# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/661 "2023-08-22T15:13:44Z")
Is the gimmick that they don’t take any pride in their products, so customers drop in to see how they’re trash-talking their own deals? meh-dot-com? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/662 "2023-08-22T16:03:08Z")
Is the idea that the sellers using the service can do their own advertising? And that the company’s branding not getting in the way makes it more appealing to those sellers? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/663 "2023-08-22T16:15:56Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > eBay? Amazon? **Ebay.** Now, don’t google folks! You have a company name and the answer will come up immediately. > [@Rhodes](#): > > Is the gimmick that they don’t take any pride in their products, so customers drop in to see how they’re trash-talking their own deals? meh-dot-com? **NO.** > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is the idea that the sellers using the service can do their own advertising? And that the company’s branding not getting in the way makes it more appealing to those sellers? **NO** ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/664 "2023-08-22T18:26:45Z")
It’s online sales, and eBay. Did they stop advertising because buyers using a search engine was the same as clicking an ad? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/665 "2023-08-22T18:40:44Z")
Were their ads focused on auctions of used goods, but when they stopped advertising they got a boost in new and “buy it now” goods that they hadn’t been advertising? i.e. they were advertising the part of their business that wasn’t going to grow? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/666 "2023-08-22T19:00:17Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > It’s online sales, and eBay. Did they stop advertising because buyers using a search engine was the same as clicking an ad? **NO** > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Were their ads focused on auctions of used goods, but when they stopped advertising they got a boost in new and “buy it now” goods that they hadn’t been advertising? i.e. they were advertising the part of their business that wasn’t going to grow? **NO** ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/667 "2023-08-22T21:09:01Z")
Did they stop advertising because everyone had heard of them already? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/668 "2023-08-22T21:10:52Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Did they stop advertising because everyone had heard of them already?. **A NO, but not a complete NO. This question is on the cusp of an aspect of the solution.** Your question is excellent. Right down the path I would pursue. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/669 "2023-08-23T01:20:47Z")
Did they have reason to expect that everyone would have heard of them in the near future? Did not advertising somehow help them become more well known? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/670 "2023-08-23T01:38:01Z")
Did they somehow come to the conclusion that the advertising they were doing was ineffective, so why bother? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/671 "2023-08-23T10:25:08Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Did they have reason to expect that everyone would have heard of them in the near future? > > **That was probably the hope, but not the primary reason they shut down advertising**. > > Did not advertising somehow help them become more well known? > > **No, but these type of questions are just off in the way that makes this an interesting puzzle. But no I the answer**. Yeppers ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/672 "2023-08-23T10:47:29Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did they somehow come to the conclusion that the advertising they were doing was ineffective, so why bother? Yes…sort of. No to the why bother part. Ineffective is not the word they would choose. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/673 "2023-08-23T11:25:35Z")
Did they conclude that their advertising was detrimental to the business? Did they think it was effective but not worth the money? Did not advertising change customer perception of eBay? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/674 "2023-08-23T11:36:43Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did they conclude that their advertising was detrimental to the business? > > That it likely could be. > > Did they think it was effective but not worth the money? > > **No.** > > Did not advertising change customer perception of eBay? > > No. Getting there. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/675 "2023-08-23T12:00:08Z")
Was the idea that the advertising as they were doing it was detrimental? Or that any advertising at all would be detrimental? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/676 "2023-08-23T13:50:19Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was the idea that the advertising as they were doing it was detrimental? > > **Potentially, yes. But why???** > > Or that any advertising at all would be detrimental? > > **Potentially yes. But why???** Just figuring out why Ebay thought advertising may be detrimental is the final piece of the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/677 "2023-08-23T14:43:19Z")
Does it have something to do with eBay no longer paying to be a sponsored link on Google? Is eBay’s relationship with PayPal part of the solution? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/678 "2023-08-23T14:46:19Z")
Was the decision based on the idea that the public would misunderstand something when they saw the ads? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/679 "2023-08-23T15:58:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Does it have something to do with eBay no longer paying to be a sponsored link on Google? > Is eBay’s relationship with PayPal part of the solution? **No** > [@dirtball](#): > > Was the decision based on the idea that the public would misunderstand something when they saw the ads?. **No.** ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/680 "2023-08-23T16:00:47Z")
Were customers turned off by the idea of auctions? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=35)