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Big Layoffs Begin at eBay and PayPal

How will this effect ebay sales?

Big Layoffs Begin at eBay and PayPal
The big job cuts eBay promised last month are here.

On Monday, eBay and PayPal began notifying employees who were losing their jobs as part of the cuts, multiple sources tell Re/code, as management looks to scale back initiatives that haven’t panned out ahead of the planned split of the two companies in the second half of this year.

Some of the PayPal employees who lost their jobs held sales and product roles in the division that focuses on getting restaurants and small business retail stores to accept PayPal as a payment method, one source said. PayPal’s in-store initiatives, which include mobile payments and a credit card reader called PayPal Here, have largely been viewed as big disappointments inside the company, multiple sources say. Another example: PayPal’s in-store beacon product, which was announced in September of 2013, still hasn’t launched widely.

While the PayPal cuts weren’t isolated to these teams, the severity of them suggest that PayPal may be looking to refocus on its core Web and in-app payments under CEO-designee Dan Schulman. PayPal’s Braintree unit, which houses the red-hot Venmo peer-to-peer payments app, is not affected by the cuts, a source says.

It’s not yet clear which divisions were hit the hardest with layoffs inside the eBay Marketplaces or eBay Enterprise divisions. (If you were affected by the cuts at PayPal or eBay, I’d love to talk with you, on the record or off. You can email me at jason@recode.net.)

An eBay spokeswoman referred me to the comments the company made about the planned layoffs in January.

The cuts come a few weeks after eBay announced it would cut 2,400 jobs across the entire company by the end of the quarter
Ebay/Paypal layoffs are here

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  • winkywinky Posts: 1,671
    Haunting isn't it. image
  • 19Lyds19Lyds Posts: 26,491 ✭✭✭✭
    What would laying off folks at eBay or PayPal possibly have anything to do with sales?

    It's not the employees doing the buying.
    I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.



    The name is LEE!
  • LindeDadLindeDad Posts: 18,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Still got the spam wanting me to buy Fashion wear today. image

    image
  • As crazy as this sound if you read some of the articles about this they are laying off unoccupied positions along with a lesser number of actual held positions. Many larger companies do this as a restructuring and streamlining move. This has also put them back in the news and they are getting tons of free press. This happens all the time in larger companies so don't worry about it because if you look at posted profits for the last quarter of last year Ebay had some of the highest profits post in over 3 years. They are not in any trouble and are just whacking crossover positions now that they are operating PayPal as a semi-interdependent entity. This will also have no effect on sales as stated above.
  • crazyhounddogcrazyhounddog Posts: 13,986 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>What would laying off folks at eBay or PayPal possibly have anything to do with sales?

    It's not the employees doing the buying. >>



    image
    The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
  • ebaybuyerebaybuyer Posts: 2,984 ✭✭✭
    breaks my heart, the reality is that the people who lost their jobs most likely weren't the ones making the stupid decisions that caused the need to eliminate the jobs
    regardless of how many posts I have, I don't consider myself an "expert" at anything
  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,313 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>breaks my heart, the reality is that the people who lost their jobs most likely weren't the ones making the stupid decisions that caused the need to eliminate the jobs >>



    No doubt and one thing I have seen played in the corporate world over and over is the people who made really stupid or plain ole greedy self serving decisions resulting in ordinary working people losing their jobs, like a slutty prom queen having sugar Daddies galore, usually end up with some kind of promotion or kudos after the dust settles. For sure you will see some fancy write up of them in some high end Business Publication.
    Coins & Currency
  • MarkInDavisMarkInDavis Posts: 1,711 ✭✭✭✭
    The problem with being a publicly traded company is that you have to have ever increasing profits. They can no longer grow much by increasing their market, so they raise fees and slice overhead to increase net. Service falls off. Eventually they alienate enough folks some competition will step in and really hurt them. Greed isn't always good.
    image Respectfully, Mark
  • TonerGuyTonerGuy Posts: 590 ✭✭✭
    Ahhh now I understand why Paypal started processing for pr0n again.

