eBay-Skype

Why eBay did a very good bargain

My first impression, like many others' was that the deal was totally on Skype's advantage, then I began to think.
Why should people who certainly are not idiots do a bad deal?
What are they going to do and why Skype?

I began seeing the business on their side and with their eyes and I came to the conclusion that it was indeed a very good deal.
What will happen now?

Well this is what I think.
In a very near future the seller on eBay will have a new feature: the "Call me button".
Let's say it will cost something like 10 or 20 cents more.
But between a seller he can contact on VoIP (free IP to IP) and one he cannot, it is sure the buyer will choose the one with the "call me button".
It's like the image of what you sell, it is not a must, but undoubtely makes the deal much more attractive.
It is true, you can send the picture via email, but it is not the same. Everybody agrees.
And everybody agrees that a call IS more immediate than a email.

But that is NOT all.
The main reason why eBay can be more profitable is the "do ut des".

If Skype had woken up one day and charged for example a fee of 10 dollars a year (do) for the using of the IP to IP (ut des) Skype it would have lost a lot of customers.
And not because 10 dollars are a big sum of money, but because there are others on the market that offer the same for free.
Why stick to Skype?

It is different for eBay.
For just 10 dollars a year you can call IP to IP and use the "call me button" every time you contact a customer.

But they could have done the same with their own VoIP and saving a lot of money.

But then Skype would have been a competitor.
A buyer could have written an email to the seller and say: Skype me!

No call me button, no annual fee.

So, considering the number of Skype customers and eBay customers, it is easy to calculate that they will come back with their money very soon...

I know there is always the unpredictable.
In the beginning of the other century, if a market analyst had to bet, he would have bet 100% on Hitler.
Mussolini did exactly that.

But for every Napoleon, any Hitler, any Mussolini there is always a Russia which represents the unpredictable...

And also for every eBay...at least Hystory teaches us so, you can never be sure, and when you are so sure it is the moment you should begin not to be...