Why Isn’t There More Video Auctioning?

It may have taken several years, but people have become pretty comfortable with buying and selling items through online auctions.  Sites like eBay, in conjunction with PayPal, have done a nice job of putting participants at ease. While still “buyer beware,” there are satisfaction surveys, customer feedback tools, and conflict resolution processes in place that provide a modicum of comfort when entering into a faceless transaction.

Yet, a certain amount of trepidation still exists when buying and selling expensive items such as cars or luxury goods.  Pictures help to tell part of the story, but the question always lingers, “is that a real bag?” or “is that car really in the condition that the owner is representing?”

One obvious way to address these fears and uncertainties is to include a video player where people can post footage of both themselves and their products.  But as far as we’ve seen, there has yet to be a serious push to include video content on auction sites. If you visit eBay, for example, you’ll see an interface that allows you to post pictures and descriptions, but there is no video player to be found.

That’s why we were happy to find that users of video sites have created their own solutions. YouTube has an online auction channel, YouAuction, that offers a way for sellers to showcase their goods in detail and in motion. Ebay users can then include the video link in their auction posts, giving the buyers a bit more assurance about the potentially risky purchase they’re about to make.

I’ve received several responses to my eBay bulletin about selling my car; and while I can’t attribute the success solely to the video, I have to believe it has helped my cause. YouAuction’s interface and channel itself are not altogether awe-inspiring, but its ability to get the word out about my auction video was certainly helpful. With such obvious benefits, why don’t more online auction sites out there include video as part of the interface (that means YOU, eBay)?