    I figured there had to be a cash flow reason...
  • Ebay is pushing to have PayPal be the dominant instant pay provider for credit/debit transactions. They are doing this by offering consumer buyer protection that is some of the strongest in the industry and they have a PayPal card you can use any where you shop that you can use a debit card but they ask you to use it as a credit card and offer incentives to do so. They mush have figured out how to make a better profit per credit transaction through internal handling.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,117 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I almost always fell sorry for people who get laid off, but since i don't like either one of these companies I'll just sit back and watch the carnage. But as another of you said, it's usually the mistakes of senior management that causes problems like this. The trouble is failed senior managers often get golden parachutes while the low level people get the golden showers.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • CoinZipCoinZip Posts: 3,253 ✭✭✭
    image

    Coin Club Benefit auctions ..... View the Lots

  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>breaks my heart, the reality is that the people who lost their jobs most likely weren't the ones making the stupid decisions that caused the need to eliminate the jobs >>


    It's equally possible that it was a "stupid decision" to embark on whatever projects necessitated hiring the people in the first place.
    Welcome to Capitalism. Not every initiative or investment pans out. Corporations are not obligated to retain workers when they
    are no longer considered essential or valuable.
  • Corporate greed. It hasn't ruined the country completely yet, but just wait.
    Let's try not to get upset.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,117 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Corporate greed. It hasn't ruined the country completely yet, but just wait. >>



    Oh please, government greed is far more of problem than corporate greed. The thing about corporate greed is that it is limited by the market. If a business executive starts building empires without the revenue to support his or her grandiose plans, the company runs out of money and either retrenches or goes into bankruptcy.

    Of course one of the alternatives for those who have Federal Government connections is a bailout. For companies that are "too big to fail," that is the solution to avoid paying for their mistakes. The polite term for that is "crony capitalism." The correct term for it when it becomes rampant is "fascism."

    When the Federal Government lives beyond its means it raises taxes or prints more money. There are very few public officials of either party on the national level who are willing to bite the bullet and cut back on Federal Government expenditures. They are all buying votes and power for themselves with your money.

    I've been studying and thinking a lot about slavery recently. When you think about it excessive taxation is slavery. You spend many hours of your life working, and the government comes along and takes those hours from you, and you have very little to no input has how the proceeds from those hours are used.

    We all have a civic responsibility to support public works through taxes. It is one of the things that preserves civilization. But when do the scales tip and taxation reaches levels that are contrary to the public good? I'd say that if you are spending more than half you working life working for the government that things have gone way too far.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,389 ✭✭✭✭✭
    PayPow image
    …. where's my 1099 ?

    In other news: The IRS is hiring image
  • ScarsdaleCoinScarsdaleCoin Posts: 5,232 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Last week in one division they laid off half the people... they walked in, said you are fired... you have five minutes to clear your desk and leave the building and we will pay for a taxi for you to get home.... I guess you cant leave people that you fired hanging around....but seems so chilling.... total moral buster for those left
    Jon Lerner - Scarsdale Coin - www.CoinHelp.com
  • bronco2078bronco2078 Posts: 10,250 ✭✭✭✭✭


    I wish they would layoff a lot of programmers and roll back to the Ebay of 2007 . There have spent the last half a decade fixing things that weren't broken ,and breaking things that worked fine.

    Raising fees , lowering visibility, killing the auctions in favor of buy nows , inviting in megasellers that can remain on the site with 1000's of negs while grinding small sellers into the dirt.




  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,117 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I wish they would layoff a lot of programmers and roll back to the Ebay of 2007 . There have spent the last half a decade fixing things that weren't broken ,and breaking things that worked fine.

    Raising fees , lowering visibility, killing the auctions in favor of buy nows , inviting in megasellers that can remain on the site with 1000's of negs while grinding small sellers into the dirt. >>



    You are making my point. Ebay made all of these mistakes, and now they paying the price. The sad part is some of the people who are paying the price did not cause the problem. This is why one of the best times of my working life was when I was a coin dealer. If something went wrong in my business 99% of the time I could look in the mirror and know who was at fault. I had some control over my working life.

    As for fixing things that aren't broke, just look at Photobucket. Every time they unveil an "enhancement" I shutter because I know that the site will be screwed up for a while. At the same time problems like letting viruses get on their site to infect your computer seems to be something that does not interest them. That should be one of their most important priorities. Viruses kill people in the computer business. Even my tech who takes care of my computer hates them because he says it takes more time to kill some them than he feels he can charge a client for doing the work.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,117 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Last week in one division they laid off half the people... they walked in, said you are fired... you have five minutes to clear your desk and leave the building and we will pay for a taxi for you to get home.... I guess you cant leave people that you fired hanging around....but seems so chilling.... total moral buster for those left >>



    Yes, that's the way it usually works and often has to work. I've been lucky. During the two lay-offs that I had in my working career the companies were very humane about it. They provided a severance package and one of them even provided us counseling with a placement firm.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,158 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Layoffs are part of the tech experience.

