eBay and the A site have coexisted in the US & UK for a number of years, that doesn't mean A isn't having an impact, or that it won't when it arrives here, but logic dictates that it is unlikely to be the proverbial falling sky for eBay here, either.
Insertion fees are a little lower in the US, but final value fees are (on average) higher than they are here, even in the face of direct competition from A. For example, the US has no difference in FVF between each store package, so a category that attracts a FVF of 9.15% (their highest) won't be any lower with a more expensive store package like it is for Aus stores (sellers can qualify for a modest discount if they meet some strict criteria, though).
When A do arrive, if they maintain the same fee percentage here that they do OS, eBay's fees will actually look cheaper by comparison (I applied and was approved to sell on A.com, but didn't go through with it in the end because I was less than keen on some of their site policies. From memory the monthly fees was around US$50 (about $75 per month at today's rates), then 20-odd % FVF. It's worth mentioning that includes payment processing fees as they have their own payment processing system. However, eBay and PayPal combined get a bit under 12% of my revenue, and that is worked out on all fees I pay, including the odd BX1 postage label, and my store sub, while A's 20% FVF is on revenue before you add on monthly fees and the like, so - for me at least - eBay is already nearly half the price A would be).
A also have a track record of dubious practices, eg copying unique products and undercutting their original sellers - I doubt they'd find a lot of value in my products, but they're hardly the morally superior alternative to eBay. Most of their shenanigans affect sellers, though, and I doubt there would be a high percentage of people who would refuse to shop there because of things like that (if any would at all).
Shopping online is hardly a novelty anymore, and I daresay a good percentage of Aussies have already shopped on one A site or another already, so their arrival here may come with high expectations and a lot of fanfare, but I believe the reality will be a little more low-key rather quickly. Then again, maybe I just don't get it and I'll be eating those words in a year or so, either way it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
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