EBay rivals circle vulnerable auctions kingpin
More of our continuing eBay coverage: Are you looking at other seller sites? What are you finding?
From Margaret, Chapel Hill NC I think that the one-way feedback could work fine (it does on Amazon.com and other e-tail sites as well as on travel sites, etc.). However, because feedback is subjective, its function should exist primarily for buyers to exert discretion in choosing which sellers to do business with. Unless there is cause to believe that the seller is running a scam or the seller receives a pattern of terrible reviews, the rating system should not be used to prevent sellers with otherwise decent ratings from listing items for sale.
The way it stands now, if a seller averages 4 out of 5 on any one Detailed Seller Rating (DSR) category (Item as Described, Communication, Shipping Time, etc.), eBay's new system prevents the seller from listing additional items for up to a year. For those who simply want to sell items to clear out their garage, receiving a subjective "2" or "3" for shipping time — since, hey, the seller didn't ship expedited mail at no additional cost — can mean no listing privileges for a year.
How one average rating can prevent a New or Occasional eBay seller from posting new listings for a year: eBay has implemented a rolling average formula, whereby the seller must have at least a 4.1 on each DSR item. It is not explained on the form that an average rating of 4 out of 5 is considered unacceptable. The rolling duration in the calculation is a full year for New and Occasional sellers (those who have less than 10 DSRs). If a seller has received 100 Detail Seller Ratings, the scores are averaged on a mere rolling 30 days. Do the math: If you have only a few DSRs, and you get a subjective "3 – Average" for shipping time (since, again, the shipment took the "average" 3 or 4 days to make it to Wasilla Main St.), you can very well
If eBay is purposefully changing its policies to prevent occasional sellers from using the platform, they could avoid much better to clearly state
It is interesting to note that a year after rolling out fees and payment policies, they have not updated their site regarding possible PayPal holds. Sellers are still instructed to await cleared payment before shipping. eBay's description of Cleared Payments & Handling Time (as of 2/17/2009):
The handling time is the number of business days the seller will take to ship the item after receiving your cleared payment. A payment is considered "cleared" after the money from the buyer has been deposited into the seller’s account. If the buyer pays by PayPal, the payment may clear immediately. However if the buyer pays by check, money order, or eCheck, it may take several days. source: http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/contextual/domestic-handling-time.html
From ron concord nc For the past few days i have been searching for a new site to sell my wares,so any Ebay defectors that have found a good site to sell on be it creating a webstore or a site that offers a store atmosphere , i'm all ears.
Heres MY story:
Somewhere along the line i have made a enemy that has become a relentless "LISTING WATCHDOG" that is some kind of Ebay policy Lawyer. Here are some examples:
I had a Japanese Anime model get canceled as a MA violation. She was dressed but a nipple pushed out her shirt,looked like a button. I reposted it with censored pics,& no more probs.
I had several models & model decals canceled as HATEFUL & Discriminatory because somewhere in the pics there was a swastika(we are talking about WWII era planes & ships) I reposted them with censored pics & all was fine…
NOW, its a different story on my Models & decals i had to edit them PLUS not offer them for sale in EUROPE(75% of my sales are Internat) The other night i posted 3 vintage nude velvet Paintings & a nude statue all CENSORED The next morning they were canceled With a note saying NO CENSORSHIP ALLOWED…I reread the rules & that is BULL! Besides the fact that they should have been allowed to stay posted WITHOUT censoring them.
Do a search on nude painting or statue & look at what comes up…hundreds of them! WAY more revealing than my listings.The listings i had were in NO WAY Obscene or pornographic. I still have a couple HUNDRED statues/figures to list,but i cant because i have 3 STRIKES/VIOLATIONS on me.
I tried one last time to reason with the ROBOTS & i got a couple of paragraphs of the usual CANNED RESPONSE peppered with a few "HAIR SPLITTING RULES" with absolutely NO COMMENT on my "Watchdog". With all THESE RULES there should be one on how many times a INDIVIDUAL can file reports on a seller. All THIS CRAP i keep getting for a reply(from Eaby) is NOT in any RULES that are public….Here is a couple:
"The seller must enter "Nudes" in the Item Specifics section of the
Sell Your Item form (located in Part 2 of the form)"
&
"The listing doesn't contain more than two images of nudity."
Yeah,thats in the rules, chapter 999 super sub terrain section 65….!!!!
Because of the STRIKES I am now in the position that i cannot even take a chance on posting ANYTHING that could be shut down on a hidden RULE. & NO i am not going to start selling candy canes bonnets & G-rated Disney movies….Actually, candy canes are prob BANNED!
IVE HAD IT !
From Moorcroft, Wyoming After six years with eBay, I am wrapping things up and am going to cut ties with them before 2008 passes. Its changed from a fun place where you buy and sell things to a nightmare where they dictate what you sell, how you sell it and how you get paid! It's madness!
From mario, Three Rivers, Mich FIRE DONAHOE PETITION
can be found by searcching the internet for
"Ebay Stockholders and Sellers Calling For Immediate Termination of John Donohoe CEO"
petitiononline.com
From Lynn Hoffman, Fairfax, VA Look up Ebay Boycott on YouTube.
We need the media to please investigate Ebay policies & potential corporate corruption. Documented videos of Ebay "padding" listings to maintain and/or increase their stock values. Rating systems that are not equally applied, suspending accounts at random – THOUSANDS of FAMILIES who depend on Ebay to LIVE. REQUIRED PAYPAL payments – no other form of payment can be accepted! Boycott Ebay October 1, 2008
From Kirkland, WA I recently wrote an article comparing the eBay alternatives that exist today. If you're thinking about kicking the EBay habit, this is a good place to start.
From Larry, Manhattan, KS. I had a customer turn on me. They wanted a complete refund, but also wanted to keep the item. I even offered to reimburse their shipping costs if they returned it, but that wasn't good enough. The customer informed me that if I didn't refund their money while also letting them keep the item, I would regret it. Shortly after that my account was suspended and ebay informed me that it had been reported that I was violating ebay policy with some of my items. I proved that the items were not against policy as they were told. The response I got back amounted to "well we got a complaint, we already suspended your account and don't want to admit we were mistaken so rather than actually look into it you will remain suspended for 3 months." I never went back after the suspension was over. I opened my own website. My costs actually ended up being much lower than what I was paying ebay every month. I got an account to process credit cards directly and got rid of paypal. The fees are much lower, so I am keeping a lot more of my profits for myself. Sales have also jumped dramatically since I took credit cards directly instead of using paypal. I think some people may not have really understood that they didn't need a paypal account, or some may have been fed up with paypal themselves. In the long run ebay did me a favor. I don't worry about bad feedback. I stand behind everything 100% because I want future business and not a rating. But I don't need to worry about people wanting their cake, but not wanting to pay for it.
From Murhpey K, Jackson, Mich MONTHS Later and the Ebay Boycott CONTINUES!
Check THROUGHOUT ebay's own discussion boards:
Seller Central
FEEDBACK
The Front Porch
Paypal
Ebay's deleting the boycott posts and threads at rapid rates and suspending ebayers for talking about the boycott, BUT you may get lucky enough to find a few boycott threads on the last pages of Seller Central and The Front Porch.
From Craig, Greenwood, IN I would love to see ebay crash and burn. There stupid policy suck, there fees suck too. I was selling on ebay for a while until I realized I was paying them almost $100 per month in fees. They have sections for weird stuff and mystery auction yet they dont allow half it it to be listed. They shill bid on there own items too so they make more money. The copied craigslist and added there own style of craigslist. I now sell my items on I offers and I'm actually seeing a profit they are a fair auction site and very easy to use. They allow you to transfer your ebay ratings and other ratings from other auction sites. Don't feed ebay anymore of your cash support the smaller auction sites!
From tony( auction fan) It's great to see how other auction site like ubuysell.ca or
clickbuysell.com are trying to get some portion of online auction business.
From David Schroeder It is obvious that ebay knows that they are large enough that changing
their policy will only make them richer. They know that there won't be
enough people and stores to jump ship, that there net effect will be more
profit in there pocket.
It is sad that they don't care enough about the people who made them what
they are today and not only change the fee structure to suck even more money
from the loyal seller base, but they also change the feedback system that
gives the sellers no ammunition in the feedback wars.
The rich get richer once again. Greed is a wonderful thing.
From tony dating, vancouver, BC Thank you all for the great posts. Ebay is huge but you never know what google has in it's mind
From blondie, Fort Worth, Tx Ebay is nothing more than a HUGE monopoly! They feel they have the right to dictate every move their sellers make, while trying to gain more trust from their buyers. Ebay has done the exact opposite! First, they are not your buyers, they are MY buyers. Taking away someones right to leave feedback, yet allowing the buyer to leave any type of feedback they feel is appropriate is slowly backfiring on Ebay. And if the feedback changes or the outrageous fee's don't get you, just wait, PAYPAL WILL!!! Being a Power Seller myself and selling over $16,000 a month, I found myself paying $3,000+ a month in Ebay fee's and another $7,000 a month in PAYPAL'S NEW 21 DAY HOLDS!!! To make this short and sweet, the $7,000+ that Paypal held, they can issue refunds to those buyers. I REFUSE TO SHIP MERCHANDISE THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN PAID FOR, PERIOD!! EBAY AND PAYPAL'S NEW 21 DAY HOLDS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A SCAM!!! Basically, they say they will hold the funds for 21 days or until you receive positive feedback, BUT IF YOU SO MUCH AS BREATH WITHIN THAT 21 DAY PERIOD, GUESS WHAT?? EBAY AND PAYPAL NOW HAVE THE RIGHT TO HOLD YOUR FUNDS FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS. ISN'T THIS FUN?? When I refused to ship items that Paypal held the funds for, Ebay then suspended me. The same day, Ebay and Paypal sent emails to every customer telling them to file a dispute and request a refund. Several of my customers emailed me this email and it disgusts me! Being a Power Seller, I sold up to 100+ items week. So, now I have almost 100 sellers that have paid for items that will never be shipped to them. What is even worse, when I log in to Paypal I now see they have released some of the funds that were on hold and didn't refund the customer. Why? Paypal and Ebay now say I owe them over $11,000.00 and my response to that is "NO, NO, NO EBAY AND PAYPAL, I WOULD NEVER KEEP YOUR MONEY, I'M JUST HOLDING IT FOR 21 DAYS. THIS IS BETTER FOR YOU AND WILL HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS TO FEEL SAFE. IF YOU BREATH DURING THIS 21 DAY PERIOD, IM SORRY TO SAY I WILL HAVE TO KEEP THE FUNDS FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS OR UNTIL THE MATTER IS RESOLVED. YOU WILL SEE IN THE FUTURE THIS WORKS BETTER FOR ALL THE EBAY SELLERS AND BUYERS. How does it feel Ebay and Paypal? You will not get a dime from me, ever! If anyone knows of a class action suit that has been filed please let me know and I will be one of the first to jump on board!! No more will Ebay or Paypal take advantage of me, my customers or MY MONEY!!
HEADS UP-
If you have a Bank of America account, watch out because Paypal uses Bank of America. If you try to contest the charges that Ebay and Paypal will try to take from your account once you have been suspended, it will be a lot harder because BOA is PRO-EBAY and Paypal. In my opinion, they are all three scum of the earth!! You can Google Bank of America, Paypal and Ebay and you will get page after page after page of complaints! Be careful!!
Blondie
From Jean, Athens, Tx eBay should be shut down!! What is the point to feedback at all, if it is one-sided. For a seller not to be able to leave a negative FB for a non paying bidder is more than ridiculous!! Isn't that what the whole feedback history is supposed to be about? A feedback record that warns other sellers about people who refuse to pay and ruin 100's of auctions before eBay shuts their accounts. Honest feedback should be both ways. All you hear about are the gripes from the "newbies", that think they should receive something within 2 days of paying for it, duh, ever heard of we don't all have a personal jet to fly the item to you. The sellers are much more at risk, than the buyers. We paid for the auctions, the photos, the final value fee, we pay for the paypal fees, not the buyer!! But, we can't leave a negative?? This may only be an auction web site, but it has totally become one sided and between eBay & Paypal, they are an unfair monopoly. I guess Walmart & Office Depot is going to list things on eBay cheaper than you can get them in the store. I hope eBay goes totally down within the next few months. And I certainly hope another web site starts up with the goal of letting "small, human beings" list our treasures that we find at estate sales, garage sales, etc. That is what eBay was supposed to be doing. Letting "buyers" find not only new items, but used & vintage items, without having to travel all over the world in order to find them. Now, they are catering to only big businessess that has real brick & mortar buildings. They don't need to be in online auctions, they already have avenues in which to sell. eBay thinks they are so untouchable, they forget the little person is who made eBay!!!!
From K Green. Nottingham. UK great story and just putting the facts that we all already know in concrete.
The last post is correct – ebay are too huge to be caught. It needs the might or wealth of Microsoft (god help us) or Google to throw loads of money at a site the blows ebay away. Unless this happens all the other auction sites are just running in ebays shadow
From 42D Santa Monica, CA Karen – Thank you for your post! I 've been selling on ebay for many years off & on. But this past month my business partner & I decided to clean out other friends closets & sell what they bo longer wanted. I went as far & opened and ebay store and we did pretty good so I thought until I sat down & did the math. our gross was about $648 After taking out ebay & paypal fees, postage fees packaging fees – We had about $300 – I got 60% & my friend got $40% – I was crushed & heart broken :( The the whole new feedback policy has ruined my 100% fedback to 99.8% b/c of one negative feedback that they will not remove fm a harassing buyer… SO today I decided to not go back to ebay ever again. They are liars & crooks – plain & simple. I will check OLA.com I hear a lot of good things about them… :)
From 42D Santa Monica, CA I am Sickend (Spl?) by Ebay's new feedback policy & fees. I finally decided to not list anymore items for auction or buy from them. I had a perfect 100% feedback score for over 3 years & some psycho women gave me a negative after she told me she wouldn't do it. I'm looking for alternatives sites to sell my friends stuff and my laptop. SCREW EBAY! The crossed the line BIG TIME w/ sellers! A- Holes is what they are!
From Rene Holliday, Corona CA We started our site in response to eBay's high listing fees. We just got so sick of the high fees and they jumped every year. Now with the feedback issues, we just had to do sotmething. We start our site in 2005. USiFF Online Auctions, we just hit a mile stone, 100,000 online auction listings. We are pleased with the amount of traffic we are getting and the number of sales our sellers are having.
If you want another alternative online auction site, and want to get some traffic and sales take a look at us.
From James Taylor Ebay is like a bomber with the engines smoking after a mission, if they don't get on the ground PDQ, they will crash and burn, because from what I'm reading on this thread thier already in a tail spin, they have the "midas" touch, "greed"!That's what happen to Midas, he got greedy and almost starved to death, and ended up with donkey ear's!
From Eli Belo Germantown MD Robert Friedman,
You make a good point, other sites have far less traffic and interesting things for sale.
I don't predict any instant changes, think it will take a long time for any meaningful change to occur. Years probably.
I like iOffer business model. Your listing stays posted forever until it sells, instead of Ebay milking you every 7 days. The fees are lower on iOffer. It's the biggest alternative to Ebay right now, with 1/6 of Ebay's traffic.
Other sites are ghost towns, eventually some of them will viably compete. It took us years to get here, and years to get out of this situation. Be patient and contribute to good change.
From La Delle Stromei Here's a copy of my question I sent to the associated press today for the editor/consumer advisor: " I'm just another one of the thousands of established ebay sellers in the process of exiting ebay over the last few weeks and months after Ebay announced another fee increase – but mainly I'm leaving because soon Ebay won't allow sellers to leave negative feedback to buyers if they don't pay, etc. Anyone with a checking account can buy on ebay. "Greed-bay" or "fee-bay" as it's being referred to now – has finally cut it's own unethical throat, and turned it back on all the sellers that built it! All the google blogs are discussing it, etc., go see powersellersunite.com.
So if you can't find that bargain or precious collectible you've been looking for on ebay, this is probably why, and chances of finding it after May 1 might get slimmer! I'm switching to Ebid.net, which is very similar to Ebay, established, and really inexpensive to sell on. Of course Ebid.net allows sellers to use the new Google Checkout which Ebay won't allow because they own Paypal, naturally.
But I wonder what the general public that shops on Ebay thinks? Or if they know about the sellers changes? I don't think Ebay should have assumed buyers don't care about the integrity of sellers where their items come from! It seems to me Ebay has made a critical mistake. But according to Ebay I shouldn't assume I'll paid when people bid on my items! Can you set up a survey or something and let me know? I've got to go now and re-create all my auctions, a lot of work to do before May 1st! Ebidder in Alabama "
So maybe we'll see what the buyers think. Wouldn't it be cool to see a website called "Ebaybuyersunite.com"!! Where people with integrity can sell and buyers can count on that! E in AL
From Jess,San Diego, CA Hello, I am happy to have found the CNN second page again!I am posting to let you all know about the
HUGE RUMMAGE SALE
on OLA – OnlineAuction.com It will start on May 1st and run 7 days. Search:RUMMAGE SALE . All items in
the category will be .99 and no reserve! You can be certain there
will be some fabulous finds!
May 1st is also the beginning of
the second extended phase of the
ebay boycott with NO end date!
So please stop by OLA on
MAY 1st for some super bargains-
auction style fun!
From Kathy Keefe I think this change can take many directions for the online sellers
recently affected by not only the raise in rates, but with the recent "ban
of digital items in auction format". Another great possibility is Buy It,
Sell It. I think the recent and upcoming mass exit from eBay will surely
bring these newer, less used auction sites, eCrator, etc to the forefront
and may be just the jolt that is needed. But, for the eBayers that are
staying, especially if you sell digitally delivered products, this may be a
perfect time to cash in on a new marketing direction. Over the course of
this week, I've done a lot of reasearch and have decided to offer my digital
products now on eBay in CD/DVD format and continue to offer the Digitally
Delivered Products directly from my Website, http://www.allinfo24-7.com
I think the opportunity right now is HUGE and as eBay is the Largest auction
site available right now, the marketing potential there is still very
strong, for how long remains a mystery!
From zig Ebay has done exactly what is promised not to do at the beginning of its
rise to success-abandoned the sellers who made them. higher fees. allowed
sharper image, sears, larger stores to compete, and list goes on and on.
Liars and thieves at best at this point. ditched all of us who made ebay
great. rewarded high volume yet awfull sellers because they pay hundereds of
thousands in fees such as former bargainland.
bring a camera and follow me on a days work. from obtaining product to
selling. its an exciting business. im in it just for fun but ebay is ruining
lives with their iron fist harsh methods.
From kelli collins verona pa Sold on Ebay for many years as just a small seller. Not worth the time anymore with the new fees. JOIN THE BOYCOTT!!!
Found a great site for the boycott at
http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/
From Melody http://www.usauctionslive.com is a great alternative to Ebay. They have just changed our entire fee structure to better accommodate us former Ebay sellers.
From Anonymous "We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes which were, for the moment, unpopular."
-Edward R. Murrow,AmericanJournalist 1908-1965
MAY 1, 2008 STRIKE VICTORIOUSLY!
A challenge to all members of the Media!
FYI-YouTube…..Ebay Padding listings during Feb.18-25 boycott!
From Paul South Florida Sellers!!!! New ads posted daily with merchandise for sale for your auctions! Buy liquidation and save $$$$$ then make $$$$ selling online in auctions.
http://www.sellmyinventory.com
From Silkfair Please see this new good review by Vangie Beal on Silkfair ( http://www.silkfair.com )
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essentials/ebay/article.php/11840_3733686_2
http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/03/11/businesswire20080311005202r1.html
From Anonymous Vangie Beal just gave a nice review on Silkfair ( http://www.silkfair.com )
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/essentials/ebay/article.php/11840_3733686_2
From Lorenzo Dickerson, Raleigh NC Again those blogs were:
Bidrealm.NET is 100% FREE all the time.
From Lorenzo Dickerson, Raleigh NC A great site that everyone should checkout is http://www.bidrealm.net. Also checkout their blogs @ bidrealm.blogspot.com & bidrealm.wordpress.com. Bidrealm.NET is also a auction style site, but a reverse auction. Homeowners can post auctions to have home improvement work done, while professional vendors such as contractors, plumbers, landscapes and others can place bids for these projects.
From Lee Sewell I have just been reading your article regarding Feebay http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/25/smbusiness/ebay_boycott_wraps.fsb/index.htm you may wish to note the decline in the ebay share price today. Then compare the down turn in the ebay share price with the upturn in users on ebid.net. This is a serious contender to the Feebay crown.
It may be worth noting that Hoover was once a household name for a vacuum cleaner and then came Dyson!
I hope you find time to look in to this story, I’m sure there are plenty of citizens that would like to save money especially in the current economic climate!
Regards,
Lee.
From Doris Trosper http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/messages?msg=1.36
The above forum has some very interesting comments, and if these comments
are true, I would like to see them covered by a reliable news source such as
CNN.
D. Trosper
From Jason-Milwaukee I am not a seller on Ebay. At first I was going to be, but after the media exposure coupled with several friends who have had some bad experience, I decided to build my own site. After several days, I have received close to a thousand hits. Who needs ebay, sellers can do this on their own.
As of late, watch ebay's million dollar machine try to explian itself with a bunch of talk and new deals to satisfy the masses.
http://www.greenbugz.com
Recycling Today For A Greener Tomorrow
From ron norris-altoona-pa. I have sold and bought on eBay for many years. Selling under different IDs. I sell almost all my items at under $15.00 I didn't plan to get rich just to pick up a couple extra $100s a month. Well that slowly went doen the tube.
I sat down the other day (then I fell over) and did some quick math to see if I was getting anywhere. Lo and behold I was actually losing money. I know a lot of people on this board make a couple $1000s a month which is great so I can see how eBays and PayPal (yeah right,pal) new rules are gonna kill them.
I'm going to abandon ship at the end of the month. I'm quite sure that eBay will beg me to come back that is why more people need to jump ship, now! Also I think that there is way to many items being sold on eBay which should bring competition and prices to drop but it doesn't don't know why.
eBay is like a big black hole. Money keeps going in and nothing is coming back out.
Oh by the way I was saying that I was losing money I figured I made about I lied I mad a heafty profit of about $2.20 on each item sold. I'm jumping the Titanic and boarding the Good Ship Lolipop.
From soodlenoup, Portola, CA Gee, do you suppose eBay might just be padding the number of auctions being listed? Read the link below.
http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/ebay
90721 identical clocks listed by one seller, collect2000 – I thought listing too many of the same item was against eBay rules! I think this seller is connected to shopping.com which is owned by eBay.
From Karen, Dunbarton NH I was not a big seller on ebay, although I was there for nine years. I left just after the announcement of changes came on. I have gone over to onlineauction.com, and I couldn't be happier!! eBay doesn't care about its sellers, who by the way, are their real customers. At OLA.com, we are part of a community. There are REAL people who answer your questions and solve any problems; not canned responses like at eBay. We ALL encourage each other in every single way we can and help each other out where we can.
I don't get it with eBay; why they are alienated their money-makers, but I no longer care that that's what they've decided to do. OLA.com is the new way and the ONLY way from here on out for this seller and buyer. If you want to find your favorite sellers, come to OLA.com; they are right there along side me paving a new way of doing things. A way where the PEOPLE are what matters most!!!
From Brian D Allentown PA I have been selling on Ebay since it was auction net back then under a different id which I couldn't move when I moved originally. I have been selling full time on ebay for years doing an average of 100-200 items a week then I started putting items into my store and had about 600 items there. Ebay new and FOOLISH changes have opened my eyes to a NEW and Better online auction community in http://www.onlineauction.com or http://www.ola.com as some call it. It offers a 96.00 a year listing subscription which means you can list as much as you want and final value fees. Want a guarantee get a founding membership which guarantees you that the 96.00 a YEAR will NEVER INCREASE. How about a real auction is there sniping NO so there is no sniping at OLA.com either if you get a bid near the end of your auction the time extends by a minute to give everyone a chance. I asked for a category to be made for items I planned to list and POOF in 24 hours the category was created.. EBAY forgot the most important thing.. WE MADE EBAY WHAT IT IS and without us it's just 1 of billions of websites. As for affects to ebay I started closing my store and will have pulled over 700 items from ebay within the next 2 weeks. Saves me about 100 or so a month in fees so that makes me happy.
You think people are made now wait till the feedback changes take affect and OH yeah anyone else heard PAYPAL FEES are going to Increase around may or June also. Hmmm More money. Ebay should sell OIL since they are no better than a giant company not happy with Multi Multi Billion dollar profits while everyone not making 6 figures starves…. CHECK OUT http://WWW.OLA.COM it's by far got the best chance if we all unite of competeing with ebay in the future
From J. Curtis After past boycotts sellers have had to run 'home' to eBay because there was nowhere else to go. Those days are over.
Sellers are more determined than ever to control their own businesses and keep more of their profits.
And there are other sites. Chief among them, OnlineAuction.com (OLA.com) which was already ramping up when the boycott hit. The site is currently getting ready to take on even more disaffected sellers when the feedback rules officially change.
eBay will either have to back down or face an even larger seller revolt.
From David waugh Just for some more info.
As to the number of auctions noted by MedVed, eBay is now including auctions
from the international sites when you look at auctions on the US site where
these numbers are compiled. Also check out this eBay employee's listing -
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZtreeslothsales
That's over 19,000 listings for one eBay employee. No way can one person or
even a small company handle that number of auctions!
From Barbara Healy It surprises me that more buyers are not up in arms and boycotting eBay.
What made eBay such a wonderful place to shop was NOT the high volume power
sellers discounting the same merchandise available in brick and mortar
stores, it was the guy cleaning out his grandmother's attic , the artists,
and the boutique owners selling rare and unusual merchandise frequently
found only at specialized shows. eBay's flea-market nature is what made it
such so great (in every sense of the word).
Ebays new policies will force the more interesting low volume sellers out
and, without them, eBay will be no more than an online discount mall.
If that happens then this high-volume BUYER (my eBay rating is nearing 5000)
will no longer be an eBay customer.
I have written eBay about my concerns but unless other buyers step up to the
plate, eBay's new CEO will ruin it for everyone. Including eBay.
From Chuck Thomas I liked your story about Ebay. I have been a medium seller since 2005.
Ebay/PayPal is truly greedy with no integrity what-so-ever. I am retired and
was using Ebay to help me in retirement. No more. They take far too much.
Your article helped me with checking out new sites that you gave information
about. I am excited of trying a new venue, one that will appreciate my 100%
Feedback and my honesty in selling. Ebay may not admit at this time that
their new policies have affected their income, but, they will.
Thanks
Chuck
From soodlenoup, Portola CA Please note, Elizabeth in Omaha (and everyone else). Dishonesty is a two-way street. Sellers rip off buyers, buyers rip off sellers. Undeserved and retaliatory feedback is left by both. In the 8 years I was an eBay member I was the victim of both. Just as in the real world there are nasty people in the cyber world, probably more of them beause they can do their dirty deeds without having to come face-to-face with their victims and there is less chance of being caught. In both worlds there are choices – you can either become a hermit or you can choose to venture out and take risks.
I am in no way defending anything that eBay has chosen to do. Their fees are exorbitant and their feedback system is abominable, an open invitation to dishonesty. However, I do believe that feedback problems will be found no matter where you go.
I would like to again mention that we need a united front. Disgruntled sellers are scattering to the winds, each with a different reason for choosing a certain website. After trying several of the recommended sites, I have chosen to go with onlineauction.com. There is a ticker running across the top of their home page, showing how many auctions are being listed. A couple of weeks ago it showed 11 million. This morning it's getting close to 13 million. While a far cry from eBay's claim to 114 million, it does seem like a good place to start. When I tried other recommended websites, my items weren't even looked at and closed with no bids. I think it helps to try a few different sites just to see what happens. List a few "test" auctions and then make a decision.
From Pacificnorthstar, Vancouver, WA I strongly encourage people to check out NeoLoch.com.
For those of you who remember the friendly days of eBay years ago, this site has that feel.
It is just about a week old as of March 3rd and is set for a relaunch soon with a new look and enhanced usability.
David Hoffman, the site's creator, is accepting input from other sellers, and as a seller he recognizes and addresses our concerns.
NeoLoch is a blessing and as the site grows, it can surely give eBay stiff competition.
From James,Ft Myers FL I had used ebay since the beginning and it has just gotten too greedy and big for it's own britches, I can no longer just list stuff to sell unless it makes $15 or more between the fees and then paypal fees on top of that it doesnt pay so I started a no listing fees ever swap meet type of website http://www.i-swap-meet.com to show my protest. Heck I am even starting an affiliate/referral system for profit sharing with hopes that I can Start a new Online auctioning and classifieds business model.
From BT Smith, Nashville, TN Ebay is simply another Evil Giant Corporation that maximizes profits at the expense of the little guys which also include their employees. As long as there is capitalism without limits there will be corrupt evil immoral corporations like Ebay. Sad but true.
From Elisabeth, Omaha Nebraska I don't know much about ebay, I've looked but I don't like using sites that are new to me. My husband however always looks to ebay before anywhere else when we need something or his wants to buy something.
I think it's a good thing that sellers can't rate their customers anymore. My husband bought some headlights for my car after a lady hit mine (a couple days before I gave birth), he is really good with cars, knows a lot about them and wouldn't buy anything if it didn't fit or wouldn't work in my car. So he bought these lights that according to the description had everything included and the type would fit my car. We got them, not everything was included and they pop out of my car if I hit a bump. So my husband gave the seller a neutral rating and the seller gave him a negative one saying neutral ratings are equal to a negative rating and they'd take it off if he cancelled his rating!
How messed up is that? The rating is supposed to be about the transaction…
From Steve Garden Grove CA I have been selling on Ebay a long time. The cost of selling on Ebay just keeps getting higher and higher. Between Ebay and Paypal the are making more on what I sell then I do. I am searching for new sites to list on now and plan to cut back if not stop selling when the new feed policy goes in to affect or the first time they hold my payment.
From Done With Ebay Colorado Thank You So Much CNN and Stacy……Just wanted to let you know so many people really appreciate your effort and time in covering this mess!!
From Daniel, Williamsburg VA Ebay's actions are totally absurd. They will surely loose majority of the users of that service. I beleive it is time to start looking for other alternatives.
Daniel
http://www.giftcertificateauctions.com
From Margaret Rousu Callaway Mn. As a small seller for the past 8 years I have seen a lot of changes on the Ebay site and I do not consider them for the good!As the saying goes if it aint broke dont fix it!Ebay has gotten too big for thier britches and waaaay tooooo greedy!I will most likely stop selling on Ebay in the coming year its getting way to expensive to sell there and I believe they are too easy on the buyers and too hard on the sellers!Come on somebody this is your big chance to come out with a better site for us sellers then Ebay!We are out here waiting for such a site!
From C, Kansas City, MO Today, Mar. 1, it appears eBay may be inflating core listings on the ebay.com site by importing listings from shopping.com (owned by ebay). The number found so far is over a million. Discussion of this is all over the ebay boards. Whether it's a glitch or deliberate ebay's numbers are way off. eBay should be made to explain why thousands of shopping.com listings are showing in core listings with 30 day duration.
From Nicholas Cusimano With todays economic uncertianty there seems to be a big push for free classifieds that benefit both the buyers and sellers with no auction or commission format. There is a new start-up company names http://www.hastogo.com that offers free classifieds worldwide.
There has been too much negative press with E-Bay over the years let alone the past few weeks and it seems to be ever growing. It is hard to do business when you are constantly getting nickled and dimed.
People today are wanting to know what they are purchasing and what is the price…. Bottom line.
Please take a look at http://www.hastogo.com and pass it along. There is going to be an official worldwide launch in April from New York.
From Annie For those of you who are interested in statistics, here are four links that provide ebay data in various ways. One of them will let you pull up current statistics at this moment. The others have various charts and pie charts and lists. Some of the charts go back YEARS, all the way to 1999 so it's interesting to look at all the data.
http://www.dealscart.com/count/AuctionCounts.html
http://ccc.domaindlx.com/DealsCart/User_Auction_Count.asp
http://www.medved.net/cgi-bin/cal.exe?EIND
http://db.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php/
From Joan, Scottsdale AZ I am a buyer and a seller on eBay. eBay has become increasingly dictatorial and opposite from the structure it originally was between buyers and seller. More and more it is grabbing the seller's by the shorthairs and is on its way to being an online discount mall like walmart instead of place to find one of a kind unusual and unique items. That is what I sell and now eBay takes about 40% of my profits in their exorbident listing fees, paypal fees and final value fees. Soon the final value fees will be almost double what they are now. I sell high end items and on big problem I have had on ebay is the amount of fraudulent bidders on the site. They win the bids on items of about $2000-$3000 and then never pay. Then I am not refunded my entire listing fees nor am I compensated in any way by ebay for allowing fraud bidders on the site. I have also gotten no relief or support from eBay when I have purchased fraudulent Indian Jewelry on the site. I would say that 75% of the so called American Indian Jewelry on the site is really crap made in China or Taiwan and despite making eBay aware of the seller's doing this business eBay continues to allow this practice. One of these sellers sold me a bracelet that was supposedly turquoise and in fact it was pressed plastic. I complained to the seller via the email system within eBay and eBay punished me for 16 days by suspending my account for not using their message system properly. I did get my money back for the item by charging back through my credit card company however paypal wouldn't protect me. Overall, if there were another viable auction site not owned by ebay I would flee. I think perhaps eventually eBay will get enough rope to hang itself. Time will tell. It is too bad because I loved ebay from 1998-2003.
From Jason-Milwaukee,WI At first, I was going to start selling my recycled product on ebay, but several friends suggested I just start my own site. After such negative feedback from friends and now all the media coverage about ebay, I am glad I didn't. In just three days, I have generated close to a thousand hits on my site. Heck with ebay, sellers can do more on their own.
http://www.greenbugz.com
Recycling Today For A Greener Tomorrow!!!
From Joyce, Stamford, CT I truly believe that Ebay's way of handling their unsustainable need for greed is absolutely incredile. I wonder how many more "soodlenoup"s are out there being unemployed by Ebay. Ebay needs to be put up there is the same category as Enron, Countrywide, etc… Also Ebay has lost all moral values. Posts like this last one before me push me more to create a new auction site because we need to instill moral values in trade. Come to An Ebay Alternative! and tell me what you want.
From K. Barchi, Bay Avenue Antiques Barnegat NJ Discussions on eBays SELLERs boards have been heavily censored and last night 2 very hot topics with much input were completely removed by eBay. The subject was about eBay employee Traders…./ and the INCREASE in their listings during the seller boycott.
The inference of the discussions being that eBay was ARTIFICIALLY increasing listings during the period to minimize the impact of the boycott.
Most of what was being listed in high volume seemed to be in the media categories.
Not surprising when you see that ebay had just announced the site was "accelerating our plan to phase-in category-specific pricing for media. This fee cut will coincide with the site-wide pricing changes previously announced to take effect on February 20. In the Books, Music, Movies and Video Game software categories, we will be offering even lower insertion fees for the first three insertion tiers".
Ironically, much of this inventory is available for purchase on an eBay company site for wholesale items – eBay's Reseller Marketplace.
I am becoming extremely disheartened with the changes and not just a little suspicious of what appears to be some serious manipulation by this corporation!
From soodlenoup, Blairsden, CA Someone expressed curiosity about what eBay has done to the "little guy". This is what they have done to my family…
Both my daughter and I sold on eBay for years. My bank account was linked to her eBay account so that I could pay her seller fees through my bank account. EBay had no problem with collecting those fees over the years and we made no secret of the fact that the accounts were linked. I estimate we paid eBay more than $30,000.00 in fees over the years.
But we were "yard sale" sellers. We never engaged in shill bidding and carefully adhered to all of eBay's rules – after all, they were our major source of income and we weren't about to jeopardize that. Twice I bid on something I didn't want her to sell and in both cases I won the auction and paid the eBay fees.
My daughter's husband is suffering from MRSA, the "super bacteria". He has been unemployed for two years, and has had surgery 4 times. He is seriously ill and definitely may not survive. His unemployment insurance ran out months ago. He has applied for Permanent Disability, but it takes about a year to get approved for that. In the meantime, their only income was eBay.
Not long ago my daughter fell and suffered a severely fractured shoulder and arm. With the use of only one hand and in extreme pain, she was late with shipping a few items. As soon as she was able, she explained the problem to the buyers, with one-finger typing, and said she would ship the items as soon as she could. She even gave one buyer a full refund and told him that he could pay her again as soon as he received his purchase, which she had managed to ship. She asked the other buyers if they could wait or if they wanted a refund. I sent refunds to two of them myself. However, a couple of the buyers did not believe her and filed complaints. She was suspended from eBay for "failure to perform".
Then, simply because my account was "linked to a previously suspended account" I was also suspended. I believe that eBay was searching for reasons to suspend as many "yard sale" sellers as they could. We had combined feedback totals of more than 2600 with one negative, from a non-paying bidder. We had never broken eBay rules. I tried to explain our situation to eBay. They would not hear.
Ebay gave me instructions on how to release the suspension – I was to e-mail them through the "previously suspended" account at which point I would be able to close the "linked" account and the other account would be reinstated.
However, they blocked e-mail access to eBay from the suspended account. The only communication I received from them was that my account would remain suspended until I e-mailed them through the e-mail address which they had blocked. There was nothing I could do. I would receive only a reiteration of their nonsensical instructions, the latest one including the phrase, "we may not respond to further e-mails". I faxed them the formal "Request for Reinstatement", which must be signed "under penalty of perjury" and include a copy of a "government ID". The form states that they will respond "within 7 to 10 days". I faxed it on February 11th. They have ignored it.
I have given up and will remain suspended.
At this point I would not sell on eBay even if I were not suspended – that will be a dangerous undertaking for any seller.
Both my daughter and I were devastated by eBay's refusal to reinstate at least one account. Not only did my daughter lose her only source of income, we lost one of the few pleasures we find in our struggle to survive. We would no longer be going to the weekend estate sales on our "treasure hunts". There would be no reason to go. It seemed that not only our livelihood, but a major part of our lives had come to an end. When I was notified of my suspension I was in the process of organizing the hundreds of "yard sale" items I intended to list on eBay. I had emptied the closet and stacked the things on the floor to sort them. They are still on the floor – I have not been able to bring myself to deal with them.
I am 72 years old and live on Social Security plus what I could make on eBay, often by selling my own "treasures", sometimes at a huge loss. Almost all of my eBay earnings went to assist my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren. I have placed a reverse mortgage on my house so that I can keep my daughter and her family in food and shelter until a better place to sell takes the place of eBay.
Thank you eBay – from a long-time loyal ex-customer. My loyalty has gone elsewhere! You are definitely no better than my family or I simply because you have your health, your employment and your money – you are only luckier! Enjoy it while you have it – I have a suspicion (and the hope) that it won't last long.
From G.W.B South Florida & D.C. Sellers-Check out http://www.sellmyinventory.com to find great deals on liquidation merchandise to sell in your online auctions.
From snowboundPortola, CA Bravo! OC, MD
It's buyers like you who made being a seller a pleasure! I hope many will follow in your footsteps and reach the clear understanding of the situation that you have!
From Disgusted Denver Co If someone has proof of rolling blackouts on ebay, please post it..I understand they admitted doing it last year……..I have often wondered why one weeks auction would get buyers from the Northeast, next time they'd all be from Australia!…..I have been told that even tho I paid full price, Ebay has rolling server blackouts so you only get limited exposure???……would explain a lot….Apparently Ebay is dishonest in all ways….Can't believe they demand perfection from the sellers and are such miserable performers themselves…….
From JOHN,SACRAMENTO,CA WELL ALL I CAN SAY IS E-BAY YOUR FEE STUCTURE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS SELLERS AND BUYERS IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO RESULT IN YOUR SELF DISTRUCTION. GOD KNOWS YOUR COMPANY IS WELL ON IT'S WAY TO THAT END NOW. I HAD BEEN A E-BAY SELLER SINCE 1999 GOOD BY!!
From LV Dallas TX To Rick Dupuis /Post Below.
Hate to break it to you but the seller was correct. The only insurance available to CANADA was Registered Mail at a cost of $10.15 last November. Prior to the last Postal increase to insure a package under $50 going to a US destination was $1.35.
See http://www.usps.com /calculate international postage/ and click on CANADA from the drop down menu. Go on from there.
Registered Mail is the CHEAPEST insurance available on USPS going out of the country but only is available for packages up to around $40.
From Barbara Healy Naperville, IL It surprises me that more buyers are not up in arms and boycotting eBay.
What made eBay such a wonderful place to shop was NOT the high volume power
sellers discounting the same merchandise available in brick and mortar stores, it was the guy cleaning out his grandmother's attic, the artists, and the boutique owners selling rare and unusual merchandise frequently found only at specialized shows. eBay's flea-market nature is what made it so great (in every sense of the word).
Ebays new policies will force the more interesting low volume sellers out and,
without them, eBay will be no more than an online discount mall.
If that happens then this high-volume BUYER (my eBay rating is nearing 5000)
will no longer be an eBay customer.
I have written eBay about my concerns but unless other buyers step up to the
plate, eBay's new CEO will ruin it for everyone. Including eBay.
From cltd, OC, MD I am primarily a buyer on ebay, I've sold a few things in the past and I was considering trying again, but with the new changes in policy, I have decided not to.
I've read that the policy changes will make my buying experience better. As I looked into them I have yet to determine how. Because of the shabby way ebay has treated most of it's sellers they will be leaving ebay. Increased fees and decreased supply will raise the prices. I will no longer be able to determine which sellers to buy from using the feedback system the way it is proposed to be. I won't be able to determine credibility through the DSR's either, if GOOD sellers with SATISFIED buyers are getting low scores and red warnings. I won't be able to find what I'm looking for when the Best Match goes in place. I don't want sellers to have to wait 21 days to get my money or to have to pay out of their pocket the shipping I'm paying for. I don't want them to be limited on what shipping methods they can choose. How is any of this good for me, a regular buyer?
I'd like to address the couple comments that were in favor of the feedback changes because of the fear of retalitoty feedback. I have a feedback score of over 500. I have 1 negative which was given to me in retaliation to a neutral I gave. In most cases, if there is a problem, the seller is more than happy to work with you and make it right. Most retalitory negs are done when the buyer posts feedback in haste before giving the seller a chance to offer a refund, replacement or explaination. I completely understand the seller's viewpoint of not leaving feedback until the customer is satisfied. Many sellers are threatened with negative feedback by shady buyers and feedback is their only way of warning other ebay members.
But most of all, I am insulted by Mr. Donahoe's remark that a flea market is something to be ashamed of. The items I buy on ebay would all be considered to be flea market items. They are the treasures that wonderful sellers bring to us from their grandmother's attic or the estate sale down the street, from the neighborhood thrift shop or a public auction. I've bought wonderful items from all over the world on this giant international flea market. If only Mr Donahoe would wake up and realize that this is what made ebay great and it's nothing to be ashamed of! He's insulted me and I believe his plans are to take away something that has been very enjoyable to me and many more people like me.
I support the boycott and have been looking elsewhere to both buy and sell. I know it will take time to find the selection I'm accustomed to finding on ebay, but I can wait.
From Frank Schroeder Lake Helen, FL I have been with since May 2007. They list coins and stamps. Have been good for me as a hobbiest. E-bay was kind of scary when I tried them a few years ago. I was using untill they closed up.
From Shawn Kaiser I am a buyer and seller on EBay and I support the feedback changes… sort of… Here is the main issue… Sellers abuse the feedback system and here's how they do it. They sell hundreds, even thousands of products and accumulate massive feedback numbers that boost their popularity and rating. On the other had, the people that buy their products generally have 10-50 feed back points. Often times, sellers will not leave feedback for the buyer until the buyer leaves them feedback. What this means is if I the buyer with my small feedback of 50, have a issue, poor quality of product, missed ship dates, etc… and I choose to leave negative feedback for my purchase on the seller, the seller will in turn instantly leave me negative feedback forever tarnishing my feedback rating since its proportionately so small. See where I am going here? Retaliatory feedback is the plague of EBay.
I proposed several times that EBay AUTOMATICALLY leave positive feedback for buyers that do their jobs. Meaning, if I purchase a item with a buy it now and pay with pay pal instantly – I did my part as the buyer. I bought the item, made speedy payment, I should get positive buyer feedback. Now if the seller doesn't ship on time, or the product is not as described… I should have the freedom and better yet, I should be responsible enough to leave negative feedback to warn other buyers about a faulty transaction without the fear of the seller leaving me retaliatory feedback. Again, these sellers have hundred and thousands of sales – already boosted by their misuse of the feedback system. If I leave them a negative mark, that's 1 out of thousands… their rating drops from 99.99999% positive feedback to 99.99998% positive feedback. However when they leave a negative mark on mine…. My feedback goes from 100% positive feedback to 95% positive… rack up a couple of these and my image is tarnished even though I may have done NOTHING wrong. By simply leaving truthful feedback, a seller with massive points can ruin a single buyer with retaliatory feedback. No one wants to buy from me when I have the occasional item because some mega seller destroyed my rating over a single transaction that was their fault.
This is the problem, the plague with EBay. If EBay can put some automation to the feedback process, it will keep everyone honest, and the feedback will actually MEAN something. Its not very meaningful now – I don't feel the least bit sorry for these sellers threatening to go on strike. You want to write a article reflecting the true struggle on EBay? I represent 99% of the people on EBay and we're being practically held hostage by the 1% of mega sellers that hold the monopoly on retaliatory feedback.
From Jim Sweetheimer, Harrisburg PA You might want to check out the website that monitors eBay listing
activity. As of 11:05 EST it showed a drop of over 17%
http://db.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php/
eBay view charts
12,407,716
-2199926 auction listing down from yesterday
-17.73%
February 21, 2008 11:05 am
eBay may say that the site fluctuates….but it has been trending steadily downward since Monday, with a huge drop on Wednesday.
I would suggest that an analysis of year to year eBay listing numbers or comparables would yield some interesting data. It certainly appears to me that this eBay strike has far more 'legs' and is getting much more traction than other rebellions in the past.
I am a long time eBay user and Power Seller. It is unfortunate that eBay is so unresponsive to wide spread problems including: out right fraud (counterfeit items), shill bidding, lack of safe guards, and unwillingness to investigate both seller and buyer abuses. It would be obvious to me, that if eBay exercised sound vetting procedures (obtaining proof positive of both the buyers and sellers true identities), providing clear contact information (address and phone number), and a third party efficient mechanism with clearly stated procedures to address both seller and buyer problems [like Amazon does (where I am also a seller)], that the increased consumer confidence, would result in dramatic growth. Yes I am participating in the eBay strike, and have not listed any items for sale, nor will I buy anything this week.
Thank you for the insightful coverage on one of the world's largest electronic market places.
From houston it's too late to start another auction site..even if some auction moves to new site, majority of "buyers" still search ebay since it has the biggest selection of everything.
it's like you open a mom-and-pop right next to walmart..even if a few dumb-ass boycott walmart…the consumer will end up in walmart since they can find most of what they needed.
and about paypal, it's a good protection for customer, even if seller don't like it.
for me, I will eithr pay with paypal or I skip that auction item all together..even if it's cheaper…or else you can get trick into lossing a lot of money and get nothing back.
and I think a lot of buyers are like me…so for ebay…they don't have to care much atthis point.
From Stephanie Inge Thank you and CNN for the accurate reporting on the fire storm brewing between eBay and it's sellers. As founder of the largest eBay seller's group in the country, 9-year veteran PowerSeller and Certified eBay Instructor, I know first hand just how these controversial changes will impact the eBay seller.
Many of our members will participate in the one-week strike, myself included. Our chapters meet once a month in Dallas, Ft. Worth and Houston. the next Dallas meeting will feature a PowerSeller panel to conduct a Q & A session. The panel will answer questions pertaining to the recent eBay announcements and explain how these changes will impact the eBay seller. We will also discuss other auction sites, as many of our members are seeking other online auction venues.
As you can imagine, sellers are seething about the fee increases, but the single biggest source of contention is the inequity of the new feedback system and the fact that Paypal will be able to withhold our funds up to 21 days if we don't post positive feedback for the buyer. We feel that some of these changes border on extortion and racketeering.
The fact that two of eBay's highest ranking officers, Meg Whitman, CEO and Bill Cobb, President of eBay North American, are leaving at a time that the company is in utter chaos, with sellers on the verge of revolt. That question will probably never be answered, but one can't help but wonder if they didn't take the money and run.
