After laying off 40% of its German workforce in the fall, eBay will lay off another 400 workers that will leave 230 workers in its Kleinmachnow customer service center. In October, eBay Germany had announced it was transferring a portion of the customer service to its expanded "European Centre of Excellence" in Dublin, Ireland, where 100 new positions were to be created.

According to reports, eBay received 10 million Euros for employment creation when it moved to Kleinmachnow in 2000, but was only required to hold the jobs until 2008.

The German watchdog group falle-internet.de is apprehensive of reduced security staff at eBay Germany. A spokesperson said eBay.de has no LiveChat, LiveHelp or live support like eBay.com. "A hijacked account reported at telephone support takes 2-3 days to revise. For the German eBay user there is no competent contact person for intricate problems with fraud or security."

Coverage of the news from German newspapers can be found online:

"ver.di: ebay will rund 400 Mitarbeiter in Dreilinden entlassen," Berlin Online, 12/15/09
Link to article (German language

"HANDEL: Ebay bleibt hart: 400 Jobs fallen in Kleinmachnow weg," Maerkische Allgemeine, 12/16/09
Link to article (German language)

"WIRTSCHAFT: Gedrückte Stimmung bei Ebay: 400 Mitarbeiter der Kleinmachnower Zentrale des Internetauktionshauses verlieren ihren Job," Maerkische Allgemeine, 12/16/09
Link to article (German language)