Take A Lesson From EBay In Buying, Selling; Fourth Year Of Classes.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: PETE BARLAS

Are you ready for eBay U? Last month, eBay Inc., the world's largest online auctioneer, started its fourth annual university program. A group of roving instructors hold on-site classes at various U.S. cities teaching folks how to buy and sell products on the site. EBay is one of the Net's big success stories. It has 62 million users. The company believes it can attract more users, and boost use by current users, by holding classes that walk people through the buy and sell process, says instructor Jim Griffith. His title at eBay is ambassador.

"A lot of people are overwhelmed by eBay," he said. "(The course) is a mass handholding in getting them through the process." EBay plans to hold classes in 22 cities this year. It offers beginning and advanced classes and crash-course seminars for students who can't spend an entire day in school. EBay set up school in 24 cities last year, 23 in 2001 and seven in 2000. EBay says it averages 400 to 500 people each class. A few sessions have drawn 1,000 students. This is so even though eBay advertises the classes only on its Web site. Word of mouth is the driver, says Griffith. "People are influenced by their friends and relatives talking about their own experiences with product sales (on eBay)," he said.

Not that anyone has to learn how to use eBay just from eBay. A handful of outside companies offer instruction in using eBay.com, usually through software tutorials they're happy to sell. But e-mail requests to three of these companies for interviews weren't answered.

Outside firms offer such instruction, says Griffith, but he says none of them has any formal connection to eBay.

EBay offers entry level and advanced versions of its course. Classes are $25 a day, so the class isn't a moneymaker in itself. Sessions last eight hours. The cost includes a workbook and instructional CD that students can keep for reference.

EBay University has six instructors, but Griffith is the only one who's an eBay employee. The other five are former eBay ...