Regards,
Stephanie Inge, Founder
DALLAS EBAYBES & EMALES
From Robert A. Sloan, Lawrence, KS I'm a writer and artist, an ACEO collector and seller on eBay and on other sites. The strike is entirely justified and it's my hope that eBay's executives will realize what a disastrous course they are set on with trying to divide the sellers and buyers into different groups. eBay regulars are often both sellers and buyers, and its business is not that of a big business selling cheap manufactured goods to passive consumers. On the contrary, eBay buyers are savvy bargain hunters and sellers themselves, it's a great big open market.
ArtACA is an alternative site that gained venture capital from the strike and it's been going for a week now. I've had one art sale there already and my other auctions are looking good with plenty of watchers. I'm also seeing a lot of good art there and plan to shop there often, as most of the artists I follow are using http://www.artandcraftauctions.com — the site is dedicated to handmade crafts and artwork, no imports, and most of the sellers are the artists themselves. Which makes it a wonderful alternative to galleries, you don't get the 50% markup when you buy directly from the artist.
We had a soft opening last weekend during the strike and it's come off well. We're getting plenty of traffic and it's a great venue for art. I wonder how many other specialty auction sites are starting to open and thrive in the wake of eBay's weakening. While ebay has volume in its favor, it's disturbing to be treated so badly by a company one's doing business with, and then insulted to boot.
Robert A. Sloan aka robertsloan2 at ArtACA
From Andy Vitek Hi,
This is Andy from http://www.gofastauction.com Unfortunately for Ebay our site is 100% free for all users. Since last week we have 3400 new subscribers. If you can mention us in one of your articles it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Andy Vitek
From Rick Dupuis Here's one for you from a buyer's standpoint.
In November I won an auction. The item was only $11 but ebay's new policies come into effect, or at least should have.
The seller recieved my payment and marked the auction as paid on November 11. I never recieved the item. For months, he kept sayign wait, it'll get there. It didn't. Finally he said that out of goodwill, he would send me another one for free, if I agreed to pay $10.15 for insurance. "I know it's a lot but that's what USPS charges for insuring a package to Canada." I checked with USPS and their charge was actually $1.35. So I wrote to the seller and said I'd pay the $1.35 that USPS actually charges. he got angry to say the least.
I never did get my product. I was terribly afraid of posting negative feedback for the seller because I knew that he would leave retaliatory feedback, which eBay admits the vast majority of sellers do. But since eBay informed me that as of Feb 20, sellers would not be permitted to leave negative feedback for buyers, on feb 19, I went ahead and left appropriate feedback for him. I left what I thought was a professional-sounding feedback. He immediately responded with negative feedback for me, calling me a jerk and the worst ebayer he has ever dealt with. I then contacted eBay and asked them to live up to their new feedback policy and remove the negative from my feedback results. They refuse, now saying they will not institute this policy until May and even then they will not remove any feedback left prior to that date, despite emails that went out to all members saying Feb 20 was the date. In fact, that story was on CNN.
So eBay is not living up to its own policies.
From Jim Shattles As a small eBay seller, I want to thank you for all of the open and honest reporting of this issue.
We just found some information about a class action lawsuit against eBay for violations of the Hatch Act regarding monopolies. It was filed in April 2007, but there is a possible story for you, in light of the current issues. Here is the link we found.
http://www.hbsslaw.com/files/Class_Action_Complaint_secured1178576984126.pdf
Thank you so much for your consideration.
From Dan Brammer As a Boycotting eBay seller, I've been watching the number of eBay listings drop by monitoring the "auction watch" at Power Sellers Unite Website:
http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php
This morning, 2-21-08, as the new fees take effect, they are showing eBay down 12.79%. The number of listings under 13 million. Might be worth watching!
Also, in the article, "Rivals court eBay", Online Auction out of Grants Pass seems to have top listing, yet if you look at that chart, iOffer clearly is in second place with over 2.5 Million listings.
I'd like to see more articles on this subject.
Keep up the good work!
From Marie Guarnere While not all the members of the ebay community will appreciate our plight being newsworthy….most of the sellers on ebay will certainly be appreciative including yours truly. Though I thank you for continuing to bring this issue to light, I'd rather CNN detail exactly why the sellers are so enraged….ebay boasts about the changes helping the seller by reducing listing costs, and it makes them look good on the front end. However, no one seems to realize how much ebay has increased the final fee on the back end. Ebay threw us a bone and took all the meat from it. Some of us cannot survive on a bone. Some of us are homebound and need this little income either to survive or supplement a meager income. Ebay is squeezing out the little seller because they don't contribute enough to their bottom line. In some instances, they will also hold sellers payment hostage….ask them to explain that one. Furthermore, increasing fees will impact they buyer as well….since many sellers will up their opening bid price to cover what ebay will take away at the end. When I signed up 10 years ago, they welcomed everyone to the community….now they only want the cream of the crop…this isn't about good sellers and bad sellers…this is about how much can you can earn for ebay. I believe that all sellers know that this boycott will never affect ebay's bottom line, they really don't want that…sellers want ebay to be taken to task….to make a wrong a right or at least have the integrity to acknowledge that they are not giving the seller anything and are not making it easier to sell, they are doing the complete opposite and they know it.
From Jen Roth It would be helpful to have a link to the eBay policies in question.
From Melanie Stevens There are two sides to this story. There are many sellers that are happy with the changes to the fee structure. It will make listing much more affordable for many more people.
The feedback changes are also positive. I have received retalitory negative feedback as a buyer from sellers with poor business practices (taking a month to ship, poor quality goods,etc.) and that is what the feedback changes seek to eliminate.
Ebay still has over 14 million listings. The next highest site has a mere 2 million.
From Debbie Dean Many people in the circles I run in have concluded that buying and selling on ebay is not going to hurt eBay like the originators of the eBay Boycott had hoped. It is their contention that if PayPal is avoided for a period of time, that the avoidance will have more of an impact on the eBay owned org.
From Cyndi Augsbury Thank you so much for your coverage of the e-bay boycott. I am an active buyer on e-bay, and was planning to begin selling items there this summer. Because of the increased fees and new policies adopted, I will not be selling anything at e-bay. The new policies hurt everyone, not just the sellers. Thanks for giving voice to the concerns raised by the new policies.
From Claudia Walworth GREAT ARTICLE! eBay (FeeBay) has become a Fortune 500 company by trampling on the bloodied backs of its Sellers, and now they have raised Final Value Fees by 67%, and have implemented a host of other unfair policies. Unbelievably, eBay is now taking the position that they consider their customers to be the Buyers when, in fact, the Buyers are the customers of the Sellers. eBay has nothing to sell. It is eBay's Sellers who pay all of the fees to list and sell their products to THEIR customers, the Buyers. Many of us sellers believe this last round of changes will encourage huge numbers of Sellers to abandon eBay and find alternative selling sites.
From Lora Friedman Great article. Thanks for letting people know what is going on.
I am a buyer on eBay. I have been a buyer since 1999 and have purchased at least 1,500+ items.
As a buyer I am supporting the boycott. These latest changes will affect me. I don't want my sellers to disappeare and the ones that will stay will no doubt raise their prices so there won't be reason to shop on eBay anymore.
I am sad that eBay is doing this. If they want to keep their buyers, they should make the sellers happy.
If they want to get rid of bad sellers, they certainly can come up with a better plan…the brains at eBay surely get paid enough money to come up with something more creative.
Thank you.
From Dede I think you need to do a story on the threats from the sellers to people that want to list and buy on Ebay during this boycot! We have literally gotten threatening emails detailing how they will crash an auction you set up or bid and leave negative feedback scores. Things that are inportant to sellers reputations.
From Mary I was an eBay Power Seller for more than 8 years, generating thousands of dollars in revenue for them.
I had 1,378 positive feedbacks and only one negative feedback – FROM A NON-PAYING BIDDER!
Seller Protection has always been a joke among eBay Sellers!
That "monopoly" needs some stiff competition!
From Brenda Russell Hi thank you for doing these articles on ebay and paypal. I wish that also there would be more media coverage on tv. Alot of people don't read the news on the internet. Alot of buyers and sellers still aren't aware of these changes. They will be when they get next months bill,but they need to know now. Thank you…Brenda
From pzinni as an ebay seller, thank you for your article….. the dates for the boycott are the 18th – 25th……not the 19th
From Florence Belt Thanks so much for getting this story out to th american people. Something is long overdue to make Ebay change it's ways, and I hope everyone plans to boycott! As a seller on Ebay I certainly intend to, along with focusing on selling on other auction sittes who are more reasonable.
From Rosemary As a buyer and future seller on eBay, I strongly agree with the changes. In the past the buyers were extremely vulnerable and subject to the whims of the seller. Buyers felt intimidated and unable to express their true opinions in fear of unwarranted retaliation. While there are extremely honest sellers on eBay there are also those who misrepresent and take advantage of the buyer. The only slight change that I would recommend is that sellers be required to leave feedback for the buyer in order to collect their payment. Afterall, this is the only portion of the transaction that requires the seller's input regarding the buyer, the remaining input is from the buyer upon receit of the item.
From Cheri Olsson Someone needs to look into how many million shares of stock were recently sold by Meg Whitman, Bill Cobb and others just before all these announcements came out…..what exactly is insider trading……Thanks for your coverage of this mess at Ebay
From Sue Havers I bought a copy of Sopranos, it was dubbed and just copied on a plain Dvd. When I got it I conacted E-Bay and seller after the 30 day wait on shipment. I got vulger emails saying I didn't know anything, called names. E-Bay couldn't help. Then a U2 Jeweled case DVD<CD showing the group standing in water. Told a special edition. I got it and it was the same as any store had. Not the picture shown on sale items. Was told no one had control over what was sent to them. Just Vertigo in a red and black case. Came from Hong Kong accordng to E-Bay. No it was CA. I couldn't again get any support and reach E-Bay. Sellers know they have a 30 day condition. I sent Sopranos back due to a blank DVD seller said I didn't know how to use my DVD player.it wasn't blank, on and on. Finally I got it. E-Bay is not standing behind their buyers, and you can't get in touch with them and talk to someone. Then by e-mail they blow you off. Out for Themselves ony
From Beth Marcus-Smith I just wanted to THANK YOU for this article you wrote. I will participating in the NO BUY NO SELL Boycott as well as many of the people Ive spoken with. Maybe…….just maybe…………..the little people will be heard.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
From carol deiterman i am one seller who is boycotting this week and i have already signed up on 2 other sites to sell my merchandise. their fees are already too high as they kept almost 50% of the amount my items sold for, AND i did all the work. take out what i paid for the items and the paypal fees and i was left with very little or even in the hole. but the feedback is what really got my ire up, not being able to leave negative for non-payers, or buyers who pay, receive their merchandise then demand partial refunds because they now think they paid to much? they will leave sellers negatives right and left and for no reason what-so-ever, just because they can without any recourse left to the seller. i'm very glad this story is running and what ebay is doing to their sellers is getting attention.
From Joe I, as an eBay Seller AND Buyer, want to personally thank you for bringing attention to our plight. Anyone who has personally read the new changes and has had any experience Buying or Selling on eBay will understand the full impact of what they are doing. Thanks for noticing the 'Little people' like myself! – Joe in NJ
From bakdemar I am not a happy camper here. I should have a right to critize the other side of the transaction, if they bid and then fail to abide to the process of doing business.,well this leaves me open to the attack of anybody for any reason at any time . what is your substitute for a negative feedback, if I am in the the right. It seems the answer is nada.nil too bad and have a nice day. Interesting if i did not agree with your rules and regulations. What would be your process, What respond would you give . Oh you would not be abel to respond.
From Richmond webster im also a seller at ebay,their fee bites into our profit to where we are not making profits at all especialy the small time seller like myself with their insertion fees,listing fees,final value fees,paypal fees and ect. fees, Its ruduculous to know that they do not care about the seller who made them rich, is an insult.Lets make them care.when e-bay makes no money form us, they then care then, if not I am quite sure that there are brilant people out there that mimic that similar selling structure
From Julie Hidle I am an Ebay seller & buyer (collectible coins & other interest) since 2002 and was banned on participating the Ebay forum. Ebay informed me via email. He're the link that I posted last night: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000636290&start=7640
They also informed me that I am banned for only 7 days, convenient for them because those days are the days we are boycotting.
I have seen post that violates their rules. They banned me because they don't want any kind of counting on how many seller & buyers are boycotting. And I was doing that. See the link above. I guess my graphics are attracting buyers and sellers and Ebay hated it. I'm also residing in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
I have made my transfer slowly to Ioffer.com and also at craigslist.com. Unless Ebay reverse the new rules & policy on fees, feedback, ratings, etc.
They have given me so far 6 pink slip (email warning) and finally I was banned today (Feb 16, 2008).
Sincerely,
Julie Hidle
From Betty Reedus-Reichl Why does ebay think it is fair for the seller not to be able to comment on an article purchased by someone. I think that it is highly unconstitutional. Where does the freedom of speech enter into this.
You ought to just put things back the way they were and let the sellers have a say in their sales also.
Thank you for listening.
From Bob I plan not to sell or buy on EBay, I?m joining the boycott.
Bob
From gayle stevens I think there needs to be a better way to deal with these issues.
Here is what one seller sent me when I questioned their return policy.
if you feel the need to leave a negative or a nuetral, I should warn you that under the new Ebay rating system, a nuetral is a damaging to a seller as a negative and I would have no choice but to protect myself by leaving a negative as well. My Ebay rep suggested this strategy to me and it is the only protection I have against new Ebay rules that threaten even sellers with as high of feedback rating as mine is.
So this seller makes it explicit:
If you give me anything but positive feedback,
I will give you negative feedback as punishment…..
and states that Ebay personnel recommended this strategy to them.
this comment by a seller was sent to my partner after he complained about an item he received and the seller wouldn't do anything to mediate the matter. he left him a neutral feedback and as a payback he left my partner a negative feedback, he didn't deserve as he paid on time etc. this kinds of thing happens a lot as my daughter who is a long time ebayer warned me not to leave negative feedback for a seller or they slam you. so the sellers not all of course deserve it. and it is ebay that fostered this environment as a rep told the seller to leave negative feedback .
From hai I would like you to post on CNN money that people who sell on ebay and live in the bay area there will be a protest at ebay headquarters in San jose. I hope this goes on the webpage so other people can see and participate. It will be on Wednesday the 20th. The first day the new policy enters in effect. I hope to get media people there as well.
From ABC What Ebay is leaving out of the equation is that many sellers will simply quit selling anywhere. Most sell as a hobby, and when the hobby loses its draw, people get burned & bummed out.
They will simply do something else for a hobby.
From Anonymous Hi — Your article estimates only a 3% drop in eBay listings since Monday, but I started watching last Thursday and I'm seeing a 10-15% drop in many categories. Keep in mind that sellers already had listings in play and many chose to stop listing early rather than risk having auctions finish in the middle of the boycott when buyers would also be scarcer. And many eBay store sellers would be gradually allowing their store offerings, which are on a 30-day cycle, scroll down and expire. There should be a steady drop in new listings each day of the boycott, which should become very noticeable by Thursday when eBay's 20-cent listing special from last week ends. The actual effects of the boycott will last for a week BEYOND the boycott because it takes that long for typical auction listings to end.
I think eBay is manipulating and the artificially holding the listing numbers for stores at a relatively set number, because the stores show no drop in listings, though a lot of store owners have pledged to put their stores on "vacation" for the duration of the boycott, making our listings unavailable and supposedly unlisted. I took my 700 items on vacation, but saw no drop in the store listings in my category. I wouldn't put it past the company to put false numbers in the totals, to convince everyone that the boycott is failing.
Also, listing numbers are only half the picture. Many sellers are also buyers. I have over 3,500 in my feedback numbers just in the last 12 months, mostly as a heavy buyer and collector. I spent $4,000 on eBay last month, but I've cut this to zero in the last 2 weeks out of disgust, and I may make this change permanent.
Outsiders will find it impossible to guage the loss of eBay's income from buyers over the term of the boycott, because of sniping in the last few seconds of auctions. But be assured that many longtime buyers are also participating in this boycott.
And when the feedback changes go into effect in May, eBay will be slapped with a huge backlash from longtime loyal buyers who suddenly see all their past years' feedback numbers disappear. If buyers don't also sell, they won't know it's coming. eBay doesn't seem to realize that many good buyers are PROUD of their high feedback ratings. We paid a lot of money over the years and EARNED those high feedbacks. Now, past year data will be wiped and current year data will become meaningless. Big buyers will be knocked down to the level of new buyers, and this will not sit well with the old timers. I guarantee it.
From Sherrie Engler Thank you Brandi for your story on the boycott, and I hope you will write an update today.
Here's some facts, although the official boycott dates are 18-25, there are many many sellers and buyers who started around the 14th. When using that date, which is also the time when ebay rolled out its 20 cent fixed price sale, the percentage drop from that date is a very telling different story. Many sellers did not participate in that promotion to make a point about the unwelcome changes coming.
15,900,000 – Feb 14th the auction count verified on ebay
http://www.quotetracker.com/cgi-bin/cal.exe?EIND
13,600,000 – Feb 20th the auction count verified on ebay as of 1:03pm
CST. http://www.quotetracker.com/cgi-bin/cal.exe?EIND
Ebay listings are down by 2,300,000 or 14.66%
Now over 2 million auctions down. This is a drop in the bucket, as this promo is ending at 12:00pm PST. So the drop then should be dramatic.
We expect the number of auctions will fall to around 10 million which will mean a a 37% decrease in ebays auctions cause by this strike. And although ebay may write it off as nominal, they will feel it when the the revenue doesn't add up for that month. Also, their stock is falling, investors are seeing the impact of this strike.
Sell through stats in the last 3 days dropped from 54% to 47% so I believe that's a drop of 12.96%. I hope you will consider updating your story and I hope it's important enough to air on CNN as well.
From Chris Johnston Just a note of how paranoid Ebay management has become. I got this message for putting up an auction that supported the boycott and gave voice to some unpalatbale truths. Note the part that says that sellers aren't allowed to voice their opinion:
"You recently listed the following auction-style listing:
We recently removed the following listing:
360026375247 – Motorola Ch Modem boycott ebay no buy no sell strike
The listing was removed because it violated the eBay No Item policy. The violation occurred when you included the following information in your listing:
On offer is a Motorola CH modem, which is just what you need to boycott ebay with no buying and no selling. Yes, you can contact all your friends with this modem for a starpoint 6000 system and tell them that the suppression of this boycott is a good example of not only an abuse of monopoly power by a system ensconsced in greed but also a good reason that the FISA laws should not be upgraded, because the telecoms monitoring tools which the auction system has kindly offered to Law enforcement officials across the US without requiring a warrant are now being used as digital pinkertons to crush sellers–and none of it has anything to do with anybody's national security, but rather the auction systems bottom line. This modem fits into a starpoint 6000 police radio system and operates at about 6.5 GHz. Please write with any questions!
The purpose of the eBay Web site is to enable members to buy and sell items from each other. Listings that don't offer an item for sale through the site, or that are designed for any other purpose, aren't permitted. In addition, sellers aren't permitted to state their personal opinions and views in their listings.
Please note: violation of this or other eBay policies may result in forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, limits on account privileges and account suspension.
For more information on why eBay may remove s, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/listing-ended.html
For more information on how you may ensure a successful listing in the future, visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/policies.html
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
eBay Trust & Safety
From Miss Anne-marie Whigham Good article seems to me that ebay are on a path of self destruction.
I just found out that ebay allow the sale of Cats & dogs on one of there sites . The sale of these animals is primarily for food & there skin/fur .
How many other ebay users are aware of this ? how would this affect there customer base
Ebay site sells Cats & dogs to be sold for food & fur
From Carol Arenella I have been selling on E-bay since 3/11/99. Not big time, just supplementing senior income. Everything the sellers have stated to date are true and I share their exact feelings. I remember the E-bay suits under tents at Swap Meets stimulating business. They quit being that accessible a long time ago. They have made sure you can't access a customer relations area by limiting it to a few categories to choose from. They recently told me they do not take suggestions unless they ask for them. I wasn't suggesting, It was a complaint about these changes. They are sticking to this change, with millions on E-bay, the drop probably won't be significant to hurt them , but I am part of the boycott, it is a matter of principle. They have always backed up the buyer and have added nothing but negative impact to the sellers for a long time . PayPal really changed after Ebay took it over. At this point, I do not see any reason for the sellers to continue the PayPal burden for the seller. If you want to use a credit card, it should hence be your total financial responsibility. When PayPal was new and growing, they approached me to offer PayPal, it was free. Then after a year, they charged a nominal fee. Now it is a different story. They plain tell the seller to sell cheap, use PayPal nothing else, don't care if the bad buyers will now be able to leave all the negatives they want. Some of these buyers are real game players, sellers suffer this as E-bay ignores the situation. One of my buyers was new. All he did was bid and withdraw at the last minute with same excuse for each. Somewhere after 20+ of these, he was kicked off. Far too many and E-bay did not follow their own rule. I have not left many negatives over the years, the ones left for non pay only. E-bay asked us to do that to protect all sellers. Initially, they were a great accessible bunch, lots of support. Don't know what to call this nightmare now. Thanks
From Heather Haney You should check out my ebay auction that is boycotting ebay!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270213413095&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017
Thanks Heather
From William Sykora No one cares about the buyer. The sellers are the ones that do all the ripping off. I'm mostly a buyer and I've been ripped off but Ebay always protects me. I like Ebay. Those big sellers are ruining the forum.
From linda carey As of today Ebay has removed almost 3000 posts from Protest board
If you view pg 1 of this you will the the 1st post is #'ed 2897 (and I'm sure that # will keep changing)
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000636290&start=0
From JoAnn The boycott is not actually ending today as was the original plan. It is about to enter phase two and will be extended through March 3'rd.
I'm a buyer who supports the boycott. I would like to see the media explore who these sellers are and the impact that eBay has on their lives, as well as how the boycott is affecting them financially. Ebay seems to prefer to describe its sellers as "businesses" but the reality is that a large percentage of sellers on eBay are just individuals and families trying to scrape by in this economy.
This really is a story about America versus big business and the situation is not unlike what happens in small towns when big corporations force the smaller local stores and shops out of business. The only difference is that this is the first time that this is happening on the web. In that sense, this situation is historic.
From Steev My wife had to liquidate her eBAY business for these very reasons. She was barely getting by as it was, eBAY's greed finally put her out of business.
From Mark ebay is staffed with a bunch of idiots! I'll bet that half of the sellers are swindling thieves. Screw them all! We are fools to have gone along with this charade!?
From walter john mitchell for awhile in december and january i received messages from ebay that i had sold to an individual of whom i had never heard, nor to whom i had ever sold. it was for $47.50 per month.
i have never sold on e-bay. i tried to reach them, but never could do so online. they did give a snail mail address. wow!!!!! i live out of the country. i don't use the mails.
neither paypal nor e-bay do anything for me.
From Jessica McKean After a PayPal buyer scam I have quit selling on Ebay. I had a minimum Ebay bill of 250 dollars. I am a small seller but their fees are not worth it. I started selling on two competitors sites and I have already made sales and have about .50 in fees. WIth Ebay that would have been about 10.00 in fees. Why would I go back? Ebay doesn't offer any customer service, they overprice their value and they do not give a rat's a** about the sellers. I am done with "fee"bay.
Thanks,
Jessica McKean
From Donald G. Kite After reading the article about eBay's new pricing structure, I can only draw one conclusion: Corporate greed! Does eBay have tunnel vision?
Essentially, eBay is taking the position of some mutual funds. That is low up-front fees, or none at all, then loading up the fees at the back-end.
I'm sure many eBayers – myself included – will seek other avenues to sell their goods.
From Louise Duvee I sell music to audiophiles who know that they can rely upon my very high standards of excellence. My prices may be higher, in but return I offer great merchandise, and great customer service. I've been elected a "favorite seller", and a lot of my business is repeat or by word-of-mouth. In this way, I've been able to compete with the so-called "power sellers" on eBay.
My list of problems with eBay goes back a while:
Firstly, eBay has too many technical problems. They lose my postings, then insult my intelligence with stupid explanations. Recently, I couldn't get an item to post. Every time I put it up, it would disappear from the listings. Someone from eBay finally replied to my emails that (and I quote) : "Items favored by fraudsters will take longer to post." I looked in the dictionary: fraudster is not even a word…
Secondly, I was unhappy with all of their nickle-and-dime-you-to-death fees before I heard about these new changes. (What, they want even more?)
Finally, the feedback question. The founders of eBay wanted to emphasize the importance of each individual trading experience in the community. Now, eBay just wants
to favor the buyers who make the most money for them. Wake up, oh mindless and voiceless ones: the time has come to call a spade a spade: eBay wants to control who you can buy from. If you think we need another Walmart, go ahead: aid and abet them.
Well, thank you for "letting me share". I will be boycotting eBay, just as I have boycotted Walmart. You see, I'd rather go out of business than have my customers identify me as a member of eBay.
From David Sone, Tifton, Georgia Why don't they leave the Sellers alone and just add a "hammer charge" for us Buyers to pay – - like at ALL auctions. We Buyers aren't so picky about how much we pay for our items. Another 1% or even 3% wouldn't trouible me at all.
I hope you'll communicate this to the Big Guy at e-bay.
From Suz EXCELLENT ARTICLE! YOU WILL NEED TO WATCH EBAY STOCK ON FEB 19th AS THE MARKETS ARE CLOSED DUE TO PRESIDENTS DAY ON FEB.18th.
THERE ARE SO MANY OF US LONG TERM, HONORABLE SELLERS INFURIATED BY THESE RIDICULOUS CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM BOTH IN FEES AND FEEDBACK STRUCTURE WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE BOYCOTT THAT EBAY STOCK MAY JUST GAP OPEN WAY LOWER ON TUESDAY,
YOU NEED TO GO IN ON THE DIFFERENT EBAY DISCUSSION GROUPS AND FEEL THE VENGANCE.
IT IS NOT ONLY HEATING UP IN THE USA BUT IN ENGLAND AS WELL. YOUR NEXT ARTICLE COULD BE A LOT MORE SPIRITED….SELLERS ARE ANGRY!!!!
From Keith Good article. I have been selling on Ebay for 10 years. Ebay management has finally convinced me to seek other outlets for my merchandise. They seem to have no idea how hard sellers work to get their products on Ebay for what was for most small sellers just a slim profit margin has become totally not worth the hassle.
From Mike The biggest problem we sellers have in fighting ebay is that it is very popular.
Everybody knows it and EBAY execs know it.
I've been reading some of the comments of sellers leaving ebay to another site and noticed a BIG problem. Everybody is naming a different site. There is no real second choice. If we sellers are going to scare ebay then we have to find a differant site with no or low fees and ALL move to it. It's the only way to make a point.
From Betsy Roberts I have closed out my store on ebay after being a very active Power Seller, and have found that there are many other sites that are run by some VERY NICE people. Ebay is not nice. I think they are run by the Mafia. Some great sites to explore are : http://www.loudfrog.com, www. specialists.com, http://www.onlineauction.com and ecrater.com No one needs ebay. Get a divorce from the abuser and stop trying to change them.
I have!
From Pam Corrick I am a powerseller and I rarely leave negative or neutral comments, but ebay is taking away all of the accountability where the buyers are concerned. This change will increase non-payers and feedback blackmail.
The ability for both buyers and seller to leave honest feedback was the core of what made ebay work. Sure, there were issues with retaliatory comments, but that went both ways, and despite that, you could spot a bad seller as well as a bad buyer. No more: you will soon find good sellers with negatives they didn't deserve, and there will be no warnings on bad buyers.
From Tim Your article states in part, "…EBay does not break out PayPal's earnings in its financial statements, meaning analysts must rely on their own estimates of the division's profits. …" You call it a "division." A couple of years ago, I tried to find out from eBay if PayPal was a Division or a Subsidiary. They called it "an eBay Company." They ignored numerous requests as to PayPals legal status in relation to eBay and finally told me they were a "Subsidiary." As such, PayPal is supposed to be operated "at arms length" to it's parent company. It is obvious this is not the case when you read all of eBay's ruiles regarding PayPal. In other words, they are "piercien the corporate veil" which should be illegal. Corporations set up Subsidiaries vs. Divisions to gain some advantages.
Which are they…?
Tim
From rich for the sellers- form together your own groups in your region to buy pass ebay. start your own valid startup and challenge the establishment, for your own benfit.
From scowley UPDATE FROM CNN/FSB
I went quiet for a bit because we had a lot of stories to crunch through, but they're up now. Our latest dispatch: What PayPal does with your money, aimed at answering the question we kept hearing, "Does PayPal make money off its float?" (Answer, yes.)
That story has links at the bottom to our full run of eBay coverage: 8 stories, two galleries and a video, exploring every major angle we've seen raised here and in comments elsewhere. For now, we're wrapped on features coverage — I'm not sure there's any rock here we've left unturned. All totalled, I think our package (more than 10,000 words) covers the eBay changes and their problems pretty comprehensively.
We'll still stay with the story and cover new news, of course. If eBay introduces new changes, adjusts these planned ones, begin phasing them in, etc., we'll cover it. So keep letting us know what we should be watching.
-Stacy (FSB Web editor)
From Anonymous A highly recommended site is elfingo.com for online auctions. They are the new ebay. Many smaller sites like this offer buyers far better deals than ebay ever could. Buyser also save a ton because this site charges little or nothing depending on the day. One more reaso I like elfingo.com is because they don't take a part of the sale at all. No commissions or final value fees. A+++ http://www.elfingo.com
From Rob Hack ,Willamina Oregon I'm taking an additional 2 week vacation.I normally have sales over 9,000.00 a month.They won't be getting my money until some changes are made….or not made.
E-bay keeps saying everyone will come back. That's exactly the attitude to make sellers NOT come back.
When I return I'll be dropping 2-300 auction on GOGGLE BASE with GOOGLE checkout for payments.
Rob H.
powerseller
From snowboundportola, ca Over the years I have lost a considerable amount of money because eBay invariably took the side of the buyer in a dispute. Here's just one example – I was forced to give a refund to a woman who bought an expensive antique purse. The reason – The buyer claimed the purse talked to her at night and kept her awake! EBay took the buyer's side and the funds were taken from my PayPal account. The buyer kept the "talking" purse. Is it the buyers who are stealing from sellers, or is it eBay and PayPal?
From Andrew, Lancaster, UK The next boycott is already being organised starting May 1st. Many people who joined the protest last week have already moved their items to alternative auction sites or have simply stopped selling on eBay.
The action IS being co-ordinated at the following two places:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/start
http://www.myspace.com/boycottebay
From Snowbound Portola, CA Buyers and Sellers unite! This is a two-way street. Shoppers don't go to Rite-Aid if they are looking for a lawn mower and Home Depot doesn't sell Advil because shoppers don't go there to buy it!
Millions of buyers loved to shop on eBay where they could find vintage items and things that they could add to their collections. That will soon be gone as eBay "evolves from a yard sale site to a merchant site". The sellers with "yard sale" merchandise are being forced out and buyers will soon follow because they will no longer be able to find the things they want on eBay.
For those of you who think that not being able to leave feedback for a buyer is a good thing…..
I have sold and bought on eBay for more than 8 years. Just as in the real world, I have made some long-time friendships and encountered some really nasty people. Fortunately, the nasty ones are the fewest.
I have been on both sides of that fence. My only negative feedback with 2600+ positives over the years was left by a non-paying bidder. If a bidder did not pay and did not respond to a non-paying bidder report, the bidder would lose feedback privileges. However, if the bidder responded to the NPB report, even if the response was to tell you to take a flying leap, that bidder could still leave feedback – and he did! He left me a negative after not paying me.
As a seller, I have been ripped off by unscrupulous buyers who used veiled feedback threats to get refunds, discounts and even free merchandise. I literally had to pay for my high feedback score. Some of the bidders are liars and thieves. If I were to leave a negative feedback for any of those buyers, I knew I would get one in return. When one buyer claimed she had not received her item and demanded a refund, I told her that I had a delivery confirmation. She replied that same day, saying that the item had just been delivered (by the postal service on a Sunday!!???). Gotcha!
As a buyer, I have received items improperly packaged and broken, shipping charges that were half what I had been charged and items that definitely were not as represented. If I were to leave a negative for any of those sellers, I knew I would get one in return.
eBay feedback has been used as blackmail on both sides of the fence. The feedback is only as honest as the person who leaves it.
I don't know what the answer is – get rid of feedback altogether? I wonder what would happen if only the sellers were allowed to leave feedback….now that WOULD be interesting, wouldn't it? It would be a good way to keep the shoplifters out of our stores, while at the same time trying not to drive away our good customers. Not only can we no longer call the police on a shoplifter – we aren't even allowed to say it happened! If we see that thief entering someone else's store, we can't warn them either!
Perhaps in a few months we will have a clearer picture of the result of what eBay is doing to themselves and others. There are only two directions in which this can go. Either eBay will get their act together and revert to their once-upon-a-time ethics (doubtful), or they won't and a better auction site will take their place. I think we just have to wait and see.
From D.Yeudall, Edmonton, Canada Ebays newest policies will have to change in order to keep me there as a seller. If a clear leader emerges as the next best online auction site I will be gone in a flash. For now I have nothing listed for sale and I will take a wait and see approach. There is now a great deal of risk for sellers on ebay.
From Victor, Casablanca well, I usually do believe the hard data (and not fairy tales) – and that data http://www.medved.net/cgi-bin/cal.exe?ESHMm022008 clearly shows the number of listings is growing – now it's by 1 mln above the monthly average. Looks like most of this eBay-haters are nothing more than crypto-promoters. The REAL sellers are busy listing… :)
From serge, fullerton, ca what's needed is a database of bad buyers, i have found this site useful, i think with some more user input it could be really good, somewhat of a ripoffreport for bad buyers
http://www.reportchargeback.com
From Michelle, Austin, TX There is no way to sell on eBay without being able to leave negative feedback. Although sellers can be scammers and nasty, so can buyers. I used to be a PowerSeller, and buyers try to blackmail you with negative feedback more than they should. With the new change that will prevent sellers from leaving negative feedback, this will only get worse.
From Annie I read one article online that says Google has a reputation for pulling surprises out of a hat. They don't tell anybody what they're up to until it's done. So if they are planning an auction site, they're being very close-mouthed about it.
However, I did find out that Google registered the name Googlebay.com in the year 2000. So that's an indication that they've been thinking about auctions for a long time. The domain name is set to expire in December of this year, however.
I was googling for signs of hope when I came across this tidbit: it's a legal paper describing a fight that Google had down in Australia. Someone had registered the domain name Googlebay.com.au and Google wanted to claim trademark infringement. And they were able to prove their case. So they got the domain name transferred to them. This was in August of 2007, only 6 months ago.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2007/dau2007-0004.html
So, it doesn't appear that Google is ready to give away the name Googlebay anytime soon. I sincerely hope they're doing more than collecting domain names.
From Jean in North Carolina Although I disagree totally with the recent changes in the fee structure, feedback and PayPal policy changes, it is unfortunate that eBay has the most volume of traffic for online auctions. I have "tried" to sell on some other sites, but very noticeable is the lack of traffic to look at your listings. So, in a very quiet way, I am protesting their decisions by removing the eBay and PayPal advertisements (logo) that are on the mailing labels for prepaid postage purchased through PayPal. I hope that this small effort might have some impact, however small. It seems that the changes are not for the seller, but benefit only the buyer. No negative feedback for buyers!!!??? Give me a break!!! What kind of protection or warning can that be for the sellers??!! What kind of benefit is that for sellers?? The unscrupulous buyers will rally around that one!! Heaven help the hobbyist seller who ends up with a kooky buyer!!
From John, Western Oregon I used to be a big ebay seller with sales ranging from $10 to $1,500 each… avg being around $500. I left 2-3 years ago. Not only does ebay only care about money, they are unethical as hell! I've proven to them a few times where people ripped me off and they did nothing.
I have even proven to them that some sellers are getting a 30%+ negative feedback rate because they were using one of the MANY scams on ebay. For example, these people would not send items until the buyer filed a "item not received' complaint, which locks the buyer into that complaint. Then they would ship broken, damaged or plain old non-working items that have been marked and taped several times from being returned to b&m stores as being defective returns. The seller then just provides ebay with the tracking number, ebay closes the case and the buyer is sh*t-out-of-luck. They REFUSE to shut these scumbags down because they pay ebay so much money.
Then there's the little people, buyers and sellers, who are just so plain anal-retentive that "If you dipped them in Preparation H, they'd disappear altogether ©" For example, I just tried to buy a 39 cent bear stamp in early December from one seller. The person first tried to charge me $5 shipping for an item that would fit in a standard envelope with a normal stamp. They preferred paypal (which I explained to them that they would LOSE money in fees. The idiot paid more to list it than they were getting for it and then add paypal fees? Thought I was being kind and helping them) But paypal's screwy system would not accept my number. So, I asked the seller at least 10 times where to send her buck & change as I wanted it for my daughter (8) for a stocking stuffer. What do they do? Left ME bad feedback and filed a non-payment strike (which was eventually removed after a major hassle) over a 39 CENT STAMP! After I tried to save them money and pay them many times, all they did was refuse payment and then trash me for not paying. This sort of thing is like a plague on ebay who happily allows this sort of behavior.
Ebay WAS wonderful at first. Now it's just a stinking cesspool for greed and socially-retarded people. Sure, I lost sales, but I diverted them elsewhere. And if I recall, Yahoo's auction listings were FREE last time I checked.
In my opinion, ebay and it's pathetic sidekick Paypal should both be driven right back into the sewer that they crawled out of. And take 90% of their brain-dead members with them. Ebay and Paypal are a cancer to the internet and I sincerely hope that they go down in flames. And after they're driven out of business, they can auction off their assets on Yahoo Auctions and save themselves a ton of fees.
Too bad nobody has a backbone any more….I've boycotted beef and pork for 19 years, Gillette for 15, KFC for 12, etc., etc., and even my own worthless father for 22 years. It can be done folks, just grow some balls.
Don't just boycott ebay, delete anything and everything having to do with them. Same with AOL. If everyone just STOPS paying ebay, paypal and aol, they could be wiped out entirely or forced to be ethical and fair.
From Matt, Phoenix, AZ Ebay sellers … wake up!!! The reason you are in business is the buyers. Without them you are pretty much worthless. What EBay doing is to protect buyers (from seller scam artist) and in a way attracting more buyers which profits the true Power sellers. Go ahead, boycott, go to other sites … you will be lucky if you made money. What make you think those buyers (that you consider scam artist? LOL) stay away from those sites?
From marty-baltimore,md. The following is a list of eBay owned or partially owned companies.
CARad.com
Craigslist
Deja.com
EachNet
GittiGidiyor
Gumtree
Half.com
iBazar,[36]
Internet Auction Co. (IAC)
Lokau
Loquo
Marktplaats.nl
Meetup.com
MercadoLibre
Opus Forum
PayPal
Rent.com
Shopping.com
Skype
StubHub
StumbleUpon
Tradera
Up4Sale.com
VoIP
When choosing alternate sites to list your auction items on, please consider the above list, and try to avoid them!
1. Increase in Fees
2. Feedback changes hurt both buyer & Seller.
3. Best Match – (Where is my listing? I paid to list, and I can’t find it in the search!)
4. PayPal 21 day hold on all funds in your PayPal account. In some cases the holds can be 180 days.
Support the Boycott February 18 – 25 & Beyond! "Power to the People"
I put them in alphabetical order, here:
http://www.auction.com/default.aspx
http://www.auction.overstock.com/
http://www.auctionaddict.net/
http://www.auctionfire.com/
http://www.auctionquests.com/
http://www.auction-usa.com/
http://www.auction-warehouse.com/
http://www.bid-alot.com/
http://www.bidville.com/
http://www.blujay.com/
http://www.buyselltrades.com/
http://www.cqout.com/
http://www.ecrater.com/
http://www.epier.com/
http://www.hibidder.com/
http://www.ioffer.com/
http://www.itsgottago.com/
http://www.onlineauction.com/
http://www.overstock.com
http://www.oztion.com.au/
http://www.plunderhere.com/
http://www.specialistauctions.com/
http://www.tazbar.com/
http://www.ubid.com
http://www.ubidright.com/
http://www.us.ebid.net/
http://www.wagglepop.com/
http://www.webidz.com
http://www.wensy.com/
From Gaura I've been a seller on ebay for about 5 years. We typically sell about $10K/month. Many of our items sell for several thousand dollars. Our feedback is over 1300, over 99% positive.
I've had a paypal payment held for over 1 week without any explanation from ebay or paypal.
The buyer was frantic, blaming me for not shipping. He thought I was holding his money.
Paypal said, not personally but through email, the payment was "suspicious" and they were therefore holding it "pending investigation".
What made it "suspicious"?
What was the nature of their "investigation"?
No answers were ever provided.
Paypal did NOTHING to allay fears (for either of us).
Paypal un-ceremoniously released the funds to us without any word of why it was held in the first place.
Is this a successful method to instill confidence?
From Mike Gherardini SO; How much money doe's e-bay stand to make in the form of interest on the funds that they hold for that 21 day period?
The large volume sellers talk like they don't care much about the changes. Sure, it is a drop in the bucket for them. I am very small time and feel the crunch now already BEFORE the changes coming on ebay. I have been thinking of leaving them if I could find a similar site. Now I am just thinking of leaving them.
I think they have the mentality similar to that of AT&T back in the day when AT&T was a monopoly. NOW just look at the competition that has taken from AT&T. I predict that the same thing will soon happen to ebay, and I will never go back to ebay just as I have never gone back to AT&T.
From Betty Abbott Please look at item #140205210628 on eBay. This is a fellow from England who is saying what most people feel about eBay's new policies. It also shows just how many started to agree with him before eBay stopped the process of 'ask the seller' .
I'm mostly a buyer on eBay but I also sell occasionally and, because I haven't sold a certain quota over the past year, I would fall into the category where Paypal will withold my money – even though I have 100% positive feedback. This is geared to do that with ANY seller who does not sell a certain amount within a certain time range – I.E. the small seller. Sometimes those sellers offer the best eBay has to offer.
It also does not protect the seller from buyers who choose to 'stalk' sellers – there are lots of them out there. There are so many holes in the new rules an oil tanker could sail through them – and these new rules mainly effect the seller – the small seller that is.
Check out the item number – if eBay has pulled the item from view, we have the whole thing saved to our computer and would be more than happy to share.
From Sharon Buell I have a close friend who relies on sales from e-Bay to pay bills to live on. You know by doing this you will squeeze the little guy out of using e-Bay. Shame on you, you were small once. Don't be greedy and keep things they way they are w/PayPal.
From Norma Ebay's changes won't affect me, regarding Paypal. I never use it. I send money orders mainly. As for feedback…I never put bad feedback about anyone. I think it is pretty much a bad thing to do, except in some exceptional circumstances…such as inferior quality, than advertised, not receiving an item etc. I am not a seller, but I can;t say I agree with "holding funds". I think it is very unfair to small sellers. Of course, that is my opinion, doubt it will affect the changes..
From vickiebelcher I am outrageed by these changes. I am a small seller on ebay. My biggest beef is the final value fees increasing to 67% on sales less than 20.00. I plan on joining the boycott on Feb 18-25, I hope it gets their attention. I feel ebay is picking on the small customers. I just how they hear this LOUD AND CLEAR.
From Becky Gotham City 1
little old lady from Witchita 0
lately that is sounding very american
I no longer buy from power sellers because they tend to do business however they want and Ebay tends to let them.
One more thing that used to be neat and has been "fine tuned" in to oblivian
From Patrick Wu PayPal routinely freezes people's money, and you can't sue PayPal, because you signed up an arbitration agreement when you sign up an account with PayPal. The freeze can be forever, which means PayPal has your money to use and doesn't even have to claim it as earning. I have an account that has been freeze by PayPal over many years now. I sued PayPal in Texas, and they hired a firm to get it dismissed because of the arbitration agreement. I have another account that is also breezed for many months now. If I were you, I would advise people that uses PayPal to not doing any important transaction on PayPal because their money could be at risk due to the monopolistic behavior of PayPal.
From Jordan Kramer If eBay intends to fight off the competition offered by Amazon, ioffers etc, they must begin recognizing that even small sellers bring buyers to eBay who then begin purchasing from larger sellers. As a high volume eBay store, I feel that these policies will negatively impact eBay as a whole ans thereby force all sellers to actively seek alternative outlets. This is something eBay has not experienced to any great degree yet. The defection has remained mostly with small sellers. However, these policy changes are going to effect eBay as a whole and devalue the entire brand.
From Rick Kalada Just a simple note to tell you thanks for reporting on the changes at both eBay and PayPal. I'm one of the small sellers on eBay (three member IDs, longest running one is from 1999), that is leaving eBay as a result of their inane changes. The company has strayed too far from it's roots. It definitely has become an evil, arrogant, non-responsive, and monopolistic entity.
I've canceled one account already (bulletproofpacking), and I plan to cancel my other two (sciencefare & baewestover) to coincide with the planned eBay boycott later in February.
From angela gale You might like to know that we are voting for a better auction site.
http://www.powersellersunite.com/viewtopic.php?t=15941&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0
& look at these statistics
http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php
From Teresa Davis I am a seller on ebay with 100% feedback, so is my eBay friend Jane. Her user ID is "jjgoodwin"
mine is "lilys_things" Please read her reviews and guides. eBay has blocked one of them, that must have hit home. **IMPORTANT NOTE** We are not as upset about the raise in fees, than we are about the FEEDBACK SITUATION**
But she can still see it , but the public can't.
We are hard working women that have bent over backwards for our buyers, even when they said they did not get a item that we shipped out, with delvery comfirmation, we would send a "like" item or give them a refund in fear of that dreaded negative feedback. Some buyers are very good at this, get the item and get their money back too. eBay sides with the buyer in most cases.
BUT we , as sellers are ebays buyers, we buy their service, we as Sellers have made th emoney for eBay,
Please read her reviews and guides on this to understand, from perfect Sellers view poiints, that never got any negatives.Here is a link to her reviews and guides.
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/jjgoodwin
One is invisible, ebay blocked it. But you can see it here.
1) New entitlement Feedback plan-why it won't work
http://reviews.ebay.com/No-Negative-Feedback-for-Buyers-Why-it-won-apos-t-work_W0QQugidZ10000000005421402
2) The 2008 PowerSeller benefit package-A truly sad new chapter
http://reviews.ebay.com/PowerSeller-Benefits-Program-A-truly-sad-new-chapter_W0QQugidZ10000000005524944
3) PayPal – 2008 Changes – The 21-day hold on your money
http://reviews.ebay.com/PayPal-2008-Changes-The-21-day-hold-on-your-money_W0QQugidZ10000000005528443
From Rebecca Smallwood I just wanted to comment on your recent stories regarding the boycott of
Ebay by sellers. If some of the sellers leave, that's all well and good,
but that doesn't do much if buyers don't leave as well (Ebay gets some
fees when items are listed, but they get a goodly amount when the items
sell, too). Most buyers don't even know that other auction sites exist,
because Ebay is such a behemoth in the online auction world.
I've created a website called auctionsitesearch.com so that buyers can
search multiple auction sites at once — it's horribly time consuming to
hit all of those small sites in a row! And maybe it will introduce
people to some sites they haven't heard of…
Rebecca Smallwood
http://www.auctionsitesearch.com
From Charity Fish I read your articles recently entitled "Outraged eBay Sellers Plot Strike Week" and "5 ex-eBayers: Where They Sell Now ". Laura Skidmore, featured in the later, is a fellow Vintage Fashion Guild member and someone I have discussed my current eBay issues with.
I am currently being defrauded by a buyer on eBay who has engaged in mail fraud, a federal offense. Both eBay AND PayPal, an eBay company, are taking blatent steps to protect and defend the fraudulent actions of this buyer while doing little to assist me.
The buyer claimed to have never recieved the item I sold her, a vintage red velvete cape. Paypal sided with her, taking all the money from the transaction out of my paypal account and refunding it to her. I discovered just thereafter that she used both the informational content and photos straight out of my listing to resell the item to another eBayer. I was able to view the ended listing in which she resold the one of a kind item through the feedback that the resale buyer left for her. When I contacted eBay and paypal about this, they procrastinated to no end, and have thus far offered no assistance.
I am by no means alone in being a seller undefended by eBay and Paypal when fraud is committed on the part of the buyer. It is becoming very commonplace and is a key piece of the greater problem of eBay becoming extremely one-sided in their relations – just like no longer being able to leave feedback for buyers who do things like this.
If anyone in the reporting world is following the changing image of eBay and wants to report on some very unscrupulous behavior from eBay, I would be delighted to share more details of this situation. I'm a long standing member of the Vintage Fashion Guild, where this particular fraud case has been discussed at length. Most of the memebers there agree that this is one of the worst cases of recent record.
Thank you both for your efforts in reporting the reality "behind the curtain" at eBay. Sadly, it's becoming a less and less safe place to sell and make a primary or supplemental income. Those of us who've been around a while know that the storm is still building around eBay and that we're "not in Kansas anymore"…..
