Nevertheless, they are beginning to feel its dramatic effects as it exposes their antiquated fuel purchasing methods.

FORBES: Higher Gas Prices Here To Stay, But Fuel Price Volatility Can Be Tamed

There are other online auction sites, but they are much smaller. eBay's real competition, however, is increasingly coming from all over the internet, not least from people selling directly off their own websites and using online marketing methods, such as purchasing search terms on competing sites such as Google, to promote themselves.

ECONOMIST: eBay

Closing a sale used to begin with a cold call: meeting a customer who may or may not be happy with the product or service they own, and guiding them through the process of purchasing new or upgrading to something better all of this based on proven methods of providing information to bring the customer to the logical conclusion that they want to purchase.

FORBES: Helping Sales Succeed Through Better Automated Marketing