stage 3
Less dominant than Amazon but the same arc: promoted listings, managed payments, and stricter seller metrics shift value toward the platform and big sellers. Still useful for niche inventory—solid stage 3.
The promise
Its first promise, and how much is kept · Scoring
60% kept
“We believe people are basically good. We believe everyone has something to contribute.”
Why it’s rated 3
The criteria it meets, with sources · Method
- Alignment 0 of 3
- None
- Lock-in 1 of 4
-
- L1 Network or reputation
- Extraction 2 of 7
-
- E3 Squeezing the other side Nov 2024
- E6 Self-dealing Jul 30, 2026
- Decline 0 of 3
- None
Result Two or more extraction criteria, or lock-in plus at least one, so stage 3.
News signals
Sourced reporting, tagged by strategy
Jul 30, 2026
eBay closes Depop acquisition from Etsy
Market consolidation
Jul 31, 2025
U.S. end of parcel tax relief threatens eBay cross-border trade
Regulatory pass-through
Nov 2024
eBay raises Promoted Listings minimum ad bids up to 10x without notifying sellers
Take rateAd expansion
Jan 31, 2024