From West Texas They said they wantd to clean up the flea market look.
Ebay does not remember what started this monster of a company PEZ'S ?
How flea market was that and yet the right Pez can bring in some major money!
I sell paper and small items. I buy estates so have a big inventory. I prefer to list low, list small items that I can ship cheap. How can you ask big money for a postcard?
What Happen To The eBay Community Values ?
We believe people are basically good.
We believe everyone has something to contribute.
We believe that an honest, open environment can bring out the best in people.
We recognize and respect everyone as a unique individual.
We encourage you to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Words spoken by eBay and forgotten by eBay – how very sad
From M.W. It would be an interesting statistic if someone knew how to track the trend in "not a registered user" notation on eBay bidders' and sellers' ID's. Even before the boycott, it seemed that there were a lot of them.
From Lynn Midland, TX ALL sellers are going to want to look at http://www.AFTERTHEGAVEL.com.
Check out the article on AUCTIONBYTES.com about AFTERTHEGAVEL.COM posted Feb. 25
From Lou, NY,NY After scanning thru this blog of comments its highly skewed to the negative. Typically though a corporation will not respond to its customers. Examples are Utility companies, Big Oil to name a couple of examples. However they're pretty much monopolies (the industry does have serious barriers to entry etc.), ebay forgets they're not crucial to us in reality and this arrogance will not go without a price. If you are also a shareholder as well as a user you carry more weight in contacting the board of directors, voicing your dipleasure etc as you are then an equity holder (part owner). This is a more realistic approach. Yes buy a share of stock and go to the annual meeting and complain there. I normally don't advocate this behavior, but in this case they've brought it upon themselves. Uhm just disclaimer, don't expect the stock to go up, think of this as a cost of admission ticket to the meeting.
That being said I would not sell thru their new structure, its literally a form of highway robbery. Just because the guy tells you its a stick up instead of pick pocketing you doesn't make it any less of a offense. The end result didn't change.
I've been a member for the last couple of years as mostly a buyer and infrequent seller, but sarcasam filled as this sounds as a sales manager I'd love to have that rate of override on my sales force that ebay is "forcing" upon its users. Don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out if you don't like our new structure.
Oh then what happens to ebay? Thats right another dot com that just happened to stumble later than other arrogant dot coms of the late 90's and early 00's.
For my own view I'll support amazon and yahoo.
Also paypal has become as evil as google.
From Bob, Lafayette, IN I am a long time seller (with presently 100% positive feedback). One of the worst things is Pay Pal's approach to dealing with screening of buyers. Their small print says" most sellers anticipate a bad buyer once in awhile and expect it and deal with the losses occured". That is pure crap. I am amazed that some wealthy organization does not see this opportunity to capitalize on the declining seller feelings regarding EBAY, Pay Pal, etc. and build a better auction site…one that specifically screens bidders. I cannot believe someone does not see this problem. EBAY cntinues to try to get sellers to list valuable items by incresing the listing and reserve fees. I will just decrese the number of my listings until I find a more seller friendly site…then its "goodbye ebay".
From Elizabeth Smith, Massachusetts I think some of the people here forgot who made Ebay what it is today! It was the small seller,the "little man" who had a bunch of stuff in his garage and was able to get some revenue from that old year book, or that special old perfume bottle. The more interesting stuff there was on Ebay……the more buyers came to buy. People like Daniel up there, who states there is all this misinformation………..is misremembering possibly.
I was an Ebay seller and buyer. It was a hobby and I had fun finding interesting items. I heard the mumblings of the Boycott and the test auctions and everything else. Well, I dont delve in falsehoods so I went and checked the test auctions out myself. I have a printout of them. What Daniel conveniently forgot to mention was……the amount the test auctions were for. At least 45 of those test auctions were for $3000 a piece. Personally, I felt that looked a little sketchy so I did more investigations.
My point is…..people are mad. And that is going to be the downfall of Ebay. Ebay will survive at some level of course, but not as it was. I think that is Ebay's plan but to offend the very people that built them up so high, Is a disgrace. Therein lies the problem for Ebay. I don't believe they counted on people being hurt. Yes it is the silly changes they are making but if people want to be honest…..it's also about feelings. And think about it…..once people are offended and hurt, they arent like puppy dogs………..they don't come crawling back. Those people have left, and left for good. I have.
From Rocky49152, Cleveland, OH Sellers…. Please don't make me laugh. In what other sector of retail could buyers be black-listed *lol*? The fact of the matter is, you who are boycotting have a very distorted view of reality. As a buyer who has been frustrated by a handful of sellers who left me "revenge" feedback for my leaving them justified negative feedback for poor service, mis-representation of their product, etc., I can honestly say that the site will be better off without you. Go ahead, please… boycott away!
What nonsense.
From linda in Illinois SO WRONG!! not winding down–JUST STARTING–MORE AND MORE ARE LEAVING.
I'm a Powerseller and I'm going to
http://www.neoloch.com/index.php
From Pat Fowler, Columbus, MS I have been a buyer and a seller on eBay since 1999. I have seen many changes, and fee increases, during those years. Most fees are understandable – no business can survive without increasing with the costs of time. But the worst change was when eBay acquired PayPal and is now shoving it down sellers throats. eBay will NOT allow us to use Google Check Out because it would hit their greedy pockets. Google insures a REAL confirmed buyer and seller in its core of fraud prevention. PayPal does not. In fact, PayPal will tell you that a payment is there and approved, and after you ship the item, you can get a "fraudulent use" notice and PayPal will pull the money back. Why? Because PayPal does not confirm a payment before processing – it is an after the fact. I have seen some payments reversed months after an auction ended. This results in a seller losing both product and money, not to mention the eBay fees. PayPal and eBay are a monopoly and the use of PayPal is now a requirement for new sellers, and since eBay has increased what "IT" considers at risk categories, eBay is REQUIRING that you have PayPal when you sell an item in that category. The move is quite clear – it is just a matter of time before PayPal will be the ONLY on-line method of payment allowed on eBay.
The changes that eBay is making has far-reaching failures for small Mom and Pop sellers, and eventually, ALL sellers, only some refuse to see it. When you list your items on eBay, you are paying for a service. Now that service is subject to eBay's whims. If I pay for a service, I expect that same service enjoyed by all. Now eBay is limiting the viewing of your auction by attaching your sellers rating in their misguided formula – the lower your rating, the less visability you will have. So if I wanted to search for a specific item, only the "top" rated sellers will be viewable, or the seller with a lower rating will be at the bottom of pages and pages of a search. That would be o.k. with me – I have a good rating. But, that rating will drop by eBays own "manipulation" of ratings.
As it stands now, eBay informs BUYERS that a "4" rating is a GOOD rating for a seller. The only problem with that is a seller must maintain a "4.8" in all rated areas to enjoy the search availability to get their item high up in the buyers search. Hence, eBay is playing favorites and literally pitting buyer against seller, and vice versa. Another "new" thing eBay is enacting is a RED LETTERED warning by a sellers name stating that the seller has a lower rating in whatever area it is, such as shipping time, which is an area a seller has no control over.
I sell unique Antique Collectibles, but I may have to move them to another site because eBay also has "blackouts" of viewing. One week, my items may be seen only on the West Coast, resulting in some items not selling. The following week, they be viewed only on the East Coast, or midwest, or wherever eBay decides to utilize their "blackout" methods. They claim their computers can't handle all of the listings everywhere all of the time and occasionally have to shut one down for awhile. Then why did eBay extend its finances to foreign companies instead of keeping the US site viable and usable for all? If I pay for a service, I want that service.
I don't think eBay will remain the #1 online auction service for much longer – a lot of people didn't even know about the fee incrase on Final Value until their auctions closed. As more close this weekend, more will be shocked and will then understand the lie about "reducing fees" when it was an inflated increase on the sell through.
In May when the feedback issue begins, even a Power Seller will begin to see the light. The new feedback system is set up in such a way that your competitor can actually win your auction under a different ID and leave you a negative feedback, even if you do everything you can above and beyond eBays requirements. One negative can push your auctions viewings in a search to the bottom of the very last page. Hence, your sales will plummet and your business competitors will take top place. So after May, I believe you will see a massive exit of eBay. I for one do not intend to wait til then. I have listed my items on eCrater.com. I am also seeking other sites to list on. To get caught in the maelstrom that eBay will become and cry later would only be the fault of the user that depends on eBay solely.
Is the Boycott over? No – it was actually extended by many until March 3. Will the Boycott work? I believe it already has because so many sellers are now diversifying which means that buyers that are looking for that unique item will now have to find "IT" on other sites.
From Karin R Port Richey Fl I have extended the boycott already by leaving the site permenantly for ecrater.com http://theeclecticcollector.ecrater.com/
I was mainly a buyer and occasional seller on ebay (venturecrew145) with 100% positive feedback as both. But what sane person would continue to do business with a company that treats us the way ebay does?
I spent the week of the boycott looking for a new home and defining the reasons it is no longer viable for me to continue a business relationship with ebay.
1- Mr Donahoe stated he wants to rid the site of the embarassing sellers of "flea market" items- otherwise known to buyers as unique vintage items and what a great many of us searched ebay for- in favor of large powersellers who drop ship their items (JUNK) from China.
2- If I wished to continue to sell my items on ebay, I would be required to pay a 66% increase in fees.
3- If I did sell an item I would be required to use paypal, ebay's own bank, to receive the money from the sale and pay them a fee as well.
4- Paypal will also now be holding for 21 days with no intrest, the money paid to the small seller, while ebay still requires that I ship the item as soon as paypal receives the funds, meaning that I have to ship an item using MY money to cover shipping! And if the buyer ends up deciding they want my item for free, and initiates a charge back with paypal, I can bet they get their money back, leaving me out the following- Money lost on listing fee paid to ebay, money lost to ebay on Final valuation fee when the item was "sold" errr "Stolen", Money I had to pay to ship the item, MY item which I will never get back, Fees to paypal for money I NEVER received AND……..
5 To add insult to injury, I will only be allowed to leave this wonderful buyer POSITIVE feedback, while I receive Negative feedback for being robbed!
6- BUT…..it does not end there. Additionally, for the pleasure of paying 66% more in fees to list my item, ebay has created a new DEFAULT search matrix, called "Best Match" which will give the powersellers selling the same items as me TOP placement in the search results, meaning my item, because I am a small seller, will never be seen, therefore never purchased :)
WOW! What a deal ebay is! No wonder buyers and sellers alike are leaving in droves!
From Creekers I have been selling on eBay for about 1 short year. I sell items that usally sell for between $3-15. I have close to 200 positive feedback with a 100% rating. I have already done the math and figured out that I am NOT the vendor that eBay wants. That is sad to me that I am being pushed out of something that is more or less a hobby for me, and sadder yet for those that strive to make a living at it. I have moved my inventory to http://creekers-this-and-that.ecrater.com/ and am very impressed by the funcionality if the site.
From Doug, West Palm Beach. FL Over 8% in commissions, plus an insertion fee, plus paypal fees is getting a little ridiculous.
From Tom Hampton NH Ebay has to do something. I am buyer on eBay and used eBay a lot 2-4 years ago. I n the last 2 years the quality of sellers has gone down to the point I don't use eBay any longer. In the last 6 months alone I have received a laptop that was broke, a laptop I never received and a product that would not work. eBay did nothing to help me getting my money back on these products. eBay had a great reputation with great sellers. Now it seems a lot of con artists are jumping on the eBay bandwagon so I am jumping off.
From Debi Pieraccini, Aberdeen, WA What I find humorous about ebay, is that they continue to down play the BOYCOTT… In actuality, the BOYCOTT continues!! It has been a major success so far and it will continue to affect the bottom line of their business… We have decided to extend this BOYCOTT with the majority of boycotters finding new venues to place their auctions!! How awesome is that???!!!
Many who joined in with the BOYCOTT OF EBAY, began with the full intention of being listened to, and had plans to go back to business as usual… BUT, we were constantly swept under the rug and looked upon as merely "noise"…
We are hard working business people, we are not a bunch of idiots who take that kind of sarcasim lightly…
EBAY WILL FALL… THEY ARE ALREADY FALLING!! They are padding their listings, they are allowing schill bidding and doing nothing about it, they are stealing from the small businesses who feed them which allows them to pay themselves million dollar incomes…
Most don't realize that the new ceo will make 900,000.00 a year… (not counting bonuses) That's more than the President of the United States makes!! And if he get's fired, he's gaurenteed a 2 year severence pay on top of that!!
Something is wrong with this picture!!
Once our merchandise is listed on other sites, (we're talking hours of unpaid work) what are the odds that we would go back to a company who has set us up for failure??? A company that changes the rules to allow a Seller to be a sitting duck for the common criminal???
The bottom line is, ebay wants to make more off of my labor than I do… Kinda like communist territory, making sure that the little guy can only make "so" much…
IT'S NOT OVER YET!! WE ARE CONTINUEING OUR BOYCOTT AND WE WILL STAY UNITED UNTIL EBAY CHANGES, OR GOES UNDER…
I would warn anyone who owns stock to dump it as quickly as possible… It won't be worth the paper it's written on soon!!
BOYCOTT EBAY FOREVER…
FORMER POWERSELLER…
100% FEEDBACK WITH NO RETALIATION
MOVED ON TO ONLINEAUCTION.COM!!
From DS..Valley Cottage….NY The Boycott is Continuing until March 9!!!!!!!!!!Take down the E-Beast Ebay……Sell your stock NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……….
From Melody, West Palm Beach, FL Goodbye Ebay
I find ebay's comments after this boycott to be repulsive! Saying it had no effect! Thats like saying none of those customers ever mattered to them! Ebay has let their head swell to an unmeasurable size. They don't care to listen to their customers legitimate complaints; instead they are too concerned with how deep they can make THEIR pockets!
I personally feel that the week long boycott isn't enough if it "had no effect" on them then let's see what kind of effect it would have if they lost all of those customers for good! I myself am using USAuctionsLive.com I opened a store on there and couldn't be happier with their service. Ebay will crash and burn, and who ever stays on board will just go down with the ship!
From Claire, York PA I am a seller of used/collectible/rare books. I moved my inventory to Amazon in Jan 07. (Abebooks is another great alternative.) I made $900 my first month, with much less effort on my part than eBAY had been, and great selling prices.
I now sell only an occasional non-book item on eBAY – 3 so far in 2008, and only one even resulted in a sale. I have 250 items on Amazon at any given time, with no listing fees and no PayPal fees on the final payment. Craigslist has also done very well for me, especially on furniture. I also run a website – as another poster mentioned it is not as hard as you would think.
The eBAY fees are now high enough that Amazon is very competitive. I miss the eBAY that I loved so much 10 years ago. It is gone forever.
– a former powerseller
From HI "Ebay? what’s that?
Do Americans take the internet that seriously?
The internet has empowered the wrong people….people who “think” they have power.. people who don’t think empower themselves by use of esoteric methods.
You can’t fight city hall. Well, you can’t fight a “Virtual” company either."
WHAT THE HECK? DID YOU GRAUDUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST SMOKED AND NOW YOUR RANTING JIBERISH.
From lynn may,topeka,kansas I am an Ebay power seller for 7 years now and I believe this is the worst we have been treated by Ebay. I just discovered yesterday while listing new items in my Ebay store I can no longer list anything under a dollar. We are the largest distributer of cameos in the USA and sell many for .50-.75. We have over 300 items in that price range. We are a wholesaler and our business is for the little guy who wants 1 item not 12.
When I first started they made a big deal of the stores and pushed to get you to open one.Yes it was a good idea and went well for several years. I had over 12,000 listings and at that time also sold beads. Then Ebay jumped the fees for stores and ending fees. I was forced to end 5000 auctions as beads only cost .17-.25 ea. When I did the math I was having to pay Ebay .2 for every .25 item I sold. I had just invested in over 25,000 just to increase my store volume and had to sell them in lots and lost half my money.
There are many subjects I can rant about and will do so upon request :). I believe most serious sellers are now opening their own websites to sell. It is easier than most people think. Feebay and I are coming to an end very soon. I have been an honest and reliable seller and not once has ebay ruled in my favor about anything. They have always favored the buyer.Feebay has taken the fun out of selling and buying.
From John, Richmond, VA I really think this could be a transition period with regard to the way many of us sell online. The truth is that listing and transaction fees just don't make sense in today's marketplace. The focus needs to be put back on member value. Fee increases and lack of feedback do not help members.
Several alternatives are trying to offer a platform where fees are only incurred for "value-added" services. Websites such as eCrater, which allows sellers to open a store and sell merchandise for free. Fees are only incurred for premium placement on the website, which is a value-added feature.
Or Shopcatching.com, which also allows sellers to open a store and sell merchandise without listing or transaction fees. This website also takes your merchandise and targets potential buyers, based on what they are looking for.
There are others out there as well, and many of them are offering innovative ways to give value back to the seller (and buyer).
From Kelsey TUS,AZ CANCEL MY FEEDBACK COMMENT, THEY FINALLY COUNTED IT. I'VE NEVER SEEN IT TAKE HOURS TO COUNT!
From gauctions Guys http://www.ebid.net is my personal favorite cause ebid features US and Uk sites
The main problems we are all having is that the real effects of this boycott has been brushed under the carpet well done CNN for Telling it as it is
Not alot of newgroups will say a bad word about ebay at all personally i dont know why.
eBay is really a place that needs to lose its users to another main site then it will try and win them back by being nice for a change
All down one round people and we will make a differnce
My Suggestion http://www.ebid.net (dont know why its not com)
http://gauctions.wordpress.com
My site where i rant more on ebay lol
From Jim Adams ebay has been Good to me but now with these new changes they are going to be bad to me now so i must leave otherwise i am doomed
Currently i am using the site
http://www.ebid.net i think its much better since it uses has way more auctions than OLA.com and it also uses an international approach to auctioniering alround i would say its great for a stable eBay replacement
Check out my site for Images of ebays Test Auctions that had over 300 lots of 300+ items which when calculated properly was around 1000000 items listed so i guess it does make sense that site traffic was up
http://gauctions.wordpress.com
From Jim Adams ebay has been Good to me but now with these new changes they are going to be bad to me now so i must leave otherwise i am doomed
Currently i am using the site
http://www.ebid.net i think its much better since it uses has way more auctions than OLA.com and it also uses an international approach to auctioniering alround i would say its great for a stable eBay replacement
From David Goldsboro, NC Ed Finch,
There is a way that you can show/incorporate your ebay feedback on other websites…go to http://www.feedbacksite.com.
This website is great for anyone who is looking for alternate auction sites/places to sell: http://www.powersellersunite.com/templates/psu/images/powersellersunite_logo.png
And, finally, to all of you who are deal with the horror known as paypal:
paypalsucks.com. By the way, google checkout is a much better credit/debit card payment website than playpal. Much cheaper too! God bless you all!
The boycott is NOT over!
From Kelsey TUS,AZ Feedback Policy IS IN EFFECT NOW Today I was left a negative by a buyer that was totally inappropriate. Of course you know they did not contact me first, as the warning page alerts, they never do, but I found out today, that when I left a negative back, they got a red ball, but not on their rating. So it actually is in effect now as far as your feedback rating goes. Good luck ebayers. I have totally had it. BTW I noticed I commented I posted earlier regarding ebay university being the solution went away, as did the person's comment who listed all web sites that ebay owns. There wasn't anything inappropriate, why were they removed?
From Daniel Gosh, so much misinformation is posted here…. Some examples:
- "eBay employees post 'test' auctions to artificially boost the numbers (and put the famous 'strike' effects in doubt)" – well, anybody can check the *actual* numbers – go to ebay.com, search for "test auction" (check 'Search title and description'), and the result is… 166 items! Also, if you use your common sense, a public company would *never* risk a massive manipulation like this – which would make more noise and even result in lawsuits; so the 'test auctions' BS is a result of its authors petty thinking and narrow-mindedness, a pathetic explanation why the 'strike' didn't give any results… nothing more.
- stories like "I've been using eBay for 10…12…15 years (for record, eBay was founded in 1996)…and this latest change make me shutdown my store and leave… to http://www.tinylittleauctionsite.com... which is sooo wonderful" – this is in most cases a crypto-commercial to drive traffic to the mentioned site; judge yourself – you are one of owners/creators/stakeholders of one of many eBay-wannabe sites; you recognize this buzz around eBay as a lifetime opportunity – what do you do? the cheapest way to spread the word is via such forums (one kid a couple of years ago made $2 millions on such strategy – by posting on forums penny-stock "advises"); that being said I believe there are *some* eBay users who are genuinely concerned by the proposed changes; usually though prudent users do not leave a site they've been part of for years (especially 10+ years ;), several days after the proposed change, instead they wait and see what changes mean to them, how it reflects on their bottom line, and where would they go; this process typically takes months.
- "PayPal will keep my money for 21 days" – eBay announced that only the auctions considered 'high risk' – and they emphasized they'd be surprised if more than 5% of auctions qualifies as such – will be affected; likewise, if the wining "sellers" are discontent that because of the bad feedback their items will be pushed down in the search, and the bad feedback is "easy to get considering that the buyers won't have anything keeping them from leaving negative feedback" – they are forgetting that the same rule applies to everybody else, "terrible, bad buyers" can happen to any "honest seller" – so why worry that you will end up lower than others? my take is – these are those lousy sellers, who take weeks to respond to a question, to send an item, or those charging $10 for shipping of a postcard; and that's great – these are the ones eBay wants to get rid of, as these are the ones who damage eBay brand.
so… if you read carefully, it's really not that difficult to detect not-so-hidden agendas; use your common sense, don't let them treat you like a fool…
From Virgil Scott I was a member of Ebay for 7 years and quit last year after 60 transactions. I paid for a rather expensive motorcycle part and never received it. Got absolutely no help from Paypal or Ebay although they constantly told me they were working on it. The jerk seller continued to sell and I was out hundreds of dollars. I will never even look at the site again. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. Virgil Scott
From Victor, Mexico City This reveals the poor intellectual level of some posters :) (although I have to give it to you – you guys can use online maps!) Number one, dear sherlocks, I can put here any city I wish; to demonstrate this wonderful feature, attention, I'm putting Mexico City now. Number two – San Leandro is located in Silicon Valley – which hosts thousands of software companies, including Google, Yahoo, Apple, Intuit and others. It's the ***hole you guys live in that has only one employee in 100 miles' radius… I am sorry, folks, to disappoint you… instead of trying to recognize the 'enemy' – look at impartial data http://www.medved.net/cgi-bin/cal.exe?ESHMm012008 (for Jan) and http://www.medved.net/cgi-bin/cal.exe?ESHMm022008 (for Feb) and anser the question – did anything happen at all? The slump on 20th is exlainable by the expiration of the promotion items listed on 13th, from there on the numbers were only growin, now it's by 500K more than monthly average of 12.5M. Do you need ot be a genius to see this?!
From Dan, Yuma, Arizona I have sold well over 1,000 items on eBay with NO negative feedback. In addition, I have purchased about 300 items. I will never buy or sell on ebay again. Period.
From C. Gordinier, Dunsmuir, CA Sell outs.
From Sowell,Brooklet, GA Before commenting, I decided to read some of those already posted. I didn't know much about the boycott so it helped me to understand what is going on and why,(to a degree).
I found from the very beginning of my ebay shopping that communication is key. I started in Sept.'06 for Christmas and had considerable success for that season. I ended my shopping in Feb'07 and did not begin again until Christmas shopping was on my mind again in the fall. At that time,I began to notice some subtle differences in fdbk from buyers and sellers. For accuracy, I must tell you I read fdbk and if I find neg fdbk, I read the "other side of the story"-either buyer or seller (not just for that transaction, but many more to get a feel for the writers and receivers of the fdbk). I get a picture of each person that way, good or bad impressions. After a short time last fall, I decided to deal only with 100% fdbk sellers, but then ammended it to sellers I communicated with that would reply and answer any questions I might have. Some buyers completely ignore emails. That tells a lot about a person because in this type buying situation it's the only way to handle a sale in a way that will assure buyer & seller satisfaction. When writing emails to a seller, remember you are one buyer and the seller may be getting hundreds of emails a week, so be sure to put all info relating to the possible purchase in the email. I don't know anyone that would go into a store and just give money to a sales clerk and have them bag up merchandise without looking at it, feeling the quality, knowing if something needs professional cleaning, whatever,etc. The communication process is the only way for a buyer to find out if the item is appropriate for them to bid on or buy. It is the reponsibilty of the buyer to ask the pertinent questions. (Also, retain all emails until the transaction is finalized with a safe delivery. Then leave fdbk for the seller so they know the transaction is complete and the customer is satisfied). It is the sellers responsibility, if they don't have time to answer myriads of questions, to supply ample photos and accurate descriptions. Fuzzy photos are not even worth posting. If sellers post only one photo, they should offer to send more at buyers request and not all of them will do that. After I have taken delivery and the item has arrived safely, I leave fdbk, then write a short personal thank you note through "contact member". All of these processes have helped me to have a good relationship with the sellers with which I have dealt.
Concerning the boycott,I intend to look further into other auction or sale sites because, I feel some of ebays new rulings are unfair. From the beginning, when I needed customer assistance it was virtually impossible to find a phone number or speak to a person. I find that unacceptable. I did not trust paypal because there were sellers that would not accept it. To me, that was a red flag. So, even though it is a little inconvenient, I use a USPS money order. I no longer send personal checks and don't use wireless payment. USPS seems to be the safest. Because ebay has implemented the new changes, I feel sure we will all find competitive sites to visit. If anyone wants to follow a particular seller,(remember our favorites list), write to them and ask where they will be selling. If you don't receive an answer, write again (we can only hope ebay will not censor those emails) or write to the address on any invoice from a previous sale.
From Bec, Seattle Washington I'm glad to see Ebay is changing the feed back system, I've been tired for years of sellers holding buyers over the barrel. Sellers won't leave feedback until the buyer does, therefore if the seller is crap you can't leave negative feedback because they will slam you in return. If sellers want to leave feedback they should have something like a 48 hour time limit after the auction ends so they can't continue to hold buyers hostage.
From Bob BEAT EBAY AT THEIR OWN GAME #101..List all your auctions as fixed price auctions with the "Best Offer" feature enabled..Purposely list the price at a level a higher than normal (i.e. $359 regular price is now $389)..Post your phone number in your description..Some buyers will call you and ask if you may be willing to sell your item at $369 or $359. Of course you only agree if the deal is done outside of eBay (= no eBay fees) other than the listing fee. If you have a good feedback level/rating this will work like a charm. Bidders will call you. You sell your item for about what you wanted anyway and the greedy execs at eBay get no fees. Since the listed price of $389 is too high, the odds are no one will use the Buy it Now (Fixed price) feature..When the auction ends without a buyer due to this "unusually high listed price" you get to relist it a second time for free assuming you have more than a quantity of one of that item. Any legitimate "best offers" you get through the eBay system during the course of the auction you will of course, turn down..Works a good percentage of the time. None of this would be necessary if eBay and their "Soprano" like bloodsucking, monopolistic collection agency known as Paypal (3% fee for electronically transferring money from one entity to another!!!)treated their sellers with the same goodwill as we do our own customers.
From Livewire, Vancouver BC How's that "strike" working out for everyone? Didn't think so. The "strike" was nothing more than half a dozen twits whose unsustainable business models had already failed, so they decided to blame eBay instead of taking the responsiblity themselves.
If eBay is really as bad as you say, you'd start up your own e-commerce website to peddle your goods. You'd get a merchant account to get paid.
Only two problems with that, right? You don't have the slightest clue how to make a website, and you don't care to open a merchant account because it's more expensive and more restrictive than PayPal.
The few sellers complaining about the changes all cry, "Listen to your customers, eBay!" eBay IS listening. To YOUR customers. They're implementing the changes eBay BUYERS have been demanding for years. No more "feedback hostage". No more retaliatory negatives. No more crapping up the site with 1¢ wallpapers and e-books.
The whiner sellers all cry "Without us sellers, eBay is nothing!" Reality check: Who do you think buys your items to give you the money that lets you pay your eBay fees? Without your buyers, YOU are nothing.
Further reality check: If your margins are so small that these eBay fee changes will drive you out of business, you had a garbage business model to begin with.
Finally, I love when people call it "feebay". Like, how DARE this company charge FEES for providing a service? Macy's department store? More like PAYcy's. They have the gall to charge money for the products in their store. Subway Restaurants? More like GREEDway. How dare they charge money for sandwiches. SHAME!
From Haskell Westrope Moore, OKlahoma I have been a powerseller and buying on ebay for several years. As a seller I leave feedback when a buyer pays and it is up to me to please the buyer. If they are not pleased I will refund their money without hesitation. I have 100% feedback rating. As a buyer I couldn't count the times that a seller has not been truthful in the description of the item, packed the item poorly and could care less if the buyer is pleased or what kind of condition that it is in when the buyer receives it. If you leave them bad feedback they will retaliate. The system needed to be modified. I expect my business will inprove when buyers relize that it is safe to purchase. If the sellers will do their job they will have no problems.
From Kathy, Dallas, TX I stopped buying on Ebay several months ago. I paid for my last 'win' 1 day after the auction closed via PayPal. The seller never shipped the product, never responded to my e-mails and then reported me to Ebay as a non-payer. He got his fees back and I got a strike by Ebay for an auction I had paid for. Since Ebay owns PayPal and the auction record itself showed I had paid by PayPal I couldn't understand why I was the one being treated like the wrong doer. The item was only $25 and that's how much PayPal would charge me to take the case against the seller so I lost out twice. But in the long wrong Ebay lost because I quit supporting their auctions.
From Ed Fitch, Sacramento, California Idea for an auction entity … If an auction site would agree to accept our Ebay feedback, and they had a friendly professional business model … in my opinion they would be an instant success. A ten year ebay participant.
From Pam Corrick, Fairfield Iowa The ability for both buyers and sellers to leave honest feedback was the core of what made ebay work. Sure, there were issues with retaliatory comments, but that went both ways, and despite that, you could still detect a dishonest seller as well as a dishonest buyer.
The feedback change leave us one-sided, and we're going to see a big increase in problem buyers.
As a powerseller myself, I rarely leave negative or neutral comments, but ebay is taking away all of the accountability where the buyers are concerned.
From Tom, Morristown TN I was an 8 yr member of EBAY and i closed my account 4 months ago b/c of fees but mainly it was due to their staunch anti-gun policy. Many times i had my listings closed b/c they were firearm related, even tho they were 100% legal and not on any ban list. If EBAY and PayPal cant acknowledge their users rights, then they didnt and dont deserve my business. Ive been without EBAY now for 4 months and have alot less headaches from not dealing with them and their dead head customer service reps. Good riddance to greedbay.
From Quincy, Toms River, NJ I quit eBay over a year ago, and these shenanigans aren't bringing me back anytime soon. Everyone who ever was on eBay got an email from the former CEO talking about how he wanted feedback and would improve the site. Well, I sent him an email telling him why I left, reasons such as doing searches for items found in the U.S. only, but I would still come up with tons of results that were listed as from the U.S., but actually weren't. I also mentioned how it became nearly impossible to weed out the legit sellers from the megasellers who were selling stuff at the same prices and inflating shipping as any other store or website. You need to set about seventeen filters every time you do a search anymore. It just wasn't worth it. Now all this? Forget it…eBay is dead. Sell the stock and head over to Amazon, or better yet, your own website. This is going to be a huge crash-and-burn within the next two to three years when eBay goes belly up. And bank on it, at this rate it will happen and CNNMoney will never be able to stop analyzing why and how it could have happened. Yet it's simple: It happened because eBay just got too big and corporate for its own good. Kind of like…well…every other business seems to do in this modern era. AOL-Time Warner, anyone?
From RS, Los Angeles, CA Both buyers AND sellers need to leave Ebay. There are sooo many other options out there:
http://www.auctionsitesearch.com
From John Richard If Ebay thinks they are just hurting the sellers, they are wrong,they also hurt the buyers, while I am not a big buyer on Ebay, I do use it to purchase selected items. In my opinion Ebay is starting a war, and if they(ebay) don't show some common sense and forget this crap, I will go elsewhere to buy what I want. I am NOT loyal to Ebay, I USE them.
From Phillipsburg, NJ I used eBay for ten years, sorry to see it fall, no more for me. No Paypal, Takes way to long to get you funds.
From P Littleton For all those comments dissing ebay sellers, one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch. There are thousands of honest hard working wonderful sellers on ebay. As well, there are thousands of great buyers, wonderful buyers. So if you've had a bad buying experience, the new changes at ebay are NOT going to improve your experience. You have to be a smart shopper. However, the good sellers will now be targets for the bad buyers. How is that fair?
I've sold on ebay for several years and made very little based on what I sell, high volume low priced very high quality items. I can't keep up with listing enough items so that I can make a little profit. So I consider myself the 'little guy' with nice big wonderful hard earned feedback. I've worked VERY had to achieve this goal, lost money doing it..because of the extortion situation that feedback creates. I don't think there is a simple solution, but the one feebay has planned for sellers by taking away our feedback ability is literally breathtaking. What a STUPID idea. I guess the combination of greed, money and power will eventually cause one to fall, taking everyone with them. Ebay..get a CLUE guys! Seller's are out to make a living(ish) and you, eBay, are out to make money from our blood/sweat/tears (but like a sweat shop). You have it all backwards dudes! No sellers, NO buyers..shut down..over and out. One hand washes the other..remember that saying? And why can't we get in touch with you via telephone? You make enough money to hire real live people, give us some REAL support. Oh and support that actually LISTENS and not ask what item number we're referring to when it has nothing to do with a particular item..what is that? ..every 'live' support person asks that eventually. They aren't reading what we type to them, they're reading from a script. And they love to pass you off to some email address somewhere where we can ask a question and pray it gets answered, meanwhile a dangerous feedback situation is brewing while we wait, with unhappy, impatient customers..lurking ready to strike our feedback rating because of a mistake eBay created (that's been my normal problem..eBay's repeated mistakes reflecting on my business unnecessarily.) Remember the old fashioned work ethic, customer service. Remember? http://www.blujay.com.. LOVELY place to sell your wares and it's free. Google and Amazon have a great online auction place too, and they're very well known! I've set up shop. I'm ready to move. This was your last chance with me. You've just lost my percentage, and I'll be gaining some hard earned fees back into my pocket. Shame on you for taking our money and figuratively stabbing us in the back. OUCH! Good luck and God bless.
From San Jose, CA I think it's time people begin to realize that eBay doesn't do anything innovative. The only thing it can grow and appease shareholders is to increase fees.
At some point, users will balk.
From serge i have realized that ebay sucks a long time ago, paypal is even worse. actually, if you look at it, ebay's demise started when it acquired paypal, that was a bad move, since the whole paypal model is flawed, it shouldn't be allowed to hold funds…
checkout all of our tools for independent merchants at
From John, Lubbock, Texas As sellers you get to assume the vast majority of the risk in an ebay transaction and now you get to pay more for it? WTF?
Maybe I will put an AD for onlineauction in all of my listings.
From A.V. Nashville, TN I've been selling on ebay for almost 2 years. I've weathered alot of storms, but this one put me over the edge.
I sell alot of lower priced items at fixed price listings with a low sales conversion rate as a % of listings, so the new fee structure actually benefits me. The new feedback structure does not.
I have over 2800 positives, with 1 negative. Yet, at least once or twice a month, I'll get someone who is trying to get something for nothing, or just likes to complain for no reason. The give and take on feedback is the only arsenal we have that forces buyers back to the table. Well, no more.
eBay likes to market themselves as a meeting place for buyers and sellers, no different than the landord of a shopping mall, or a flea market. Well, would a landlord of a shopping mall tell his tenants what forms of payments they must accept in order to do business in their mall? Would a mall landlord encourage patrons to leave open criticisms of the shops there and not allow the shop owners to have their say? I started my ebay business so that I wouldn't be a slave to a greedy corporation….well, looks like I'm just another slave to another corporation.
I've decided enough is enough. I've launched my own website, http://www.theclassicarchives.com. With the open source zen-cart shopping cart, setup was a lot easier than expected and much simpler. I started from scratch when they made their initial announcement at the beginning of the month and now I'm open for business, and I'm far from a web expert. The tools and resources are there and available for anyone to open and run their own website, its quite easy.
I'm still on eBay for now, but I'm in the slow process of weaning myself off as I start target more traffic to my site and get eBay out of my life. I've just had enough of their nonsense.
They tell me how to run my business and they encourage my customers to basically be rude to me. The lords of ebay have forgotten that those customers are MY customers, and I AM eBay's customer. Buh Bye, Ebay Nazis.
From Leslye S, Durham, NC I comment earlier assumed that it is the "professional sellers" that are "whining". Who are you kidding? They've straight out told small sellers they might want to look into another venue. I'm a very small seller; just selling to pay some medical bills and downsize my parent's stuff. My margin was already extremely slim ( $0.50 on some transactions). Now ebay is further eating into that – and paypal won't be far behind. they've taken away my ability to protect myself from buyers behaving badly.I've walked, as have many others, large and small. For us, it's no longer a boycott. We're outta there! OnlineAuctions, Bidville, Wagglepop,etc, are gaining speed – check them out!
From Tom, Rapid City, South Dakota I too was blacklisted from eBay for no apparent reason. After months of trying to get someone to listen, Ebay finally admitted their mistake. Paypal was even worse. The bad far outweighs the good regarding these two entities. I'll enjoy watching their demise.
From Ed Fitch, Sacramento, California I am basically done with ebay … I have over 1150 positives 0 negatives and have been with ebay for over ten years. I have wasted so much money with ebay and paypal in an attempt to keep my 100% positive rating (fraudulant bidders etc.). My average transaction was over $200.00. The new rules and fee structure do not make a great deal of business sense for me. Moreover, I have been running an ad for my website http://www.realtydollars2u.com at a huge expense and received very little exposure from the ad. I am now looking for alternatives … what a waste of time, energy and money. I hope ebay reconsiders at least the buyer feedback issue … A faithful ten year ebay participant.
From Moving on! i have been a "buyer" and a "seller" on ebay for the last 10 years. As a buyer I have had great experiences with a few very bad. Good thing for feedback and paypal. One purchase even led to the FBI calling my husband and him helping them find a woman selling computers she didn't send out.
As a seller I have just sold things around the house that i have not needed anymore plus painted items that i paint. I don't think it is fair that the seller no longer can leave feedback. As a seller i have 100% feedback and I think buyers will abuse the feedback.
My plan was to sell more on ebay in the coming year. By eBay changing this policy I am looking into other onine sources.
All about GREED! I'm not working for eBay!!!!!!
From Lynn Walker, Ritzville, WA Someone mentioned that it's impossible to find a phone for EBay. Well, it's very _nearly_ impossible, but here are two that might still work. (800) 322-9266 and (888) 749-3229. Maybe if they were easier for their users to contact, they'd pay more attentions to our complains and protests. Good luck!
From ebay powerseller considering to leave ebay, New Orleans, LA We need Microsoft and Bill Gates to establish competition against ebay. I would be the first in line to sign up!
From Kim, Binghamton, NY I sold a number of things on ebay, but I was a very small seller in the larger scheme of things. At the time when I actually had listings up there, I only accepted Paypal, because I generally sold items when I needed a little extra cash and I didn't want to wait for a check to arrive and clear. I clearly stated, several times over, in all of my listings that I only accepted Paypal. After one item ended, which had several people bidding on it, the buyer contacted me to ask if he could use a credit card over the phone. What??! I am not a business, just a person trying to get a little cash to buy some groceries. He refused to use paypal, and I couldn't wait for a check. Luckily, a got a second chance offer sent out got my money from another buyer. Needless to say, I left negative feedback for this buyer, and I think it was fully deserved. Now, I would have no recourse for a buyer like this. That seems awfully unfair. If I hadn't already stopped selling on ebay, this would have pushed me over the edge.
From Al Van Dyke, Holland Ebay? what's that?
Do Americans take the internet that seriously?
The internet has empowered the wrong people….people who "think" they have power.. people who don't think empower themselves by use of esoteric methods.
You can't fight city hall. Well, you can't fight a "Virtual" company either.
From Derek, Nutley, NJ Ebay has been a junky operation for a while, as far as percentages they charge go. If you want to sell or buy things you might find at a flea market, then its fine. But if you are a serious seller or buyer, you've already left the company. Why is anyone surprised at the unfairness of an auction site that is, for all intensive purposes, unregulated?
From Bill, Dallas TX re: PayPal. Not sure where Daniel and C. Hunter got the notion that PayPal protects the buyer.
I've sold a handful of things on eBay – and had good photos – and accurate descriptions – and happy buyers. These were smooth sales.
I bought a Blackberry from a Canadian seller – advertised "like new." It arrived with some minor scratches (not a huge deal to me) but was missing the software to run it AND was loaded with data from the previous owner. I complained about the "like new" misrepresentation – if it were new it would come with software. The seller protested and claimed it was available on line – if I only knew which system to download. Never got it to work – AND – eBay and PayPal both ran me in circles to deal with the other party – and as a result neither of them stepped up to the plate and worked for me. All in all, I kissed $75 goodbye and never dealt with them again.
From Rob EBAY has been the big boy on the block and we think over time the company has thought to have become invincible. There will be change we forcast. Kind of likr the break up of AT&T and the creation of the baby bells. Now there will be a choice for other auction sites to cash in like the new Variety Zone Auctions VZbid.com and others.
From Nick from Cincinnati, Ohio If you really want to get eBay's attention there are only two effective strategies.
1. Sell your eBay stock.
The new bosses at eBay care about one thing and one thing only: the stock price. If enough people sell their stock the stock price will fall. Then eBay will realize their actions have actually hurt the company (and hence the stockholders – the only people they care about).
2. Buy some stuff on competitive online auction sites.
Right now eBay feels they can do whatever they want to sellers because sellers don't have any other options. Sellers are forced to stay on eBay because that is where the buyers are. If the other online auction sites could attract some buyers away from eBay then they would be forced to change their policies.
From G Orlando, FL Ebay is sortof a monopoly, and so they have the luxury of just not giving a crap about their customers. They have their system set up so it automatically collects fees and relisting fees. But if you are due a refund it intentionally doesnt function and it can take tedious, numerous exchanges with staff to get your credit due. And if you do get credit, the wording they sometimes use makes it sound like they are doing you a favor. Gee, thanks. The problem is there is no single good competition. Even if there are other good sites there are too many. If there was a single site that could get a good % of Ebay's traffic, Ebay wouldn't last 6 mos against it. Their negative reputation is doing nothing but growing.
From Kim Pendleton, Tulsa, OK Well I couldn't resist puting my "two cents" in here. I have been a Buyer and Seller on Ebay for several years and during these years I have learned that both EBAY and PayPal have NO customer service at all. Try finding a phone number to talk to a person on Ebay! Live Help are robots with robotic answers. I sold a video game system on Ebay, item arrived, I received POSITIVE feedback from buyer, couple of weeks later PayPal notifies me the funds have been withdrawn on this transaction because the Buyer filed a "fraudulent" charge for this transation stating he did not "authorize" the transaction. I tried to explain to PayPal that the item was already delivered, feedback was left but PayPal would do nothing until the Buyer (scammer) indicated that they did indeed receive the merchandise and they indeed authorize the transaction. I was forced to call the Buyer on the telephone and threaten criminal charges against him if he did not have PayPal reverse the chargeback. He acted like he didn't know why PayPal had reversed the charges in the first place – and also stated PayPal had also done this for five other of his transactions.
Also, are you people aware that if you use PayPal OUTSIDE of Ebay PayPal offers you no recourse if item is not received or not as described. Yes, I found this out the hard way when an Ebay Seller sent me an invoice OUTSIDE of Ebay to pay for an item. This was done to consolidate three items and reduced shipping charges on one invoice. Items arrived damaged and my claim with PayPal was automatically closed because it did not qualify under there protection policy because the transaction occurred OUTSIDE of Ebay. Good riddens to Ebay and PayPal. I am happy to take my business elsewhere!
From Gary Ocala, FL I found ebay a great place to expand my aquarium shop sales, As well as a good stock investment, over the years I have seen some drastic increases in seller fees but this takes the cake, Not only will I remove all my live auctions to other sites I am also dumping these shares as the only place they have to go now is down ! Good Bye Ebay ! It was fun well it lasted !
From Scott Grayban, Spokane, WA I used to be a buyer on ebay until I was blacklisted for no reason. I never had a negative feedback reply however if I felt the seller overcharged for shipping I also said that in there feedback and apparently if you complain that a seller charged you $30 for shipping when the actual cost was $15 that is enough to have any seller blacklist you.
I don't like getting ripped off by sellers when they set a 200% + markup on there prices. Ebay isn't a store — Ebay was originally meant for people to sell there unwanted items.
If you are a professional ebay seller please do everyone a favour — get a real job to pay your bills. Professional ebayers have ruined Ebay.
Buyers are out for a "bargin" not a scam with high prices.
From stephanie monyak– washington,pa Ebay is displaying a total disregard for it's sellers on this one. They are not even going to allow a seller to rate a buyer with a neutral-neutral ratings do not affect your rating but at least it could alert other sellers that there had been a problem-now what do they think we are going to do? IS this what political correctness has come to in this climate?
From Jack Johnson The best way to deal with Ebay is in a court of law for unfair trade practices. Ebay does NOT like to go to court. I know this from experience. All your complaining will just lead them to do more of these questionable actions against sellers. Take them to court.
From C Hunter Walker I've been mostly a buyer, but occasionally a seller on Ebay for 9 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed the items I've sold, and have 100% feedback. In one instance, I received a grossly mispresented and damaged item from a seller. Thank goodness for Paypal. When I offered to return the item to the seller in exchange for a refund (less the shipping), the seller still refused, buy Paypal helped me to get the refund and make the fradulent seller take her item back. I do see how the policy may hurt sellers if the buyers are dishonest though. As for the fee hike, it has made me rethink the ebay store I've been planning for the past 6 months. The fees would eat too much into profits. I'm searching for an alternative, so any suggestions are appreciated.
From my, anywhere al ebay reminds me of the Clinton's. We are unbeatable, nobody can take us down. Think again ebay……… You might be just like the Clinton's and take yourself down.
From Brian, Indianapolis, Indiana Amazon allows people to leave feedback about sellers without taking a retaliatory hit from the seller, and the sky has yet to fall because of this.
As a buyer, I am sick of having to leave positive feedback for some con artist who has shipped me broken or bogus merchandise. The whole feedback system is broken, placing occasional buyers over a barrel, holding their reputations hostage unless they leave positive feedback for sellers, even when they absolutely do not deserve it.
As far as the percentages go, I agree that it's a huge hike and totally unfair.
Giving priority to high-volume sellers is also unfair. And if I ever feel that eBay is trying to steer me away from a good deal, I'll stop shopping with them.
From Jill, Honolulu HI I am a former Powerseller on Ebay in the childrens' clothing sector. Once upon a time, Ebay brought my family extra money and gave me the satisfaction of having a job that I enjoyed and could do alongside raising and homeschooling my children. This newest round of changes, however, made me realize that this is not the kind of thing that I want to have in my life. My time away from my children is worth money…and with the new fee structure and tiered search engine, I know that I will not be getting enough to make it worth missing even a second of their childhoods. On top of that, I refuse to put myself in a position where my "employer" feels that I am so much of a threat to the auctionplace that they must "protect" their buyers from me. It's insulting to think that I worked for TEN YEARS on Ebay on a nearly FLAWLESS record (1 negative almost 8 years ago out of thousands of feedback), working so hard to please my buyers that I would gladly stay up until 2 a.m. to ensure that packages made it out on time, and in return, I am losing all protection that Ebay had previously afforded me. They can even freeze my payments if some crazed buyer decides to give me a negative. Angry isn't even the word. Insulted, degraded, disenfranchised and unappreciated…so Ebay, you may not care about this, but people like me helped make you what you are, and you should be ashamed of how you've treated us. You're too big for your britches and we've had enough.
From Jill, montpelier, Id I quit selling on Ebay a couple of years ago. It use to be a nice place to buy and sell, but then I decided it wasn't worth my time. I find that I rarely even check things out on that site anymore.
From Bob in Massachusetts Hello. I've stopped accepting paypal for my larger auctions (over $50). There are too many thieves who know the paypal system and how to beat it (and ultimately me). I'm a power seller on ebay but have scaled down my ebay sales and am doing more local live auctions. I recently cancelled an ebay auction that was to do upwards of $6K and consigned the item to an international auction house instead. With ebay and paypals fees, I would be charged the same fees as the international auction house. However, I feel I've been treated better at the live auction house. Smaller value items will still be sold on ebay until an online competitor can get up to speed. Buying and selling things is my full time job. It's paid many mortgage bills.
