美国东部时间2005年10月19日，阿里巴巴宣布淘宝网将继续免费三年。另外，阿里巴巴还将向中国市场投资1.2亿美元用于发展中国电子商务市场和创造100万就业机会。对此，eBay发表声明，指出：
“免费”不是一种商业模式。淘宝网宣布在未来三年内不能对其产品收费充分说明了eBay在中国业务发展的强劲态势。
eBay在中国正在创造一个能持续发展的业务模式，为中国消费者和企业主提供最安全、最专业和唯一的最令人兴奋的国际贸易环境。
以下是美国媒体对阿里巴巴此举的相关报道——
Wednesday October 19, 2:57 pm ET
Taobao.com to be Free of Charge for Three More Years China's Leading Consumer Auction Site to Invest US $120 million in China Market to Grow E-commerce and Create One Million Jobs
BEIJING, Oct. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Alibaba.com announced today that its Taobao.com Chinese-language consumer auction site will remain free for buyers and sellers for three more years, until at least October, 2008. In addition, Alibaba.com will invest US $120 million to further grow Taobao.com's trusted e-commerce marketplace with the goal of creating one million jobs for entrepreneurs in China.
"Taobao.com is committed to fostering the development of e-commerce in China while building China's largest and most trusted online consumer marketplace," said Alibaba.com CEO Jack Ma. "By making Taobao.com's services free for an additional three years and investing US $120 million into growing our community, we plan to solidify Taobao's leadership position and add new functions and services that meet the unique local needs of China's e-commerce consumers. Through this investment we hope Taobao.com will be able to create more than one million jobs for entrepreneurs in China who can join the Taobao community to build and grow their businesses."
Taobao.com is currently free for buyers and sellers in China, allowing users to post products, communicate in real time, and make transactions online. The marketplace was launched in 2003 and in just two years became China's leading online marketplace, surpassing competitors on all key metrics, including website traffic, active users, product listings, and transaction volume.
Since its 2003 launch, Taobao.com has pioneered an e-commerce model truly tailored for the China consumer. Being free has allowed Taobao.com to grow its user base while encouraging online community as the company listens to customers to understand the unique needs of buyers and sellers in China. By remaining close to the customer, Taobao.com has consistently scored highest vs. competitors in independent customer satisfaction surveys, with an iResearch survey rating Taobao.com's customer satisfaction at 77%, higher than all competitors.
A Call to Ebay
In addition to its pledge to make Taobao free until October 2008, Taobao.com called on Ebay to join Taobao in making its services free for Chinese users. "We call on Ebay to do what's right for this phase of China's e-commerce development and make your services free for buyers and sellers in China," said Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba.com. "Cutting prices is not enough -- it's time to make your services free and affordable for all of China's entrepreneurs and consumers."
The Alibaba Precedent -- First Free, then Profitable
"Free is the right business model for China's current conditions," said Jack Ma. "But Taobao.com is a business, and like any serious business we have a solid plan for profitability. With Alibaba and Taobao, our theory has always been, only after our members make money using our marketplaces should we make money." Alibaba.com's business-to-business marketplaces, Alibaba International and Alibaba China, started free for members and then matured into highly profitable businesses, generating US $68 million in cash revenues in 2004 with revenue growth doubling year-on-year.
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