Oh Canada Are You Revolting Yet?

A September 26th Press release from Toronto-based Segal Communications:

Beginning October 1, 2008, eBay Canada will offer display advertising opportunities on its popular Web site eBay.ca and Segal Communications has been tapped to promote, develop and sell the advertising. Segal will also manage the web auction site's display advertising and forge relationships between advertisers and eBay.ca.

This partnership further strengthens Segal's reach in the new media marketplace, where it already represents the social networking phenomenon Facebook in Canada.

"Segal is building a dedicated sales team to run the eBay.ca account, and we anticipate an excellent response from the marketplace at the news they can now advertise on one of the Internet's most trafficked sites,"

says Rob Segal, President and CCO of Segal. Bringing significant experience and leading the new team is Jesse Cassaday, who was recently appointed Vice President of On-Line Media Sales.

For further information: eBay - Andrea Stairs, Head of Marketing, (416)969-2309, astairs@ebay.ca; Segal - Rob Segal, (416) 588-8727, rob.segal@segalcommunications.com

I am not a Canadian eBay seller and would not presume to say how I think they feel about this. I do know that Australian sellers are less than thrilled about it and I hear that sellers in France, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy are not pleased either. eBay could care less so long as they get paid as much as possible and as often as possible.

You are NOT powerless! There are several things you can do:

1: email Rob Segal and Andrea Stairs and share your opinion of advertisements on your listing page. This will not change anything, they know what is best for eBay. You are only a fee paying seller or a nuisance.

2. email the advertisers and share your opinion of advertisements on your listing page. Tell the advertiser that not only will you not purchase anything but you will share your negative opinions vigorously.

3. Click victoriously (if these are pay per click advertisements?) but do not buy.

Y'all come back!