From Dave – Fullerton, CA I have about $5000 worth of stuff I need to sell, and I can't get it sold locally. I don't want to use ebay OR paypal anymore, but it really does seem like they're the only option! Are other people still honoring this boycott after today?
From James, Toronto, Ontario Ebay's changes remind me of when Coke introduced "New Coke", ie they are starting to play around with their core product, and will lose marketshare. Yes there are bad sellers, but as many or more bad buyes, and refusing to allow sellers to rate bad buyers, is bad business! I think Ebay has commenced the road to a permanent decline.
From Sharon, Portola, CA As a potential seller, I've decided that eBay is NOT the way to go. They keep making changes that make NO sense in the on line marketplace, and people, whether they're buyers or sellers, aren't going to just take it lying down.
But as an eBay buyer, I'm also ticked of. I've worked very hard to maintain 100% positive feedback. When the new policy takes effect in May, no longer allowing sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers, all my hard work at being a GOOD ebay buyer will wind up being for naught.
Needless to say, I'll be doing very little eBay buying any more, and again, to heck with my ever becoming an eBay seller.
From Joe,Arlington,VA Ebay's business practices are a theater of the absurd.
The idea that a buyer can now do pretty much as they like is simply wrong. Why would a corporation that depends on both sellers and buyers take the rights of one party away at the benefit of the other?
I for one, am dumping everything I sell as fast as possible to beat these asinine new rules.
From Ed, Salt Lake, Utah As a Consumer, I would never buy on e-bay again. I've ordered items that appear to be illegal copies or plan old don't function as described. The sellers can argue all they want but e-bay needed to protect the consumers ages ago…that's why I don't shop on the website anymore. Without the consumers – there is not need for the suppliers…
From Mark, Jacksonville FL I am a eBay power seller since 2001. This is my first boycott. In the past, I have taken eBay's changes in stride. eBay is going about this change all wrong. It would seem that the leadership is trying to force seller's into giving out a level of customer service in comparison to big box stores. Small seller's are simply not set up to provide that type of service. On eBay, the buyer has an equal responsibility in the quality of the transaction and of the overall experience. After all, eBay seller's comprise a large segment of buyer's. I am afraid that eBay's bigget problem is the condescending and arrogant manner in which the leadership chose to implement a bad policy that is intended to create a silk purse from a sow's ear.
From John, Pasadena, CA As both a small time buyer and seller I would like to comment on the seller feedback issue. I agree with eBay on ths one. Just two week ago I bought a replacement laptop charger, which wasn't even close what was advertised. I didn't want my money back (the shipping was half the cost anyway) and left negative feedback.
Within five minutes I got my first negative feedback from the seller, stating how unreasonable it was to leave negative feedback just because they sent the wrong item… Three days later we agreed to "retract" the comments. The existing system is baloney.
From Randy, Austin, Tx. A buyers part of the transaction is not finished as soon as he or she pays. They still need to communicate with the seller should any problems occur during shipping or otherwise. They should leave positive feedback if they feel it was a positive transaction or contact the seller if they are dissatisfied for any reason. Too many ebayers(usually newbies) don't and leave a negative with no communication at all. I know because I sell on ebay. I have 4 negatives. I have 1280 feeback at a 99.7 and am completely comfortable my four negatives. I have left a negative first and I have left a positive after recieving a negative. Thats all.
From jed helena AK ebay = corporate criminals
find someone else
From San Francisco Ca WOW a few post down says EBay is more addictive than coke or sex, this person need seriously help so if anyone can help this Serious addict please reply to his post
From Dirk Portsmouth NH Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. If Ebay wasn't here none of the "professional" sellers would have anything to whine about, now would they. Ebay didn't start out as a place for people to supplement their incomes. It started out as an online auction site, remember?
From Dave Powers, Indianapolis, IN This is all about ebay. When you become big you think that you can flex your muscles and be invincible to the poeple that have made you rich. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. This will hurt ebay in the long run. Sellers will only sell to people they trust. Also lowering the listing fees and getting more on the backend hurts the seller. We the sellers need to come together and create our own website. Greediness will get you nowhere.
From daniel Paypal is very safe–for buyers. For sellers, it is risky to accept paypal payments because of shady buyers who do criminal chargebacks. Paypal always sides with the buyer and the seller has to deal with tons of red tape to get their money back for a product that was shipped and then the buyer says it wasn't just to get their money back. Sellers, who even insure with tracking numbers, have to wait months to re-coup their losses. The real fraud on Ebay are buyers who have manipulated the charge-back policy (which is why sellers should have the right to feedback such users). Sell on Ebay and you will lose money. The fees eat you up on marginally profitable items and then if you find a hot high profit item, the chargeback prone buyer will find you. It's a lose-lose situation. The good ole Ebay days are gone. But, I bet there is a competitor ready to step in. It might take a while to reach Ebay level, but it will happen. I quit selling on Ebay last year (after 10 years), and I know others who have cut their losses and left too. It's just not like it used to be.
From Dirk Portsmouth New Hampshire Ebay was much better when it first started… Before people started making a career out "Ebay-ing". There were no dealers. No professionals. I scored some really great deals from those people genuinely looking to rid themselves of their excess stuff for bargain prices. An online yard sale.
Then came the "professionals". Those that, I am presuming, were the people boycotting Ebay. I have no sympathy for someone who can't make their mortgage payments because their Ebay sales are down. Wah! Get a real job!
Ebay is filled with so much commercial crap from dealers these days that I don't even bother to look. Why should I when I can find the same merchandise locally, read no shipping costs, for the same price.
Ebay is not what it once was. Boo-hoo for the professional sellers.
From Maria, Oak Park IL I just don't understand the mentality by not letting sellers post feedback about buyers. As both a seller and buyer, I do look at feedback often. I just don't get it. What's the point of a one sided relationship here? I'm definately looking for a new venue. I will only use ebay if I can't find it anywhere else. Then again, I probably don't really need teh item that badly that I should throw my principals right out the window.
From D Melbourne. Arlington Texas What does "Seller can only leave positive feedback" mean? Are sellers comments going to be moderated? Could not sellers leave the word "negative" and details somewhere in the positive feedback, just to pass on the info to the next seller (which is what sellers are afraid of is being lost). Will you be able to respond to buyer feedback at all?
This seller gag order is going to backfire I believe. eBay must know this is a real gamble, which means they must be pretty desperate.
You wait to see what happens to buyer traffic when every power seller starts getting large negatives.
Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
bye bye eBay.
From Joan, Darien, IL I'm glad that Ebay changed it's feedback policy. I, for one, have been the subject of mean, retalitory feedback from buyers when either my purchase was sent to the wrong address or sent more than a month later.
Also, for some time, I feel that sellers would hold their feedback as ransom until the buyer left feedback first. After the buyer has paid for an item, their part of the transaction should have been finished and feedback was warranted at that time. But instead, sellers would wait for them to be rated first so they could retaliate with a similar message, good or bad.
From San Francisco Ca I started and eBay store back in Oct. I paid for all extra services they offer stores I made a website I spent money marketing and had a 100% rating in 2 months time by 76 people and 3k in sales. EBay was over charging me fees to the tune of 700.00 for 2500 in sales. I made dozens of attempts to contact support and all I ever got back was a pasted reply where to read Q&A on their website. 15 times at least no matter what I asked for help with. I used every avenue to get real answers. No phone number ever no way to talk to anyone and Pay Pal does the same stuff. They both have the attitude ""we know you need us we don’t care what issues you have" my EBay business had to close after good success and I will NEVER use EBay again. And hey Craig you sell more of your website to EBay and I wont use Craiglist either. I will do all I can not to us Pay Pal as well. I have had it
From Mark Goddard, Kelowna,BC, Canada This is a classic David and Goliath type of struggle. But this Goliath has a good side in that people can make money from him. I have made some good money off of ebay despite there high fees.I work hard for my 100% feedback and I try to satisfy every customer, doing whatever it takes to accomplish this. I would like to pay less fees but i am glad ebay is there. So the one and only solution to ebays monopoly is to have competition. Somehow, someway, another popular auction site has to rise to meet this challenge.Only then will ebay lower fees and be nicer to their clients, because if they don`t ,they will lose out to the competition.
From Deb, Star Valley, AZ And now that I read the comments that were left while I was posting, I can only say that the buyers who are driven out by negs are usually the ones who don't understand how things work in the civilized world and SHOULD be driven out.
They don't bother contacting the seller with a problem, they just leave a neg. They don't give a seller a chance to make things right, they just leave a neg. Then they cry when they get one back.
(And, yes, I know there are some horrid sellers out there and this doesn't hold true for every buyer who gets a neg.)
If they would use the system CORRECTLY and file the REPORTS (Item not received, Not as described, Seller non-performance) instead of thinking a NEG is the correct way to get redress, then they would be less likely to get negged back and MORE likely to get the bad seller sanctioned.
But some buyers have no more conflict resolution skills than any name-calling third grader and shouldn't expect anything but name-calling ("takes one to know one") back.
eBay could have solved the problem by removing bad sellers but they don't want to lose all those listing fees. Instead of solving the PROBLEM, they just eliminated the SYMPTOM by taking away the balance of power.
Prices are GUARANTEED, WITHOUT QUESTION to go up. Anyone who ever took Economics 101 knows that RISING PRICES means FEWER CUSTOMERS.
DUH.
BOYCOTT VICTORIOUSLY … until they get IT.
From Patrick, Blacksburg, VA I think this will ultimately be the biggest business blunder since "new coke". I am dismayed as a customer and appalled as a (former) investor.
From Deb, Star Valley, AZ The boycott isn't winding down. It is going on. The echo will come when those who aren't boycotting because they didn't realize the implication of FeeBay's "insertion fee reduction" gets their bills and finds out that for every nickel given at the front end, Feebay is taking a quarter at the back end.
Donahoe thinks we're just "noise" but this "noise" has legs and is walking out the door.
And Meg thinks she's going to run for governor. HA! This happened on HER watch.
BOYCOTT VICTORIOUSLY … until they get IT.
From F. Shaw, Jenks, OK I buy and sell a few things on Ebay each year but it is definitely no longer my #1 go-to place when I'm looking for something. I believe that like everything else, Ebay will have it's "day in the Sun" and if they are not careful with their practices they will lose consumer confidence in the end and someone else will pick up where they left off.
From Jack, Toronto, Canada I recently bought a digital camera from a seller on Ebay, ccn-electronics.
He charged me $10 for shipping, which was quite high, considering he shipped the camera in a plain paper envelope, spending all of $2 on postage.
The camera arrived physically damaged due to this improper packaging, however the seller refused to do anything to remedy the situation.
After over a month of trying to get legal recourse, I left the seller well-deserved negative feedback.
The same day, the seller left me slanderous negative feedback, and then emailed me with an offer to "mutually withdraw the feedback".
This seems like a common practice nowadays for bad sellers to use feedback as a weapon. Now, people are scared to leave negative feedback against a seller, even if the seller was of the worst kind, like the one I dealt with.
I applaud Ebay trying to protect buyers. This is a great move!
From Still like'n ebay NYC I have sold, as a small seller, throughout the boycott and happy to do so. All this whining about fee increases and the nasty buyers is tiring.
Buyers aren't nasty. THEY ARE CUSTOMERS!!! No customers no business. That is why I kind of laugh when I hear of mass departures to sites with cheaper listing fees. Sure fes are cheap because ther are no customers over there. The cost of admission to eBay is about as low as you can get.
Even ebay would say these day that high volume sellers whould have their own ecommerce sites etc. I think they bought ProStores just to help powersellers acheive that end.
If sellers scare buyers away that is what will kill eBay. If people are unhappy selling on eBay and thus scare away buyers for others, I am happy to see them depart for other sites.
All prices rise. Look at gas these days, look at food, look at housing these costs are risiong faster then eBay fees.
From George Farewell, Phoenix, Arizona Can I say something here?
When I first found out that Ebay is raising the fees, I was outraged to the point where I swore I would never sell on Ebay again.
But then, selling on Ebay is addictive, more addictive than sex and coke, so all the buyers will be back and all the sellers will be back like the obedient dogs they are. The thinkers on Ebay have calculated this just right: raise prices enough to make their obscene profits even more obscene, but keep all the junkies in the system.
From Charles, allentown, pa I wrote down the number of listings in toy and hobbies category. On monday morning it was 793000 and as high as 795000. By wednesday it was down to 640000. Down 150k in three days. Ebay says that the boycott did not show up. Being down over 20 percent shows a lot. That was only one category.
From Debi Pieraccini, Aberdeen, WA I have opted out of Ebay forever… I will do all I can to help with the continued BOYCOTT…
The lies have gotten bigger and the greed way out of hand…
I believe that this is the beginning of the end for Ebay…
As their new policies take effect and the sellers reputations are damaged along with pockets emptied, I believe they won't be able to find our BOYCOTT GROUP fast enough…
We will stick together as we have through this last week, and we will have the victory…
Too bad Ebay didn't feel the need to bend at all…
BOYCOTT EBAY FOREVER!!
From scowley UPDATE FROM CNNMONEY/FSB
A wrap on the boycott is up now: EBay boycott winds down, but anger remains. I'm still reading all the comments and such; we've just quieted down because we've covered most of the angles on this that we can see. One more major piece coming tomorrow, on PayPal …
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From topseller Albuquerque NM Mr Webster…
I appreciate your point of view but wanted to mention a few things.
1) "Make buyer leave feedback first" is a non-issue because, according to Ebay, leaving feedback is VOLUNTARY and is not required as part of a transaction. It states in Ebay help: "While leaving Feedback is voluntary, eBay encourages all members to leave Feedback after each transaction is complete. There are different philosophies on whether the buyer or seller should leave Feedback first. Each member may choose the best approach to leaving Feedback for them."
If this was a major issue causing buyers to leave Ebay, Ebay would require sellers to leave feedback for buyers as a requirement for releasing payment when paying through Paypal.
2) If Ebay had an issue with handling charges they would REQUIRE that shipping and handling charges be included in the bid price.
I think the issue of buyers leaving Ebay is that Ebay does not EDUCATE buyers about the ways to succeed in the Ebay COMMUNITY. They have pitted buyers against sellers in an adversarial relationship and no one is happy.
I looked at my negs/neutrals and fully 80% of them are from buyers with less than 10 feedbacks…ie newbies. Most of the rest are retals from buyers after UPIs are initiated against the buyer. BTW my feedbacks number well over 10000 and I am at 99.9%.
For buyers, a negative is all about ego and not about function. Buyers can buy with lots of negs…sellers cannot sell with a lot of negs. If negs REALLY bother them, buyers can open a new userID in a few minutes and have a clean slate and buy. Sellers who do that will have few people to buy from them because of their lack of [feedback] experience.
So the "right direction" would be for Ebay to EDUCATE buyers and have a level playing field. CLAMP DOWN on the bad buyers and sellers, and make the Ebay neighborhood a pleasant place to shop again.
From Tom Webster eBay has evolved into a very buyer-unfriendly place, due in large part to all the "get rich quick on eBay" books and forums, most of which contain at least some highly questionable pieces of advice. Among these are "make the buyer leave feedback first" and "make your profit on handling charges" (there are others). Because of these poor practices, and the bad experiences they promote, buyers are leaving eBay in droves. The future of eBay as a marketplace depends on reforms, and the changes eBay has announced are a move in the right direction. These changes are not about profit per se – they are about survival.
From Annie FL I think Yahoo had the best auction system, even better than ebay for many reasons – but at the time, ebay had too much of a monopoly. Yahoo still runs their auctions in other countries. I would like to ask them to bring back their USA auction site.
Yahoo's customer care service line is 866-562-7219
There's a whole string of extension numbers offered so we'll probably end up in different departments but that's ok. I called to inquire about Yahoo Auctions and asked them to please pass the request along.
Also, here's a customer care request form. I asked for USA Yahoo auctions to be brought back online.
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/faq.cfm
From Nadine Carroll There is so much more you could do with this story. There aren't just general auction sites like eCrater and Bidville and individual websites out there. Former eBay business is splintering into many specialist sites: RubyLane and TIAS.com for antiques, Playle and Delcampe for postcards and stamps, etc. You could do a new followup each week based on category: where are antiques/collectibles? where are postcards and empemera? where is media? where are clothes? where are liquidations? where are computers and electronics? etc etc. Be sure to note results as the millions who are trying to figure out where to go are very interested in sell-through rates at the various sites, since only the auction sites make it visible.
From Julie Mathos Thank you for writing your article on the eBay backlash. eBay has been a helpful tool to get exposure but I am not sure how profitable it has ever been with fees from eBay plus the other take from paypal. As a European based seller, the current EUR to USD exchange rate has been gradually reducing our profits and this will be the final nail in the coffin. It is not only the fees, it is that customers already use the feedback system as black mail to get more and the seller is often forced into completely unprofitable transactions to try and please people wanting something for nothing. Buyers don't get hurt by negative feedback and never have because a seller can not choose not to sell to someone that is difficult.
Your article as well as the others CNN online has written has given me hope for alternative sites and options to replace our dependance on eBay. We really appreciate your report and the very useful information.
From Sasa Pocek Dear Lenora,
I relly enjoyed your article on eBay alternatives. I only wanted to ask if you have done any research about niche auction sites. I own an online aviation auction – AeroBid (www.aerobid.net ) and we focus on aviation related items and unlike eBay are completely free to use. Our revenue is derived from displaying ads. I was wondering if you could look into a possibility of writing an article about how niche auction sites provide a good alternative to eBay and in the process mention us.
Thank you on your time,
Sasa Pocek
From anonymous, Blairsden, CA I was an eBay Power Seller for many years. Within the last year I have drastically cut back on buying from eBay. If I see something I want, I do a web search for the item. Invariably, I can find the same thing -less expensive and often with free shipping. Hopefully, eBay bidders will soon catch on, as prices on eBay must increase in order to meet the sellers' costs. Bye-bye Buy-it-now!
From CW, Pittsbuergh PA Gordon–
I think you are right about shorting Ebay. The funny thing is that your argument was the original argument made against B2B exchanges back in 1999/2000 when everybody was planning one for vertical markets: the idea that it's too easily replicable and while it commoditzes markets in other products, it too will become commoditized. This was a reaction to the hype which developed as an initial reaction to Ebay's early success. Remember B2B Exchanges by I think Arthur Scully?
Regards,
Chris Johnston
Carrierworld LLC
From Gordon Freeman eBay is over. They have had a veritable monopoly for years, and now, they have crossed the line. It is clearly an issue of a large publicly traded company with limited growth in its core business not knowing what to do other than testing price elasticity. The marketing spin that they keep putting out is actually some of the most unbelievable boulderdash I have seen in possibly my 25 years in the tech business, and any other business for that matter. This Usher dude should be fired, drawn and quartered.
What most folks have to understand (I am a silicon valley tech executive) is that what eBay has done is not that hard to replicate/duplicate. They have brand, but the mechanics of the system are simple to copy in software.
Meg gave the company an honorable and moral image for years, but as growth slowed, and as the company started promoting large firm's business through its sites, as opposed to the regular joes who created the company, it lost its way. Plus, the pressures of public ownership cause it to seek growth every quarter as we all know, and fees are the only way to do that. They add little value for these fees.
At this point, a regular person who want to sell on eBay will lose 10-20% of the sale price in zillions of fees that are stacked up both up front and final value, as well as funds transfer via Paypal. The average person selling small stuff loses way too much margin dollars to eBay now.
Take a look at listings in most areas. There is little left in the way of private people trading via the tried and true auction format. Its mostly high priced stuff with Buy it Now listings. Retail has become cheaper and in many cases, more accessible.
Whats even worse, is that eBay may in fact be committing fraud when it publishes its listing data. If a company artificially changes "business data" to create an impression of upside, they are in fact, committing securities fraud. Them saying that listings are up, which the layman has no way to verify, when they are most likely down, OR changing the method of counting in order to change public perception, is in fact no different than falsifying revenue.
It is well known that they have done a huge amount of "Test Listings" during this period. They could in fact be creating millions of false listings without anyone knowing.
Time to short eBay
From LW Dallas Tx Annie Said:
It seems to be fairly obvious that “Victor” is a Company employee.
Posted By Annie FL : February 24, 2008 12:49 pm
NO BOUT A DOUBT IT. SAN LEANDRO IS 34 MILES AND 39 MINUTES FROM SAN JOSE. AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT MAJOR CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER "E" IS LOCATED IN SAN JOSE!
From Patricia I've also been with Ebay since 1998 selling continously. This is the first week I have absolutely nothing listed. As for the boycott? The numbers apparently aren't what they seem. When the boycott started, I jotted down the number of listings in my categories – Arts, and I noticed though the number of listings overall began to rise on Medved and powersellersunite after Weds., my figures remained down and flat! How does one account for that discrepancy? I've heard rumors of phoney "test" listings but know nothing about it.
I, too, am now listing some of my work on http://www.artandcraftsauctions.com If we don't support these venues then we're cursed to take whatever ebay dishes out – and we all know how they love to dish it out!!! I think the success in this boycott is more the fact that sellers are now listing at least part of their stock elsewhere and every sale elsewhere is a sale that does not go into ebay's great big greedy pocket!
From JayJay Cameron, LA, CA Sometimes a confluence of events makes a tipping point…the lousy economy which will get worse before it gets better driving sales down (for my little part time site, sales fell off a cliff last August and never recovered), bad timing to raise fees when the economy is tanking…sellers leaving eBay because they can no longer make a decent profit…let's face it—if the $$ were rolling in, the fee hike wouldn't be such a big deal…, sellers will leave if they can make better money elsewhere, and the remaining sellers will have to raise prices, driving away buyers…to the many new sites for on-line buyers that didn't exist before. If eBay meant to make buyers happy by their changes, they sure have—now buyers have many new and growing sites to shop at. And eBay itself changing its image from a charming attic where you find interesting stuff to more of a mass produced venue… and unfortunate publicity about eBay scamsters, the auction format which was unique and a great novelty in its day…google becoming the first stop for finding stuff to buy…a lot of people have come to regard eBay as entertainment…they peruse the listings for hours and buy very little. All of this was underway before fees were raised and the boycott. Over the years, eBay initiated a lot of buyers into being comfortable buying on the internet…just as AOL initiated users to the internet…now they have gone elsewhere. The Internet speeds everything up—what did we do before youtube? and whoever thought AOL would become passe? The eBay folks have made changes which they hope will turn things around, repair their reputation and bring in more buyers…a return to the good old days when sellers actually did well…buyers will go where they get the best deal, and if it's not eBay…well, nothing lasts forever. The only question sellers need answer is: can I still make a decent profit selling on eBay? If the answer is no, they should fold and go elsewhere. eBay's share price peaked in 2005…it's less than half now. We'll only know in retrospect whether eBay will be studied at Harvard Business School as a case study of a company that shot itself in the foot and destroyed its franchise or had resurgent success.
From Annie FL It seems to be fairly obvious that "Victor" is a Company employee.
From Kelly C, Eliz. City, NC I signed up and am selling at http://www.artandcraftauctions.com . It's very well organized, has ONLINE TECH HELP from 9am to 9pm which is a nice little bonus, is easy and fun to get around in, and honestly? To think that this site was put together in 2 weeks just boggles my mind. I will sell there from now on. eBay? Oh I've been there for 10 years. Started in 1998, have feedback of almost 500, 100%, mind you…that I worked very hard to get, and YES it really hurts me to walk away from that, but these changes are changes that I cannot live with. Anyone out there who buys or sells art, please stop by http://www.artandcraftauctions.com and give it a glance. Thank you!
From Frank St Lucie,Fl Sellers-check out http://www.sellmyinventory.com
From cw Well Victor, you seem to be unaware of how else Ebay is suppressing the boycott. Please observe the email sent to me, noting the part about me not being allowed to give my opinion:
Ebay has been suppressing the auction
"You recently listed the following auction-style listing:
We recently removed the following listing:
360026375247 – Motorola Ch Modem boycott ebay no buy no sell strike
The listing was removed because it violated the eBay No Item policy. The violation occurred when you included the following information in your listing:
On offer is a Motorola CH modem, which is just what you need to boycott ebay with no buying and no selling. Yes, you can contact all your friends with this modem for a starpoint 6000 system and tell them that the suppression of this boycott is a good example of not only an abuse of monopoly power by a system ensconsced in greed but also a good reason that the FISA laws should not be upgraded, because the telecoms monitoring tools which the auction system has kindly offered to Law enforcement officials across the US without requiring a warrant are now being used as digital pinkertons to crush sellers–and none of it has anything to do with anybody's national security, but rather the auction systems bottom line. This modem fits into a starpoint 6000 police radio system and operates at about 6.5 GHz. Please write with any questions!
The purpose of the eBay Web site is to enable members to buy and sell items from each other. Listings that don't offer an item for sale through the site, or that are designed for any other purpose, aren't permitted. In addition, sellers aren't permitted to state their personal opinions and views in their listings.
Please note: violation of this or other eBay policies may result in forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, limits on account privileges and account suspension.
For more information on why eBay may remove s, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/listing-ended.html
For more information on how you may ensure a successful listing in the future, visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/policies.html
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
eBay Trust & Safety"
From Victor, San Leandro, CA http://db.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php/
…shows eBay listings actually jumped. The funny thing is – while some sellers are "boycotting" eBay, many more apparently see it as an opportunity. In addition the listing fees significantly decreased, which means you can list with less pressure. Well, it's a free country, you don't like eBay – you move to http://www.fakelittleauctionsite.com, your space will be taken by more professional sellers keeping their customers happy.
From CW Scowley–
I have been looking at other sites and have signed up at three. A couple observations:
1. iOffer.com has the easiest way to switch becuase you can import your listings from ebay or other sites and you can also import your ratings. I had an ebay account in the US and one in the UK, both with 100 percent positive ratings, and iOffer combined them.
However…there are some drawbacks to iOffer. I sell telecom equipment, books, and art. Now some of the art showing up there isn't what I would consider art. For example there is some quite graphic gay sex pictures and some hetero stuff as well, which to me is just pornography. Furthermore, there is at least one gent from China who is selling reproductions on canvas which are clearly made in China for about $10 each. Now I asked if these were from an original hand and he said yes, so he clearly is passing this stuff off as original.
I guess the point is that a lot of these types of guys never got on ebay in the first place because their businesses operated outside the envelope. It does raise a few eyebrows but as I've been driven from ebay, it's not like I can sit in judgement of others.
Another place is onlineauction.com which has a lot of good stuff but the interface needs some work. Also they claim they can transfer listings from ebay but it doesn't work so they have to be put in by hand. I'm waiting for access to the bulklisting tool once my founding (highest level) of membership is approved. I think they'll work out their issues soon enough, and this looks like an up and comer.
Powersellersunite.com, or psunite.com, also is a portal for your storefronts on other sites and it's a good place to hang out with other sellers.
From Mike, Saratoga Springs, NY Great piece of satire!!
Once upon a time….I called the office of the feeBay Mall to see about opening a store there. Here's the transcript of my side of the conversation
"Good Morning, I'd like to open a store at your Mall"
"Yes, I understand you are just a venue, that'll be great"
"You want my credit card number first so that I can register…well OK, here it is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. OK, so I'm all set?"
"You want an up front fee for everything I bring into the store?"
"Ok, and then you want a cut of everything I sell, I thought you were a venue"
"Oh, you are just a venue, but then you want me to use your bank that's not a bank to process my customers' payments?"
"What? Sometimes I'll have to let the customer leave the store with the merchandise and afterwards you'll notify me that your bank that's not a bank is holding my funds for 21 days or until the customer calls in to say they like it. Is there anything else I should know?"
"As customers leave my store YOU will poll them to see what their reactions were – something called DSRs – and then you'll charge me more to sell my merchandise if they rate me me as merely good – 4 out of 5 DSR stars, anything else?"
"Oh, and you get to hang a RED BANNER warning my customers that I have problems outside my store if my DSR scores are only 4 out of 5, in other words merely what you call good? My goodness, is there anything else?"
"AND you'll place other merchant's merchandise in front of my store so that my customers see it first, and then my RED BANNER?"
"What else could your venue possibly do for me?"
"Oh, from time to time you'll let a deadbeat shoplifter come back in to slap me around in front of my other customers, and all I can do is say how much I liked it"
"I see. Let me get this straight, you are just a venue but YOU collect a fee everytime I offer something for sale, YOU collect a fee everytime I sell something, YOU REQUIRE that I process payments through your bank-thats-not-a-bank, YOU ask my customers how I did on your scale that they don't understand, YOU get to hang a RED BANNER in front of my store if my DSRs are merely GOOD, YOU get to place other merchant's wares in front of my store, and YOU will bring in shoplifters and deadbeats to slap me around with no recourse. Do I have this right so far?"
"OK, can you tell me what's in it for me?"
"Hello"
"Hello"
"Helloooooo"
"Anybody there?"
"What?, I can barely hear you, what? I have to supply my own Vaseline and smile too?"
From CW, Pittsburgh, PA It appears Ebay employees may have been posting test auctions to pad ebay's listing fees during the boycott. You can see for yourself by entering the words do not bid in the search terms on the ebay site–this is more revealing than just typing "test auction."
If this is the case–and an independent opinion is really required–then it's time to call the attorney general because the real victim is the shareholders of ebay stock, who are being fed a fraudulent idea of how much listing Ebay is doing. It is quite similar to the dotcom trick of swapping banner ads to chalk up notional advertising revenue, which then went through on the balance sheets–a securities fraud.
It would be great if somebody could look closely at the ebay listing figures to figure out what is going on, and then to see if these listing figures are then passed through to stockholders.
From Annie FL Google has a new "Gadget": you can create your own CUSTOM search engine!! I made one that searches 22 popular online auction and "flea market" type sites (does not include ebay.) This makes it very easy to search all the smaller auction sites in seconds. No need to visit every site to find what you're looking for! Click here to look at my Auction Gadget: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=012113807098532991199%3Amarbhpvvna4&hl=en This brand new Google search tool has flexible options. Very cool tool! You can add it to your web sites or add the "Gadget" to your Google home page.
From Silkfair Silkfair ( http://www.silkfair.com ) , is a new online marketplace. We are striving to be the next premier marketplace to help bring products into the global market.
What do we do? Think of us as "E-bay" + "You-Tube" with style!
We offer the internet community a place to set up your own free store where you can buy and sell pretty much anything. Plus, our system offers very cool capabilities like video marketing, one-step shopping cart check-out, cool in-line editing of listings (point-click-edit), integration with PayPal and Google Checkout, and many more!
Silk Fair features
- FREE store
- unique URL with every store
- easy to use, easy to setup
- custom domain name supported
- sell your products with video
- import/export listings
- customizable product attributes
- one-step cart checkout
- integrated payment gateways
- Google Checkout
- PayPal Standard / Express Checkout
- Authorize.net
- order processing
- payment processing
- blog and forum for each store
- link existing e-bay rating
- double-blind feedbacks
- unique Feedback Mapping – see where feedbacks came from
- and many more !!
So, take a few minutes and join us today! .
See you soon!
From Bonnie Cleveland, OH ebay has ceased to be the greatness that it once was. Just take a look at the comments here: Will you join the ebay boycott? http://www.squidoo.com/willyoujointheebayboycott These are real people who hvae been hurt by ebay's greed.
From Mark Blogger, Indianapolis, Indiana As simple as it is to create an Ebay account, it seems ludicrus that they would allow buyers to leave feedback and not sellers. Any seller wishing to destroy the competition need only set up multiple ids, purchase several items, and leave lots of nasty feedback. The victimized seller will have no recourse without heavily fighting and proving the intent, and his competition will enjoy higher ranking searches, a cleaner reputation, and a quick solution to the irritation of having someone in competition.
From K. Mariano, Indianapolis Indiana Has it occurred to anyone that Ebay is affectively drilling holes in our already leaky economic boat? American economy (global as well) has been more than minimally stimulated by the kitchen-table CEOs of micro business. These moguls, whether they be small business owners adding to their ledgers, stay at home moms or dads adding to their household budgets, or college kids raising a little vacation or textbook money are suffering when Ebay makes poor business decisions like their recent feedback changes, annual price increases, and the latest Paypal hold fiasco scheduled to go active in March. A viable alternative might be on the horizon if Microsoft reanimates Yahoo's dead auctionplace and implements an alternative to Paypal's stranglehold on the online exchange. The part that is overwhelmingly sad is that individual sellers don't want to see eBay die. It's like still rooting for the hometeam even though the price of a ballpark ticket shot up and the coach has gone mad. Ebay can come out of this but it would take an intent and honest dialogue with its customers – the sellers. It seems the auction giant is disinterested and is many peons disenchanted. The buyers have already started joining the ranks of sellers abandoning the site, whose celebrity is the only thing giving a ghost of an advantage to its rapidly-fleeting connection with reality.
From Billy North VT If you are a seller check out
HTTP://WWW.AFTERTHEGAVEL.COM
From Rose,Downeast,ME A BRAND NEW site for ebay artist's and hand-crafters came online 2/17/08. It was born from the boycott by artist's that wanted to make a REAL change. Visit
http://www.artandcraftauctions.com to see what a dream and 10 days of incredible programmering can do!
From david liu-calver you for got the larger ebid.com with over a million listings- and quite successful, or wagglepop.com to a lesser extent
From PATRICK KRAUSHAAR WHILE FEE INCREASES ARE ALWAYS UNWELCOME, THE REMOVAL OF BUYER FEEDBACK IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN. THE OPTION OF "RECIPRICAL" NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WAS AVAILABLE TO STOP UNWARRANTED EXTORTION TO REDUCE SELL PRICE, OR OTHER CONCESSIONS FROM SELLER.
I SELL HIGH END AUDIO ITEMS. THIS AREA IS PARTICULARLY OPEN TO EXTORTION. ITEMS CAN BE INTENTIONALLY DAMAGED/PARTS REMOVED/ALTERED TO HINDER CORRECT OPERATION/COSMETICS. THEN BLAME SELLER, FOR COMPENSATION. THE COSMETICS OF VINTAGE ELECTRONICS IS OFTEN THE VALUE OF UNIT. IS OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCURATELY DESCRIBE EVERY SINGLE NICK ON ITEM. MISS ONE MICROSCOPIC NICK, SELLER IS SCREWED. THIS IS THE BIG SCAM. IS EASY TO PUT ON A LARGE SCRATCH.
THIS IS A DISASTER. EBAY ID PATRICKK1358. POWERSELLER/100% POS FEEDBACK.
From Beth Smith I have been with eBay for about 4 years and use it as my primary selling place of vinage music. Since recent increases in fees, before this one, eBay was getting more than me, so I set up my own site. Sales have not started yet so I am looking to take my 1800+ listings from eBay elsewhere. eBay has benen good to me, but better to itself. With the changes recently announce, this old woman (63) can no longer afford to support the big boys and big girls at eBay who do not know I excist, yet gladly accept my little pennies into their coffers.
I started this business to supplement my income and use it when things get tight. I had hoped to build it up to a retirement income but don't think that would work to my retirement, but maybe to the eBay elite's retirement.
Beth Smith
aunttheresasmusic.com
From David Van Dyke This is, by far, the best article I've seen written about the ebay situation. Ebay has even gone so far as to kick certain posters, like me, out of their chat rooms because we chose to speak our minds. I think there would be alot of people interested in this making national TV coverage. There is alot of information on the internet, but alot of us want to see it on our TV's. Is there anyway a story can be done about this on CNN? Thank you for reporting the truth!
From Susan McCoy Great article, however it isn't just sellers that are unhappy with the feedback changes. Many of us buyers are unhappy also. I have enclosed a link on the petitions for your information.
Buyers
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ebay-buyers-concerned-re-feedback-changes
Sellers
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/new-feedback-policy-unfair-for-sellers
From Sara Lang, NJ When eBay decided that small sellers were more of a pain than a profit, several hundred of us got together and with the help of Carolyn, A Jersey Girl
(an artist herself)gave a group of internet whiz kids our wishlist. In less than 10 days they pulled together a website for art and craft auctions ONLY. http://www.artandcraftauctions.com went live at 1:30 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 18th and now, just four days later, I have more bids and made more money than I did in the last two months on eBay. This is definitely a venue that art and craft sellers should explore!
From Anonymous, Portola, CA I have been trying to get assistance from eBay Customer "Service" for a month. They have suspended my main account because a second account was suspended and then reinstated six months ago. They keep telling me that they will reinstate account ABC, after I cancel account XYZ. However, they have blocked every attempt I have made to cancel account XYZ.
This morning I sent them an e-mail……."Dear eBay:
Please cancel account XYZ. The owner of the account is dead. She has died from a heart attack brought on by stress as a result of trying to deal with eBay Customer Service.
Thank you!
From Vanda, Placerville, CA http://www.artandcraftauctions.com/ is such an exciting alternative to EBay. I highly reccomend everyone visitng this user friendly venue.
From Denise Hudson Valley, NY Looks like Ebay's listings are down over 2.5 MILLION from the beginning of the week.
Is this the first internet strike? 10 years ago who would have thought something like this could happen, be so organized and effective?
Amazing!
Former Ebay art seller – but I'm not going to take it any more!
From Patricia Potze, Millersville Maryland Where are all the ebay artists going? Did you know that original art was sold on ebay?
A lot of us are already starving artists and now ebay wants to take more through final value fees
and give oportunity to scammers to take advantage of us with their new "no negitive feedback" to buyers policy.
In response to these changes, one artist, Carolyn, along with associates of hers, has in record time, set up a brand new website for artists. A core group of artists were asked what we would like to see in a website taylored just for us. Over 250 artists had opportunity to express their wishlists and in about a week and a half, the techs did a phenominal job, working 20 hour days to get ArtAndCraftAuctions.com set up and finished in time to coincide with the ebay strike.
I've been selling art on ebay for almost 2 years and I'm a moderator on one of the largest ebay art Community groups but if things continue as planned I will only be selling my art on ArtAndCraftAuctions.com
From no City, NO, 12345 You cant leave feedback for a buyer as a seller?!? Are they stupid? That means all buyers can now just bid on auctions and no pay and you can't leave feedback saying thats what they did. How incredibly stupid are they???
From G Bell. UK its not just sellers in the USA that are angry at this……… powersellers like me, here in the UK, are also utterly furious at the unnecessary and stupid changes being made on ebay. All i can say to summarise is that ebay was built into what it is today, through its community of sellers. Ebay have forgotten about them. All ebay ever do nowadays is to majorly suck up to the buyers, and majorly stitch up sellers. Fees are being raised all the time. WHY!? There are just a website, why do they need so much money? Pathetic. ..and to remove the feedback, the only protection a seller has against the idiot buyers on ebay, well what can i say. My future will NOT be on ebay. I fully support the strike, and to all your ebayers in the USA, people here in the UK fully support you and we are all behind you on this. Go for it! The bigger they are, the harder they fall………….
From Karin R Port Richey Fl Already left ebay. I was a buyer and occasional seller for many years with 100% positive feedback as both buyer and seller. Now that ebay has decided that I require a 66% fee increase for the privilege of listing my occasional items, and that WHEN I get scammed by an unscrupulous buyer I get the negative feedback, not the buyer, in addition to being out my money and my item, and that since I am a small seller, my items get relegated to page 800 permanantly with no chance of being seen thanks to their new search ranking filter, why would I stay???
I would like to thank ecrater.com for being so very kind to all of the ebay refugees swamping their site. They have treated us better than ebay ever has and they are a totally FREE site! No fee for my store http://theeclecticcollector.ecrater.com/
No Final Valuation Fee, no listing fee and 10 free pics on every item! So long Feepay!
From Victor, San Leandro, CA Hey, by "sd, ca" I guess by "anonymous idiots" you meant yourself, huh?
Now, go to http://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/basic/index.html and look for "PowerSeller Discounts" (you know, press ctrl-f etc.). Or else go directly to http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powerseller/benefits/discounts.html.
From Rocky, OKC, OK I think ebay somehow – they have escaped the MEDIA. This affects hundreds of thousands of people's fun and small ma + pa shops $$. Why is it that hardly any body knows. I have been reading and today on ebay auction (Heather Haynes ebay Boycott Photo, the comments were talking about how ebay is removing all Boycott auctions but they are selective and only removing ones with their names. Earlier when I looked at completed sales there were about 15 or 20 in bright neon green that said – closed to to ongoing ebay strike. Now, hours later, even they removed those…. I guess they thought even their Ideas were so BAD they had to remove them.
From Dave, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Hmmm – whole fiasco may be having an effect – certainly on how sellers feel about ebay – you'd think Ebay would try to build up sellers morale and good feelings about Ebay – a lot of good will to throw away. Anyway, yesterday Wed Feb20 ebay.com listing total = 12,926,407, currently Thurs Feb21 = 12,621,222, a drop of 305,185 listings or 2.36% – let's see what the rest of the week brings (I know my 60 or so formerly planned won't be there :+)
From Dave, Victoria, British Columbia, canada As a seller I've sent EBAY a request to automate the giving of feedback to my buyers – as all the feedback to buyers is the same, why do I have to go through the step of giving it? It's more of a transaction count now, not feedback.
From PJ, Lakewood, CO EBAY COVERS UP IMPACT OF BOYCOTT BY IMPORTING FOREIGN LISTINGS…
Check it out. In the early morning hours today, FEEBAY suddenly added about 1M listings. How many times do you see that between 3-5 a.m.? You can see this on those tracking sites that are linked in the Money CNN articles.
I wonder how many ebay employees are represented by the naysayers that post "good riddance to bad sellers" rhetoric on these boards? Ebay is in deep denial – all of the boards I've seen are >95% anti-ebay anti-paypal.
The avalanche of pissed off patrons is never ending, yet ebay keeps announcing it's just "noise". Guess we need to make it LOUDER. KEEP BOYCOTTING UNTIL EBAY/PAYPAL REVERSE DECISIONS — LIKE THE WRITERS STRIKE.
We have 4 venues we're considering, especially changing from Paypal to Google checkout. What a refreshing idea — people that WANT your business and actually deliver good service!
Good luck to all, hope you can find a good alternate venue quickly.
In BOYCOTT SOLIDARITY & VICTORY!
From Angela 'chotii' B. Seattle WA Once upon a time, a couple of years ago, there was a website – I've forgotten the name, and perhaps it's not around anymore, but it was something like 'auctionwatch' or 'allauctions' and you would use it to do queries on ALL auction sites for the item you wanted, then return a page with the hits you requested, photos and all, and links to the location/sites.
There needs to be one of those now.
From Christopher Auburndale, FL Tired of Ebay then give my site a try. A brand new auction site just went online yesturday. http://www.bidingspot.com , sign up now and get free listings for the next 6 months. Site needs listings so please check it out.
From Randy Tarburton Frostburg Maryland Have been with ebay for 12 years. Ended Monday. Closed everything and shut down. Not sure what Im gonna do but it wont be with ebay. I even cancelled bids on stuff. What a waste. – Randy
From Bob, San Francisco, CA You don't get it – the more "alternatives" are "circling around" eBay – the less vulnerable it is. Do you have time to "list on 10 different sites"? More importantly, do you think BUYERS have time to go to 10 different "alternatives"? The bottom line: you, sellers, will go wherever buyers go, and buyers will go where there's no '95% good' seller. So, overall, I think eBay will outlive the "strikes" and the "exoduses" of lousy sellers. As to GOOGLE, I heard somebody said Google checkout "worked" – think again! Google spent zillion dollars on promos, and still is 1/30th of PayPal's market share…
From j, sd, ca I am amazed of the buzz generated by so many ’sellers’ – wow… I’m selling on eBay for 5 years now, got 99.9% of positive feedback, and the new fees is just a wonderful news to me, my fees – as a good seller – will go down, my auctions up in the search. I am convinced these changes will bring more buyers to the site, and will push the “97% positive” sellers away – what else should eBay do to protect its brand?
BTW, my business has tripled for the last 3-4 months (thanks for the weak dollar), and I am NOT leaving eBay. To the unhappy crowd of sellers – “adios amigos”, go spoil some other site!
hahaa its amazing how many shillers are here, this posting board should limit the commentd to 1 per day per ip address.. Anyways to this dolt above that says because hes a good seller his fees will go down…
ALL auction final value fees are going up from 5.25% to 8.25%. Stores are going up too. Thats around a 35% increase in ALL the money febay collects when any item sells, whether its a "good" seller or not whos selling the item!
Heres what im amazed at.. the lengths anonymous idiots will go thru to keep a lie going, like all the idiots posting on places like this who expect people to believe they are really just a buyer who got "screwed" by another seller because of a retalitory feedback.. the only way a buyer gets screwed is if the item doesnt come or is faulty. No one cares if a buyer has a neg it doesnt screw anyone and the idea that it gets a buyer that angry because he got screwed by a seller, even though he still has the item, im sorry i dont even believe these buyers are real..you jackasses this is peoples lives you are talking about, shut up about your stupid one retalitory bad feedback you got in 2003 and how because of it you are glad for the new changes.. TOTAL BS
From Betsy R. Brownsville, Oregon In less than a week I have closed all my ebay listings out, and love my new Vintage Cowboy Boot store on ecrater!
http://vintagecowboyboots.ecrater.com I love the fact that this is not an auction, I can offer my own sales, and not have ebay gestapo breathing down my neck. They get NOTHING from me again. I thank all all the buyers that bought my boots and look forward to a prosperous year. Release the past and let it go…there are lots of opportunities without feebay!
From LJE, Ft. Lauderdale FL I've already closed my store and opened on Buyitsellit… Now I can once again offer people prices that are reasonable. I have also dropped paypal and signed up with Google checkout.
Ebay was built on the Jones cleaning out there closets. People went to ebay to find the unusual that only comes from the small sellers. You can get drop shipped merchandise anywhere why pay inflated prices for it on ebay?
Ebay your gold mine were your small sellers you are pushing them out the door and someone else will fill the gap.
I DID a lot of buying on ebay as well. Not anymore!
And my beef is not the outrageous fees disguised as a fee cut. My problem is you intend to take fees and bury sellers at a whim. I call taking fees and not giving a seller exposure fraud. I call adding false statements about the seller in a listing slander.
Happy Trails Ebay! Remember they are tearing down supermalls every day. And now your trying to become one. See you in the trash heap! Right next to the Pez Dispensors…..
From topseller Check This Out:
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/20/what-is-ebay-doing-well-let-me-tell-you/
From topseller Go to: http://www.medved.net/cgi-bin/cal.exe?EIND
Click on Feb 13 [when the listing sale started. Make note of the listing total and time.
Then click on the 20th date. Make note of the listing total and time.
As of 7:44 PM today Ebay net listings are DOWN on Ebay by 1 Million! More to come tonight!
From Fred Knowlton, Chittenango, NY Today I received a negative feedback from a non paying bidder (jbp100jbp) This buyer has a -2 rating and a 25% feedback. He never paid for his purchase and was reported to Ebay for having a false address and invalid phone #. I left negative feedback(as I was told to do by an ebay rep) and reported him to trust and safety as I was instructed to do again by an ebay rep.This was over 2 months ago. Today I receive a negative feedback and slandering comment from this "buyer". The negative was retracted by ebay because the "buyer" never responded to the unpaid item dispute, which means he also has an unpaid item strike on his account. His slanderous comments however are not going to be removed according to an ebay rep I spoke with tonight. He apologized and said the buyer should have been removed, but couldn't explain why he wasn't. Soooo…… that being said….I am closing my store. We are currently on strike as should ALL of you sellers. After the strike, we are finishing up our loose ends and then closing our store and moving on to other sites. I can no longer sit by and watch ebay destroy my business that I have worked so hard to build and maintain. I strongly advise the rest of you do the same. It is no longer safe here, nor is it profitable( except to ebay and Pay Pal.) Get out while you can and before they rob you blind or destroy your reputation by not punishing the bad buyers on this site. To ALL of my loyal and reputable customers I say Thank you thank you thank you— I truly have enjoyed working with you and selling to you the items you have purchased. Despite all of this I really love my work!!! Please be sure to google us..our store name is our own, Toria's Books And Music, as is our domain name…you will be able to find us very easily at http://www.toriasbooksandmusic.com Good luck to all of you!!! Be sure to block this buyer as well!!!
From James Im moving to Amazon :)
(P.S why did you not mention ebid?)
