The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge; Transcribed from The eBay Radio Show, 4/26/2005
To Read more Transcripts, or Listen to the Audio Archives of this Radio Show on your computer, and to find the the eBay Radio Show Resource Center, please go to www.eBayRadio.info
Griff: So, Steve Cohen is a category manager from Home Improvement and if you’re new to eBay, eBay is actually organized by categories so you can buy and sell more efficiently, and Steve is the category manager for Home Improvement and he’s going to tell us about this great new contest that’s called the eBay and County Living Remodeling Challenge. It’s a contest that gives you the chance to win $10,000 to spend on eBay to remodel a room in your home.
Griff: Steve, welcome to eBay Radio.
Steve: Thanks, Griff, for having me on the show.
Griff: It’s our pleasure. Hey, before we get to the remodeling challenge can you tell us a little bit about your category Home Improvement?
Steve: Sure. It actually includes a number of different categories that really represent all the different types of products you might use to do home improvement, both inside and outside the house. And, the Home Improvement categories include everything from plumbing fixtures to flooring to kitchen cabinets and it also includes the products you need to complete do-it-yourself projects, so the things such as power and hand tools, lawn mowers and chainsaws, this is all part of Home Improvement at eBay. You can see these categories on eBay at home.ebay.com.
Griff: So, I took a trip there and it’s fantastic.
Steve: Yeah.
Griff: Of course, I always use that category when I need to find stuff.
Steve: Sure.
Griff: I always think people are thinking, “Hey Griff, you’re just doing a commercial for eBay.” Let me tell you seriously, when I need to buy something, no matter what it is, I just automatically go to eBay now and 99% of the time I find what I’m looking for at a great deal, like this microphone I’m talking into now. So, it’s a great place if you’re going to remodel your house. Now what exactly is this contest?
Steve: Sure, it’s the first time we’ve held this contest and, as you said, it’s the eBay and Country Living Remodeling Challenge. Essentially we’re giving eBay members the opportunity to win $10,000 to spend on eBay to remodel a room in their home. And, let me give you a quick overview of how the contest works. The first step is where people actually submit their entries for the contest and that includes a “before” photo and an essay of 250 words or less that describes what room in your home you would like to remodel and how you would use items purchased on eBay with a $10,000 budget to remodel the room. Then, we’ll pick three finalists who will be selected to actually participate in this amazing remodeling adventure, so we’ll give each of the finalists $10,000. They need to spend that money on eBay and, as I’ve said, there are tons of products, of home improvement products on eBay, and then over the course of the summer they’ll actually use that money and remodel the room. Then, at the end of the summer, so around September, those finalists will submit “after” photos of their project and then the eBay community, all of you, will have the opportunity to vote on the grand prize winner who will then receive $10,000 cash.
Griff: Wow.
Steve: So, it’s a great opportunity so if any of the listeners are thinking about remodeling a kitchen, a bath, a basement, really any room in your home and you have a passion for using eBay to purchase products for this type of project, then it’s a great opportunity to really have us give you the money to do the project and for you to really show us your passion.
Griff: I’m so tempted to quit eBay so I can join it.
Steve: Right.
Griff: But I’m not going to.
Steve: Right, exactly. And, let me just add some of the key dates. The entry period is actually ending tomorrow night, April 27th, at midnight, so you still have just over a day to get in your entries and the URL where you want to go to enter the contest is ebay.com/remodelingchallenge. So, that’s the place to go and you can enter the contest and then once we’ve selected the three finalists you can go back to those pages and look at their progress and then ultimately that’s where you would go to vote for the grand prize winner in early September.
Griff: Are you only going to put up just the three finalists or will you show other examples?
Steve: Well, right now we actually have examples, not really the contest, just some pictures of some before and after photos of remodeling projects. We’ll probably keep it focused on the finalists, but we’ll hopefully have some progress photos so, for instance with a kitchen, as they start to put in the drywall and then add the counters and the appliances you’ll be able to see the progress they’re making. You’ll also be able to see, and this is very cool, at the end of the projects you’ll be able to see a list of the items they actually purchased on eBay, so if you’re interested in doing a similar project you can go onto the site and see similar products for you to purchase.
Griff: Now, for those of you who are listening from our archives, we want to reiterate that the date is April 27, 2005. So, if you’re listening to this after midnight of that date, you can’t enter.
Steve: Right.
Griff: You’ve missed the deadline.
Steve: But you still will have the opportunity to vote which will occur between September 8th and September 21st this fall.
Griff: So vote now, vote often.
Steve: Right, exactly. And, in terms of who can participate, who can actually enter the contest…
Griff: Steve, you’re a great guest, I don’t even have to ask the questions.
Steve: Oh, well just interrupt me (laughter) as you see fit…
Griff: No, go right ahead.
Steve: Anybody who’s a registered user of eBay and who’s a resident of the United States and if they’re 18 years of age or older can enter the contest, and there are a few states where it’s voided and that’s just Colorado and Vermont, but virtually anybody who’s 18 years and up and a registered user can enter.
Griff: Wow. Void in Vermont…
Steve: Yeah. Don’t ask…
Griff: I won’t.
Steve: Legal stuff, so…
Griff: Of course. What a quirky little state I come from. So, what are the judging criteria for the contest?
Steve: The judging criteria for the finalists, there are three of them. The first is originality of the idea, the second is clarity of expression, and the third is passion for using the eBay site in remodeling. And, really so what that means is we want to see creative ideas. We want to see essays where the entrants have clearly communicated the project they have in mind and we also want to get a feel for their passion for using the eBay site. So, they can tell us the types of products they want to purchase on eBay and how they would really resourcefully use eBay to buy products for their remodel.
Griff: That’s so cool.
Steve: Yeah.
Griff: Steve, I want to thank you for coming on…
Steve: Sure.
Griff: …and talking about this great new challenge, and if anyone’s interested, and I’m sure you are, in the time that’s left to get in before April 27, 2005 midnight, you can enter the contest at www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge. So, here’s your chance to do your own version of extreme makeover on your house. Hey, Steve, someday maybe we’ll do a whole home, let’s hope.
Steve: Yeah, that’s the plan. Well, thanks, Griff, for your time.
Griff: Hey, my pleasure, thanks for coming on. We’re talking to Steve Cohen, category manager for Home Improvement, and you should join the challenge. You will have the chance to fix up that dungeon that you haven’t been using because it’s just too messy and all the stuff is too old. You can get $10,000 to redo it. Just go to www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge. Lee, you can join.
Lee: Yeah, well, but that would be kind of tacky.
Griff: Why?
Lee: I do the eBay news allegedly.
Griff: So. We don’t pay you.
Lee: Yes, but don’t you think people would scream? That would be kind of tacky. Well, I get paid in my own way, of course.
Griff: Of course, in love and kisses.
Lee: Yes, I do.
Griff: What room would you do over right now if you could?
Lee: Oh, my bedroom. My bedroom needs something desperately.
Griff: Really?
Lee: Yes (laughter).
Griff: Yeah, but what you need in that bedroom you’re not going to find on eBay.
Lee: I knew it the minute I said it.
Griff: You knew I was going to say that. Sorry. Hey, we’ve got two more segments and these are the times when we want your phone calls and I see somebody already stored up and ready to make a comment or ask a question. You can be too. Dial 888-327-0061 or if you’re calling from an international location 858-623-0102 here on eBay Radio.
To Read more Transcripts, or Listen to the Audio Archives of this Radio Show on your computer, and to find the the eBay Radio Show Resource Center, please go to www.eBayRadio.info
