eBay is testing a new local service provider marketplace in the U.K. called eBayHire. It appears that the test is first rolling out in the U.K., and there isn’t a U.S.-based site (yet).
According to the site, eBayHire is similar to Angie’s List in that the site will get you in touch with service providers. You can find traditional service providers like plumbers, movers, contractors, drivers and more; but you can also access more specialized providers like photographers, those who specialize in antique valuations, upholstery cleaners and more.
How does it work? You pick a provider you want to hire and submit a form via the site of what type of service you need. The provider then sends you a quote or calls you, and if you proceed with the service, you book and pay directly with the professional.
While some details are still unclear, this seems more like Angie’s List or Home Depot’s Red Beacon than TaskRabbit or Exec. On the eBayHire site, the company states that “eBay Hire is a pilot being run by a few folks at eBay in the UK. It is a separate business to eBay, but is part of the eBay, Inc. family.”
Local service providers would be a deviation from the marketplace, delivery and payments focused products that eBay has prided itself on over the past few years. But extending the eBay marketplace technology to other economies could be interesting and profitable, and CEO John Donahoe has a great advisor in Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky.
A spokesperson for eBay issues this statement: “eBay Hire is a pilot program in beta currently only available in the United Kingdom that connects consumers with local services.”