From Kim Rahall, Tierra Verde, FL Boycott Ebay this week, how about forever. Ebay and Paypal help buyers work the system. I sold a piece of jewelry and delivered it to the buyer on December 14, 2007. He then wanted a "discount" to keep it. I stated no returns in the ad but to keep everyone happy said I would give a refund if the buyer returned it to me insured priority as I did to him. He said no you have to wait until after the Holidays. Can you believe that? Wait 3 weeks for a return on jewelry? He then filed a complaint with paypal and they said too bad!! I questioned both ebay and paypal about my "Sellers Protection" I was told I was good to go if he would not return the item I could take and spend the money which I did. Low and behold come January the BUYER files a chargeback. Paypal tells me to bad we want to hold the money and then withdrew the money from my checking account. They are investigating. It will take the 75 days YES 75 days to investigate. (and you are worried about a 21 day hold). Plus I have to pay an investigative fee upfront!! I wait and wait I get a response saying the Credit card company claims it is a valid claim although they cannot prove the BUYER has returned the merchandise. Paypal says, OK we will check with Seller, No I have no money and no necklace back. Paypal says ok ANOTHER 75 DAYS to respond again. Can you believe this!! ALL AFTER I WAS TOLD I HAD PROTECTION NOW THEY SAY, oh well not against chargebacks sorry for the wrong info. I am now out $1500 for the sale of the necklace and I do not have the necklace back. We are now going on 3 months and EBAY AND PAYPAL SAY USE US, Never again.
From Dave Shelton British Columbia, Canada Sent to GOOGLE help:
I love Google – it's "got it" – keep it simple, don't get in the way, treat the user like intelligent adults who want to get work done, and success comes – compare with Yahoo with all its annoying in your face cheap ads. BUT… what we need is a rival to EBAY – EBAY has lost its way and with all its staff having to justify their existence has over developed, and is killing its base – Google please, please – do an "EBAY classic" offering – simple and easy to use – the hard thing that you do so well! Folks would come in droves!!! I would for sure!
From Portola, CA Disgruntled eBay sellers are scattering far and wide to dozens of different auction sites. We need a united front so that one single auction site can grow to the point that it can give eBay some long overdue and much needed competition!
AGAIN, PLEASE DO NOT POST MY NAME – I'M THE SELLER WITH THE STALKER.
From tina tafoya My fees on AMAZON are running about TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT on used books and DVDs. I long for a simple eight percent that Ebay is promising.
I would still like to leave buyer feedback though. There are some buyers that sellers NEED to be warned about.
From tina tafoya And to all those yelling hooray about the other sites not having any listing fees, or rules, etc let me tell you what ELSE they dont have…BUYERS!
From Tina Tafoya I have been on Ebay since they opened and I am not going anywhere. I have bought nearly EVERYTHING on Ebay – clothing, furniture, and FOUR cars. I buy the old and unusual that I seek and sell off what I no longer want or cant use.
Too much of Ebay's attention and favor is given to the "powersellers" those who list hundreds and hundreds of what are often the same items while they ignore the bread-and-butter core of those of us using it as an electronic yard sale.
Ironically, Ebay's policies have often been in response to WRONGDOING of the "powersellers" – fraud, deception, misrepresentation, etc and the policies were designed to protect the buyers.
We "closet cleaners" may not sell as much but our stuff is actually what most Ebayers are looking for – if we wanted cookie cutter dollar store stuff, we know where to get it without the shipping charge in our own neighborhoods. Instead we seek vintage couture, second-hand items with prices a fraction of the cost of new, store clearance, and the items that havent been in stores for years (if ever).
And as some articles have finally pointed out you cant argue with the numbers – Ebay has more items listed in more categories by MORE sellers and attracts MORE buyers than the other sites. An item is worth NOTHING if no one will buy it and they cant buy it if they cant find it.
I might also point out that many of the other sites listed DONT TAKE SECOND HAND ITEMS!! That leaves me and my cast offs in the cold from jump street. Give me Ebay and my electronic yard sale any day!
From Lisa D, Buffalo NY Ebay sellers are whiners. Prices go up, get over it. Stop bashing and do what every other business person does, find the right medium for your product. Oh and as an occational ebay buyer, I love the no negative feed back to customers idea. I bought something a seller misrepresented and when I questioned it, I got slammed! Uh, Im a customer. Don't you want me to be happy and buy again? Oh thats right, ebay sellers don't need business degrees or experience do they?
From EMMA PHILADELPHIA, PA Former reputable eBay seller of 10 years here. I am done with my nightmare. Yesterday I signed up for onlineauction.com and google checkout. Onlinineaution.com will cost me $8 a month for unlimited listings and almost no other fees, most listing options and 5 photos are free. No listing fees, no final value fees!! They have other enrollment option, including store options…….but even then it is less than $300 for the year!! THEY HAVE A TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!! Google checkout has very low, simple fees for receving transfers. 2% + 20cents for each transaction, no matter what the amount is. They also have ad tools which can greatly increase your fees if you impliment them into your business. Also today I will be researching another payment option called XCOIN. I feel better already! The traffic WILL pickup! We CAN do this!
From Miss A Whigham Ebay site sells Cats & dogs to be sold for food & fur
How many of ebays customers are aware of this ???
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/ebay_cats_dogs_china
http://www.freewebs.com/dogsinasia/ebaychina.htm
From Betsy R. Brownsville, Oregon "'On-line auctioneer ebay inc. is experiencing weakness as its promotions fail to ramp up and its customers face increasing online ad rates, resulting in pressure on its profit margins and lower transaction volumes"" said Deutshe Bank Securities.
Deutsche Bank re-iterated its sell rating and reduced the share price target to $30US from $33
Allan Robinson,
Canada Globe and Mail
From Betsy R. Brownsville, Oregon I am a former Power Seller who dumped ebay last week. I have my own store on ecrater and my items have received A LOT of views. I set my own prices, no fees. I have bought a small ad words package from Google, which is increasing my page hits quite a bit. Best thing is no stress! I love my new store. No final value fees, no listing fees, and it looks great! My advice- stay off the auction sites altogether. The one I like the best is Specialist Auction. They have some classy people on there who are quite active. It's refreshing! Dump ebay and dump Pay Pal while you are at it. There are other, better choices.
From Gary & Judy Knollhoff Peoria, Il Our main problem with your service is that we no sooner learn your listing format, you change the format. We can't see these format changes as making any improvements. Seems to us. it is change for the sake of change. That's the reason we have stoped listing.Also,we don't appreciate that when we have a listing problem, we are unable to contact and speak with a real person.
From John,Greenville, SC I have been selling on eBay since 1997. I would have absorbed the fee increase..BUT…this nonsense about holding my funds for 21 days and the inability to leave appropriate feedback for buyers has broken me. I now rely on my own website and Online Auction.com. Once I had 1100 items in my eBay store. Now…nothing at all. Bye Bye eBay!
From Anton, Bentonville, Arkansas One Word solution (and the only viable hope): "GOOGLE"
Send your request to the following:
http://www.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=cf_noresponse
My advise is to keep it short and sweet (don't rant, whine or vent – who wants to listen to that? much less pay attention? Certainly not busy corporate leaders). Here's what I said: SUBJECT- New Needed Service; MESSAGE- "Please Google, PLEASE. You did it with Google Check Out and it worked. So Please, We need Google Auctions."
Please send your request to Google today! Ten Thousand small flames make a mighty beacon.
From NM I am all for a strike, ebay has gotten out of control. it is hard enough for "weekend sellers" to make any money, with all the fees that were already in place.
I was disappointed when Yahoo.com closed their auction site that was free for Yahoo users.
Down with ebay!!!
From Mike S. Thunder Bay, Ontario Bill, as well as any other auto parts sellers, you might want to try justparts.com, I just came across them and they look like they're going places. Just trying to help! Cheers!
From Former Greedbayer, Tempe, AZ Here are some alternative selling sites (I am presently using 5 of them, some of which offer FREE stores!):
http://www.HiBidder.com
http://www.auctions.overstock.com
http: / /www.Bid-Alot.com
BYE-BYE FEE-BAY!
From Oldgal, Dallas, TX Ebay is a corporation. Like government, the bigger it gets, the less responsive it is to citizens/members. The single driving force is revenue. I'm plenty annoyed by the proposed eBay changes, but it has forced me to get off dead center and explore alternate venues and strategies. Ultimately, it will have been a good thing for ME, but don't think eBay will benefit. The FB changes finally did me in. Have been doing business on eBay for 10 years… would probably have absorbed the rate rate hikes, but restricting sellers from posting appropriate feedback for bad acting buyers, was the last straw. What a moronic idea! Guess some MBA in the corporate suite thought this would help stagnant eBay stock prices. Dunno. I don't think the boycott will have any effect on the implementation of the changes, so it's up to each individual to make changes in his/her own business… try other venues, build websites, and pursue strategies to maintain and grow sales. Have had a great run on eBay. It's been mutually beneficial. No hard feelin's. I'll be moving on.
From Former Greedbayer, Tempe, AZ OOPS! I meant to say 'what eBay is doing!'
“The community understands the rationale behind these changes,” he said.
THAT COMMENT IS A BUNCH OF CRAP! Go to the community boards on eBay and read comments! People IN FAVOR of eBay’s debacle run about 1 in 10! Meaning 9 out of 10 HATE what eBay is destroying. I hardly call that balanced; well, maybe it is in eBay’s mucked-up way of thinking!
From Former Greedbayer, Tempe, AZ While sellers are burning up Internet forums, including FSB's discussion board, with vitriolic criticism of the planned new policies, eBay spokesman Usher Lieberman said sellers' reactions in eBay's town hall forums have been "balanced."
"The community understands the rationale behind these changes," he said.
THAT COMMENT IS A BUNCH OF CRAP! Go to the community boards on eBay and read comments! People IN FAVOR of eBay's debacle run about 1 in 10! Meaning 9 out of 10 HATE what eBay is destroying. I hardly call that balanced; well, maybe it is in eBay's mucked-up way of thinking!
From Johnny, Dallas, Texas Market Dynamics, hard at work.
As a buyer, I have been watching this turmoil now for the last several weeks, and I am joining the boycott by not visiting eBay at all. And, because I now have a good list of alternative web sites to visit, I am beginning to think that maybe I will no longer patronize eBay at all – there are now plenty of alternative sites out there to visit.
Eight percent and higher as fees on sold items? Thats crazy! Someone at eBay is obviously greedy.
eBay was sitting on the *perfect* opportunity to become the internet's one-stop-shopping site, and they have blown it!
DOWN WITH EBAY! Let those greedy corporate pukes burn!
SPECIAL NOTE: To all those other auction sites, this is your chance! Whoever provides the best service at the lowest price to the sellers wins! You want the volume? Drop your fees. The buyers have no loyalty – the sellers do!
From Joyce, Stamford, CT Sorry I miss typed
http://WWW.SQUIDOO.COM/NOTEBAY
From Joyce Bartesaghi, Stamford, CT I am so upset by what is happening to the Ebay community. I don't understand why Ebay is nosediving itself.
I found this for a viable possibility for a new AUCTION site
http://www.SQUIDOO>COM/NOTEBAY
From Valerie Lennert, Anaheim, CA I do believe we're going to be seeing a huge drop later in the week and listing numbers will go down under 11 millions.
Folks, regardless of what the Ebay machine is saying, we have had a HUGE impact.
From Victor, San Leandro, CA I am amazed of the buzz generated by so many 'sellers' – wow… I'm selling on eBay for 5 years now, got 99.9% of positive feedback, and the new fees is just a wonderful news to me, my fees – as a good seller – will go down, my auctions up in the search. I am convinced these changes will bring more buyers to the site, and will push the "97% positive" sellers away – what else should eBay do to protect its brand?
BTW, my business has tripled for the last 3-4 months (thanks for the weak dollar), and I am NOT leaving eBay. To the unhappy crowd of sellers – "adios amigos", go spoil some other site!
From Bill, Holbrook, NY I've been selling auto parts on ebay since 02. Primarily used 60-72 muscle car parts. I 've come to rely on the money I could make on ebay. I've got a 99.9% approval rating. As ebay's "cut" has gone up over the years; I've had to be very careful as to what I could sell. Why sell something, when a majority, or all, of the money over "cost" went to ebay? The old system worked well as far as I could tell. I've bought and sold on ebay. Now that ebay wants let only buyers leave feedback; I see this as a potential problem. I think some buyer's (not all, only a minority) will become bullies and start asking for refunds or make unreasonable demands. Ebay is giving the buyer all the power and I think some buyers will abuse that power. It's human nature. I hope ebay doesn't screw up a good thing. Like I said I've had a 99.9% positive feedback rating so far, but I have dealt with a few knuckleheads over the years – a small percentage. If it becomes too difficult to sell on ebay then I'm out. Does anyone know any other sites where I could sell 64-72 Mustang, Camaro, Mopar, parts etc…?
From Bob, Kansas City MO What really bites is the fact that we – the US members – have financed the ebay spread across the globe where foreign countries pay less fees than we do most times, as well as other protections the foreign governments offer the members by preventing ebay from doing certain things. And now eBay is allowing GM to list vehicles for FREE as well? The little guys build the ark for all the rich corporations to get a free ride on.
These people need to study some nature or watch a sci-fi flick and understand what a symbiotic relationship is. A virus that kills it's host typically is very short lived, and that is exactly what ebay is doing. One of the fundamental rules of business is you can't make money if you don't have anything to sell… so lets see what they do when that happens. Probably they will do something to increase revenue as that is what they are all about – so buyers get ready to be charged to look, that is about the only thing they have yet to charge for! Don't get me wrong, they are in business to make money, that's the whole idea, but they are just so greedy it's pathetic!
As far as the feedback issue, don't even get me started. They might just as well put up a flashing banner that read " Attention buyers! Now you can blackmail your seller for all he's worth! Get him to refund some money as it's not as shiny as it was in the picture. Squeeze him for a refund on the shipping as it took them a whole day to send it after you paid for it at 1 AM! Tell them your going to send back your broken part to them as a return for the new one they sent you – and you expect a full refund or else it's negative feedback and then they will not have their stuff show up on searches! "
We have over 10,000 feedbacks with 23 negatives in 9 years of doing business on ebay. We are tired of it and will be going elsewhere. I sure that the $18K a year we pay ebay will not be missed by the CEO but I'm sure it's all going to add up and be noticed.
That person that bombed them at Halloween could be labeled as " A visionary ". If that did not wake them up I don't know what will. The sad thing is once it begins to slide it's going to be all over, they will never recover from it unless they offer free listings permanently. If they were smart they would have dropped listing prices and commissions to bring more people into the ebay venue.
One question we have not asked, is this: Are ebay costs associated with oil prices? Is that why were getting squeezed for more money? It's about as believable as anything else they have to say!
From troy Las Vegas This has made me mad enough to start a spot for UNCENSORED discussion
foffebay.com
Please click on a couple of adds ( when I finally get them up ) to pay for bandwidth
From permacrisis -boston ma Ebay is exploiting a legitimate problem- a small pool of dishonest sellers- to further its own interests.
Meg is saying,"Ok, I have made the GNP of a small country off this site. Even though it wasn't my idea and I never would have come up with online auctions in a million years, I used to design shampoo bottles. But now John my young underling, all of this is yours.
"My blessings and may you, also, wring 1.6 BILLION dollars out of this wheezing turkey, in any manner you can imagine or desire. Remember to feed and water the buyers.
"The sellers? Oh no, you can just chain them out on a stake in the backyard, those pesky sellers. Disregard the constant drone 'noise'. Now, whatever you do, Dont let the buyers see them. Remember they are purchasing these products from Us. Ebay. Yup. Um hum. "
"Oh and john my young understudy? One more thing. When you are finished with the sellers, please remember to BURY THEM."
Not this seller, lady. You're not touching my stuff.
Sell on Blujay, save up for OLA– that's the plan.
From JayJay Cameron, LA, CA 1. Buyers have no loyalty to eBay. They go where they can get the best deal.
2. Sellers are loyal to eBay as long as they are making $$–they have NO INCENTIVE to sell outside eBay. At 8% eBay was a good deal for BIN. Also, over time, it seems a larger and larger % of auctions finish with no bids at all.
3. As eBay fees went up, my eBay listings went down, and my off eBay sales went up. And repeat buyers were directed to my website for bargains and better deals. I now sell only very high profit items on eBay in very small quantities. This is one metric eBay can't measure–seller and sales flight–except by flat sales and their stock price going down.
4. As a Buyer on eBay, 50% of my purchases had a problem–outright fraud, etc. So I don't buy on eBay and tell all my friends as well. I don't admit I sell on eBay–got tired of listening to horror stories. eBay makes no effort to remove fraudulent sellers—especially high volume ones.
I could go on, but in a nutshell, Sellers flee or raise prices and buyers go elsewhere as prices go up and choice goes down. The eBay mystique disappears and they become obsolete, like AOL.
From Adam WA I'm going to show how bad those people are, and how they dont have any mercy, it becomes like an empire.
Can everyone imagine a mother for a son (2yrs old) ebay is the only income for her which suits her circmstances and they kick her off by suspension and let her get down to the bottom of try polishing there shoes to reinstate her account but no mercy they are not listneing not hearing and treat her like a ???, so what type of people they are, I have no more comment
From A in Good old USA The boycott is on, I decided to end my listings early as this was the first week I went all week without one bid and had 4 non-paying bidders in 2 weeks that have been a hand full.
Tonight reading the boards I found this info and completely lost. Here's a company that can clearly afford the listing and HUGE FINAL VALUE FEES and they get to list for FREE in Ebay Motors which has always been higher.
Love the final comment bu the poster.
eBay Motors will not be charging GM dealers any money at all to list their certified used vehicles for sale on its site! General Motors has come to an agreement with eBay to list their entire national inventory of certified used vehicles on eBay Motors… GM says that the 3,900-plus GM Certified Used Vehicles dealers in the U.S. won’t pay a penny to list their cars! See stories:
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/354/C14543/
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/02/gm-to-list-certified-used-vehicles-on.html
and here it is from the horses mouth, GM's own press release:
"GM Certified Used Vehicles commits to list their entire national inventory on eBay Motors at no cost to dealers."
http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=43186
if that doesn't work for you or is broken, try this shorter link:
http://tinyurl.com/36gful
OK all you scabs, naysayers, cheerleaders, and ostriches — GM's entire national dealer inventory gets a FREE ride on our backs(fees), courtesy of your wonderful and loving eBay!!!
- what say you now?
From BG, Baltimore, MD Feedback changes do NOT go into effect on the 20th….
Feedback changes go into effect in May.
From BG, Baltimore, MD Not only do I pay over $10,000 in ebay fees but I also spent over $100,000 with ebay sellers last year. Do they realize how many others there are like me? I think not. Just boycotting selling is not enough if you are like me and spend as much as you sell.
I have already transfered my ebay items to.. ioffer.com …. THEY EVEN AUTOMATICALLY IMPORTED MY EBAY FEEDBACK AND LISTINGS FOR ME! Take note ebay.
Google Checkout is easy to sign up for and costs about half of what Paypal charges.
Don't forget SKYPE. EBay is already loosing millions and canceling my Skype account is next.
Using my site traffic tracking software I have determined the following ebay alternatives get most traffic. The top 4 are tied but the 5 is very helpful by importing your ebay FB & listings for you.
1)webidz.com
1)bidz.com
1)ubid.com
1)ecrater.com
5)ioffer.com
5)us.ebid.net
5)bidtopia.com
No I do NOT work for any of these sites.
From Jane, Illinois The majority of these posts embarrass me. The crazed rantings of these sellers explains why eBay has done what they've done; damaged the sellers who simply work on their auctions everyday and try to earn a little money because they have no self control.
As an 8-year seller with NO negative feedback, I'm very upset about the feedback changes that will go into effect in May. I've tried to suggest to people who feel the same that the time to "boycott" about feedback is closer to THAT time so that eBay knows WHAT is being boycotted. But people continue to act like raving lunatics and these posts are just a sample of that.
If I were an eBay buyer seeing this I'm not sure I'd ever have the nerve to buy on eBay again.
Reading the venom that is being spewed here is a scary thing and at this point I'd be embarrassed to tell anyone I sell on eBay.
From Jamie, Eugene, Oregon Unhappy sellers (and buyers) have a unique opportunity. They can take this opportunity to band together and back (and build) a site that meets their needs. I suggest http://www.onlineauction.com/
Or they can scatter their efforts and ultimately have to go back hat-in-hand, to eBay and take whatever eBay puts out in the way of controls and fee increases.
Back one site and don't fall for all the "freebies" that spring up (and then die off) during every eBay boycott. Make this one count.
From CEP Kenosha Wi On February 17, 2008 7:53 pm Kate Darien Anderson Charlotte, NC : Spewed
"I love how so many sellers on here feel the need to share their fabulous FB rating with us, as proof of the fact that they have provided great service. Ladies and gents, your FB ratings are suspect since no one knows how many people have wanted to leave you a justified negative or nuetral but didn’t out of fear of FB retaliation.
In two days, when sellers can no longer withhold feedback as a deterrant to justified complaints, we’ll start seeing which sellers are able to maintain their FB ratings. Some sellers are going to have to shape up or ship out, which I’m sure is precisely eBay’s goal. No doubt after that, eBay will implement changes to cull out dishonorable buyers. Rome wasn’t built
First of all you show your complete ignorance of the dates and what happens when. Your obviously one of those great buyers who cant read correctly.
Of course you will also be looked at and suspect. When I can longer see FB both ways I will not allow anyone to bid on my auctions who have left bad feedback for ANY seller. I always look at any new names bidding on my auctions. Of course before these changes I was smart enough to review FB and decide who was being retaliatory.If it was the seller then I would let the bidder bid. Wont be able to do that anymore. So no under 50 FB bidders will be allowed to bid. This is not just my stance many sellers will do it. And yes we have the right to refuse to let anyone bid for any reason or even no reason at all. So you have fun on ebay and bid away. If you can find someone who will let you. You are exactly the definition of a bad/problem buyer.
From Mary Curtis I am supporting the Boycott, but I know the Boycott probably won't help our cause. I have been selling on eBay 7+ years. It helps to pay for my rent and medicine. I have over 1700 Positive ratings, with no negative or neutral feedback. I am retired, a low volume seller, Selling mostly what I find that somebody might want! I have always relied on the Feedback system to gauge who I want to transact with. Now that option will be unavailable as buyers will all have positive ratings. It's not safe sometimes to transact with strangers many miles away from you. The Feedback other sellers left for buyers was always my guide. Plus, some people are mean, and sadistic and will take pleasure posting a negative for me, and now I will have no recourse. Being a low volume seller, one negative is all it will take for my small amt. of auctions to not show up on the searches. Right now with my glowing rating and high DSR I am showing up. But once buyers have all the power, not all but some will enjoy hurting people. I am used to ebay being so greedy and raising fees, but to take away our only defense is heartless. I am very sad about this. I have already signed up with another online auction site. I am closing my Paypal account and eBay account.
From Portola, CA I have been a seller on eBay for at least 8 years; for many of those years I was a Power Seller. I estimate that over the years my sales have exceeded $100,000.00, generating a great deal of revenue for eBay and PayPal. I have sold a motor home and original art.
I have recently been caught in a nightmare which I have been unable to resolve through the usual eBay Customer "Service" avenues.
Both my account and my daughter's account were suspended on January 29th because they were "linked".
I had linked my account to her account because I paid her eBay fees from my bank account. She does not live in my household or in the same town. Her husband is currently suffering from MRSA (the "super bacteria") and may not survive. She has psoriatic arthritis which was complicated by a fall and a severely fractured shoulder in January. They have no other income besides eBay. I was supporting them on my own Security plus what I could make on eBay by selling my own belongings.
We also changed eBay ID's several times in the past because we were being harassed by another eBay member. Many, many times I begged eBay to allow me to change my ID without linking it to my old ID, so that I could escape the stalker, who would find my contact information through eBay and harass us by using alternate ID's or a friend's ID. All I ever received from Customer Support was a reiteration of rules. In utter frustration, losing over 1,000 positive feedbacks, I started over, using a new ID. Time and time again the harasser would find us (it's very easy to do if you search within 5 miles of my zip code – there's only one other seller in this remote area) and the harassment would start again. Although the harrasser would find my contact information through eBay, eBay would do nothing to help me and that person is still a registered member, with very few positive feedbacks and 5 negatives. My current (suspended) account has over 1,300 positive feedbacks and 1 negative – left by a non-paying bidder!
My daughter's fractured shoulder left her unable to use her computer or prepare packages for shipping and subsequently she was suspended for "failure to perform", though she has since contacted her bidders, explained the situation and settled all outstanding problems. I cannot get my own account reinstated because it was linked to a "previously suspended user".
I have begged, pleaded and apologized but eBay will not respond. The financial and emotional stress is nearly unbearable!
(PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH MY NAME – THE STALKER WILL FIND ME!)
From Dawn West, Aubelsbeth's Little Merchant Shop, Fort Hood Texas Aubelsbeth's Little Merchant Shop will be joining hands with the those against the outragous fvf hikes. OUr little business is essential to supplementing our military income, however we believe that to have a voice in this country means you must often sacrifice something, thus we will sacrafice from the 18th of February till March 20th all auctions in our store.
Ebay has allowed many military members and their spouses a means to supplement their income while overseas and through the constant military moves around the world. I am grateful to have found Ebay and build a successful business. So why the Strike?
With the increase in FVF and low cost item will now have to have an increased cost to be able to be listed on Ebay. That means if you need two spools of thread, you may have to purchase 20 because the seller cannot list 2 and make any profit, if they are lucky enough to break even with the listing. Who needs 100 buttons when the project only calls for 10? Crafters supply much needed hard to find tools and supplies on Ebay. Increased FVF means less variety and higher costs passed on to the buyers.
Free listing fees for low cost items must be implemented to curb the higher FVF and Paypal fees. Ridiculous isn't it?
From Kim Clifton, NJ RE-POST
Few will deny that eBay's feedback system has always been flawed. However it has created a balance that each side can get to know each other by past transactions on eBay. Let's face it we rarely if ever see our trading partner in person. We do not know any of the people they know and we have none of the traditional ways of knowing the honesty and integrity of the person we are dealing with.
As a buyer I want to be able to read a sellers rating and feedback comments so I can limit my risk.
As a seller I want to be able to do the same. I have had people buy from me and want to extort me into changing the terms of the auction after they received the item. They want a partial refund on a claim it does not work, yet when I offer a full refund if the item is returned I never hear back from the people except one that went directly to Paypal and filed a claim to get ALL of the money back without returning the items. Sadly weather you are talking about buyers or sellers there are a small percentage that are trouble and we want to avoid. By eBay's own admission 1% of the sellers cause the problems on eBay. But instead of eliminating the 1% they are willing to make the other 99% suffer through their changes. Will it remove the 1%? some but not all & there will always be more that come along. What it will do more than anything is drastically reduce the # of good sellers and in turn the great selection of items at cometitive prices that buyers currently enjoy.
It will not be long before buyers as much or more than sellers long for the original feedback system and the wonderfull selection of items at great prices.
Buyers do not be fooled that these changes are in your interest. Ebay wants to get away from used items and only have new items which will mean you will not see the great deals on used items that drive the excitement on eBay. eBay is also in the process of nudging sellers to offer FREE shipping. Sounds good to you buyers right? Think again, it will only raise the prices. The shipping cost has to go somewhere and that somewhere is into the price. If it goes into the price then eBay collects more fees and sellers will have to raise prices higher to compensate or they will stop selling on eBay. Selection of items is reduced again. How many people go to a huge mall that has only a couple of small stores? Not many.
Sellers this is just a 1st step to test you and see how far they can push you. They know if they can force you into these changes in feedback then they give all of the power to the buyers who unfortunately there are just enough bad ones to destroy your seller reputation and cause you to be lowered in the searches and have your payments held by Paypal for up to 21 days of more if a claim is filed by the buyer. Just like there is not a huge number of sellers that are bad there is not a huge number of buyers that are bad. Unfortunately it does not take that many running around with free reign to leave negative feedback for any reason to destroy many many sellers reputations.
As a Powerseller I have been greatly concerned which led me on an exhaustive search for a solution.
I was fortunate to find one, at least for the feedback problem, the rest of eBay's imposed nightmares still loom.
I found a sight created by a Professor of computer science that has friends that are sellers. The site is called AFTERTHEGAVEL.COM and it is FREE for all of us sellers to use. It gives us the balance back by allowing us to submit neutral and negative feedback for bad buyers. With enough seller participation it will be able to repair the gaping hole that eBay is creating in the feedback system.
If you are a seller go look at this site. It is professionally developed and is our best chance of retaining our balance.
From Kim Clifton, NJ Few will deny that eBay's feedback system has always been flawed. However it has created a balance that each side can get to know each other by past transactions on eBay. Let's face it we rarely if ever see our trading partner in person. We do not know any of the people they know and we have none of the traditional ways of knowing the honesty and integrity of the person we are dealing with.
As a buyer I want to be able to read a sellers rating and feedback comments so I can limit my risk.
As a seller I want to be able to do the same. I have had people buy from me and want to extort me into changing the terms of the auction after they received the item. They want a partial refund on a claim it does not work, yet when I offer a full refund if the item is returned I never hear back from the people except one that went directly to Paypal and filed a claim to get ALL of the money back without returning the items. Sadly weather you are talking about buyers or sellers there are a small percentage that are trouble and we want to avoid. By eBay's own admission 1% of the sellers cause the problems on eBay. But instead of eliminating the 1% they are willing to make the other 99% suffer through their changes. Will it remove the 1%? some but not all & there will always be more that come along. What it will do more than anything is drastically reduce the # of good sellers and in turn the great selection of items at cometitive prices that buyers currently enjoy.
It will not be long before buyers as much or more than sellers long for the original feedback system and the wonderfull selection of items at great prices.
Buyers do not be fooled that these changes are in your interest. Ebay wants to get away from used items and only have new items which will mean you will not see the great deals on used items that drive the excitement on eBay. eBay is also in the process of nudging sellers to offer FREE shipping. Sounds good to you buyers right? Think again, it will only raise the prices. The shipping cost has to go somewhere and that somewhere is into the price. If it goes into the price then eBay collects more fees and sellers will have to raise prices higher to compensate or they will stop selling on eBay. Selection of items is reduced again. How many people go to a huge mall that has only a couple of small stores? Not many.
Sellers this is just a 1st step to test you and see how far they can push you. They know if they can force you into these changes in feedback then they give all of the power to the buyers who unfortunately there are just enough bad ones to destroy your seller reputation and cause you to be lowered in the searches and have your payments held by Paypal for up to 21 days of more if a claim is filed by the buyer. Just like there is not a huge number of sellers that are bad there is not a huge number of buyers that are bad. Unfortunately it does not take that many running around with free reign to leave negative feedback for any reason to destroy many many sellers reputations.
As a Powerseller I have been greatly concerned which led me on an exhaustive search for a solution.
I was fortunate to find one, at least for the feedback problem, the rest of eBay's imposed nightmares still loom.
I found a sight created by a Professor of computer science that has friends that are sellers. The site is called AFTERTHEGAVEL.COM and it is FREE for all of us sellers to use. It gives us the balance back by allowing us to submit neutral and negative feedback for bad buyers. With enough seller participation it will be able to repair the gaping hole that eBay is creating in the feedback system.
If you are a seller please go look at this site. It is professionally developed and is our best chance of retaining our balance.
From Cathy Sadler Boston MA Ebay might as well start running TV commercials that feature 8,00 unique vendors with 40,000 pairs of identical imported white tube socks because that will be ebay's forte going forward.
On top of this, a recent buyer of one of my wonderful items has filed a non-receipt claim via paypal. Despite my having all postal receipts as proof of shipment, the buyer will get their wonderful merchandise and a full refund forced on me by paypal (Wow — double bonus for the buyer and for ebay!!! Free merchandise & free shipping for the buyer. And Taa-daa, ebay gets my listing fee, the selling fee and the paypal fee.
Not only that, some of my new "star rating" feeback is negative simply because buyers are miffy about actual high cost of US Postal shipping rates penny-for-penny and indicated in the listing??? How does that make me a less than perfect seller—please explain that one to me ebay!!! How does this new feedback system benefit the ten-year perfect seller, tell me again????
The roll-out letter I received from ebay on their "new lower fees" was so poorly written and sham-loaded with crap that made false claims of savings.
Ebay's original product is a "platform for selling". Their customer who buys this platform is "ebay sellers". Since the product is a platform and ebay's cost of doing business has not increased (it is mainly just a computer system and software)…it is mostly idiot PR), why are they passing on huge cost increases to their sellers? They don't have huge factories, they aren't paying increased freight/fuel charges or huge heating bills. What would be lost in ebay's product if they simply dismissed all the high paid top exec's at ebay today??? Not much in my opinion…after all, they make it clear that they are merely a selling platform.
From Raia Mt Hood OR 2 minutes until BLASTDOWN! :)
ebay has already HAD it's day, they're done… the greedy monster has begun chewing off it's own legs, by which is stood… see ya!
Raia :)
From Vicky, Houston, TX To Kate Darien Anderson from Charlotte, NC who said: "In two days, when sellers can no longer withhold feedback as a deterrant to justified complaints, we’ll start seeing which sellers are able to maintain their FB ratings."
I'm sorry Kate, but your comment shows your ignorance about the issues at hand.
Feedback changes will not go into effect until May 2008.
You may want to get your facts straight before commenting. Incorrect comments on incorrect facts make you look like you have no idea what you are talking about.
From Hank Great HONEST post in Seller Central on greedbay:
We've followed the discussion on Ebay's new fees and feedback policies and we have seen arguments both for and against, so here's our 2 cents…
First of all:
Who are "we"?
We're a husband wife team and we've chosen to post this with our regular seller account i.d., for the sake of transparency – so that all can see we are not lying and in the hope that readers will appreciate that our opinions are honest and are not just an anonymous rant.
OK, so let's get to the nuts an bolts of it….
Background
We've been on Ebay for 5 years and, at the time of posting, are Gold Level Powersellers (we choose not to show the Powerseller symbol on our listings as it actually helps sales, go figure).
Ebay Fee Changes
What Ebay wants to do: Ebay wants to catch up with that large river in south america in that it eventually wants to get fees down to nothing and get FVFs up to a combined 15% (i.e., combined with Paypal). The large river is winning in revenue, so Ebay will follow that model as the current management follow what the analysts at big financial firms say they must do – i.e., compete with the other guy's business model.
What ebay is actually doing: They are losing sight of what made Ebay unique. Ebay used to be the "world's flea market" – but they now see this as a dirty word – they want to be a "marketplace". However, this automatically disenfranchises a large majority of their members. Remember when Ebay was fun? Not any more. What they appear to be saying is that if you want to sell here, you've got to be a merchant – no more mom and pop operations. This is a shame as they seem to forget the original ethos of Ebay that got them to where they are today. Talking of which, ebay's share price was at $60 just 3 years ago…and then what happened? They started raising fees – and today? Share price below $30 – surely someone has to see that their business plan is not working?
What Ebay fee hikes mean for sellers
Nothing. Sellers will raise their prices to compensate for the fee increases. Those who used to sell by auction will convert to BIN, or will be hurt.
What Ebay fee hikes mean for buyers
Less choice and higher prices.
What Ebay fee hikes mean for Ebay revenues
Less choice, higher prices = lower overall sales = lower revenues.
Ebay Feedback policy changes
No more negatives from sellers
This is perhaps the most short-sighted change by Ebay. We work very hard to maintain a 100% record. But this includes being able to vet or weed-out idiots. Now that sellers can no longer leave honest appraisals of buyers means that we can no longer pre-vet buyers – we are stuck with them.
How Ebay intends to protect sellers
Ebay says that it will protect seller ratings by making the NPB easier, but this is bull – and here's why…we rang Ebay yesterday and this is what they confirmed:
Us: So Ebay will protect us from deadbeat bidders by the NPB processs?
Ebay: Yes, we will remove all feedback from those buyers
US: But doesn't the system say that if they REPLY to the NPB alert, that they can still leave negative feedback?
Ebay : Yes, if they reply to the NPB report they can still leave negative feedback.
Us: So someone can buy an item, never pay for it and as long as they say that they will through the dispute console they can leave us a negative?
Ebay: Yes
Us: So this means that there is no extra protection for us?
Ebay: Well, if you put it like that, then no, in those circumstances, we will not be able to remove the negative.
Us: But doesn't this leave the feedback process open to abuse? Anyone can buy something, not pay for it, and as long as they just reply to the NPB report, they can just leave a negative feedback report without ever paying for it?
Ebay: Yes, you could perhaps see it that way, though we hope that buyers will be more honest.
What Ebay intends to achieve by the feedback changes
Ebay's ethos appears to be that "we need to increase buyer confidence" to increase sales. They think that by introducing these changes they will stop "retaliatory" feedbacks by bad sellers and thereby weed out bad sellers. This is, in our opinion, a backwards approach. They keep spouting statistics that support his view, but if they have these statistics, then why not just weed out the bad sellers by using these statistics? One answer may be that even a bad seller provides revenue? (just an opinion)
Feedback only counts over 12 months
This is a kick in teeth for sellers like ourselves with a feedback record over 5 years – we worked very hard to keep our feedback at 100% by providing good customer service – the first 4 years is now meanngless.
DSRs only count for 30 days
Our DSRs over ~ 9 months are 4.9,4.9,4.8 and 4.8 but now only 30 says will apply – again there is no kudos for prior service.
What Ebay wants to happen from sellers
Ebay "wants" to weed out bad sellers and improve customer service by rewarding sellers with good track records over a period of 30 days. It wants to encourage bad sellers to become good sellers by offering discounts on fees if they achieve certain levels.
What will actually happen from good sellers
We consider ourselves to be "good" sellers – we try and provide honest listings with good follow-through customer support. So, what will happen now? Well, here's the bottom line – after 5 years of feedback on Ebay, only 1 will count. We have no way to spot bad buyers as they will no longer have negatives, Ebay will not remove negatives from NPB as long as they reply to NPB reports, so negatives are unavoidable – they are a given. So, if 5 years of hard work is so easily cast aside, then why should we bust a gut to provide good customer service? Negatives are now inevitable, so customer service will go down – ironic, isn't it?
Every fixed price and store inventory must be above $1
We hadn't heard of this one until Ebay kindly phoned us and left a message to let us know. The big south american river did this by introducing an additional flat rate fee of 80c on top of their 15% – they lead, Ebay follows.
Ebay stores fees go up from 10% to 12% FVF
This raise completes Ebay's desire to get up to the large south american river's level of commission (remember Paypal is 3%, so 12% + 3% = large south american river).
So what does this mean to us?
It's just a question of common sense really. Ebay is pushing us off their site – we've already reduced our inventory from 800 to ~350 and we'll be opening some online stores. We will still keep an online presence on Ebay, but prices will go up and sales will go down as will our invoice amounts from Ebay.
The boycott
Ebay will ignore the boycott as if it didn't happen. We will close our store for that week while we re-calculate our S&H to absorb the fee increases and the USPS increases coming in May. The big shame about the boycott is that many sellers get an important income from Ebay and for some of them to feel threatened by potential negs from boycotters goes against the whole ethos of the community.
The big picture
Ebay's share price is falling, and has been for some time. Wall street analysts called for a change in leadership and a drive towards the models of other internet marketplaces, advice which Ebay has studiously followed. Unfortunately, this does not take into account the very thing that made Ebay what it is today – unique and transparent.
We give this about 6 hours before Ebay removes this commentary.
From Tim Athens, TN "Congratulations, Tim. Your extortionist feedback is exactly why Ebay is enacting this new policy to protect us buyers. If you provided a good product with good service you would have been able to earn positive feedback rather than blackmail your buyers for it. Complain about buyers all you want but your ability to hold feedback over our heads ends on the 20th, and I for one will be buying up an Ebay storm and leaving accurate feedback for the first time in two years. Good job Ebay!"
Posted By Kate Darien Anderson Charlotte, NC
Extortion? Blackmail? What in idiot! Don't quote just a portion of what I wrote. Stupid buyers like you who don't read the whole message are the problem. If you had taken the trouble to read the whole message, you would known that it also said "If there is a problem, please let me know and I will do my best to make it right."
When I make a sale, of course I like to get positive feedback, just as much as you want it as a buyer. But, when I leave positive immediately, as I used to do, most people are never heard from again. That is, unless there is a problem. When there is, it is taken care of, to the customer's satisfaction. How do you suggest getting folks to leave positive when they are actually happy, but too lazy to leave it? At least I let buyers know ahead of time how it works. If you don't like it, don't buy. The same thing goes for the folks who complain about high shipping. Are you really stupid enough to believe that someone could sell an item for a penny? I've never sold anything that way, but I don't think you should complain about it if it's stated in the ad.
I don't think you have any clue as to what an effort is is to sell on eBay. The sellers are eBay's customers, not you. If you think so, then just how much did you pay eBay in fees last year? Unless you are also a seller, it was NOTHING. And eBay's customers are the ones who are getting screwed.
It's idiots like this whiner who have ruined eBay for the reputable sellers. Sell it on eBay? Only if they reverse this ignorant feedback policy. Bad job eBay!
From Kate Darien Anderson Charlotte, NC I love how so many sellers on here feel the need to share their fabulous FB rating with us, as proof of the fact that they have provided great service. Ladies and gents, your FB ratings are suspect since no one knows how many people have wanted to leave you a justified negative or nuetral but didn't out of fear of FB retaliation.
In two days, when sellers can no longer withhold feedback as a deterrant to justified complaints, we'll start seeing which sellers are able to maintain their FB ratings. Some sellers are going to have to shape up or ship out, which I'm sure is precisely eBay's goal. No doubt after that, eBay will implement changes to cull out dishonorable buyers. Rome wasn't built in a day.
From Gary, East Peoria Illinois in case anyone was wanting to research other sites… http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com/
From Angela 'chotii' B, Seattle WA I have said before, and will repeat for those who haven't seen it: I am a seller who doesn't CARE if buyers give me feedback. I have good feedback – very good, in fact – last time I looked I had 1360, with only 2 negs in my lifetime on Ebay. But so what? If I'm selling, I want to know if my buyers are happy. Positive feedback tells me this, but so does a nice email. I'm satisfied with either. Then I know the transaction is completed. My responsibility doesn't end when I stick a package in the mail, and the buyer's responsibility doesn't end when they stick their money "in the mail" (or paypal, or whatever). The transaction is over when everybody is as happy as the situation will allow. But it doesn't take feedback to do that. It does take communication.
From Valerie Lennert, Anaheim, CA I very much support the strike. My store, live listings, and all activity on Ebay will stop as of 12:00 AM Monday.
I love Ebay and it breaks my heart to have to strike. But all this..all these changes…they've just gone too far.
From Cherie Y. Jerome PA I am in total disagreement with this new ebay policy and I hope all of you out there, especially the sellers stick to your guns and stand up to these greedy monsters! I'm not only a buyer, but a seller and have a 100% feedback and these new changes with the feedback ratings are BOGUS!! We pay a fee to post and then a final fee after item is sold so we need to be protected, but obviously the ebay big shots could care less!! I for one will pull my account if this is how it's going to be. I may not be a "power seller" but I do contribute to fatten the wallets of the ebay execs. I'm only one of many who make these big shots rich, but one by one, we can show them that we will NOT stand for these changes, but we have to stick together and let our voices be heard!!
From Curtis Eugene, OR I switched to OnlineAuction.com. No listing or FVFs just $8 per month for unlimited listings. My buyers get a break because I don't need to make up for fees. I've actually had people CALL ME BACK to help me. How great is that? AND: They don't interfere with contact between buyers and sellers. We can help this site grow; they can help us succeed.
Let's face it, if we wanted something we didn't have to help build, we'd have to stay with eBay and put up with the fee increases and take whatever they want to do to us in the way of changes to feedback, searches, etc.
We need to fight back by joining together and building a better, more user-friendly site.
Right now eBay has the market and they have us where they want us. If we scatter our efforts, they'll keep the upper hand.
Don't miss this chance to change the online Auction world forever. http://www.onlineauction.com/
From chris stillwater minnesota Hi I sell now and again on ebay and i have enjoyed making some extra cash for school. it was cool but you get swallowed to easy to many copy cats (thats part of the game i know.) but it makes it all the more difficult to make any thing when about 20% goes to ebay the heck with that. it says 10 percent final value fee but also pay pal rakes in 4 percent. And granted this is better then your own merchant account. but thats 14% minimum craigs depending on what you are selling. plus listing fees yikes. At the same time this is maybe what they need to get people to be able to make money on there again. if less sell then you wont be swallowed so easy.
From Nancy, Horsham, PA I have been stung by scammers in the past and have used the buyers feedback scores to help protect myself against being scammed in the future. I want to know how we can let Ebay know that we are a part of the boycott?
From Rocky Edison , Oklahoma City, OK The Rich Get Greedy as the saying should go. The Beach is not a Beach without us Sellers being grains of Sand. eBay and paypal are about money! Paypal won't give you a box to check if a "Unconfirmed Address" is listed so you can cover yourself there. You have zero recourse if it is unconfirmed – but they will always take their money.
eBay needs to have sellers output so it will be "Real" changes – not just the fat cats doing nothing but figuring out how to make more money. Nothing is fair – detailed sellers rated stars, how about the buyers?? Nada!
People generally like to complain, no matter what you charge or how quick yu mail packages..so.. I never liked the star system.
The system needs to be Run by the People for the People.
From Forrest G.Adams Clayton, OK As a small venue seller, I have had the problems recieving feedback. When a buyer pays I would leave feedback as how his part of the transaction is complete. Then I ship the merchandise and never recieve my feedback, even after a courtest followup email requesting feedback.
AND the veteran sellers who want to blackmail positive feedback. You buy their product and the don't want to give you feedback until after you leave positive feedback. I generally just buy their product and do not leave feedback myself rather than be bullied. What is the solution?
From M.P. Jimerson Preston, ID I have had problems in the past with Ebay, but they have been very helpful in helping resolve those problems, so I haven't had that kind of bad experience with them.
My beef with them is that they don't let people buy bullets or brass from them anymore due to the fact of the tragedy at VA tech. last year, a pistol clip was bought by the cowardly killer of those precious students.
Something like that shouldn't have to affect a large portion of people that want to buy them because they are good citizens. Cars are sold on Ebay and more people are killed by cars than firearms, but you don't see Eabay halting car sales. Ebay has to do better than what they are doing, it is to bad they are so liberal dictating to us who can buy bullets and parts to guns that can be bought on http://www.gunbroker.com, and gunsamerica. They are just killing themselves. That is to bad.
From Gary, East Peoria Illinois I have read many of the eBay backlash blogs, and I have been noticing other online auction site names here and there. Does anyone know where I can find a site that offers and unbiased pro and con list of the features available for online auction sites, such as fees, membership costs, payment methods, security, etc? I think a lot of sellers and buyers would benefit from something like this, especially sellers that want to leave eBay and are searching for a more seller friendly auction site. On a related note, I would like to see which companies are doing the most to combat fraudulent buyers and sellers. I have been burned on eBay in the past, and it is not fun to deal with. However, despite the recent policy changes, I am a little hesitant to leave eBay to sell on another site that has not taken any steps to combat fraud.
From Matt, Chicago, Ill Thank you ebay for protecting the buyer from the poor seller who is rigging bids, and then retaliates when negative feedback is given. As a consumer, I feel this is a positive move forward with the end customer in mind, not the freak vendor with his high shipping and bid rigging.
From Carl Minneapolis MN I have closed my Ebay store and am researching alternatives. I'd be very surpirsed if I went back to Ebay at all. And this was before I learned of the upcoming changes!
From PS King Lakeside, AZ My Recent Ebay Experiences: I bought items from a seller. The seller made certain promises, promises turned out to be blatant falsehoods. I wrote to Ebay 5 times to complain. Ebay sent me stock email back "thank you for contacting us, blah, blah, blah" Nothing Done. Seller soon taken off Ebay- no notice to ME- I couldn't find seller- couldn't get money back. Ebay stands by without any assistance offered to me. I wrote Ebay another round of emails. I was referred to PayPal for reimbursement. I wrote PayPal- PayPal sates it is now TOO LATE to file for reimbursement. I write Ebay- they do not respond. TWO WEEKS LATER a "third party" steals my account information & makes bogus bids on Ebay. Said 3rd party changes my address, email address and password. I notify Ebay- Ebay tells me I MUST be at fault- I write Ebay back & tell them that I have every virus protection/scammer/spammer/spyware known to man- it was NOT my fault. Ebay emails me back via "instant chat" that they "have taken steps to investigate" and that my account had not "been breached" and by the way "did you read our tutorial on account security?" I was treated like an idiot & NOTHING was done by Ebay on either occasion to protect me, my personal data, or my money. I hope their site implodes on itself. You cannot offer protection and then not provide it. By the way- my "chat" session ended when Ebay representative "Nelly" diconnected me after I said I was going to the media. Thanks Ebay!
From Louise Hutchison, Lake Havasu City, AZ I have gone to ePier.com for now. They were not mentioned in the eBay rivals article but I have found them to be a great alternative for the small volume seller. I'm afraid eBay has become too big a business within itself and has lost the purpose and personality it once had.
From J.Cave Winchester, Va. This is nothing more than a Wealthy Greedy American Company trying to increase it's bottom line any way it can.