    I used the time off to travel.

    image
    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
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  • ctf_error_coinsctf_error_coins Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have seen first hand what Corporate GREED does to small business, it is not pretty ......
  • I have found customer service to be on the ball and courteous in most of the interactions I have had with them. It could be a lot worse with snarling and rude people without a service mentality. I figured their customer service people might be work from home ebay sellers which would make some sense if they wanted to economize instead of having corporate call centers with large overhead. I have heard of lay-off situations where the security officer comes to escort the worker out of the office standing over them as if they have done something wrong. That is no way to treat an employee where hiring and treatment up to that point was with a smiling face and accolades. I just hope they don't neglect essential customer services.
  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,793 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Corporate greed. It hasn't ruined the country completely yet, but just wait. >>



    Oh please, government greed is far more of problem than corporate greed. The thing about corporate greed is that it is limited by the market. If a business executive starts building empires without the revenue to support his or her grandiose plans, the company runs out of money and either retrenches or goes into bankruptcy. >>



    Absolutely !!
    This country will be ruined by the end of Capitalism !
  • 19Lyds19Lyds Posts: 26,491 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Ebay is pushing to have PayPal be the dominant instant pay provider for credit/debit transactions. They are doing this by offering consumer buyer protection that is some of the strongest in the industry and they have a PayPal card you can use any where you shop that you can use a debit card but they ask you to use it as a credit card and offer incentives to do so. They mush have figured out how to make a better profit per credit transaction through internal handling. >>

    OR, they simply want in on the multi-billion dollar a year credit industry.

    I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.



    The name is LEE!
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I thought eBay SOLD PayPal.



    article

    Seems best for PayPal. I'd rather own the payment processor than the auction site.

    Coors, eBay SHOULD have enough IT geeks to create their OWN internal payment thingy.
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,097 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Last week in one division they laid off half the people... they walked in, said you are fired... you have five minutes to clear your desk and leave the building and we will pay for a taxi for you to get home.... I guess you cant leave people that you fired hanging around....but seems so chilling.... total moral buster for those left >>



    Yes, that's the way it usually works and often has to work. I've been lucky. During the two lay-offs that I had in my working career the companies were very humane about it. They provided a severance package and one of them even provided us counseling with a placement firm. >>



    That sounds like terminations, not layoffs. With a layoff, one has the expectation that one will be called back. With a severance package, you're outta there.
    theknowitalltroll;
  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>As for fixing things that aren't broke, just look at Photobucket. Every time they unveil an "enhancement" I shutter because I know that the site will be screwed up for a while. >>


    The word you wanted was "shudder", but in the context of Photobucket, it was a humorous mistake. image
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,480 ✭✭✭✭✭
    the economy is good, theyll do fine finding other meaningful work ( whatever )
  • CameonutCameonut Posts: 7,302 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>Corporate greed. It hasn't ruined the country completely yet, but just wait. >>



    Oh please, government greed is far more of problem than corporate greed. The thing about corporate greed is that it is limited by the market. If a business executive starts building empires without the revenue to support his or her grandiose plans, the company runs out of money and either retrenches or goes into bankruptcy. >>



    Absolutely !!
    This country will be ruined by the end of Capitalism ! >>



    +1

    “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

    My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!

  • BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,718 ✭✭✭✭✭
    reference bronco2078

    I agree with the comments of bronco2078. I have been buying and selling on ebay since 2003. In the last half a dozen years they continue to make the environment more complicated and tricky that it needs to be.
    A complex rating system for sellers that is hard to navigate and comprehend. I am scaling back somewhat, not quitting, because of their environment. Just not worth the hassle. I feel that they have PhD's sitting around just trying to thing of ways to make their system more intricate and delicate. And all they do is piss off the sellers.
    Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
    a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,117 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>Last week in one division they laid off half the people... they walked in, said you are fired... you have five minutes to clear your desk and leave the building and we will pay for a taxi for you to get home.... I guess you cant leave people that you fired hanging around....but seems so chilling.... total moral buster for those left >>



