eBay's New Marketplace Research: Critical Tool or Rip Off?

This week, eBay announced a new tool for buyers and sellers. The tool, Marketplace Research, allows eBay users to access up to 90 days of completed auction data. Marketplace research will be available for fees ranging from $2.99 for a 2 day, one time pass up to $24.99 per month for access to 90 days of eBay historical data.

eBay buyers and sellers have long complained that eBay didn't provide enough completed auction information with its measly two weeks of data accessible via eBay searches. Many early users remember that the company did provide 30 days of completed auction data, for free, for several years. There is no denying that completed auction information is critical for smart buying and selling on eBay, but perhaps the eBay community would feel more charitable about this new way for eBay to generate fees if eBay went back to making 30 days of data freely available to all, with users requiring 60 days or 90 days of data to pay for the new Marketplace Research product. For more information visit eBay's new information pages on Marketplace Research.