It just sickens me and many others to watch our country be taken over by money hungry SOB's that don't care about anyone but themselves.
We can only hope that this boycott will show "Lieberman" that "We the People" won't stand for this type of BS.
From Doug Corson Ebay's/PayPal's protection and customer service for the buyer is an absolute joke. The only protection a buyer has from unscrupulous sellers is to ALWAYS pay by credit card. Have you noticed how hard PayPal tries to get you to always pay by debit? Asking you if you are sure you want to pay by credit card. Changing the follow up question screen hoping to trip you up and accidently pay by debit. Not allowing you to permanently set your account to pay by credit card. Charging the buyer $25 to dispute a sale. The only way to buy on Ebay is to always pay by credit card. The vast majority of sellers are absolutely fantastic!!! However, Ebay needs to take much stronger action against fraudulent sales. Expand their customer service staff and improve their dispute resolution process. If Ebay was doing a better job, the buyers would not have to resort to having their credit card company handle the dispute.
From Judy – Austin, TX I have been buying and mostly selling on EBay as a hobby for several years because I have a couple of collections I like to add to now and then. It is a good way to sell better brand name stuff that I no longer want or need, without the hassle of a holding a garage sale. In over 700 transactions, I have been forced to leave negative feedback less than ten times. Why? Because I have a strict all sales final policy which is clearly posted on the listing when I sell. More importantly, I close all of my transactions with PayPal only. If a seller does not take PayPal, I simply do not buy from them, and when I am selling, I clearly post on the listing it is a PayPal only transaction. That one electronic payment holds both parties accountable should something go amiss. When it comes to buying and selling on EBay, my motto is “In God We Trust, All Others Pay with PayPal.”
I have received two negative feedbacks over the years, one of which I believe was spawned from a negative I left for a deadbeat non-paying bidder in South Carolina. After I was forced to relist the item, it was suspiciously bought from someone in her same zip code; could be the next street over for all I knew. The other negative I received was from some nit-picky old bat in Kansas City who haggled with me to no end over my already low shipping charge, even though she bought my item for a steal and shipping price was clearly posted big as day on the listing. When I tried to defend my good name by trying to get those negatives repealed, the people at EBay wimped on me both times.
I have had fun buying and selling on EBay, but I do not believe it is something one should do to make a living. It should be for fun and (small) profit only as a hobby and not as a way to make big bucks. Those people you see on documentaries about EBay who have made mega bucks selling stuff are extremely rare. Sure, it’s a good way for a retiree or stay-at-home-mom to make an extra buck or two, but definitely not a full blown living. Finally, I do believe that most people who buy and sell on EBay are honest people just having fun. If you have issue with EBay listing fees and such, have a garage sale or go to your local County courthouse and file the paperwork to open a real business.
From Paulne Spear, Longmont Co. Are you that ignorant? I work sometimes 16 hours a day to get auctions up and running, just because you have a JOB (JUST OVER BROKE) and don't desire anything more with your life, thats your choice..oh by the way, I work full time during the week, come home and its ebay until 11pm back up at 4 am to go to my JOB , On the weekends its shipping buying more inventory, research and listings…on days off (paid from a JOB) its EBAY again, ebays system is only getting worse and becoming easier for the corrupt and scammers to violate us sellers. ..GEEZ ALL UP IN THE KOOL AID AND DON'T EVEN KNOW THE FLAVOR! ( in case you dont' understand, it means mind and tend to business you do know…..not something you know nothing about!)
From Ray, Newark, DE Hey, if you are one of those sellers that push junk for 1.99 and a $20 shipping fee – don't boycott, just leave, OK?
From Rob B., Aliquippa, PA Ebay does have many flaws… and they will continue to add more apparently. I think it's funny that everyone goes with public outcry over this now, and in 2 weeks when the new standards have been adopted most will be right back on there selling again. The sad truth is that ebay has been going downhill since it's inception. For example, I always liked paypal until after ebay purchased it and I found out that since they don't verify addresses in Canada and many other countries outside the U.S., if the buyer opts not to purchase insurance and claims the package was lost then paypal will take the money back from you no questions asked since they have no way to track it. Where is the public outcry over this?
Scams are the biggest problem on ebay. There are so many that ebay ignores. For example, the "mystery envelope" scams. I have 5 envelopes for sale, one has a ticket that will give you a brand new plasma tv. Is there any way to verify that the seller is actually sitting on a plasma tv that one of 5 will receive? No. No one checks it, stupid people bid on it, and basically ebay allows what is essentially a form of gambling.
Personally, I don't care about the listing fee changes. If anything I wouldn't mind seeing the listing fee's go up if the final value fee's were lowered. It would be beneficial in two ways. One… sellers would be encouraged to start their items out low and 'let it ride' so to speak, giving buyers a slight chance of getting a good deal. Two, higher listing fee's would certainly help to eliminate alot of those sellers who bulk list 500 of the same item that make it almost impossible to find what you actually want to buy (or at the very least make it not worth the time to look through page after page).
I think that coming feedback changes will do nothing but scare off even more sellers. It will just give the bad buyers the opportunity to blackmail sellers with feedback. Once they've paid… they can put whatever they want with no fear of retaliation. As for the many people who brag about how many good buyers there are, there are quite a few bad ones. If there's a way to cheat.. people will find it. With ebay's rules now leaning even more against sellers, I have stopped selling completely. It was, for me at least, a little bit easier to sell there than through other avenues… but it's just not worth the cost, the hassel and all the other unneccessary irritations with trying to deal with a government-like rule system.
I would be willing to bet that within a month or two when their message boards are overflowing and their customer support system crashes from the millions of emails they get every time some newbie scammer bids just to leave negative feedback that they will go back to the standard feedback format. It will be just like the worthless new format they've been trying to push…. money wasted, sellers angered, and buyers more confused than ever.
From Anthony B, Maple Grove, MN It seems as though eBay made a poor feedback system worse. Instead of trying to fix a system where sellers potentially threatened buyers into giving positive feedback, eBay now has a system that favors the buyer in its feedback system.
In my opinion, eBay needs to scrap it's current and future feedback systems and come up with a workable solution that is fair to both buyers and sellers.
From J.C., Madison, WI I have 100% positive feedback rating as a buyer but have had serious problems with about 7 out of 119 sellers. The reason my rating is good is because even though I took some of them to the mat in official disputes I did not leave negative feedback. Taking a person to the mat is too stressful because each time you have to be planted at the computer reading by policies for 6-16 hours and worry constantly about the outcome till it was settled.
I support the feedback change because of what happened with a powerseller over a fishing rod. I won the bid for about $10, then shipping in the add was set at about $10 as well and the paypals automatic calculations put the total at $20. Then the seller said the mailed it to me. After a day the seller contacted me and said that they did not ship it yet because they needed an additional $10 which was not part of the add and was well after the end of the auction which would have brought my total up to about $30. This was a dishonest move on their part which was astonishing because in their add they threatened negative feedback to non paying customers, and yet when they do wrong they expect to go off scott free. They felt no remorse. I soon realized that it was taking too much out of me to take bad sellers to the mat and this seller had 4,900 sales at the time while I only had about 70. What this means is that if I gave them negative feedback as I should have then if they relatiated with the same then it would hardly even register on their feedback percentage since they had so much volume but a if they dropped it on my little 70 transactions it would have put a large dent in my ratings. Once a seller gets several hundred or thousands of sales under their belt they are all most unpunishable through negative feed back.
There are other issues that eBay is not even facing in all this… the fact that many high volume sellers routinely buy back their own merchandise. I have watched their stuff for months and see that almost daily their stuff shoots up to the same price at the tail end of the auction. They have an endless supply of items that look the same and may in fact be the same as was purported to have been already sold.
From Dennis Carrico, California I am an Ebay PowerSeller and have been since 2002. I joined Ebay in 2000 and started selling. It was a fun, and easy way to make money in my niche market.
I won't be listing another auction until Ebay comes to their senses. They take almost $3,000 per month off my bottom line at this point, and are planning for more in the future. Instead of making it HARDER to do business on their site, they should be trying to make it EASIER and CHEAPER for everyone(INCLUDING themselves).
If they don't wake up soon, they will be replaced by another online entity.
YES, it will take awhile to do that, they may smugly grin, but obsolescence comes to us all in the Age of the Internet. Fun and Easy have been replaced by Ebay 2008 if YOU choose to let it. I for one, won't.
From Teapotdee, Austin, Texas ebay is basically purging a few layers of sellers who have been clueless all along when it comes to the actual costs of doing business online. They are not cost-effective and they are emotional, irrational, and very quick to attack and destroy other sellers and buyers.
eBay is not, and never was, a welfare agency and it is going to experience a dip but then a resurgence after it gets rid of these freeloading, clueless sellers. They are attacking any in the boards who do not support them, and they are utterly clueless as to ebay's genius for letting them do this. EBay is not contacting the big media for coverage, the boycotters are, and the alternative sites will be stuck with the demanding accounts that ebay is shedding.
As a seller who is remaining behind, I don't like the pain being inflicted by the clueless demagogues as they leave (oh how I WISH they would leave!) but I have to say that ebay will be a much stronger and better market platform once the boycotters are finally gone.
From Tyler in NYC eBay is now ( and since 2005 ) " bleeding " and destroying the livelihoods of approximately 2 million hard working American families , elderly and those less fortunate , who , have come to depend on using eBay as a way to help pay their bills and put some food on their tables. these hard working Americans are the same people whose loyalty PAID in spades for eBays expansion and growth in the marketplace when it was nothing. I know because I purchased stock in eBay when it first became a public offering , and it's drop in value and promise over these past few years , and stagnant growth speaks volumes about eBay's continual attack against it's loyal base who truly made eBay. these loyal hardworking American folks are your friends , your neighbors , and your fellow citizens of this once great land of opportunity who are now losing both their jobs and homes in record numbers. these are the same hardworking Americans who have been paying the millions of dollars for eBays corporate " fat-cat " salaries and " golden parachutes ". how does eBay repay this customer loyalty ? with calculated disdain for all those average Americans who helped make eBay more than just a household name. my family , friends , and I , after being made fully aware of eBay's disrespect and disdain for its customers by the national media and press , have decided not only to completely honor this boycott against eBay , but sell off ALL of our eBay stock holdings , and , to never purchase anything from eBay again. all Americans and patriots who have suffered at the hands of these kinds of out of control and despicable corporations should now take the opportunity to stand up this time and be counted. please …think twice before you purchase again from eBay…. your support and attention to this movement can have more of an affect than you know , and it might even help out someone less fortunate than yourself. and it might even reverse a trend in this country of corporations randomly destroying average Americans for sport. and please , if you can , support this boycott ( feb. 18th – 25th ) and let ALL corporations know that they cannot get away with this kind of cruel and un-American behavior. Peace to all.
From dedgothgirl, brooksville ebay takes a bigger ut the the mafia already.
you know god only asks for 10%
the fees for 1 picture a really silly short title and a 7 day run? are they kidding.
but the final insult is the buyer gets to leave a negative and the seller doesn't that is just a slap in the face.
that broke the camels back.
you get an order an ship what it is same or next day and buyer request tracking and it's right there.
the situation is just about beyond stressful when you not making any profit what so ever and then a buyer gets to steal your merch do paypal bank reversal and then leave a negative feedback.
i see much abuse coming not only from buyers but other sellers who are your competition.
the situation has got more and more horrible through the years as more and more people learn how to commit mail fraud
ebay dedgothgirl
From jeffrey vajgrt marshalltown ,iowa I LOVE THE NEW POLICY CHANGE!!!! COGRATULATIONS E BAAY for helping us buyers guard agianst the 90 percent bid rigging going on on EBAY. Hopefully the sellers will finally get the message that E bay is an AUCTION SITE NOT A STORE SITE!!!!!!!!! YEEEHAWAA!!! To all you sellers WAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!~! vadganator
From JIG, NEW YORK I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE AN EBAY SHAREHOLDER. THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF MONEY IN THE NEXT YEAR. WHO CARES IF BUYERS HAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS? THEY CAN STILL BUY!!! WHEN SELLERS GET NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS IT EFFECTS WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN SELL ITEMS. AND IF THERE ARE NO SELLERS, THERE IS NO EBAY. SELLERS RUN THE SHOW. I AM A SELLER AND I RETALIATE WHEN A BUYER GIVES ME A NEGATIVE. A LOT OF BUYERS ARE EBAY ROOKIES AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ON A SELLER. I CAN'T BELIEVE EBAY IS THAT STUPID TO ALLOW THIS FEEDBACK CHANGE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE GREAT FEEDBACK RATINGS ARE SCREWED AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE START OF THE DECLINE IN EBAY, WHICH IS TOO BAD. ONE STUPID POLICY CHANGE WRECKS ANOTHER GREAT COMPANY!!!!!
From Anonymous GET A REAL JOB LIKE THE REST OF US!!!!!!!!!!
From Elyse, Waltham MA eBay wasn't designed as a business-to-consumer or business-to-business tool for large volume sellers. It was designed to be a consumer-to-consumer site that some businesses might use occasionally to get sell off small quantities of surplus or outdated inventory.
eBay has given many individuals a chance to start home-based businesses, but it is not equipped to serve larger-scale or mature enterprises. This reality has been obscured by the proliferation of "How to run a business on eBay" seminars, which make running a business look far easier than it is. I think these seminars have mislead some people into underestimating actual costs of doing business: time and materials for packaging and shipping, breakage costs, customer service, collections, unreasonable customers, etc.
Using eBay to run a full-scale business is like using a stock car in the Indy 500—no matter how much you tinker with it, it won't win because it wasn't set up for that environment. But I think some large-scale sellers are trying to repurpose eBay instead of spending the money for the business services they require.
I hope that eBay's latest set of decisions will shake things up enough to correct this situation and bring eBay back to it's origins as a consumer-oriented auction that is fun and exciting instead of a dreary, repetitious site with untrustworthy transactions.
Note to "Tacoma wa's" post: eBay's 1999 policy didn't cause me to distrust sellers. I learned to distrust sellers when a seller failed to send the item I paid for immediately after winning, then refused to send me a tracking number, then tried to blame me for giving an insufficient address (not true), and then tried to claim that the item was lost in the mail—when in reality the Post Office had returned the package to him because he had only paid for Parcel Post but festooned the package with "Priority" stickers!
Sellers need to stop blaming eBay for their failures. eBay was not designed to be a full service business-to-business enterprise, so if your business needs more services and different fee structures than eBay offers, you owe it to yourself, your family, and your business to find what works best for you in the current marketplace. Instead of blaming eBay, why don't you thank eBay for the business opportunities it has supplied to you?
From ctogel, Anderson, SC ebay has managed to turn a community consisting of buyers and sellers communicating with eachother, into a poisoned pool of fraudsters and disenchanted shoppers of resale items – and now they have decided to even kill any remote attempt at dialogue or goodwill…
We stopped selling my artwork there in 2004 and created a online art auction venue – where the buyers can actually count on dealing directly with the artist that created the piece, and not with a factory. Where the artist can list and sell their work for free – we do not charge listing or final value fees. Cheap knockoffs and factory produced wares aren't allowed, and we have built our reputation on outstanding customer relations and a pleasant place to find real art. Something that ebay has managed to destroy over the past few years by introducing changes that only benefitted their shareholders, but not their users. In essence, they were forcing the users listing in the art categories to use their expensive feature plus option, just to have their work seen at all. Lots of protests, polls, and votings later, the problem still persists – and now they have gone and thrown more water on that smoldering mess to make it even worse by not allowing neg feedback for buyers.
Interesting, that a company that used to be at the top of the pile seems to intent to bury it's efforts of years and years, just to pacify it's shareholders for a week or two longer.
btw. – should you be a buyer looking for your favorite ebay artist's work, you could check if they are on artbyus (dotcom), that's where many of us list our work now…
From Vicky Brush, San Jose, CA Paul R…
You don't seem to realize something when you claim that sellers are paranoid, thus listing out their rules and such in auction content, as if the buyers are potential trouble.
Did it ever occur to you that we, as a seller, have experienced bad buyers and why we must do what we must do and be extremely clear on our policies, so that all of our expectations as seller and clear, upfront and honest?
I pity you, quite personally, because you apparently have no clue on what it's like to receive negative feedback simply for the reasons of retaliation.
You really need to think more clearly, and don't be so self-absorbed.
From Joey Kent, Knoxville TN Why boycott for just a week? Ebay will just expect you back in a week. You should boycott until they stop disrespecting us. That's what I'm doing, for however long it takes.
From Mechelle, Felton CA Some things to consider
First- I started selling a year ago Feb 13th, and when I first began selling I always left positive feedback after payment was made, because like many ebay members buyers and sellers a like, I believe that is the right thing to do. My opinion was altered when one of my customers who I thought was great and had spent a week helping her understand things about ebay and assuring her that it was alright to wait until the auction ends to make payment on the rest of the items she bought.
Well, a about a week later (she was international) she emailed tellin me that the items were perfect and she loved everything, but that she didn't understand why when she went to pick up the package she had to pay an additional $10 for shipping and she thought she would come to me before leaving feedback (note who was making the threat in this situation). I had no idea what that was about so I asked her to give me the details so I figure out what happened. Well, she reponded telling me that because I hadn't marked the item as a gift and hadn't valued the purchase uder $20 on the customs form she had to pay $10 dollars for taxes and customs handling, and that I should reimburse her the money. Well, I was stunned that this woman felt I owed her because I didn't falsify customs forms for her. You have to be kidding me- I'm supposed to commit a felonious act so she can save a few bucks. Well, I have 1 negative and it was from this B**** because I told her to go to H*** that there was no way I was going to pay her taxes for her.
So I'm stuck with that feedback because she's freaking crazy and eBay is freaking worthless- they flat out refused to remove it regardless of the fact that I had submitted the entire thread of our communication prior to her leaving the negative.
So, I don't leave it first, because I just don't think that it is appropriate for someone to behave this way on either side of the transaction. I have never threatened or even implied that I would leave one of my customers a negative, but I want to be able to if another nut like this lady pops up. What I do now is if a month or so has passed I go ahead and leave it, because after that much time I know they are satisfied and just don't feel like leaving feedback, don't have time, or don't want to do it first. However, I never send messages in any capacity saying please leave feedback so I know you are happy and I'll do the same for you or once you leave feedback I will also give appropriate feedback. I hate this as a buyer absolutely hate it- I always feel like I am being extorted or threatened by these little notes in the package or sent in an email. It's really crappy and I don't think anyone should do that.
okay- so here is my perspective of eBays changes and sorry to let the buyers know but eBay really could give a S**t less about you – you are simply the pawn in their game
EBay’s evil Plot unraveled
The Depth of eBay’s Depravity
Through out the last couple of weeks I have been stuck on trying to figure out what eBay/Paypal is really up to- how do all of the odd – seemingly unrelated- changes compliment each other. Well it hit me, and if you are pissed now just wait until I finish laying out their devious plot:
Overview
2007 eBay rolls out DSR (detailed seller ratings) the star system
2007 neutral feedback is calculated as negative feedback for sellers
Buyers don’t know this – so put a neutral thinking – okay the transaction was okay – not pissed but not ecstatic either = neutral
Seller freaks – oh geeze -why didn’t they just email – we could have worked it out- that’s not right to not let someone make things better for you before you give them bad feedback (neutrals are the same as negatives in eBay’s eyes)
Why does it matter so much the rating? Why does the rating create such panic?
2007 Buyer satisfaction requirements- based on negative & negative neutrals (all negatives & neutrals) relative to positive feedback
Consequences of low buyer satisfaction ratings
Limited listing
Account restrictions
Maybe it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to only be able to list 20 items instead of 120- but that could very well mean the difference in whether or not the sellers 6 year old boy gets dinner..
I know we are all looking at computer screens so it is easy to let the forum dilute the reality that there is a man or woman who works their tails off everyday working their eBay store and has a life to live, a family to support, and simply doing their level best not to have a breakdown concerning the constant pressure from eBay (their damn fees, lack of support, continual assaults on our intelligence, and their publicly announcing their false story of eBay sellers are nothing but extorting trash). Yes, we are bad bad bad people, so bad that eBay needs to protect our customers from us, yet not bad enough to be ejected from eBay. I always find that interesting.
So, with the constant abuse, we pay for monthly by selling (and yes buying) on eBay, and the never ending insane expectations driven with continual threats of suspension (if we do this or if that or if this and that) you get the point. Yes, panic takes over when the seller feels they have been unjustly given a negative (neutral = negative) feedback- you know because the buyer never paid, or the buyer wanted a refund and you had the nerve to tell her/him no you weren’t going to give them money just to avoid a negative, or the buyer gave a neutral not because they were to chicken to leave a negative, but because they clearly didn’t feel that the negative descriptor was appropriate for the experience.
This has caused some cases of sellers not handling the situation appropriately by throwing a negative out there (totally wrong reaction) to try and make the buyer agree to withdraw. This is the precise reaction that eBay had counted on. Tell the sellers their neutral is actually counted as negative, but don’t tell the buyer exactly what they are saying when they check the box. Result everyone is freaking.
This compounded by eBay’s other 2007 piece of the plot
In November eBay started letting non-eBay members bid auctions and commit to purchases. (yes, this is why all of our non-paying buyer instances have increased exponentially). However, they are not allowed to leave feedback or have protection on a purchase until after they sign up as a member (at which time all member rights are retroactively applied and the seller’s quarters are up for grabs).
So, eBay sets the scene with all of these little changes that didn’t seem to have any connection, but clearly do, and then they make the big announcements!!
We never recalled any of the 2007 changes that have led to the seller’s fear of the buyer, the buyer wondering what the Heck, and eBay enjoying a celebratory toast over how well their plan is evolving.
January 29, 2008- eBay Monster Part 2
Holiday season just ended – low turn out in general, but a high turn out of non-paying buyers. I’ll bet that every eBay seller was stiffed on at least 6 transactions during the holiday season. Their item in limbo for 15 days as per eBay’s policy. For those of us who had are best sellers shelved, because of a non-paying buyer, we are raw to say the least concerning non-paying buyers.
Low turn out for holiday season left us all rattled and overloaded with inventory and non-paying buyers to deal with. Sales are bad and money is scarce. Perfect Timing for eBay’s plan part 2
New eBay changes
(These guys are such freaking idiots they’ll totally fall for this one- he he he)
Fee Decrease- free gallery, nickel off of insertion, and a 3.5% increase in final value fees.
(I think they bought it- ha ha ha – I think so too- he he he)
(these store slaves are so dumb watch this- haaaahhhh)
Store listing fees Gallery from 1 penny to 0 pennies, insertion from 5 pennies to 3 pennies
(okay, this is my favorite part- oh man I wish I could be there to see their gullible faces)
Store FVFs from 10% to 12%
(you know only 1% of these fools will have enough arithmetic knowledge to see this is an increase- oh man this is great!)
Powerseller Rewards- Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha-
Currently, only 15% of eBay sellers would be eligible for the 15% discount on FVFees- Again- 15% discount on FVFs not on the FV of the sell price just on the fees eBay collects.
So, if you had an auction item sell for $1.00 eBay would get $0.0875, which of course would be rounded up to $0.09 in favor of eBay always.
If you are eligible for the 15% power seller reward discount than you would get 15% of $0.09, which comes to $0.0135, of course this would round down again in eBay’s favor, and you will get 1 cent- that’s it 1 cent
To be eligible the seller must have 4.8 score on each DSR area- it’s not an average- each one.
The sellers who have 4.6 and up until the 4.8 are eligible for the 5% power seller reward
So, the item sells for $1.00 eBay gets there 9 cents rounded up from .0875 cents- the power seller will be rewarded with 5% of$0.09, which comes to .0045- rounded down in eBay’s favor – the seller will get $0.00
Store Listings – item sells for a $1.00 eBay gets 12 cents the seller gets either 15% or 5% of eBay’s FVFees- you can do the math for this scenario
EBay’s first slap
(this one is too funny!)
Another power seller reward is “extended seller protection”.
(ha ha ha- can’t extend something non-existent- the little idiots)
Of course they are willing to “extend seller protection policy” – a side from their not making good on the promise of seller protection 99% of the time- they for sure won’t have to do anything at all now, because they have the seller by their B***s (figuratively speaking of course) using their own customer’s hands-
In the scramble to avoid negative feedback hoping to avoid having their account limited or being suspended for some time resulting in their children going hungry, the elderly woman or man who supplements his/her soc sec income by selling on eBay, or the disabled individuals who find themselves better suited for an eBay (a once upon a time eBay anyway) occupation- they will hand money and/or product over left & right. Yes, it is these people that eBay terrorizes- it is these people that support eBay by being their customers. Funny how eBay expects so much from it’s customers (us) who have chosen to sell on eBay- yet has no issues with telling us all to F*** off a hundred different ways every single day.
(This one is really going to rile them all up, and they won’t even notice the rest- the freaking degenerates- life is to easy sometimes I think a rat would catch on quicker than these losers- ha ha ha disgust head shaking- hard to believe they are actually of the same species!)
Sellers can no longer leave buyers negative or neutral feedback- only positive.
Buyers can still leave positive, negative, or neutral feedback even if they never paid for the item at all
(eBay “we listened to our buyers (our customers for some odd reason become eBay’s buyers- how the hell does that work- I supply the product, I pay fees to sell the product, and I do 100% of the work, but some how these are eBay’s buyers/customers) and sellers and this is what you wanted” – an increase- I mean- a decrease in fees and public humiliation leveled on you by someone who never even paid you. This is why we encourage every buyer, who never paid, to respond to the dispute even if it’s only to say they’re not paying- so you can get your negative feedback we wouldn‘t want you to look like a good seller)
The eBay Bitch Slap-
The new extended and better for eBay DSR burn
Item description *****
Seller communication *****
Shipping time *****
Shipping cost *****
eBay has thrown item description, seller communication, and shipping time to the side to focus on shipping fees. I find this funny, because I am someone who buys from eBay sellers and I am more concerned about item as described than I am with shipping cost-I would think that eBay would emphasize this score over the rest, but they don’t seem to think that the customers of the people who sell on eBay care if their item is accurate. Interesting argument, I wonder how many people they spoke with actually feel this way
Why does eBay care so much about shipping cost?
Simple or complex- you decide
FVFees are based on the sold price of the item -fees are not assessed on shipping or taxes. EBay looses money when sellers inflate the shipping fee to compensate for the products low price. Fee Evasion – sellers aren’t out to screw buyers they are intending to burn eBay (cheer cheer). Unfortunately, this does illicit a negative feeling from a seller’s customer, and it’s not the best long term business practice.
EBay’s new Shipping fee DSR purpose- Best Match
For those sellers who are not enticed or eligible for the “massive power seller reward” they need another method to force them into loading the shipping cost into the product so they can get the new 3.5% FVF increase on auction/fixed price & the additional 2% FVF from store sells. How will they accomplish this
Instead of the sort default being time ending soonest- they have decided to determine the sort order by shipping cost & shipping fee DSR ratings.
So what does this mean for eBay sellers?
All eBay sellers continue to pay the exact amount of to list but,
The listings in which the seller conformed with eBay and loaded the shipping fee into the product and has 4.5 or higher DSR in shipping cost will be at the top of the search results
The listing with shipping fees will be (doesn’t matter if it is exact postage) will be below all of the free shipping listings – regardless of time the listing is ending.
So, a listing that honestly shows there are postage fees- and hasn’t had the fees packed into the price for eBay to make money off of- will be lucky to ever be seen before the auction ends, and of course won’t sell
So for those who stand firm on the way they will be treated and demand respect from all parties (such as myself) eBay has a special treat to beat us into conformity – they think!
Paypal earns interest off of seller’s money
21 day fund freezes!!
For those of us who refuse to be extorted by one of those bad buyers (relatively speaking not very many, but enough to incite reasonable concern) or by eBay, we can expect to rack up the negatives quickly. While at the same time, because I refuse to deceive my customers by suggesting they are receiving free shipping, which is absolutely ridiculous- shipping is not free. My DSR in shipping fees may look very poor. I am a seller of some items that eBay/PayPal consider high risk.
my customer satisfaction ratings have plummeted as a result of undeserved negative and/or neutral feedback and I am now at 5% customer dis-satisfaction ratings. So I am now ripe for the PayPal bully to steal my money to earn interest off of. While I’m expected to ship the item on my dime, and hope the buyer leaves me feedback quickly, otherwise PayPal will keep my money for 21 days!
EBay said the currently only 5% of all eBay sellers would fall into this category, but they never mention how many they are forecasting they will be able to rob once this takes place. Even using the 5% who will be eBay/PayPal victims right at kick off- they will be raking it in- oh my god that will be so much freaking money. With the amount of sellers screwed increasing daily- until I don’t know- paypal can freeze 100% of eBay seller’s money for 21 days or until the seller’s customer leaves feedback.
Literally 87% of my customers leave feedback right away, 2% could be anytime in the 90 days of be able to leave feedback. 11% of my customers have never left feedback! EBay would like the world to believe that this is out of fear, but the reality is 99.9% of my customer’s who never left feedback are 100% satisfied. People who are pissed react they don’t just walk away never to be heard from- they demand their selves be heard by either emailing the seller, filing a dispute, or going straight to the feedback board. Never-the-less, it seems rational to conclude that 11% of the time PayPal will be holding the funds for 21 days, and possibly that other 2% who leave feedback when they log in next time.
Wow! WOW! WOW!
And they tell the public it is us sellers who are depraved extorters of our customers.
Who is the biggest con of them all? eBay
Who is eBay’s partner in crime? PayPal
Who is ripping their customer off? EBay
Who is adding to the blow? PayPal
Who is the shady character in this play?
The Ebay paypal demon monster!!!
From Paul R., Markham, Virginia I've been a seller and buyer on eBay for several years and I for one think it is about time changes like this were made.
The lower listing fees will save me many times over the 2% raise in Final value fees for auctions. Items I sell have a relatively low demand and if I start the auctions low I saturate the market and sell everything at well below my cost. I will typically only sell about 10% of the items I list in any given auction but don't know in advance which items someone will be looking for. For a $10 to $24.95 book sold at auction my listing fees per item sold will go from $6 to $3.50 while my final value fees for a $25 sale will only rise from $1.31 to $2.19 I will finally be able to start listing more books at auction instead of leaving them sitting on my store site. Of course auctions on eBay are still much more expensive overall than dedicated book selling sites so I will probably continue most of my sales through those other sites.
For eBay store items the insertion fees are being cut in half while the final value fees are only going up 20%. I expect to come out about the same as before on my store listings.
The ones who will be hurt by the pricing changes are the sellers who liquidate excess or yard sale inventory at whatever price they can get and those who sell high volume or highly collectable merchandise where the majority of their listings will result in a sale for an acceptable amount.
As for the feedback changes. Anything that helps the customer feel safer and get them to buy more will be good for both me and eBay.
I never could understand sellers refusing to leave feedback until a after a buyer left it for them. The only reason I can think of is to be able to hold the feedback as ransom to try to prevent getting negative feedback. What a lousy way to do business.
The eBay sellers who may have problems are the ones who think everyone is out to get them and try hard to protect themselves at the expense of their customers. Believe me there are a lot of those out there. Usually they will have more text on their listings about specific rules for payment and will refuse to accept paypal or any other payment form that includes buyer protections. Most claim that they are not resposible for items lost or damaged by the post office yet the buyer has no way of knowing if they actually mailed the item and it was lost or if they lied and just collected the money and left the buyer high and dry. Most aren't crooks but their attitude and treatment of buyers make them seem that way at times and prohibit them from being able to provide good customer service and gain repeat buyers — Yet in their minds they are the victims of evil and vindictive buyers. These are the sellers who I am sure eBay wants to penalize by their new changes and I for one have little pitty for them.
From tacoma, wa If my memory serves me correct it was spring of 1999 when ebay announced a simple change to the rules that all this distrust between buyer/seller arose. I raised a red flag then and it's still waving. The rule change made was that I am no longer able to keep or start a user account that has my e-mail address in it. And that no personal contact information is allowed. I believe this was before ebay stores started. All communication between buyer/seller had to be done through the ebay contact page or not at all. This is for the safety of the site users blaa, blaa, blaa. This was the first wedge placed between us by them. The Ebay system of mistrust is now beyond control. If I do not list Pay pal as my preferred payment option I can not even get my winning bidders contact information after the sale is over. I sit and wait for a email from god knows who letting me know that they are the winning bidder. I generally suspect most buyer/seller complaints arise from not knowing first who your trading partners are because we are so steeped in secrecy.
From Kate Darien Anderson Charlotte, NC “If you are happy with your purchase, please leave positive feedback, for which I will reciprocate. …” Tim Athens, TN
Congratulations Tim. Your extortionist feedback is exactly why Ebay is enacting this new policy to protect us buyers. If you provided a good product with good service you would have been able to earn positive feedback rather than blackmail your buyers for it. Complain about buyers all you want but your ability to hold feedback over our heads ends on the 20th, and I for one will be buying up an Ebay storm and leaving accurate feedback for the first time in two years. Good job Ebay!
From wtf seattle wa who leaves feedback 1st….what a crock! Refunding money on fleebay is nothing less then buying the item back. If I get the item back then the money gets paid and feedback discribing MY overall experience up to and including the refund. if the dissatified buyer whats a positive feedback at that point they better be downright humble and paythe return shipping. I am not in the bussiness to give people their money back.
From Jeff Morrison O'Fallon, MO I have been a buyer for 3 years with eBay. Every seller delivered the item pictured, except 1. That one refused to send the item pictured. I rated them negatively for failure to deliver the pictured item. They retaliated by rating me as I rated them – poorly.
Given that, I believe firmly seller rating must solely be based on complying with payment details and must be made before the purchased item is sent.
OR The seller should not be permitted to leave feedback.
Yep I support eBay's change solely due to a seller providing a false picture of the item.
From Tim Athens, TN As both a buyer and seller for over 9 years, I believe the feedback policy is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. I'm not stupid enough to believe there are no bad sellers, but I have run into a whole lot more bad buyers than bad sellers. At least 1 in 10, that after winning the bid, I never hear of them again. So, now I'm stuck wasting my time trying to get eBay to refund my Final Value Fees, relisting, etc. As far as the so-called "holding feedback hostage", no, as a buyer, after you have paid, that is not all there is to your side of the deal. I used to leave positive feedback immediately upon receiving payment. That is, until I ran into these folks who claim parts missing (even though I personally inspect every item before shipping), wrong model number (even though I know for a fact what I shipped was what they paid for), item was not as described (even though I take great pains in describing an item as well as humanly possible), etc. Should I leave positive immediately for these idiots, just because they pay fast? I don't think so. I even had one guy who complained when I removed some screwdrivers from the oversized package they came in (to save HIM money on shipping), even though the ad plainly stated I would remove them for shipping purposes. I actually had to resort to placing the text "Screwdrivers will be removed from packaging for shipping purposes" on the photo because of idiot buyers like this. I tell everybody "If you are happy with your purchase, please leave positive feedback, for which I will reciprocate. If, however, there is a problem, please let me know. I will do my best to make it right." Sure, there have been a few problems along the way, but the vast majority of problems can be taken care of with a little communication.
From Don-Gordonville TX I'm speaking as a power buyer and seller, this new feedback rule sucks. I've always tried to leave feedback when a buyer pays and not hold him hostage to making him leave postive feedback for me. I've been out 1200 due to the good ole boy system by sellers getting items and claiming they didn't get item or didn't want item. Refunding thier money due to my paypal account being froze I'm out the money and they get to keep the item. Sadly I can't do that type of operation anymore until I hear that everything is alright. With no way to report a bad seller, what now?? The gate is open for every bad seed out there. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS RULE? Can anybody explain that to me. If it helps everybody in some strange way, I might change my mind, but doubt it. BAD BAD ideal. Sellers will loose not only money, but postive feedback we've worked hard to obtain, me for almost 10 years. Sad Sad!!!
From Brad Thomas, Memphis, TN I second Vicky L.'s comment. Excellent points made by her. It's not the buyer who takes the most risk. It is the seller, by far. Long term, there will only be residues of sellers at ebay who don't really care about their feedback. I've seen a lot of sellers with many negatives in their ratings and they just keep at it, selling inferior products and getting more and more negatives. As a Platinum Powerseller who brings ebay thousands of dollars each year, I am going to strike next week, and may even leave ebay altogether. I've tolerated many changes Ebay has placed on us, but this is the one policy change I will not tolerate. Sure hope they pull and do away with this outrageously offensive policy, for their own good. With what I've been hearing lately, sellers are finding other places to sell, which could end up being better than ever before.
From nants, beverly hills, Michigan I am a buyer only. Not very often lately. I have been annoyed by highhanded seller 'rules' for quite a while. I agree wholeheartedly with the change to feedback. Like it or not, it is the purchaser who sends payment and needs protection. Just about everyone on e-bay doesn't ship unless paid in full.
since I have not been giving feedback unless I got it, there has not been much feedback recently. It is the sellers that stopped giving it out. I would like to see feedback on sellers continue.
From Fuck EBay in Big D!!!! Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don’t realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR’s and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don’t see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
TO ALL BUYERS WHO ARE BLOGGING IN SUPPORT OF THE EBAY FEEDBACK POLICY CHANGE: You buyers better think again and learn to put your feet in another’s shoes who are on the other side in all honesty and professional. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but sellers are even moreso vulnerable than you are when it comes to this new policy idea. Not only is retaliation part of the daily scheme of things to both sellers and buyers at Ebay, the good sellers are hugely subjected to retaliation and it is a critical thing, because there ARE bad buyers – millions of them. You’ve got to understand that to us, the good seller, there are extremely jealous/vindictive competitive sellers who follow our every move each week, and who wouldn’t think twice about making a purchase with us just to leave a negative feedback, critically injuring our ratings and with no risk to their own. Either they would do it themselves, or have a friend do it for them, which would be most common. YES, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS AT THE EBAY ESTABLISHMENT and I was once affected by this. If this new feedback policy goes into effect, you can bet your sweet bippy that the good sellers are NOT going to allow themselves to be subjected to this potential destruction, and will certainly go somewhere else where they are safe. Then you, the buyer who are left behind, will be stuck with less than quality items at Ebay to purchase and we, the good sellers, will be long gone from that sort of circus. Have at it, if this truly floats your boat, and continue to support this horrible policy change. But, I warn ya… YOU, the buyer, will be the one who will ultimately lose at receiving quality products. You get what you pay for (or support), eh? I highly suggest you rethink your comments in support of this feedback change. The good sellers may very well be the ones who have the last laugh, including me, because you’ll be left with those who don’t give a rip about what they sell OR their feedback, and and sell whatever they can get their hands on. Then, if it’s a bad item, oh well… you, the buyer, will be stuck. Think long term. It is not in the best interest to any one, with this new change in feedback policy. But, so many will lose in the end, including those who created Ebay.
dont sell only buy with ,mostly, good luck. however this is typical of the big corps getting folks hooked an then raising fees prices etc. i too have felt ripped off by postage fees on items i know could have been shipped cheaper. i think ebay will lose on this. one main reason is the out rage has gotten national coverage an i think there will be a large number of sellers an buyers like me that will leave. i will not buy any more un til lthey go back to the way it was. seem i recall a phrase that is fitting here, if it aint broke dont fix it. ebay had the corner n the market an profits are there for the looking. from what i see no one at ebay is struggling. folks dont weaken on this, protest marches won battles an protest boycotts will win this one
From Bob, Manassas, VA The sellers are not the "customers." If you're a buyer and you see yourself as a "customer," then you have the wrong attitude. The buyers are THE customers. EBay is simply the media that you use to do your business. Their website is your storefront and eBay is your landlord. The money starts with us–not with you. What kind of shopping mall would let you come into a store and have the seller give you a customer rating? When you get my money, you should say, "Thank you," and send me my item. The few negative feedbacks I've received have been out of retaliation or based on some artificial rules the seller puts in his auction. However, I **have** gotten ripped off by several sellers, and the burden of proof is always on me. EBay doesnt' help, Paypal doesn't help, I get burned, and the seller gets to leave me negative feedback just for kicks. I don't feel sorry for any of you. The honest seller will survive, but I think the new system will get rid of the crooks.
From Vicky L., Oregon TO ALL BUYERS WHO ARE BLOGGING IN SUPPORT OF THE EBAY FEEDBACK POLICY CHANGE: You buyers better think again and learn to put your feet in another's shoes who are on the other side in all honesty and professional. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but sellers are even moreso vulnerable than you are when it comes to this new policy idea. Not only is retaliation part of the daily scheme of things to both sellers and buyers at Ebay, the good sellers are hugely subjected to retaliation and it is a critical thing, because there ARE bad buyers – millions of them. You've got to understand that to us, the good seller, there are extremely jealous/vindictive competitive sellers who follow our every move each week, and who wouldn't think twice about making a purchase with us just to leave a negative feedback, critically injuring our ratings and with no risk to their own. Either they would do it themselves, or have a friend do it for them, which would be most common. YES, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS AT THE EBAY ESTABLISHMENT and I was once affected by this. If this new feedback policy goes into effect, you can bet your sweet bippy that the good sellers are NOT going to allow themselves to be subjected to this potential destruction, and will certainly go somewhere else where they are safe. Then you, the buyer who are left behind, will be stuck with less than quality items at Ebay to purchase and we, the good sellers, will be long gone from that sort of circus. Have at it, if this truly floats your boat, and continue to support this horrible policy change. But, I warn ya… YOU, the buyer, will be the one who will ultimately lose at receiving quality products. You get what you pay for (or support), eh? I highly suggest you rethink your comments in support of this feedback change. The good sellers may very well be the ones who have the last laugh, including me, because you'll be left with those who don't give a rip about what they sell OR their feedback, and and sell whatever they can get their hands on. Then, if it's a bad item, oh well… you, the buyer, will be stuck. Think long term. It is not in the best interest to any one, with this new change in feedback policy. But, so many will lose in the end, including those who created Ebay.
From Matt C. True story: sold some collectible action figures on Ebay around 2000. Shipped the items to the buyer and he paid through Paypal. Four days later (items were being shipped to U.S. from Germany, where I was stationed), the buyer sends a complaint to Paypal saying he never received the item. Of course not, it was only four days later…Paypal freezes the funds. I send in that the items were shipped with a tracking number. A few weeks later, Paypal finds for the buyer and refunds his money. The buyer ALSO received the figures and never responded back to my emails. This "truthful" buyer not only received collectible figures, but I was out 150.00 USD…all free, courtesy of Paypal and Ebay! What an awesome system!
From Internet fatigue, Wisconsin I started as a seller about a year after eBay started up. Now I am mostly a buyer. eBay is big business now. There actions are now about raising their stock price. Although I have been disappointed in their treatment of sellers over the years, both in implementing policies and customer service, I really don't understand where they are going with the business of dropping seller feedback over 12 months old. I have 100% feedback rating over all those years. That includes eating a few bad transactions from buyers that I really should have left harsh feedback for. They may make more money with these changes which is their goal of course, but they are gradually just becoming one more internet site. I'm glad I don't have to make my living off of eBay. I guess the CEO got her money out and left, which seems to be the American way?
From Nadene Richmond Boston MA This is the last straw for me. I'm permanently boycotting Ebay both as a seller and as a buyer.
Ebay claims that they needed to make changes for "good reasons" but have failed to identify what those reasons are. Almost every change that Ebay has made over the years has actually increased the amount of scamming and problems- not limit it. Second chance offers- expansion to China- forcing paypal onto sellers- not to mention account hacking and the limitless spam and phishing emails that come to my inbox daily. And they don't care because they just keep on collecting their fees.
Goodbye Feebay. I'm taking my business elsewhere. And my STOCK!
There are a lot of "
From Adam Kelker, Bentonville Arkansas I'm not sure I support the feedback policy change but I think something has to be done.
I both sell and buy on ebay. I have 1 negative feedback from one vindictive seller. I paid immediate and when I was dissatisfied with the item, no refund, no support from the seller, no support from Paypal, and a retaliatory negative feedback from the seller as well a bunch of lies about me from the seller on other people's feedback and reply feature. Her feedback profile shows a pattern of abuse in this manner.
She's a powerseller so I guess paypal and ebay stand behind her. All for $6.99!!
The flaw to the feedback system is that negative feedback is often left in retaliation and positive feedback is often left out of fear of retaliatory negative feedback.
From Holly White, Oklahoma City, OK Oh, and will someone PLEASE start a new EBAY so we can all go somewhere else????
From Holly White, Oklahoma City, OK Ebay should not be involved in the shipping and handling aspect AT ALL, if I want to ship for free and charge no handling fees, that is my choice, but the kicker is the no negative feedback. I have worked VERY hard to maintain my 620 positive feedback and now all my relatively old feedback won't be counted either??? SOOOOO WRONG!!! I had planned a large listing streak this week of new paintings, but I will go to other sites like ETSY instead, even though they don't have the bidding wars like Ebay at least their fees are cheap!!!
From Another Victim, Saint Paul, MN I am a registered eBay seller since the 90's. I lost quite a lot of money and received unexpected negetive feedbacks because of dishonest eBay buyers and stupid policies and robotic customer services of eBay and Paypal. I am very much surprised that Federal Government is still allowing eBay and Paypal to continue their businesses although Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is getting numerous complaints against their services all the time. I filed complaints on several ocasions. I already minimized my listings on eBay and will not list anything next week to show my support for the strike.
From Greatfull to e bays changes Way to go ebay!!!
been with ebay sence the beginning selling and buying and what has slowed down my buying (This year nothing) is the scum sellers who only base feedback on what the buyer post. buyer obligation stops after sending payment and should get feedback at that time. there is NO truth to a seller having thousands of feedbacks all posative. other than the scum sellers policy of eye fof eye or pos gets pos neg gets neg.. unde the new policy i will be buying more often and will continue to give my buyers there feedback as soon as money is in my hand. ITS THE HONEST WAY!!!
From Boca Raton, Fl I've been screwed really bad twice. The process eBay offers "to Help you" is well designed to make it a thorough waste of time to get results or any money back. I would love a class action suit to follow!
From LW Dallas TX Let’s see…The New Ebay Math:
Ebay raises its handling charges (Oops I mean fees) to its customers [the Sellers] by up to 25% on sales under $25 in the guise of lowered total fees.
Then the SELLERS raise THEIR handling charges to THEIR customers [The Buyers] to cover the Ebay increases in fees to the Sellers.
Then the Sellers’ customers [The Buyers] react by dinging the seller in the Detailed Seller Ratings S/H Charge section
Then the Sellers run afoul of the new Detailed Seller Ratings Penalties: Powerseller designation elimination/Paypal
cash flow hold/inability to take advantage of fee discounts which altogether result in MAKING EVEN MORE PROFITS FOR
EBAY!
The ONLY WAY a seller can avoid being stripped of their Powerseller status [and the other penalties] is to lower the S/H charge to what seems like a reasonable amount to a buyer and include the Ebay/Paypal fee portion of their S/H charges in the PRICE OF THE ITEM. What does THAT do? Increase the minimum starting price of the item thus INCREASING LISTING FEES TO EBAY.
So by INcreasing Final Value Fees dramatically Ebay generates MORE profits not only from the Final Value Fees but ALSO
it ERASES the reductions in LISTING FEES as well! Brilliant!
And Ebay has buyers mad at sellers because they don't realize that the Ebay/Paypal fees ARE PART OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES PAY so the buyers lower DSR's and give negs FURTHER blowing off Powersellers and raising fees which get tacked on the prices buyers pay. And the buyers don't see that they are causing THEIR OWN higher prices and are blaming the sellers rather than Ebay!
Shareholders should LOVE this bit of short-term creative New Math…until they discover that long-term, the ethically
best, most experienced, caring Ebay Sellers will be earnestly looking elsewhere or stop selling altogether…resulting
ultimately in LESS PROFITS FOR EBAY.
Now THAT’s a business model I want to adapt to! What a concept!
From Steve, Milpitas CA I spent a lot of time looking at feedback. I mostly buy, though I've sold as well. There is a theme to be seen: a buyer is not happy with a seller and leaves nagative feedback. As a result, the seller leaves natative feedback on the buyer. For some sellers, this is how they work 100% of the time. So, now I have to be fearful of leaving negative feedback on a crappy seller because I'll receive negative in return. This new policy will remove the fear of leaving bad feedback on a bad seller.
From Carlos, Miami Fl I mostly buy and pay right away, and I mean right away so that I don't forget. Well my rating is 99.3 because I left negative feedback to a vindictive seller who sent me a set of luggage that was faded and completely off from the color advertised. I was wronged but the crooked seller was able to add insult to injury because he did not like my feedback.
I also recently bid and won a laptop but the seller cancelled the sale AFTER I won because (I suspect) he did not get enough money.
On the other hand I sold a very good PDA about 2 years ago that was in working order and the buyer complained that it did not work. I refunded the money and was never able to collect on the package insurance from UPS. I just never understood what went wrong or how UPS got away with not paying me.