    Yes, that's the way it usually works and often has to work. I've been lucky. During the two lay-offs that I had in my working career the companies were very humane about it. They provided a severance package and one of them even provided us counseling with a placement firm. >>



    That sounds like terminations, not layoffs. With a layoff, one has the expectation that one will be called back. With a severance package, you're outta there. >>



    To me the term "lay off" is a euphemism for "You're fired!" In the professional and white collar world, I've never known anyone who was called back. It might happen in the warehouse or the factory, but not in the office unless it's a secretary or something like that. .
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • I guess that is why they call it "firing"; sounds pretty final and painful. Companies do re-hire former employees in some cases; it depends how they left and whether others were glad to see them go or sorry to.
  • fishcookerfishcooker Posts: 3,446 ✭✭
    A lay-off is a job reduction due to the company's financial health - usually the entire industry like the oil industry right now. Layoffs are governed by federal law and may involve re-training and severance, and certainly Unemployment compensation.

    Firing means you are done. No unemployment unless you file a fraudulent claim.
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,253 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Corporate greed. It hasn't ruined the country completely yet, but just wait.

    Corporate greed is the ugly stepchild of Capitalism.Cutting employees first is a time-honored tradition for the corporation.It works like a charm.The public gets to pay the discharged employees about 1/2 of what they were making in wages via the unemployment office.

    The really good corporation would discharge only the worst employees,the slackers,the problem employees,etc. if you will.Redistribution of money for wages would take place with the remaining workers receiving a percentage,less than 100%but more than 50%,of their former wages if they want to stay employed.Doing a good job all along would be rewarded even in tough times.

    I don't know of any good corporation as described above. They all act the same as far as I know when it comes to employee dumping but if anyone here knows of a corporation that has been good to employees when facing having to do layoffs (firing) please tell us about it.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,313 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have found the magic formula is three hits and an opportunity is finished: two unfavorable non controllable events plus a jerk manager. The time frame before the first event and the third could be years. Sort of like the cosmological constant. Once those have happened its just a matter of a few months before the thing is finished. Get going on your job search and do not waste time trying to save a sinking ship.

    If they have hosed you with a murder task schedule do not work time your not paid for even if they have threatened to fire you or told you have to work all night. If its late, its late. If its messed up, its messed up. Don't argue with them or cuss them out as this could be detrimental to your unemployment filing. When its quitting time just walk out the door, let your feet do that talking. Just punt the ball and make them have to drive the length of the field. Their hosing you with tasks, deadlines you can't meet is deliberate and calculated. So just ride the thing as long as it will go withing the core hours your paid. Never let them take your paycheck away, especially in a termination conversation (this is illegal) like some BS you were somehow overpaid. If they try this just give them some BS excuse its in the car and your have to go get it. Then get in the car and simply drive off.
    Coins & Currency
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,389 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some people will find work and stay on top of it. Others will get unemployment and have more time on their hands. The rest of us working stiffs will just keep going to work.
  • Not surprised. Ebay will be getting a new payment method provider too. Paypal is off to greener pastures. At least they hope.
    All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure - Mark Twain
  • machoponchomachoponcho Posts: 355 ✭✭✭


    << <i>reference bronco2078

    I agree with the comments of bronco2078. I have been buying and selling on ebay since 2003. In the last half a dozen years they continue to make the environment more complicated and tricky that it needs to be.
    A complex rating system for sellers that is hard to navigate and comprehend. I am scaling back somewhat, not quitting, because of their environment. Just not worth the hassle. I feel that they have PhD's sitting around just trying to thing of ways to make their system more intricate and delicate. And all they do is piss off the sellers. >>



    This is the vibe I get. People on the inside of eBay have to justify their jobs so they create some new feature that will improve numbers in their area. But it might make other numbers worse outside of their area of specialty. So the person on the other end whose numbers are going down as a result of said implication will make another implication to right that. Thus it goes back and forth with everyone at eBay attempting to justify their jobs while losing sight of the bigger picture.
    I have existed since the creation of this world and will exist until its end. Only my form will change. For these 80 human life years, I have the benefit of having a functioning body and consciousness. I will not waste this opportunity.
  • derrybderryb Posts: 36,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Over the years, Ebay has gone from sponsoring garage sales to sponsoring shopping malls. I applaud them for ensuring their on-line market share.

    The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong

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