My biggest beef with ebay is that there is no way to really contact them when you have a problem. Thank you.
From Roger Ireland, Hallowell, Maine As a ten year seller with e-bay, it's been easy to see a long, slow disconnect with the sellers in the field. All the changes have only garnered them millions in profits as the seller takes hit after hit from their bottom line. They have becomed so far removed from life in the street that a boycott can only succeed. Some one should remind the management at e-bay that without any sellers, well… crunch reality all you want. We built that site, not the thousand of invisible faces that are unreachable by phone when they are needed.
From Melissa, Lake Jackson Texas I am a buyer and a small time seller on E-bay and have been for abour 4 years. It has been a way to recyle the stuff we don't need and still have the cash to get the stuff we do need at an afforadble price. I am very upset about the way the combination of changes will affect my E-bay experience in the end. Currently I have 100% positive feedback, but as a buyer if I can't get feedback from sellers then I can't improve my E-aby stuatus. And if I only sell a handfull of items at a time and get even one negative feedback from some random unscrupulouse buyer, my ratings will be shot. The deal breaker for me is that PayPal could end up holding my hard earned money for up to 21 days if the buyer dosen't choose to leave feedback. As a buyer I have on occassiona not left feedback simply because I was too busy for a day or two. If there are many more buyers out there like me then as a small time seller I'm doomed! And if I make no money selling to re-invest in buying off E-bay, I won't be a buyer or a seller there anymore! The catch is where else can I sell the stuff I don't need where there is a big enough audience for it to actually sell at a decent price? And will I have enough left over to buy or even find what I need?
From jeffrey gitomer, charlotte, NC ebay has put you all in business — in many cases, saved your business from mediocrity or bankruptcy — i am a buyer, and while i have had my issues — both with ebay and sellers, after more than 5,000 transactions, i am still a loyal customer — my recommendation to sellers is quit your whining and get to work learning how to sell better, package better, offer better products, market to your existing customers better, and grow up. Gas is 3 bucks a gallon — boycotting that? — jeffrey gitomer, charlotte, NC
From Bill, Auckland, New Zealand Fees to sellers are one thing, but the main problem with Ebay is the lack of any real effort to enforce their policies regarding the accuracy of the ads placed on their site. Complaining is a waste of time. Money is their most important value and consideration. Buyer beware. I've stopped using the site.
From Danny Chicago, Il All the fuss + whining is pathetic, really. Sellers, generally, have been getting away with murder by not acknowledging their hard-earned business from buyers, not leaving feedback for buyers when buyers have completely satisfied their buying responsibilities. Sellers have been getting away with false advertising, trying to get away with peddling product "not as described" and manipulating vulnerable buyers by taking their time shipping already paid for product. It's high time eBay modified its policy with their archaic feedback system!
From Bob Craddock, Manassas, VA The American economy is based on one basic tenet: the customer is always right. Under eBay's current system the customer could be "positive," "neutral" or "negative". If you're taking my money, do I really care how you feel about me? I've gotten negative feedback from sellers because my payment was a day late, and they waited until they got paid by me to post anything, too. It's about time eBay started putting the customer first. Let all the crooks boycott and go someplace else. I say good riddance!
From Ben, Portland, OR I will continue to purchase from Ebay, but I will never, ever again leave any kind of feedback if this system remains the way it has been. I suggest everyone do the same and that will put an end to the situation. We, the buyers, need to take a stance. We'll buy your products (or at least I will) and our payment is all you deserve from us.
From Kimberley Long Beach, CA I have been burned both as a seller and a buyer–for ebay to make their sellers so vulenerable is just plain irresponsible and I am currently looking for other forums to sell items on–amazon.com is great for listing books, FYI
From beverly mass On several transactions as a buyer, I have delt with sellers who negelect to or withhold shipping items purchaced (even after paying with pay pal, paying their requested amount and shipping)they hold out devlvery requesting more money, not honoring the Ebay agreement. It is not untill a dispute is filed do they send it. They waste a lot of other peoples time with their bad behaviour!
From Tamara, Tulsa, OK I have been buying and selling on eBay for about 10 years; I have a great reputation as both a buyer and a seller. However, I will not tolerate not being able to leave feedback on some jerk who is a liar and who I placate by refunding when he/she chose not to insure a breakable item – which I packed well, but the carrier decided to destroy by placing it under a thousand pounds of cartons. I pay up or get negative feedback. It's not fair to a seller – these new policies of eBay. I for one have had it and will be closing my paypal account, as well as my eBay account if the feedback issue is not changed. I disagree with the new rates, but I could live with that. However, I can't live with the feedback issue and I will not live with eBay holding my funds in my paypal account until a buyer decides to leave me positive feedback. Even buyers who are totally satisfied with an item neglect to leave feedback. That's the way it is and the way it will always be. The reason I know they are satisfied is because if they weren't, I hear about it. I will absolutely support the boycott.
From Elyse, Waltham MA I applaud eBay's recent actions, having recently been victimized by a seller. I did not receive my package for a month after winning—even though I paid immediately after the auction—but the seller refused to acknowledge my repeated email requests for a tracking number. Ultimately I did receive the package—after complaining to eBay, PayPal, and the Post Office. Apparently, the seller had been paying bulk rate postage but festooning the package with "Priority" labels, which the Post Office caught and kept returning the package to the seller instead of shipping to me. When I posted a bad recommendation for this seller (after a month had gone by without my receiving the item), the buyer retaliateed by posting that I was an impatient customer and intimated that I had given him an incorrect address.
Good going, eBay! Keep up the good work and get rid of the dishonest people who are overrunning and ruining your site. More and more of us are keeping away from you because of them. You will do better without them in the long run.
From Bill, Waldwick, NJ I too am getting fed up in the direction that eBay has evolved. I started selling off some large collections I had amassed back in 1997. I kept buying and selling. When selling I always went the extra mile. I would spend my own money for boxes and really good paking material and never charge anywhere near what it actually cost me. I would charge shipping AT COST – and quite often when I learned a package was a little heavier, eat the higher postage. Sometimes I would throw in an extra item or two as a "thank you". In a real-world retail environment, service like that would have won me accolades. EBay rather evolve to an e-commerce site and the small guys like me can basically go to hell. That'e what they are saying with these new changes. I cannot tell you how many times I have been scammed or ripped off by shady buyers. I dare not leave a negative (though truthful) comment for fear of reprisal with bad feedback. I'm fed up with the nickel and diming that the combination of eBay and Paypal have been doing. By the time I manage to sell something for a little over $10, I end up loosing pretty much any profit I could have hoped for to listing fees, final value fees and Pay Pal fees. What ebay doesn't realize is that their days are numbered. It's only a matter of time before the next "big thing" comes along and renders them obsolete…
From Ed, Washington DC I like the suggestion made in one of the previous posts – don't make feedback public until BOTH the seller and buyer have given feedback.
From alan simpson, castro valley ca As a long time EBay buyer, I oppose the upcoming changes for these reasons: Buyers as well as sellers rely heavily on the Positive/Negative feedback system. We protect our own ratings as well as review those ratings of who we deal with. I also oppose the "Best Match" steering away from low volume sellers. Such discrimination puts EBay in a class of sellers that are far removed from the previously loved venue of small dealers that made EBay popular.
From Scott, Los Gatos, Ca E-bay has almost zero customer service. If a member has problem A then they need to talk to Paypal about it, if a member has problem B then they need to talk to the other member about it. Rarely does E-Bay actually DO anything for their members. And now I'm seeing people being removed from the E-Bay discussion board, without the moderators following the very guidelines they are there to enforce. One member will be removed from discussion for saying exactly the same thing another member is allowed to stay and keep saying. Some members have even been removed without warning and/or notice, which is against company policy. In my humble opinion E-Bay has lost sight of who the customer is, and what they should be doing for them. They simply rely too much on "the other guy" to handle things for them these days. It's a shame.
From Dan, Wayne NJ Ebay has grown too big for its own good and now is taking even more advantage of its customers. Ebay's fees along with Paypal fees continue to rise and yet sales continue to drop. What is even more frustrating is that there latest round of fee increases were being marketed as fee cuts. Shame on Ebay for trying to disguise the truth.
From Joyce, Cross Timbers, MO I have been both a buyer and seller on Ebay. More recently, just a seller of a collection of classis vinyl records. I too have been hurt by an International seller who claimed he did not receive the items even though I provided proof of mailing. Paypal refunded the money to him from my account after he opened a claim. Now to be left high and dry without the products or the money stinks! The changes are not for the benefit of anyone including a small quantity seller trying to earn extra $$$. When I heard of these changes I immediately began listing on AMAZON. I will also participate in the actions this coming week by not selling, this will probably be permanent for me. So, even though Ebay won't miss my minute sales, I will still do what is right, making me the winner in the end!
From Tony, Durham, NC As primarily a buyer on ebay i APPLAUD the move, its high time ebay took action against sellers who unfairly leave negative feedback. On several occassions i have recieved items over a month late after paying out of the nose for shipping, i've not recieved some items at all and others items were not as described. I made payment split seconds after the bids ended and did everything i was required to do but when it comes to leaving honest negative feedback on a seller who didnt deliver, he retaliated by leaving me negative feedback, i looked as his feedback and he had a problem with delivering products but always left neg. feedback accusing the buyer of "poor communication" So i have no sympathy for sellers whining about the changes. Whatever happened to the customer is always right, i dont know too many industries where the seller can leave feedback on a buyer anyway so i dont understand all the complaints. If you sell a quality product and deliver on time, you should not have anything to worry about.
The changes in feedback that i think would be fair is if a cust. didnt purchase on time or at all then the buyer shouldnt be able to leave feedback at all, if a cust. doesnt recieve an item or not as described then the seller should be barred from feedback. I've been thru the claims process and its pretty good when it comes to customers decrying items not recieved. Its not that automatic as some of you whine about.
From Ray WA E-bay is a great place to find great items at good costs however buyer beware there are a very small number of sellers with incoorrect or fraudulent listings, inflated shipping fees, bar customer service when there is a problem, lousy packaging to name a few. When the seller is rated on this they respond with BS and hurt the buyer. The Paypal system is a BIG JOKE – when there is a problem Paypal incompetence rears its ugly head. Paypal also tries to sell you their credit card and get other banking information from the buyer even when they are using a credit card which has a long hostory of excellent payment history. When clear fraudulent listings are reported to e-bay they are poorly investigated. These fraudulent listings cause a lot of time wasted for bidding. For these reasons I dont do business with e-bay anymore.
From Terry, Marinette, WI I while back I gave a seller a bad feedback because I was very unhappy with the product. He preceeded to threaten me, stating he would give me bad feedback if I didn't retract my feedback. I'm glad for the change….I can't be threatened anymore.
From Kim Huggard, Paris, Tennessee In response to JOE, NYC NY
Joe, big guy, take it easy, as a seller you should be obligated to leave feedback first, because as you state in your own article the buyer is responsible for PAYING! Once the buyer has PAID! you should leave feedback to aknowledge his part of the transaction is complete.
As a seller you are obligated to describe your item, supply shipping material and get it to the shippers as soon as you can, THAT'S YOUR JOB!
It's not a buyers job to leave feedback to a seller who potentially did his job wrong. Improperly shipped items that sellers will claim was the shippers fault or items that arrive damaged that sellers will claim was the shippers fault.
Lets face it, you contradict yourself in your article, once buyers pay they should be rated on that alone, their job is complete, ratings shouldn't be given in the hopes the buyer is completely satified.
When you reserve feedback until you receive it, it is actually holding the buyer hostage, in which point feedback is useless to everybody!
From avsfan3769, Boulder, CO To be effective, the boycott must be widespread and consistent. Don't go to Ebay's site; don't sign in to your account; don't buy; don't sell; don't pay with paypal.
From Teresa H, Sioux Falls, SD Gone, baby, gone…
I've closed my store and haven't listed anything since the beginning of February. I'm at a handmade site now, and doing splendidly.
From patrick judge sr mobile, ala i dont sell only buy with ,mostly, good luck. however this is typical of the big corps getting folks hooked an then raising fees prices etc. i too have felt ripped off by postage fees on items i know could have been shipped cheaper. i think ebay will lose on this. one main reason is the out rage has gotten national coverage an i think there will be a large number of sellers an buyers like me that will leave. i will not buy any more un til lthey go back to the way it was. seem i recall a phrase that is fitting here, if it aint broke dont fix it. ebay had the corner n the market an profits are there for the looking. from what i see no one at ebay is struggling. folks dont weaken on this, protest marches won battles an protest boycotts will win this one
From Doug, Gilford NH With such a significant price increase, added to the business tactics used by ebay, it is amazing to me that the company does as well as it does. There are other sites for buying and selling merchandise on the internet that work as well if not better than ebay. The reason that people continue to use ebay may be attributed (on the users part) to laziness and lack of education. Could it be that ebay knows this and choose to exploit their users to the edge of quitting, knowing ebay will continue to profit and grow? I for one have become educated, and have found the strength to move on! Thanks ebay..
From m voionmaa, ithaca, ny I have just decided to restart my small jewelry making business, and decided to both purchase supplies and sell the finished product on eBay.
I purchased hundreds of dollars worth of gemstones and settings from a number of different buyers. I have run into the problem of VERY misrepresented gemstones from a few sellers. Photos that represent the gemstones as colorful when in real life they are dull and pale. Items sent that are not the ones in the photo. When I left only neutral feedback for a couple, I got irate responses from the sellers.
Sellers, it is not my responsibility to babysit your fraud. If you sell junk, you will get negative feedback, and I will not purchase from you again.
From Don I've been with Ebay since 1998 and they have gotten worse every year. Their total fees are very high now and it's to my advantage to conduct transactions away from the Ebay influence. Listing fees might be a little lower, but they get you good on the other end. I will not list anything this week
From mcalvert I've been registered on ebay with the same username since 1997. I choose to look elsewhere to sell items before ebay. There was a time ebay was my first choice, but now I check forums and other places to sell collectibles. ebay's policies often leave the seller "high and dry" and at the mercy of buyers who scrutinize the product after they pay, even though pictures and words carefully describe the item, with the hopes of getting something back. ebay's fees continually increase to the point it's impossible to earn any money off of smaller, less valuable items. ebay is alienating the clients.
From Andrew Spencer, Boston, MA Update:
Someone asked for eBay's contact info:
Meg Whitman, CEO
E-mail: meg@ebay.com or meg.whitman@ebay.com
Office ph: 408-376-7412 / Fax: 408-376-7414
Work address:
Ms. Meg Whitman
eBay, Inc.
2145 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
President of Ebay North America: Bill Cobb billcobb@ebay.com or billc@ebay.com 800-322-9266 Ext. 65682 – Personal fax number: 1-408-376-7414
Pierre M. Omidyar, Chairman
E-mail: pierre@ebay.com
From C CASEY Omaha, NE Fees come and go. As the largest and only viable auction site they can and will charge what they please if you want to use their services. Here is what you ought to be REALLY UPSET about. Ebay's "sister" company PAYpal will , as of mid May 2008 be HOLDING YOUR MONEY $ FOR 21 days after the buyers pays for an item (or until postive feedback is left). As a seller you ,must pay for shipping and the cost of your item and then wait 21 days BEFORE YOU GET YOUR MONEY!(unless the buyer leaves you positive feedback before then). Now we can go back to snail mail, that is our choice(one that I shall use on larger ticket items) however, for new sellers they can ONLY USE PAYPAL. OUCH! In summary the buyer will have our item, we have to pay the EBAY and PAYPAL FEE'S & the postage, an we will not get ANY PAYMENT FOR 21 DAYS! (unless the buyer leaves positive feedback before 21 days) This 21 DAY WITHHOLDING OF PAYMENT ought to be what really gets sellers upset! It's something to think about….. GOOGLE WHERE ARE YOU?!!!!!
From Rich, Monterey, CA This strike may not immediately rock eBay's boat, but if eBay doesn't take swift corrective action, the strike could very well be the tip of the iceberg that eventually dooms the company. Remember the Titanic? EBay could just be the next Titanic of the corporate world. It will be interesting to see eBay smugly ignore the strike, then slowly start to list, and eventually sink.
From SW, Hartford, CT As both a buyer and seller on Ebay, I have an issue with changing the rules.
We currently have a 100% approval rating. Recently, we sold and shipped an item to a buyer who claimed they did not receive the item.
We supplied her with the shipping date and tracking number for the post office. The post office confirms it was shipped and delivered. The buyer, however, claims to have never receiced the item and opened a dispute.
Our rating is our credibility. We were pretty much forced to refund her purchase price to placate her from leaving negative feedback.
Does this sound fair??>
From kevin, Waldorf MD Ebay has become nothing more than a member of greedy corporate America. Ebay should be boycotted for several weeks. Let them get the message that the people are tired of always getting a price increase just so the Corporations can make even more money. It's a shame that American companies decide that by squeezing us like turnips, they would then be able to own the public. The new search policy will of course only help those who sell a high volume on the site. Others will have their listings buried under the power sellers. This leaves a non level playing field for those who sell on Ebay. If Ebay was really interested in the people that use its site, and the future profitability of the company it would be happy with the millions of profit that it already makes in a year
The corporations of this country care nothing more than to see how much money they can make, usually by squeezing as much as possible from the people. Oil companies can make billions in profit, but the stations that sell that gas only make pennies, barely enough to survive on.
Now united will also start charging $25 per bag checked after the first one. Something that has always been free to the public. This will gain, according to United another $100 million a year for them. Of course that’s another 100 million squeezed from the people pockets again.
With every greedy American corporation slowly squeezing every penny they can from the public, pretty soon the people won’t even have a penny left to be squeezed. The greed of Corporate America has brought on the recession and they deserve to suffer for that greed. Of course our Greed inspired Government allows it by bailing these greedy companies out, as the public gets flushed down the toilet in the name of Corporate America .
CORPORATE AMERICAN GREED IS GOING KILL THIS COUNTRY!
From BARBARA, MIDDLEBORO, MA I am a seller on ebay just trying to make ends meet I don't like what ebay is doing telling us there giving on one end but in small print telling us there taking more on the other end its not fair and I plan on looking into other online auction sites as soon as I am done typing this comment.
From Jack Fort Worth, TX Typical of an ebay seller. I bought a Thomas Pink tie, never received it. I notified the seller, he refunded via paypal, and then posted a negative comment on me? He boasts that his ties are one of a kind, but after about ten days, the tie he sold me was reposted for sale on ebay?
From Rob Taylor – Toronto, ON I have no sympathy for sellers. I have made 4 purchases from e-bay and ALL transactions had some sort of challenge that slowed the transaction down. What eBay really needs to do is stop sellers for SHILLING iot happens far too many times.
If you don't like the changes… go somewhere else. Period.
From LK, San Diego, CA One of the Sellers says eBay thinks it is "invincible". I suspect that is hardly the case in view of their financial performance relative to other internet companies. They are trying hard to make the site better for all – especially for buyers who are at least as important to the site as sellers. I wish there were an organized buyers' organization also representing the buyers' interest.
From David, Auburn, AL I am predominantly a buyer on ebay though I do some selling. As a buyer I have a positive feedback score of 100%. Under the new system my 100% means nothing. As a veteran buyer your feedback score no longer has a value. I am participating in the boycott. I will not be buying or selling that week.
David
From Marc M I've said since Ebay and PayPal started that the company treats those who sell like dirt.
You have Ebay who offers very little protection to a seller and now they are making it worse.
You have PayPal who will accept and charge a credit card for you but then if the card THEY approved is charged back or stolen, you , the seller is responsible… it's insane.
From robert battle columus, GA ebay is a tyrant that cares very little for the seller. As a web site owner and seller ive been forced to sell on ebay to compete with myself and others. The price changes cost us sellers more, they draw in more buyers( away from our main sites) so they buy with confidence on ebay with no penalties to bad bidding ir in my case disputed cards, which paypal does not protect you from. My fabbed parts are wanted by people who normally dont shop ebay but know i am there. They often have 0 feedback or close buy it now auctions and never pay, it takes FOREVER to get your money back from ebay thtough unpaid item disputes! F ebay! Im boycotting and searching for an alternative and will advise anybody and eveybody in my automotive community to do the same. My online outreach is huge and im sure many heavy hitters will agree with me.
Apologize for typos, im on an iphone
From Susan, Pittsburgh PA Set it up so no one is able to view their ratings until they do the same is a GREAT idea. Then neither person can rate the other negatively as retaliation. Fabulous idea…
From Art buyer, palo alto, ca Ebay doesn't do enough to combat bad sellers. I've had to jump through hoops to cancel two purchases and the sellers were never punished.
The first for listing a piece of art as "limited edition" when I received it, it was an open edition piece. And the second was when I caught a seller puffing their own sales using two other accounts. It was simple to backtrack the competing accounts and determined they have been used over and over (with withdrawn bids) to max out the seller's auctions.
About time the buyer gets some protection, esp now that sellers demand they get feedback first. How can a buyer leave legitimate feedback when the sellers hold all the cards?
From Susan, Pittsburgh PA I've found several sellers on Ebay who openly state on their item discription pages that they will return negative seller ratings with negative buyer ratings. "If you give negative ratings you will get the same in return, so beware!"… So instead of really rating buyers in regards to payment delays or poor communication they are threatening to give bad ratings if anyone gives them poor reviews. That's not nice people….
From charlotte, nc The boycott is a nice idea, but I have news for you, it will not work. The reason why is because big businesses know that Americans will be right back to buying and selling ten fold after the boycott. Just ask the gas companies about this. We are too spoiled as a society to teach these businesses a lesson which is why they keep raising prices on us and we just take it like a whipped puppy. If you want to punish EBAY, stop buying and selling on the site period and find another alternative forever until EBAY gives in. At this point, you still may not go back. I am willing to sacrifice but are the rest of you?
From JOE, NYC NY IN RESPONSE TO Troy Holmes Redwood City, CA : AS A SELLER, WHY WOULD I HAVE TO LEAVE FEEDBACK FIRST? YOUR WAY OFF BASE HERE. YOU ARE THE ONE THAT HAS TO BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE TRANSACTION FROM START TO FINISH, NOT THE SELLER. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY A SELLER IS TO KNOW IF A BUYER IS HAPPY WITH THE TRANSACTION. THAT IS WHY COMPANIES HAVE CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE THEY CALL YOU, OR EMAIL YOU LOOKING FOR YOUR IMPUT ON THEIR SERVICE, PRODUCT, ETC. IF A SELLER IS TO LEAVE FEEDBACK FIRST, AND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSACTION. THE BUYER HAS TOO MUCH POWER TO FRAUD THE SELLER. I BEEN SELLING ON EBAY OVER TEN YEARS, AND HAVE BEEN A HOSTAGE TO THIS KIND OF FRAUD.BUYERS SAYING SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ITEM AFTER I LEFT POSITIVE FEEDBACK. THEY USED THIS AS A TOOL TO ABUSE THE SELLER..SO I MADE IT MY POLICY NEVER TO GIVE FEEDBACK UNTIL POSITIVE FEEDBACK WAS GIVEN TO ME FIRST. POSITIVE FEEDBACK BY THE BUYER PROVES HE IS COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE TRANSACTION. THAT IS WHEN I GIVE THE BUYER A POSITIVE FEEDBACK FOR "PAYING" …. THAT IS RIGHT ! PAYING ! THAT IS ALL THE BUYER IS RESPONIBLE FOR, PAYING… THE SELLER PUTS THEIR MONEY AT RISK, PHOTOGRAPHS, DESCRIBES TO THEIR BEST, LISTS, PAYS ALL THE LISTING FEES, EBAY, AND PAYPAL COMMISSIONS, ANSWERS EMAILS, BUYS PACKING SUPPLIES, PACKS, SHIPS, WAITS IN LINES AT POST OFFICES, FEDEX, UPS, ETC… WE DO ALL THIS, AND ON TOP OF THAT YOU WANT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FIRST. YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING !… ALL THE BUYERS HAVE TO DO IS BID & PAY. I LOVE BUYING ON LINE. THERE IS NO WORK AT ALL. NO SHOP TO GOT TO, NO SHOWS TO GO TO, NO RUNNING AROUND BURNING GAS AND MILES ON YOUR CAR. VERY EASY. THE LEASE A BUYER COULD DO FOR A SELLER IS LEAVE FEEDBACK FIRST ONCE THEY ARE COMPELETY SATISFIED. OTHER THAN BIDDING, AND PAYING FOR THE ITEM (WHICH A BID IS A CONTRACT TO PAY, AT ANY AUCTION, AND THE RESPONSIBLY OF THE BIDDER, SO NO FAVORS HERE) WHY DOES A SELLER NEED TO GIVE A POSTIVE OTHER THAN TO RESPONE TO THE BUYERS POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
From Jason Rye, Tampa, FL I recently bought a drill press on eBay. I studied the feedback on the seller and the produce. I want ALL the opinions – I'm not a moron. This robs me of information I need as a buyer.
From Scott Jordan – Waldoboro,Me These increases,along with postage is making it so you can't sell your items at a reasonable price & still make a profit.I maine it's legal to trap black bear & vintage bear traps are very collectable.But ebay won't let you sell them if they are beyond a certain size.Most all bear traps are beyond the size allowed.I've been selling on ebay for ten years & this is the first winter that I have used ebay very few times.
The feedback change?……..I don't have the words to explain my feelings on that!!
From Dave Hendricks, West Bend, Wi. I have a small ebay store and can no longer tolerate the greed. I can't afford to shut down and then relist items, but come March 1st, all items are going up for a sale price and I'm shutting down the end of the month and moving elsewhere. When I questioned their new price scheme, I never even got a response.
From Lydia, Portland, OR Ebay used to be fun and it was exciting to get a great deal now and then – that was the whole point! Now it seems like just another on-line merchant, often selling a sub-par product. I'm going to save my pennies and just wait for the sales from now on…Adios Ebay!
From Thousand Oaks, CA I was an avid fan of ebays for years until I purchased a $1,080- musical instrument last year. The device arrived badly damaged and the seller only insured it for $750- and refused to pay me the $250- difference. Add to that, he sent it (a 80 lb. keyboard) by Regular Mail and the Post Office is still evaluating my claim. Ebay wouldn't help me and the seller is a Top Seller on the site. I for one have been boycotting them for 12 months and will never purchase from them again. They only care about their top performing sellers at this point.
From Mark I will be participating in the boycott and I've looked for other auctions sites as well. It will be difficult as Ebay is the predominant site and they have us over a barrel so to speak. I'd like to see everyone withhold buy and selling for a month or two or at least decrease it considerably.
From Vicky Brush, San Jose, CA What Ebay is doing regarding the change in rules to sellers/buyers feedback is absolutely, 100% unacceptable. I, as a seller with Ebay for over 5 years, have rode through many, many changes over the years with them … many changes of which I wasn't too keen on, though I've learned to adjust. However, this new, upcoming change in their feedback policy, has drawn the line for me and I will not accept it. Not only is it a horrible decision on their part, they don't realize how it could be their ultimate downfall to their demise in keeping sellers, no matter how high or low on the totem pole the seller might be in sales.
As unfortunate as it is, there are jealous, envious, vindictive competitors within Ebay who wouldn't think twice about buying an item from you, or having one of their friends do so, and then leave you some sort of negative feedback just to ruin your rating. My own competitors surround me and I know they LIVE for this type of opportunity … thus, I already know what is in store for me as a seller in the categories I sell in. Ebay… you need to get with the program and soon. This off the wall step you have taken has gone too far and is going to hurt you in the longrun. I am a powerseller at the Ebay establishment but, if I receive one feedback on my nearly perfect record (thanks to Square Trade), I'm gone. No matter how desperate I may be for sales, I will find another place to sell, no question about it.
This is a downright shame and I'm almost embarrassed now to even be part of that team who can actually make a decision like this and run with it.
Ebay, I sure hope you listen and listen well. No amount of money/power/ego is going to save you if this backfires for sellers. And, I have no doubt, you know it, as well.
Revoke that policy change, NOW, and let's get back to basics of what has been working well regarding Ebay feedback, thus keeping sellers somewhat protected.
From mwhissel, Florida As a buyer, I PROTEST against the proposed changes and will SUPPORT THE BOYCOTT (I spent more thasn $250 on eBay in last 10 days alone).
(1) the rating system for both buyers and sellers is good.
(2) As a possible near-future seller, I do not want my small-time listing buried at the bottom.
EBay is destroying the very reasons why it's open-market approach has become so popular.
From Dan Carr As a long time eBay seller and buyer, this is a somewhat of a good thing and a bad thing. My feedback is being held hostage by jerks who sell counterfeit goods or didnt get their money in less than an hour after the auction ends. Why do I have to pay $35 shipping when the seller pays UPS $8 to ship it? Because eBay lets them. Sellers often play games with buyers and they are in control. It is totally wrong for someone to pay for an item, get it 2 months later and get negative feedback if something is wrong with the item sent. I am all for being mad about the eBay fees, which are getting worse and worse just to make stockholders happy. You cant get a good deal on eBay anymore. You used to be able to buy stuff at reasonable prices, but now you have to worry about fraudulent items and pay many times more than its worth. I only buy something on eBay anymore when i absolutely have to. A word of advice, DONT BUY ANYTHING ON EBAY FROM CHINA! I bought a Wii item, and when it came, it was for a Wu. Seller gave me a hard time about returning it, until i told him I was going to the cops with the counterfeit good. Buyer beware!
From Kevin, Waldorf MD Ebay has become nothing more than a member of greedy corporate America. Ebay should be boycotted for several weeks. Let them get the message that the people are tired of always getting a price increase just so the Corporations can make even more money. It's a shame that American companies decide that by squeezing us like turnips, they would then be able to own the public. The new search policy will of course only help those who sell a high volume on the site. Others will have their listings buried under the power sellers. This leaves a non level playing field for those who sell on Ebay. If Ebay was really interested in the people that use its site, and the future profitability of the company it would be happy with the millions of profit that it already makes in a year
The corporations of this country care nothing more than to see how much money they can make, usually by squeezing as much as possible from the people. Oil companies can make billions in profit, but the stations that sell that gas only make pennies, barely enough to survive on.
Now united will also start charging $25 per bag checked after the first one. Something that has always been free to the public. This will gain, according to United another $100 million a year for them. Of course that’s another 100 million squeezed from the people pockets again.
With every greedy American corporation slowly squeezing every penny they can from the public, pretty soon the people won’t even have a penny left to be squeezed. The greed of Corporate America has brought on the recession and they deserve to suffer for that greed. Of course our Greed inspired Government allows it by bailing these greedy companies out, as the public gets flushed down the toilet in the name of Corporate America .
CORPORATE AMERICAN GREED IS GOING KILL THIS COUNTRY
From Angela 'chotii' B, Seattle WA To buyers who feel their feedback is "held hostage":
Look. I don't leave feedback until I know the transaction is over – that is, that the item has been received, and that the buyer is happy. If they're not happy, I want to hear about it, and I want to make it right. And if they are happy, I want to know that too. But it isn't about FEEDBACK. If a buyer receives something and emails me that they are happy, I GO PROMPTLY AND LEAVE THEM FEEDBACK. I don't CARE if they ever leave me any, and many of my buyers never have. But the transaction isn't over until the item is in their hands. How is this "holding feedback hostage"? Money isn't the end of the transaction: satisfaction is.
Occasionally I get emails from buyers saying things like "I've paid you, I want feedback" and I will say "As soon as you let me know you have it and are happy, I will be glad to leave you feedback." I never ever ask for feedback. I don't care if I receive it. But you know, the point of feedback is exactly that: to know how a transaction went. How can I give glowing "Thank you, excellent buyer, paid promptly, great communication" if I leave it instantly and just say 'paid' instead? They're both honest, but one says a lot more than the other. And one can ONLY be left if there's more to the transaction than money.
From Jeff Boise Idaho There is no need for a long drawn out post slamming ebay, enough people have done that. I am a gold power seller with ebay and I pay them $3,000.00 each and every month for fees. I sell limited edition art and without the new fee increase it has been extremely difficult to maintain a minimal profit. Bottom line – As long as ebay has a monopoly on the online auction market they can do as they please. Show me a viable alternative to ebay where buyers (not disgruntled sellers) actually purchase items and I will leave ebay and vow never to return. I believe the only entity that can put ebay out of business is GOOGLE. Ebays corporate greed and bully mentality will come to an end when they have credible competition. Hopefully this last round of brass and coarseness from ebay will catapult Google into the online auction business.
(Mystic-Visions)
From Anthony, Minneapolis, MN This is a ridiculous policy that will aloow rogue buyers to leave bogus feedback ratings but not allow honest sellers from doing the same to the buyer.
I can't tell you the number of times a buyer bought a lisitng but hade never rad it or its terms. I had to refund countless listings because buyers are either don't read the lisitng or don't have the required 5th grade education to have the ability to read the lsiting.
In my experience, buyers lack the ability to recognize the contents of a lisitng and how to enter into a contract. Then they leave negative ratings.eBay's new policy is fostering an enviroment where thet have buyers who will not or won't read a seller's listing in entirety and then complain like an infant and leave negative feedback ratings.
eBay now equals = "Morons Welcome on eBay"
From Keith in San Diego I'm a small-scale eBay user. I've made maybe 15 or so transactions on the system, but I've both bought and sold. If sellers can't leave feedback, then how am I supposed to tell if the people I'm selling to are legit? I might as well just post an ad on Craig's List because the risk to me will be the same, but there are no fees for listing something there.
From Joan, North Canton OH "Sellers say eBay's new policies are likely to cost them more money, but what's really inspired an outpouring of wrath is an adjustment to eBay's feedback system: sellers will no longer be able to leave negative commentary about their buyers."
When I read this sentence, I thought that surely somebody must have misinterpreted the wording of eBay's policy statement. I mean, I've been a registered user of eBay since 1997, and I've seen eBay institute some crazy things, but how could they establish something as absurd as this? I read eBay's policy changes for myself, and I stand corrected–and sit here trying to wrap my brain around yet another of eBay's inane actions and wondering who the h-e-double hockey sticks came up with THIS one.
As both a buyer and seller, I can see both points of view–and I am definitely sympathetic to the sellers. I believe that some of the buyers that have posted "serves the seller right" and "honest sellers don't have anything to worry about" comments don't realize that sellers are vulnerable; and that good sellers are being punished by these eBay changes. (It doesn't help that eBay provides skewed pro-buyer explanations in their arguments for these changes.) Sellers already incur costs even if items don't sell, are at the mercy of dishonest buyers, and risk limited access to funds on eBayPayPal's whim (if they accept PayPal). Now, eBay is increasing all of these risks, despite their rationale that these changes will create seller protection.
I will likely never sell another item on eBay again, and it does not surprise me that many sellers are taking the same route. Sell small-dollar items on eBay? Due to fees, not worth it. Sell high-priced items on eBay? Not worth the risk. Sell items in the medium price ranges? Nah, not worth it.
From Yelserp Sivle, Oleput SM What a bunch of crybabies the boycotters are!! Love it or Leave it! EBAY ROCKS! Go rent some retail/resale space at the flea market if you don't like ebay. If you want to change ebay, get a job there and advance to management. Otherwise shut the hell up! Then quit being a seller and become a buyer so you'll be happier! LOL. EBay has too many sellers anyway due to their no requirement of knowledge of basic eBay functionality. Most new sellers don't even know how to collect their money! DOH! It's a buyer's market. SO START BIDDING AND GET A GOOD DEAL! Sure is cheaper than gasoline!
From Rich. San Francisco, CA It's was fun EBAY. But it's time to part now. I'm a stock investor and this boycott will definitely hurt. Unfortuately for Ebay, this decision will cost them dearly and their stocks will probably tank about 30% before changes happen. Then, it would be too late. Pink slips will follow. Bye Ebay!
From c. w. As a smaller powerseller with very high DSR's I'm very opposed of the changes. FVF's are drastically increased, even with the supposed 15% savings on FVF for FEW powersellers, the cost is still higher.
DSR's are already flawed by telling BUYER'S that a score of 4 is GOOD while telling the SELLERS a score of 4 is BAD. Now with the feedback changes, sellers can't even leave a neutral or a negative, the transaction is a two way street. I've left 1 negative feedback in over 1600 transactions and have received 0 negatives.
I for one will not be listing the week of the boycott and have already started to list items elsewhere. Ebay, you are not the only game in town.
From Dennis Want a simple fix to the Buyer comment hostage? Simply when feedback is left, notify the buyer or the seller either one with no indication of its content. Until both the buyer and the seller both send comments, it is never published and they do ot in any way know the content of the others post. Now you've given both sides motivation to comment fairly.
From Donna U., Enterprise, Florida I am a long-time eBay BUYER ONLY.
I have had SELLERS leave me negative feedback, when in truth, the problem was with them, not me. One Seller left negative feedback because it took over three days to get his check payment. Never even contacted me. The other one was an alcoholic who needed someone to pick on.
Good going, eBay. Keep those Sellers in line, and us Buyers will keep on coming.
From Robert, NS I plan to participate in the "strike" but I will not delist my items only to relist them a week later and have Ebay recover Gobs of cash in listing fees from strike participants. I will simply add a zero to my prices for a week so no one will buy them. No extra listing fees collected
From Gordon Mercer Excellent! I'll keep buying from E-bay. The worthless lying sellers ( you know who you are ) will have to clean up they're act. I've never left negative feedback. Why? because the worthless scam artists posing as sellers will slam me. They can all move to Amazon or online auction where they belong.I'm staying with E-Bay!
From cploonker, basking ridge,nj Considering http://base.google.com
and my own brand store at
http://easystorehosting.com/esh/ebay-seller-tool.php
From Kate Darien Anderson Charlotte, NC As a buyer on Ebay, I applaud the change to the feedback system. In the past two years I have completed only one transaction in which the seller didn't play "feedback hostage." This has rendered the feedback system absolutely worthless to the buyer. If sellers had conducted business honorably to start with, leaving feedback once the buyer had paid (thereby fulfilling the buyer's part of the contact), then they wouldn't have Ebay ramming this change down their throats now!
On the other hand, I do sympathize with the sellers regarding the rate hikes and how they were handled by Ebay.
From Troy Holmes Redwood City, CA I've been a solid eBay buyer for over 5 years. I have a 100% positive feedback rating and I completely support their decision to not allow negative seller feedback. For about the last year and a half, when I buy something on eBay, I get an email from the seller telling me that they will only leave positive feedback for me AFTER I leave it for them. As a buyer, as far as I'm concerned, every seller should leave positive feedback the minute they get a prompt payment from the buyer. Once that prompt payment is received, the buyer has fulfilled his part of the process. By holding buyers hostage to give them the positive feed back to good buyers, the sellers have brought this new policy onto themselves. While not all sellers practice this unethical tactic, the majority of them have adopted it. When ever I get that tactic I immediately add that seller to my list of people I will never do business with again. Those sellers, to me, are the ones that get too many complaints and are afraid to earn their reputation online. Starting on Feb 20, I will be on eBay buying as much stuff as I can think of. Instead of complaining, sellers should try to come up with an alternative that would help themselves while not allowing people hold buyers feedback ratings hostage. Happy selling!
From Kevin Lewis Orlando FL eBay refugees are leaving in droves. One site worth checking out is http://www.onlineauctions.com I am considering this site as it seems like the best alternative to ebay.
From Dr. Fox, Clemson, SC Leave both buyers & sellers the right to comment on one another, BUT, require a predetermined period of time (perhaps a week or so) when neither the buyer nor seller may comment. Some times the fury of the moment results in a lashing out. Requiring some time to reflect, may defuse this. It would also allow some time to straighten out problems that ultimately are resolved amicably, without damaging either party's reputation. Additionally, for a period of time (again, perhaps a week or so) only positive comments should be allowed to be posted. It would then become obvious (to some degree) which buyers/sellers are posting merely to damage anothers reputation. In other words, if a seller/buyer has no pos. comments for this proscribed period of time, & then only leaves neg. comments, this would be a red flag. I would appreciate comments regarding this proposal.
From Biba Inc. EBAY IS DONE !
We have been selling as a GOLD LEVEL POWERSELLER on ebay for about 4 years now … but today (2/16/08) is the first day in 4 years we have ZERO items listed on ebay … in order to make the BOYCOTT a success … we have about 70 to 100 listings anytime but starting today we have ZERO.
It is about time that ebay learns the lesson the HARD WAY NOW … they have been pinching the sellers for years now and now it is payback time for them. Trust our experience on ebay … not 1 in 10 sellers is happy selling on ebay with these new rules and price changes.
We know that buyers are happy with all the changes … and they think along with ebay that they will get more better deals and not to worry about feedbacks and start haressing sellers … sorry but trust me … that will NOT work … buyers have to understand that they bid/buy items only when they are listed on ebay.
If the seller does not list … the buyers bid on what. Yes there will be a few sellers who might list, but with less listings, less competition that will make the bid price even higher as more and more buyers are bidding for few items. What will that effect … NO MORE CHEAP DEALS ON EBAY.
It is a waterfall effect … sellers know it now … and buyers will understand that only when the water hits the rock at the bottom.
A GUARANTEE if ebay does not change its policy and pricing structure … their days are numbered.
EBAY FYI : Amazon is the direct competition to you, as many sellers we also sell on Amazon and have been since 4 years … not anytime in 4 years have our Amazon sales outnumbered ebay sales … but but but in Jan 2008 it did happen. Ebay its time for you to act our perhaps our acts will make you react !
You honest Ebay powerseller (biba_inc) !
From Bill, Seattle, WA I have never sold anything on Ebay, so I have no comment on the fees involved & I hope it is resolved fairly. However, I am all for the eliminating the seller feedback. It almost feels like blackmail sometimes. The smallest item I ever purchased through EBay was something I bought as a gift for someone and I was disappointed when I received it due to it's lack of quality. The seller didn't do anything wrong. I just thought it was cheap looking and never gave it to the person it was intended for. It still sits in a drawer. This seller badgered me for over a few months to leave postive feedback so they could do the same for me. I didn't care for the repeated requests nor the threatening tone of them. It doesn't make any sense for a consumer to receive a negative image on Ebay simply due to not liking a product. It's going to happen. I didn't do anything wrong. I just didn't like what I purchased and I resented being pressured into saying something nice about a product I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It was finally resolved by me saying something about how it was shipped quickly, which it was, though the shipping cost more than the product, but I agreed to it, so whose fault is that?! This system serves no purpose if it encourages buyers to lie just so they don't receive bad feedback about themselves and it's more than a little unjust that a seller NEVER leaves any feedback about a buyer unless the seller receives positive feedback first. How is that fair? I can't be a good buyer unless I like your product? It's a bad way of doing business.
From Larry Risko New York, New York I'm a (Mostly Buyer) but seller also on EBAY since 2002 and must say, Why don't they keep this 'change idea very conservative..and DON"T rock the boat! obviously the seller fees are outta control and it's all greed, as ebay makes money from everyone, and is 'gauging slowly more and more. I did also work very hard for my 100% rating, at a score of 200 now..and will curtail my buying and selling also.All I can say is (hate to say it) but I've had SUCH good luck with the public, everyone 'co-operating will transactions..(I.E: Mailed promptly, NO gauging on ship charges, VERY honest people out there-I CREDIT THE PUBLIC….NOT Ebay with their Bullying at present…….."I've gotten quality items and things I DID really want,-Seems like certain Sellers got'burned by SCAM people or deadbeats. I PERSONALLY closed-up my Paypal acct. 2 1/2 yrs ago very good reason- with money in the bank I'd be DEVASTATED if a Paypal scam wiped out my savings(I've heard of these happening and DON"T want my Bank INFO being held at yet Another party besides Ebay. They should be conservative at the moment..keep ebay fee's curtailed, and leave the feedback system alone. A buyer should excercise the right to lv neg feedback for something dis-honest, as well as the seller with buyer- but this whole thing raising fees is outta control and will look for to other sites for My future. Bye Ebay and g-luck.
From Dennis Ebay's policies have notoriously gotten worse over the past several years. This one will be the proverbial straw. First off, the people skewing this thing to try and make it sound like it's unfair to buyers (to get a negative comment) are most likely plants by EBAY to try and convince us this is a good thing. The biggest issue has always been the seller. We the buyers are the ones laying our money at hostage. The sellers are never going to ship before having some form of tender in their possesion. The negative ratings feature has always been a major factor in my choosing who to buy from. If their are more than a few, depending on the volume the seller sells, within the 6 month window, I will not risk my money on that seller. Who cares if as a buyer, you got a negative comment. Every seller still has the option to question you and get your money before they ship you their product. They have already a built in ten times better protection scheme built into the system. The buyer gets a negative, SO WHAT! Sellers will sell if you haven't a ton of them the buyer if frustrated can always go to another website. This really is suberfuge on the part of EBAY simply trying to pose that the coment system is a negative to buyers. CUT THE POLITICS. The coment system protects the buyers and you now have one less buyer on EBAY.
From Rob Fenders Boise Idaho Check out http://www.ola.com
A lot of ebayers are moving there.
From Pat,Teaneck NJ Its time to spread the love. It is time Amazon, Yahoo and Google launch initiative to take advantage of the growing discontent of sellers on Ebay. Instead they should petition Google to launch are free for all auction sight and only charge sellers once item sells.Froogle Google's comparison shopping engine could evolve to meet sellers needs
From William Murdoch, Fallon, Nevada I have been with ebay on and off for 8 years and I was fed up about 4 years ago! The problem was that there was no place else that had the customer base that ebay does. I sell turquoise cabochons, rough, hand rolled bead necklaces. I'm going to try some of these other places that have been listed – OnLineAuction.com looks good. I'd really like to see Google get into this, I've been a Google fan since it started.
Paypal is a joke! A while back they had a glitch in their system where it took money out of my account and then put it back in, this happened several times until finally I was able to convince someone that the money they took was mine and they gave it back, I quickly took the money out of the account and they then came back and said I wasn't supposed to have it and they wanted it back, they even turned it over to a collection agency. They said I withdrew money from an ATM, I didn't but couldn't convince them of that. I wasn't the only one they messed with, I talked to several sellers that had the same prolem, some with thousands at stake. I even went to the Justice Dept. and ofcourse didn't get any help!
I read one comment that said that honest ebay sellers wouldn't mind these changes and they thanked ebay for doing it. Ok, besides the fact that it sounds like a shill in the crowd, I am an honest person! and I dont like what ebay's doing!
From Jo, Gilbert AZ I have been buying on ebay for many years now, but I am at a point where I am getting disgruntled with sellers (most) who charge highly inflated shipping to make up for what they don't make on their listings, somehow this needs to be regulated so it's fair for the buyers. Sellers are consistently using the feedback system to their advantage. I have recently run into several sellers who sell items that are not as listed but if you leave negative you know they are coming right back at you with a negative that probably isn't deserved. Somehow we have to protect sellers as well though. Possibly a system set up so sellers can only leave feedback right after the buyer pays? I don't know the answer but it needs to be corrected. As someone else said here, good sellers have nothing to lose with this system. I am at a point where I may not buy anymore on ebay. Thank you ebay for addressing this problem.
From Jim You say it remains to be seen if eBays users will take their business elsewhere. Where else is there for them to take their business to? eBay effectively has a monopoly on the on-line auction market. No other general auction site comes close to competing. eBay bought up all their competitors with not a word of opposition from the Bush nor ClintonJustice departments. Where are the Feds when you need them? Protecting big business, that's where. Welcome to the new age of Corporate Serfdom.
From JR, Houston, TX I somewhat agree with the change in ebay's feedback sytem. Here's why. Sellers often hold buyers hostage in the feedback process. Sellers have often refused to give any feedback at all, unless a buyer first gives feedback. Further, even when a buyer has a LEGITIMATE gripe about the seller, and gives negative feedback, sellers often retaliate against the buyer, giving negative feedback with no justification at all. This, in essence, makes it difficult for buyers to give negative feedback, since they fear that their own "ebay reputation" will suffer through no fault of their own. On the other hand, I do see the sellers' point of view — we sold something that was actually paid for through PayPal, but the guy who bought the item reversed the payment, and for months we were out hundreds of dollars. We had no protection provided by PayPal, there was nothing they could do. Only by constantly bombarding this guy with demands to pay did he actually, finally pay what he owed. Overall, in the end, I think if sellers did not abuse the feedback system, we wouldn't be where we are today.
From Robert L, Austin, Texas Hey,
Ebay and paypal have been a monopoly for way too long.
This is outrageous. Just because they are a big corporation they think they can change their structure and stop protecting their sellers.
DONT YOU KNOW THAT YOUR SELLERS ARE YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER!!!
NOT TO MENTION PAYPAL TRIES TO CONTROL YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY AND CAN FREEZE YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT DISCLOSING WHY.
IT HAPPENED TO ME! I EVEN CONTACTED THEM REPEATEDLY AND GOT NO EXPLANATION. I DID GET MY MONEY 180 DAYS LATER
LETS FIGHT BACK!!!! A NEW PAYPAL COMPETITOR HAS JUST COME ON BOARD! THEY WILL EVEN PAY YOU $25 JUST FOR SIGNING UP.
HERE IS THE LINK:
http://www.internationalbusinesscash.com/recommends/revolutioncash/
EBAY/PAYPAL TAKE NOTICE! YOU ARE NOT THE MONOPOLY YOU THINK YOU ARE!
From collectselltrade.com worldwide web I have been a seller and buyer starting in 1999, and when ebay first became hot place for sellers to make BIG money. items sold for crazy prices, way over what they should have…..(I think ebay was behind this)every one stared to sell and it was an honest way to sell and buy….then ebay bought pay pal……so they were getting fees in all sides of the plate, and not giving the sellers fair transactions. I had a buyer that had 3 buys, used a credit card, ( I did nit take credit cards only checks or money transfers)only to say the Pen he bought was not what he thought and contacted his credit card company to dispute the charge…..Pay Pal gives back the money without contacting me…..from that point on I sold very few items, and never even payed my negitive balance of 50.00 to paypal…..and i even seen auctions of pallets of unopend boxes for sale, and I would think that is the stuff Ebay bought in the early days to make the Ebay hype what it was in the 1999-2001. so i got collectselltrade.com to try my own ebay…but with lack of time and brains it is just a dot in the .com world
From Tony, Boston MA well, I guess if this is how they want to run their business, then it is back to the yardsale because at least I know who i'm selling to and that I will get my money (no freezes on cash-thank you Paypal). Ebay has lost its way in a sea of corporate greed. Will the next Pierre Omidyar please step forward.
From Wes Massey, Los Angeles, CA The current feedback system is completely broken! Why do most sellers want the right to leave feedback? Because they leave feedback only after the buyer leaves theirs first. That way, they discourage legitimate negative feedback from their customers with the implicit threat of a retaliatory neg hit. The new system is the only fix that will restore the integrity of the system and keep buyers from being held hostage when they are subject to a bad transaction (sellers, don’t scoff, you know you do it!). Bottom line, the only sellers with reason to fear are the bad ones. Good sellers have very little to lose here.
Word to Ebay, you also seriously need to look at regulating the shipping rates like Amazon does.
From Joe Redding, CA Just about every Item I have tryed to sell, gets scammed by ebays lack of screening of people over seas. Is there a way to check legit customers If the items say sold to USA only why are there bidders overseas allowed to bid.They have allot of scamms but EBAY will still charge your account on two or three thousand dollar items it gets expencive. Ebay makes money by letting you get scammed. that is the chang that need to be addressed.
From Jim, Ann Arbor Michigan I am a long-time eBay member buyer and seller. I have a 100% feedback rating, which I have earned and protected by being honest and accurate with my listings, not playing games with shipping/handling, very fast handling time, and fast buyer/seller contacts. I have had to leave negative feedback on buyers, and I have always done so as a last resort, and after significant investment on my part. In some cases, I have been able to use my right to leave such feedback to get buyers to clean up their act and be responsible. I research bidder feedback information, particularly when I have an expensive item or one (like some electronics) that is higher risk of damage, and that research does affect how cautiously I handle transactions. When I leave negative feedback on a buyer, I do so to help inform other future sellers and to expose irresponsible buyers to the consequences.
I see this move by eBay as the latest in a long series that undermines the ability of honest, high-integrity sellers to conduct fair transactions with a reasonable return. Past changes that fall in the same category include the imposition of mandatory hold times on lists for certain products (I was told as a protection against contraband or counterfeit items), with no seller recourse (even with a perfect feedback rating), changes to tools for customizing listing, and the handling of listing fees.
Time will tell if eBay changes for the better rather than the worse, but there is only wry comfort for me at the moment to see that so many other sellers have similar concerns.
From Kimberly Bigelow ABOUT TIME!!!! this will weed out good sellers from bad sellers.
The good sellers have nothing to worry about.
To the bad sellers-TAKE A HIKE! THANK YOU EBAY!!!!
From John, Pasco WA Ebay is starting to think they are Walmart. Both of those companies need a permanant boycott.
From JMW,Richmond,VA I'm glad ebay is putting a reign of sorts, on the seller! As a consumer and buyer, some of the sellers, should learn what customer service is. (a very few, most have been exceptional!) I have been called demeaning names, insulted, for voicing a concern or leaving anything other than a positive feedback. It's rediculous. Demoralized, while handing over your money for goods sometimes not worthy or as described.!!
From paul Fort Pierce,fl Check out http://www.sellmyinventory.com
From Brandy, Morgantown, WV As a buyer, all I can say about the feedback change is that it's about time! Good for eBay! I've had too many horrible, negligent sellers hold my feedback "hostage", threatening to leave negative feedback if I left honest feedback about their horrible service.
However, I think there's another way to solve this without removing seller feedback altogether. Change the feedback system so that sellers are required to leave buyer feedback before the buyer's comments on the seller appear on the seller's feedback list. That way there can be no more retaliatory feedback–the sellers will have no choice but to leave honest feedback.
This would have the same buyer-positive effect as the current change will, except that sellers would still be able to leave negative feedback about a non-paying bidder. If it seems like the buyer is the one with more power, please consider that the buyer is the one with the most risk, sending money off and hoping the seller is honest.
Dishonest sellers cost buyers real money. Dishonest buyers cost sellers nothing but some lost time–they still have their item(s), and can re-sell if a buyer doesn't pay. If eBay implements a system like this, and then ensures that sellers don't have to pay for listings that don't sell due to non-paying bidders, then we'll have a truly fair system.
No more sellers holding feedback hostage! Let's inject some honesty and dignity into the eBay system.
From L Allaben The more successful ebay becomes the more arrogant it becomes.
From Sheri Roskin,Skokie Illinois After being a Ebay buyer most of the time for the last eight years, I am sad that I will have to make plans to make my online purchases somewhere else.
I can't see how they would take something that worked so well and destroy it.
The end of an era….
From PL Stroud, Topeka KS As a buyer on eBay, I will be supporting all the sellers on eBay by refusing to buy until eBay changes it's mind. They aren't the only game in town and it appears that the new directors and board members are seeking a way to increase their paychecks instead of paying attention to what is good for business. I'll take my business elsewhere as I'm sure many other buyers will as well. You sellers will know me on eBay as pls_cne since 2002. I am one of the good guys as buyers go. I can't imagine that the story will be any different for thousands of other buyers with a conscience and who understand the ramifications of this eBay development. Thanks to all the sellers on eBay over the years who have had great merchandise at a great price. I'll see you on the other auction sites…
From Jay Maynard, Fairmont, MN As a buyer who's been victimized by negative feedback, I'm glad to see eBay do away with it from sellers. I had a transaction where the seller misdescribed the item; when I returned it, I had to file a PayPal challenge to get my money back – yet when I filed negative feedback, I got it in retaliation, even though I'd upheld my end of the bargain, and had to pay $50 to get it removed from my otherwise spotless record.
To those who think sellers should be able to file negative feedback on buyers: How would you stop these abuses? How would you return seller feedback to what it should be?
From Clarence Lupo This is an abuse of EBay's Monopoly on the Internet Auction Market at the expense of it's sellers. It's time for EBay to be broken up.
From Tommy C- Dallas, Tx Yup, I'm heading out the door also. I have owned Ebay stock and been actively using ebay for the last 11 years. I can tell you now that I am wrapping up all my affairs with ebay and Paypal! I'm done..ebay has gotten so far away from the the
"root" reason why they were good. Greed, and lack of a true "vision" have left ebay only a shell of what it once was. Even Meg Whitman is leaving. Sorry ebay, you've made all you're going to make on me. My last auction ends on 2.19.2008- Which is what I am putting on my ceremonial ebay tombstone. 1997-2008 RIP.
From Tanko Phx, AZ If you don't like the Company policies you have the power to stop complaining and move on to another website or simply start your own.
All the effort spent on this boycott will only bring more attention to Ebay and they will profit from it – all press is good press ;) and they know it.
From Lou Ray Wilmington DE If you reeally want to get Ebay's attention, then in addition to the boycott you should start a mail campaign and write your congressmen and senators to begin an anti-trust investigation of EBay. I believe this would do more to get EBay's attention than all the boycotts. Afterall, they wouldn't be able to raise their prices arbitrarily if they didn't have an effective monopoly of the auction business.
From Don, Vallejo, CA I'm glad to see eBay doing away with seller feedback. The concept is that feedback should be left when the transaction is concluded. Not one seller I have worked with will leave a positive feedback unless the buyer does so first. How does that help anyone? I don't leave feedback anymore because it's a sham. I wish eBay would return to what it started as, a virtual flea market where sellers are individuals and not "powersellers" selling items they don't have in stock. Three times in the last month I've had a seller refund my money because they didn't have an item they listed.
Please, all you powersellers, leave eBay and let it return to what it once was. A community oriented marketplace.
From Nancy, Arlington, VA I'm a longstanding ebay buyer w/a 100% positive rating. (I've registered as a seller but have never taken the plunge.) I want to speak out for sellers' ability to give negative ratings to buyers. I think this a very important feature that should not be eliminated. Too many times I've been approached as the #2 bidder because the first bidder–who drove up the price out of all proportion–was now unable (or more probably, unwilling) to pay. Just read savvy sellers' descriptions–you can tell they've been burned too many times by buyers who back out. There has to be a way to police this, and the only way I know is via feedback on buyers. It's ridiculous to get rid of a simple means for sellers to protect themselves–can't ebay see that honest buyers benefit as well?
From j dyer,wilmington,nc Remember that one axiom of business is "Pigs get fat, Hogs get slaughtered"
Looks to me like it might be time for a cookout
From Eric, Gaithersburg, MD Not being a seller, the fee issue doesn't affect me. As to the feedback issue, E-bay could achieve the same thing by ending the practice of "mutual withdrawal". This is where buyer and seller agree to have their feedback comments withdrawn. This feature is used by a small group of bad sellers who give retaliatory negatives and then offer mutual withdrawal to protect their own ratings. Mutual withdrawal is the worst change ebay ever made.
From Willard Wheelock, Clarksburg, WV I do not do a large-volume business in stamps nd found that between Ebay and PayPal fees I was lucky to break even. I have transferred my stamps to StampWants with considerable succcess. Thank you for your great article showing alternatives to Ebay-I am checking out other sites and find them quite attractive!
From Brenda Poss Hull, Ga. I know ebay is not being fair to all of us, but I think the sellers are getting rich for they cost you a arm and leg on the shipping. People shipping is not as high as some sellers say it is, don't but from sellers who have a high shipping. Sellers I will pay a higher price for something I need, but I will not pay a high shipping. Do not make money on shipping, Make it on what you are selling. I think ebay should do something about the high shipping people are having to pay.
From Debi Pieraccini, Aberdeen, WA This has been very hard on everyone involved with Ebay… Both the Buyer and the Seller…
I've been with Ebay since 1998… Bought ALOT and eventually sold a little here and there… I then opened my little store, the Messianic Christian Store, which I am moving to http://www.onlineauction.com
With the deceptive new fee increases, the issues with feedback rating which is totally "one sided" and the lack of compassion that Ebay shows towards Sellers, basically, telling the world that we can't be trusted; I felt it was time to move on…
Then I found Mrs. Killion's little post requesting that all of us whom are in agreement with her stance on these issues, to sign below… Well that was my first comment EVER in my history with Ebay…
As I learned more about the new rules, I became more angry… Reading the posts of people who had made careers in this community and hearing how they are not able to make it as they realize that Ebay and Paypal, with their growing fees have made it impossible… It broke my heart and created a larger passion to tell the world…
I am 100% behind this boycott… I have been banned from the community board because I copied and pasted Ebay's own rules so that the sellers could see them without having to search the whole site to find them…
It has been an emotional roller coaster for all of us… The only one's who aren't seeing a problem with it are the one's who will financially gain, meaning: Ebay & Paypal…
I will move on and not look back, just as other's will… It's too bad that they did this to what was once the best of the best…
Had they responded publicly even once in an apologetic tone, I believe this could have been remedied, but instead they referred to us as being "noise"!
UNITED WE STAND!!
BOYCOTT VICTORIOUSLY!!
From Lion, Savannah, Ga. I started playing on ebay in 1996 and only have a feedback rating of 500. I collect books and will periodically sell a few excess books that I pick up at sales and have no personal use for. From a purchasing standpoint, too many unknowledgeable, at best (and more likely dishonest) sellers fail to adequately described their product. I waste so much in postage fees on incorrectly described books that the time spent reviewing offerings is no longer justifiable. Selling is an even larger waste of time. Even at reasonable Min. Bid prices, only a low percentage of auctions will actually close with a bid. Even scarce books infrequently bring more than 50-60% of value. Ebay has become the market for the lowest common denominator in bookselling – sellers with little knowledge of books and little opportunity cost in terms of time required for book entry. Most quality booksellers made the full time transition to fixed price sites (eg- ABE Books) years ago. Ebay's refusal to censure unethical players has created a nightmare for buyers and sellers. The increased fee structure will only exacerbate exisint problems. Personally, I'm done with ebay. PERIOD.
From Chad, Bellevue, WA I have spent the past nine years with eBay, starting as a buyer and growing into a Powerseller owning my own autographs and collectibles business. I have learned to live with rate hikes, seeing them as a small consequence to success. I understood the seller rating system, seeing it as an advantage over many of my immediate competitors since I knew I always sold authentic merchandise and shipped promptly with fair costs. Now eBay has decided to change around almost everything, and I'm looking at an uncertain future because of it.
I agree with the complaints of most people. Increased fees mean I can't afford to list as much. In January 2007 I had 2500 unique listings in my store. Now I have 500 because listing fees doubled for stores in Febraury 2007. I haven't begun to figure out how much further I will have to cut inventory to continue being profitable, which in and of itself sounds ridiculous, increasing profits by decreasing available product.
The lack of ability to leave negative feedback for buyers is a joke. I only need to leave a couple of month, almost always for lack of payment, but now I can't do that and help protect other sellers from wasting their time and losing potential profits. There is no guarantee that the item will ever sell again, so I get to wait and hope the buyer pays, and if he doesn't then I'm "granted" a FVF refund for that item. All that means is that I get to not pay for something that I should have. The I get to pay to list the item over again and hope another buyer comes along who will pay for it.
My biggest complaint, and the biggest source of my current worry, is what I hope is a minor, temporary glitch. If it is I might be okay, but if this continues I'm sunk. The search feature for eBay has been revised very recently and has caused store inventories to suffer greatly. Many of my items are nearly impossible to find through searches now because of revisions, and traffic through my store has dropped 75% since Tuesday. Store listings weren't easy to find before, relegated to the end of the available listings, but now in some cases they don't show up at all unless you search specifically for stores. I'm not talking about my store alone; I'm referring TO ALL STORE LISTINGS for some items. I know eBay probably looks at the store concept in retrospect and wishes they never started it in the first place since the initial fees aren't as high as auctions. At least it looks that way when they continue to try and have more people list auctions instead (increasing fees last year, almost monthly special listing days for auctions, and now decreased store exposure). In my case, many items I carry are of the cult following, meaning a potential buyer might not be looking the week I would run an item as an auction but would find it in a store setting. Now I don't know if they'll ever find it buried deep in the corner's of the online auctionhouse.
Maybe I'm freaking out over very little. Maybe we all are. Maybe next week will come and none of us will feel any pinch. Of course, maybe I'll have the events of last July happen again, having a buyer get his item, claim he didn't with Paypal, and have them find for the buyer even though I had delivery confirmation. That's right, eBay claims the seller is protected now against unconfirmed addresses, addresses they didn't indicate before on their invoices. Score one positive thing for us sellers.
I'm looking into naxcom.com for selling sports cards. Beckett has storefronts but they are costly to operate and tough to profit from. As for autographs, I'm looking at a few of the options listed in this forum.
From Cheryl, New Jersey I've been a platinum power seller on Ebay now for several years. All of my standard auctions will end on February 17, and at midnight I will close my store for the week. I'm in the process of moving inventory to ioffer.com. Unless Ebay listens to those who are paying their salary, I know I won't be staying. Yes, it will be hard to move to another auction site, I think we've all become just a little too complacent with Ebay. Change, while difficult, is always a good thing. I'm tired of paying someone over a million dollars a year who is telling me how I should run my business. I am not an employee of Ebay, Ebay is supposed to work for me.
From Dan Gelbart, Vancouver, BC, Canada I don't have a problem with Ebay (I'm a buyer, not seller) but I'm mad at PayPal for their rip-off schemes. For example, for Canadian buyers like me PayPal always uses an exchange rate worse than the real one by about 2%. There is no excuse for this, as they withdraw the money from my bank account immediately.
From Chris Savannah, Ga. eBay has hit us sellers with fee increase after increase… year after year, and we've dealt with it, like it or not. BUT… these new changes coming soon are the ones that broke the camels back. It's bad enough that we have to deal with a 67% increase in Final Value Fees, but on top of that, they treat us like idiots, trying to cover the back-end increase with the 5 cent cut on insertion fees. It shows what eBay thinks of us sellers. And to make matters worse, they'll take away our ability to leave accurate feedback… forcing sellers to leave ONLY positive feedback, despite the situation. But they will still permit buyers to leave any feedback they wish. This only creates a "Feedback Hostage" situation and prevents sellers from knowing ahead of time how responsible a potential buyer really is. This will also create even more opportunity for fraud.
I'm a 100% positive feedback Power Seller and my feedback means a lot to me. With these new changes comes the loss of me as a seller. I already pulled my items in anticipation for the strike Feb 18th-25th. Only thing is that mine boycott will be permanent.
I've already moved many of my items over to Amazon after joining their Pro Merchant circle. The fees are about the same as eBay and PayPal combined. PLUS… the big thing is that I had 11 sales the first day I listed and within 5 days I had 71/ Now, I'm not a huge seller, but for me, that is about 4 times the volume of what I did on eBay.
I'm trying Wagglepop as well, but I plan to focus mostly on Amazon. Excellent customer base, very good fast seller support, easy item listing and more.
AMAZON ALL THE WAY!! GOODBYE EBAY!!
From Jose Camacho, Orlando FL I'm was a seller for ebay but I have decided to close my store and move on.
Ebay suspended my account for posting an item that violated the rules. I posted this item because "Life Help" gave me the green light and after I did my account was suspended for 2 weeks. I try to explain to ebay but they totally disregarded my claims and kept my account suspended for 2 weeks and 2 days. Now the suspension has been removed, but I have decided to move to a new company called EasyBid. They started around Sept and so far they look really good and the best part is they charge no fees.
From nomorepain tulsa ok I've been a seller on ebay for 5 years and I'm tired of getting nailed with the fees, the scams and the mismanagment. Count me out of ebay!
From Nancy, Cleveland, OH First, I'd like to thank CNN and FSB for their excellent coverage of this story !!
I'm a buyer and seller on eBay and have decided it's time to move on to new venues,
Online Auctions looks very good to me !!
From Julius __Waterbury,CT I am a seller and a some-time buyer on eBay since 2002. eBay is getting too greedy and not friendly anymore. I am joining the strike and put my eBay store and listings on Vacation mode for a week. I'll transfer 250 listings over to– http://www.onlineauction.com
See you there. I registered with them already. My ID is: activesales
From Gaetano Marano – Italy .
the eBay myth says you can easy sell everything on it, but the high number of categories and the millions auctions avoid 99.99% of users to see your offer
last month I've listed an auction on eBay to sell ad spaces on my http://www.NewSpaceAgency.com/ website having just a few views and no bids, so, WHY spend so much on eBay?
then, I'll try again on smaller web-auctions sites (like other peoples say here) so, maybe, I don't sell my ad space, but, at least, I don't pay lots of money for fees…
.
From HappyEbidder, England There are a few things that bother me about the changes. I am a U.K. based seller :
1. The hike in final value fees on eBay under the guise of lowering listing fees.
2. Listing visibility issues including putting sponsored links in the middle of auction pages.
3. Sellers not being able to leave neg feedback. I listened to a radio programme where one of the eBay reps was interviewed and he made it seem like Non Paying bidders were the only "minor" issue. As any experienced eBay seller knows, there are other ways that sellers can be scammed – like chargebacks for eg.
Anyway, no point flogging a dead horse. There are alternatives. I have been with http://www.ebid.net for years now and it is definitely one to watch out for as it caters for the USA,Canada,Australia, U.K., India, Singapore, Japan….. and the customer service there aren't robots. They are having a half-price promotion there at the moment which is excellent value or you can also choose the basic seller account which gives free listing.
From Brooks — Athens NY I too am disturbed by eBay's new fee structure and changes to the feedback system. I will be joining the boycott next week. They are also toying with the Paypal payment plan and permitting delays in money being posted if they determine a seller has a bad history with buyers. Who are they to judge? I have 100% positive feedback and I have worked hard to earn it, but I can't sit back and ignore the total unfairness and tyranny of these new changes. Check out my blog at http://www.brookspeters.com — I've posted my opinions in more detail.
From Tess Farley, McHenry, Illinois I own a cosmetics company and I used to carry my entire line on Ebay. I worked hard and was a PowerSeller. When Ebay increased its fees early in 2007, I put up my own website which soon was pulling in more sales than Ebay. But I still was selling on Ebay too. Then last summer I had a buyer on Ebay who was running a scam on every seller who did not use Delivery Confirmation (I always do). He would get the goods and then file for a refund through Paypal, claiming he did not receive the item purchased. Of course, the seller had no way of proving that he had received the item, so Paypal refunded his money back out of the seller's account, leaving the seller holding the bag. When this guy became my customer, his negative feedback showed he had done this about 160 times in 6 months! I spoke to Ebay about this scammer and was told they wouldn't do anything about it because they were making so much money off the guy's purchases! I was outraged by their total lack of integrity and immediately pulled nearly every bit of inventory out of my Ebay store, leaving only the two best sellers. However, after this latest fee increase, combined with Ebay's new policy of not allowing Sellers to leave negative feedback against buyers, I closed my Ebay store for good. If Sellers are no longer to be allowed to file appropriate feedback agsinst those who scam them, then there is virtually no system warning honest sellers about scammers like the person mentioned above. People need to know what they are getting into, and that goes for both buyers and sellers. To Ebay I say goodbye and good riddance!
From Gone from Feebay Once again, I respectfully request that all posters negatively affected by eBay's recent "changes" place this link at the very end of their comment(s).
Let's let the people know what the fee hikes are REALLY meant for!
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065088/000129993308000426/htm_25158.htm
From Chris Grimes, Dallas, TX I grow tired of EBay and Pay Pal as well. They have been a great site in the past who did care about both the buyer and seller.
The other auction sites have been nice, but I hate to pay for them.
So I decided to start http://www.bidjunk.com . I made it completely free. I know it isn't the nicest, but it has one thing I demand now. FREE AUCTIONS.
Hope to see that I never have to sell on Ebay again.
From United Kingdom IMO Ebay have outgrown the the smaller / medium seller wants rid of them. The flea market brigade or some similar name the new ebay Ceo termed them.
Ebay brought in outside sponsored links putting these into the middle of auction lists pages, these links took buyers away from the seller ebay listed auctions to outside sellers.
Now ebay are bringing a large motor company on board, whose will be next.
Discounts for Power Sellers.
What do they little guys have a lower listing fee which for the smaller/medium sellers selling low to medium cost items works out expensive, then a rip of higher FVF.
Ebay need to stop building up the hopes of smaller/medium sellers being able to make a profit on ebay. come clean with their plans as to wether the smaller guy as a future on ebay in the future, then let them move on to the smaller sites.
Due to the change in visibilty last year, plus Geographic sales, my items have a regular pattern of selling only to certain Geographic locations at any given time, both in the U.K. internationally. This then as the knock on effect of having to do relist upon relist upon relist, paying numerous listing fees over and over to ebay.
For me the latest FB, fee hikes is the last nail in the coffin.
I now plan to concentrate on selling on -
http://uk.ebid.net/?from= who have now got a special promotion for lifetime listing for a small one off fee.
This site is user friendly, the guys running the site are very approachable hands on guys who give a great customer service.
The site is obviously quieter than ebay but is growing at a steady rate.
From Tom Buckelew, Uniontown, PA I sold on ebay for seven years, listing 10+ items(mostly books) every day. At one time, I listed 500 consecutive days, before deciding to take off Saturday night. I saw my sales climbing but also advancing fees. I was always trying to figure out a way to beat Ebay at their own game…e.g. not relisting as often; moving items to my Ebay store. Each time, I was successful, Ebay seemed to come up with a new scheme to reduce my profits. My store had 1900 items in it at its zenith. The day Ebay increased fees on the store items, I deleted the entire store, not wanting to see my fees increased between 250 and 400%. My feedback rating was 4100+ with three negatives in seven years. I was a power seller for more than five years. Fortunately, I didn't rely on the money coming in to support my family. Consequently, I abruptly discontinued using Ebay and will NEVER return. The feedback snafu only has solidified my resolve. I have since retired from my day job (college professor) but still have a considerable inventory which I will, at my leisure, start listing on an alternative site. I am now examining Onlineauctions but have also developed my own website. Online sellers must unite in their reserve to turn their back on Ebay. Ebay has long ago turned its back on us.
From Kate, NY eBay is now deleting almost all posts from it's discussion boards about the fee and policy changes. Threads that show they have had 40 or 50 posts on them are now only showing between 2 to 4 posts. First they tried to lie to us by telling us there would be a decrease in fees which is actually an increase, they have patronized us by basically telling us it's "for our own good", and now they are CENSORING us. I have never participated in an eBay boycott before, but I will be now. I am an honest seller with a good reputation on eBay- 100% positive feedback and I have maintained that for 6 years. I will not be selling OR buying on eBay during the boycott, and most likely never again. The new feedback system is going to lead to a lot of unwarranted negative feedback comments which will in turn give eBay the "right" to freeze funds in sellers' Paypal accounts. This would lead to sellers (even good honest ones) being forced to ship items to buyers without receiving the money for the items first. I absolutely REFUSE to do that. There ARE scams that are run by BUYERS on eBay as well as some sellers. There are a lot of good honest hard-working sellers that are looking to leave due to this- not just "scam artists". These changes are going to destroy the marketplace for both sellers AND BUYERS. Soon the amount of items available on eBay is going to drop significantly, and sellers will be forced to increase the price of their items in order to cover the losses they will take from higher eBay fees and from dealing with unscrupulous "customers". Make no mistake- these changes will hurt the BUYERS as well as the sellers. So please, everyone support the boycott of eBay for the week of February 18th to the 25th, and please help spread the word on every internet forum and message board. The boycott may not be enough, but if everyone moves to one specific site that will create some competition which will keep prices down for EVERYONE- buyers and sellers alike. It sounds like most are heading to onlineauction.com. Hope to see you there.
From N.Reit it was bad, now gone worst.not even a power seller will survive with the paypal hold and the fees increase.
we that sell high risk items are already targeted by low life buyers.
If an ITEM IS AS IS, then paypal and ebay refun these people we are out in such a hurendous amount , may as well
run ads and take cc via secured internet and phone orders.
The demise of sellers in these areas of vintage audio has dropped off to a very few brick and mortar shops that wont deal with the paypal/ebay warranty. for us part timers that are good sellers its all over.
Time to move on.
From Paul M,, Fort Gratiot, MI I have been an Ebay member since Sept. 1998. I have over 2500 positive feedbacks, and have completed well over 5000 transactions. I am a powerseller specializing in electronics. I am sick to death of the heavy-handed tactics used by Ebay to alienate their core revenue producers. They seem to forget that they WORK FOR US. We are their source of income. If we leave, they lose.
This past holiday season was one of the worst I have experienced as an Ebay seller in terms of successfully completed auctions. It forced me to start examining other venues for selling my items. I have created my own online store, and have also created a store at ecrater.com. Why ecrater? Well….they offer a pretty customizable storefront for free. The let you list all you want to for free. You can sell all you want to with no fees. Picture hosting is free. They offer support for Google Checkout and Paypal. The index everything you have for sale on google for FREE. Need any other reasons?
I have already received several sales on ecrater. I have also started using Google Adwords to send targetted customers there. I have set a very modest budget of $2 per day on Adwords, but am already seeing results. $60 per month for targetted traffic is a far cry from the $300-$500 per month I have been spending on Ebay fees. Oh, and by the way…By using Adwords, Google lets me process sales through their checkout system for free. Take that Paypal.
There are alternatives to Ebay out there. None have the exposure that Ebay has, but I do not need to sell everything to everybody. I just need to get my products in front of the right eyeballs. Ebay is nothing but a wholesale search engine for buyers. I have increased my gross profits by eliminating Ebay fees.
From JAshWinslow, Manassas, VA Hello to all Live aquarium fish, Live Fish foods and Aquarium supplies sellers who sell on eBay. If you are reading this, this is a follow up on the posts I made here on the 7th of February. I checked on http://www.finvillage.com. This is basically a myspace and ebay mash up with a specialization in aquarium and aquaculture. I like this site because you can have your own myspace like web page, make fish buddies, plus auction/sell your aquarium stuff for free, perhaps, to your fish buddies and all. No listing fees and no final value fees. You can also have a full auction style home page featured store for $26.99 per year and that boils down to something like $2.24 per month and no final sale price fees at all. According to the owner, you can list your store stuff in the auction for free too. In this day and age of social marketing and targeted traffic, a hobbyist and a small aquarium hobby supplier like me can benefit greatly from finvillage, simply because it offers several platforms to sell. eg:1) Your very own web page, where you can write about yourself and customize, with links to your store, auctions and feedback rating. 2) Ability to write blogs and participate in forums and educate your potential customers and once again linking it back to your store. 3) start your own group which has a threaded sub forum and generate a following. 4) make friends just like myspace and maybe sell to them or update them with your new fish for sale. 5) Upload your photographs in the gallery section. 6) do your own market research by running your own Poll 7) It has a classified section as well. 8) Ability to upload up to 4 photographs of your fish for sale as well as the ability to upload 1 Video of what ever you sell to the auction page.
Pros:
Its an ambitious and growing site. Great customer service. Fully Integrated with Worldpay, 2checkout, Nochex, Moneybookers and Paypal. This means that your customers can pay you anyway you like, straight after the auction ends just like in ebay. Its all about social marketing(more you get involved in the finvillage community, the more you sell)
Cons:
Not really a con, but I wish this site gets more attention, do more advertising and increase its membership.
FSB if you are reading this, maybe you can do a story on finvillage.com and help us fish nuts by helping them increase their membership.
From scowley UPDATE FROM FSB/CNNMONEY
Whew. We've spent the week investigating all the issues raised in the comments here. Five reporters, plus a video crew, have put together articles exploring the boycott plans, the legality of the 21-day PayPal freeze, and other auction sites for sellers that want to leave eBay. We also profiled 5 sellers who have left eBay and are now selling elsewhere, and 5 PayPal rivals offering e-commerce services.
Links to all the articles in the series are below – please pass 'em around! We really appreciate all the feedback we've had so far; the outcry here was directly responsible for our follow-up reporting, and we've spoken with many of you for our articles. We think we've covered all the major issues raised, but we'll keep an eye on the story as it continues.
The series:
EBay's PayPal funds freeze draws fire
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/08/smbusiness/paypal_funds_freeze.fsb/index.htm
5 PayPal alternatives
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0802/gallery.paypal_alternatives.fsb/index.html
Video: eBay sellers rebellion
http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/fsb/2008/02/09/news.ambatielos.ebay.feb8.fsb
Outraged eBay sellers plot strike
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/07/smbusiness/ebay_boycott.fsb/index.htm
eBay backlash: 5 sellers who ditched it
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0802/gallery.ex_ebay_sellers.fsb/index.html
Rival sites court eBay sellers
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/06/smbusiness/ebay_alternatives.fsb/index.htm
Fee hike sparks seller rebellion
http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/31/smbusiness/ebay_fee_hike.fsb/index.htm
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From Rick Kalada, Vestal, NY Send eBay a message –> bid on this item –> Protest to Ebay Be eS Collectible Dont Fence Me In Item number: 160206033003 –> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160206033003#description
From Pete King, Hereford, UK We are Powersellers in the UK, we, like most other sellers charge actual shipping, by a fast efficient provider, but never score more than the minimum 4.6 on detailed seller ratings, we might just get our discounte're better off, nevertheless, we are leaving our comments in support of and solidarity with the massive majority of GOOD sellers on Ebay,big and small, wherever they are. The withdrawal of the option to leave honest buyer feedback is totally unnacceptable,for all its faults, the current FB system is self moderating,and most of us work hard to resolve problems even with extremely difficult customers,with success, but there are the few buyers who are totally beyond reason,who can now damage a sellers hard earned reputation at will? The new 'system' will become no more than a worthless/damaging gimmick.
If all the combined brainpower at eBay cannot come up with a simpler way of weeding out bad sellers, revamping its fee structure fairly in a less complex way,and attract more buyers by more obvious means, its shareholders should demand an immediate enquiry. Engaging in proper transparent consultation with its sellers as well as buyers,might help?Perhaps eBay shareholders should take the initiative? I don't own stock in eBay, but if I did, I would want some answers, right now, and I would want to talk to disaffected sellers.
I imagine that virtually all serious eBay sellers are doing their utmost to find alternative venues,so ultimately eBay may soon be offering a far narrower range of products from a smaller number of sellers,who are likely to be selling mainstream stuff you can get in lots of other places, instead of the amazing variety it does now.What is attractive about that for buyers? A strange formula.
There are many more issues that affect us sellers badly,site stability, the search system, glitchy listing tools, false ebay generated deuplicate listings, Paypal etc, but the issues above are dominant right now,its inexcusable, and we sellers are between a rock and a hard place.
I wish we sellers could rate eBay by a star system that the shareholders and the founder could monitor………
From Evelyn, Keno Oregon I have been a seller/buyer on Ebay for 10 years. I remember when they started, they were slow to load had lots of down time etc
After their fee hikes last year I opened my own auction site. It sometimes loads slow it isn't loaded with all the bells and whistles Ebay has. But it is TOTALLY FREE NO FEES PERIOD. Also has FREE STORES NO FEES
I pay all the operating costs out of my pocket and ask for nothing from members. We have gained 25 new members in 3 days from Ebay. They have suspended me from their forums for posting about an alternative site.
Sellers bring your inventory and your buyers, buyers bring your money and buy!
our site is:
http://WWW.WODAUCTIONS.COM
solely owned and operated by me.
Give us a chance we have been around for almost 2 years now!
From DiAne, Oakhurst, California I've been on eBay as a seller of handpainted items for a few years now and I rely entirely on it, I'm not currently using any other selling sites. I always wondered why people wouldn't use Yahoo's auctions more since their listings were easy to use, easier than eBay's, and I had trouble listing items on eBay. The photo lister always glitched, was super slow, and they always told me it was my computer, that I needed a new version of Windows. OK, so I bought a new computer loaded with Win Vista and it worked better but still had problems. So I started using Auctiva, no photo loading problems. So eBay has its issues, and the tendency seems to be to blame the eBay member.
When I read about the policy changes, it just lit my hair on fire. NO bad feedbacks for buyers? How is that an honest transaction? I was angry enough about the 'star chart' rating system they stuck sellers with, which the buyers can give sellers neg ratings on without admitting who did it. Many sellers have low 'star chart' scores but no negative feedback at all!
Why don't the buyers just tell the sellers they have a problem with them instead of stabbing them with a bad rating on the star chart and smiling in their face when they put the positive rating in the written feedback section next to their ID.
If the problem wasn't big enough to confront the seller personally through the email box, then why does eBay allow them to put up anonymous complaints on that chart?
Then, sellers don't get a 'star rating chart' for buyers to rate them on slow payment, following instructions, bad communication, etc.
Only the buyers get to 'star rate' the sellers, when the buyers sometimes send the wrong form of payment, take weeks to pay after making multiple excuses why they haven't paid, and they often continue buying while making sellers wait for pay. What's up with that?
Now that eBay intends to negate negative feedback for buyers, it's like a free criminal pass for buyers on their site. They can make up excuses for their bad behavior, and eBay will side with them against the sellers.
And then if they give a neg feedback to a seller he risks getting his reptutation ruined just because of one buyer's dissatisfaction or downright dishonesty because they know they're not going to get a neg in return.
The seller may even be forced to ship items while PayPal puts a lockdown on the funds.
I am a small homecrafter and I can't afford to ship my valuable art items without being paid til the buyer gives feedback. Some never give feedback at all or they wait over a month to give feedback.
If PayPal waits 21 days til the buyer gives positive feedback to release the funds, does this mean that I won't get paid if the buyer never posts feedback? Some buyers are just plain mean spirited and use feedback to play games with the sellers. Or they just don't like bothering to post it, they think it's a waste of time unless the seller is a friend of theirs.
I just don't think it's eBay's right to hold sellers' funds based on some supposition that the item may be defective! I've never heard of such a thing. They should wait to rate the seller based on whether or not the buyer wants a refund for faulty merchandise.
It's bad enough that buyers can reverse PayPal payments without a seller's permission.
I can see maybe why eBay decided to smoozle with the buyers, siding with them, because there are a lot of people who think they can sell shoddy junk online with terms that say 'no refunds,' and stick the buyer with the junk. Buyers fear posting neg feedback against those sellers for junky items because the seller will give them a neg blaming it on the buyer, saying the item worked, they're lying, etc. But the way eBay is handling this, it's penalizing honest sellers along with the junker sellers, who need to be routed out of the site because of how many negs they've gotten. I've heard stories about people who've been 'had' by sellers who don't give refunds or who never ship and never answer their emails. But eBay should deal with them on a one to one basis instead of carpet bombing ALL sellers with hard rules because of the crums who ruin the safety of buying at their site. The rotten ones probably should have WAY worse feedback but the buyers complain to the management rather than post a neg fearing one in return. But I've heard that eBay sometimes ignores such complaints, they base their termination for a member on how many neg feedback 'strikes.' I still see sellers with loads of negs, those are the ones who should be dealt with. Not ruin it for people with high ratings of 100% or super close (a 99% rating for someone with feedback score under 500 means only 1 or 2 neg feedbacks).
And now they want only the feedback for the past year to be figured in the seller's score– I've spent years building 100% rating selling a few handcrafted items per month, and why should all of that work be discounted if the transaction didn't occur this year?
Then add to it, increased final value fees– that I'll have to pay, possibly before PayPal releases my funds to my checking account if someone gives me a neg rating– if there are other viable auction sites out there, I'm going to try them out.
I wish Yahoo Auctions was still there and if MSN buys Yahoo I hope they revive the auctions (hint, hint!). I'll bet that's where a LOT of eBayers would have gone if they still were running those– it's where I would have gone because I already had an auction account there. If the eBay traffic moved over there it would have been perfect, slow sales were why I stayed with eBay.
From Sunny in Minneapolis, MN Hi. I too am an Ebay Seller. I am an Art Doll Sculptor and work from home to be with my 3 year old and 15 year old. I rely on my monthy income from ebay big time. Right now my fees a month are around $230.00 for ebay use alone. Paypal also takes their own cut. Each transaction that comes in they take a percentage. I cannot imagine what it will be like when they raise fees. Also if Paypal holds money that will not be good for me at all. I do not ship until the customer's payment is clear. I generally live paycheck to paycheck and shipping overseas can be costly. I will not have money to take out of my pocket to ship because paypal might be holding my paycheck. So that means the customer would have to wait the 21 days also? How the heck would we work that out?? Needless to say I do love ebay it has been good to me but I pay a ton as it is. I might have to check out the wagglepop and give it a shot. Can't hurt. That or I might have to take my mailing list of all my buyers of over 100 and sell directly from my website. Hard to get as much traffic but a Mom working from home needs every extra cent she can save. One other quick thing on the feedback. It is such a tricky thing. I work so hard to please please please customers. I bend over backwards because they do hold your feedback hostage in a way. Even 1 negative feedback and you feel like OMG you might loose buyers. I luckily have 100% positive feedback but you might get that one goofball who either did not read the payment details correctly or did not read the e-mail you sent them or whatever. All it takes is one and what I have heard is the paypal 21 day hold will be placed. That is just way way too bad to punish us in that way. Instead why don't you give out perks to those who keep good standings like one free featured plus listing a month or one time a month no final value fee. Instead reinforce positivity with positive things. It seems they are choosing the hand slap approach. Hope we can figure it all out.
From Stefano Neis, Columbia, SC I am a power seller on Ebay with over 100,000 +FBs.
I have moved most of my business off of Ebay to Delcampe.com in the last year.
It has been a pleasant surprise.
I pay only FVF fees on items that sell.
My sell rate is higher than on Ebay.
I pay $144/month in fees instead of $2,600/month fees on ebay (I sell about $9,800 a month gross sales on both sites at the moment).
And the site has an easier Feedback system, Safer (& less expensive) online payment system (Moneybookers.com) and user friendly listing forms.
Sales there are increasing and are slightly above my Ebay sales now. In six months I will end my entire Ebay operation.
I have all the email addresses from customers who bought from me in the last 8 years of selling on ebay.
I repeatedly inform them of NON ebay venues to buy at.
How much money has that cost Ebay?
And do they even care?
From Tatiana O, Indianapolis, IN I am Ebay Powerseller with good DSR ratings and completely qualify for all announced "benefits". Well well, even if my Powerseller logo sounds like I make a butt load of money I must say that Ebay makes MORE than I do! When new fees take effect will I brake even? And when new feedback system will take full effect then I will have to spend some extra money out of my own pocket when I meet "bad" buyer next time. Being Ebay buyer I NEVER feared retaliatory Feedback! Yes I had problems with "not as described" items but simple communication with seller resolved all issues completely. Never had to file a single complaint! And if there would be a seller who refuses to make it right according to their description then I will proudly take retaliatory Feedback. I do have an option to post my reply. While major retail stores are looking forward to get rid of bad buyers. Ebay is trying to attract them in any possible way. Major retail stores realize that they have THEIR property at risk, EBAY puts OUR property at much greater risk. 7,000,000 items are listed on Ebay DAILY, 6% or 420,000 of them end up WITH NO PAYMENT. Now if we put seller in the position where they will be scared to even file Unpaid Item Dispute, Ebay will NEVER have to credit FVF back. No report-no credit, remember? Problem is solved at seller's costs, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT NON PAYING BIDDERS DROPPED FROM 6% to 0,5%!
From Pamela Phifield Toledo, Ohio First I wanted to thank you for posting this here. I think it is very important for people to know what is happening at eBay and why sellers and buyers alike are upset by the upcoming changes. As a long time seller and buyer on eBay I have seen a lot of changes over the years and this is by far the most dramatic. No more will eBay be the place to find "IT" because the people who sold "IT" are jumping ship and with good reason. The mom and pop type seller who brought the unique unusual and hard to find collectibles to sell are being drummed out by large fee increases and one sided feedback. For these sellers it can amount to a 67% increase overall. Any breaks that are being given by eBay are directed solely towards the power sellers and this is ONLY IF they can keep high DSR scores. Since two of those four rating categories are not totally within their control it is unlikely they will ever see a discount. What was once an open market place to find "IT" has slowly become the corner dollar store and all with eBay's encouragement. Complaining about the situation is falling on deaf eBay management ears. Unless you are willing to do something about the situation eBay will continue to drum out the smaller "IT" sellers who made eBay grow from Pierre Omidyar's basement into the market it is today. The bottom line here is eBay's bottom line and until that is effected by sellers taking their business elsewhere eBay will continue to turn a deaf ear! There are alternatives out there and once buyers realize they can not find "IT" at eBay anymore they will look for "IT" elsewhere. I am doing something to send my message to eBay's bottom line and set up a store at WAGGLEPOP.COM. Their store count has more then double during the past 2 weeks because they have "IT" They offer a very positive buying atmosphere, strong seller support with a fantastic community, no listing fees and very low final sales fees… the way eBay was meant to be.
From Roger Leighton, Live Oak, FL eBay's latest changes are "the straw that broke the camels back" for me. I have been selling antique postcards on eBay for over 7 years. My listings end on February 17th – the day before the "strike". I will not be listing with eBay any longer.
I have recently opened a store on Wagglepop.com for $9.95 a month with no listing fees. I am also considering opening a second store with OnlineAuctions.com to get more traffic.
I think eBay has shot themselves in the foot this time; a lot of sellers are now looking elsewhere to conduct their business.
Roger – Live Oak, FL
From Jane, Colo. Sprgs. CO. I sell folk art and have 100% ebay feed back, but I have just signed up with mns auctions. They have no listing or final value fees and give your an account credit of $50 just for signing up with them.
From scowley UPDATE FROM FSB/CNNMONEY
The question we've heard most often this week: "Is the PayPal 21-day hold legal?" We cover that and more in our latest installment, "PayPal funds freeze plan draws fire." story at: http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/08/smbusiness/paypal_funds_freeze.fsb/index.htm.
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From bassace, Alachua, FL I set up a store at wagglepop.com A complete store for 9.99 a month and NO cost at all unless the item sells. Modest final value fees at that. Wagglepop doesn't have the huge traffic yet, but it has all the warmth of community and helpful staff that eBay evolved from. Ebays fee hikes and lack of seller support are appalling. Power Sellers please consider joining me at wagglepop!
From Theron, Camano Island, WA I to am a small time seller but was proud of my 100%. That ended when a buyer that did not read his email left me a neg. and now i can not even warn other sellers of this guys tactics. I now have my first neg because of something I can not control. So long ebay.
From JA, VA I am a seller of live aquarium fish, live fish food and aquarium accessories on ebay. In this business, reputation is what drives your business and displaying the feed back rating goes along way. A profit can be made only if the costs are low. I guess I will give finvillage.com a try. Its free and has very low cost stores, which will be great for me.
From Clemonspowerseller I am a very large Power Seller on eBay grossing about 30,000 dollars a month. Paying fees to eBay and Paypal and taxes to our government. Four years ago, I kept a nice sized chunk of that money. I tightened my belt and rode the last fee hike wave. But this is the last straw.
Do you hear that eBay. 30,000 dollars a month GONE and I am just one person with one store.
eBay may think their fee restructuring is doing us a favor by rewarding people with good DSRs a percentage off the FVF but they tell the customer a three star rating is good. To be eligible for the FVF discount thats worth anything to anyone, you have to basically have a four and 3/4 star rating. You want your sellers to be honest to your buyers eBay, but that is not the problem here. eBay is not being honest with their sellers. Sending emails that intend to lead you into believing that you lowered fees, but you didn't…not really. You raised them. You have managed to ask me to pay full price for listings but promise that if my DSRs are not up to your standards my exposure in search results will be limited. So I am going to pay you full listing fees to potentially be exposed less? Who does this help? What if I am cheaper then my competitors but my DSRs drop a point for some reason (eBay buyers are a fickle and demanding group) You are not going to show my lower prices to your buyers? Yeah that makes sense! Oh eBay, through your site I have paid for my vehicle, my food, and my shelter for the last four years, but I will no longer be involved. I will find an alternative. It won't take too many sellers like me to leave before you really feel it. C'mon Google If you build it, they will come!
From scowley UPDATE FROM FSB/CNNMONEY
Another fairly detailed piece just posted: Outraged eBay sellers plot strike week.
We have one more big dispatch coming – a look at PayPal issues and alternatives.
Thanks for spreading the word about our coverage; we're trying to address all the excellent issues raised in the comments here!
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From Hal Ross Portland Oregon And what about security? Ebay doesn't seem to care about that at all. In four listings two were spoofed and I had to start all over, not to mention getting a host of fraudulent emails from people trying to get my information. Then someone hacked Paypal and got my credit card. Now they are not going to show negative feedback under the new policies It's not worth the aggravation.
From Phil Everybody begging Google to get into the business, and decrying the lack of inventory at "other sites"…and everybody else… needs to look at Google Base.
Google wants to be where people go to find anything online, and that includes auction and store listings. They are giving us the opportunity to be visible in search results by uploading "identifiers" that will help searchers find our listings.
EBay didn't become a monster overnight, and the "next" eBay won't either. But if enough sellers go to ANY auction or store site, or set up their own website, and make sure their listings are "search-able", it won't be long until buyers are using GOOGLE to find things from small sellers, the way they have used eBay in the past.
At some point, will it matter WHICH site you are on? Sellers should be able to go to the site that gives them the most convenience and features for their money, and get their traffic through Google, NOT through buyers going to the listing site to browse.
From T.S, Northwestern, PA I am both a buyer and seller on Ebay and am very disappointed with the announcements that Ebay has made of late.
In reguards to the bottom line increase in fees Ebay is instituting, they will not affect my bottom line in ways they will many. I am not a "high ticket item seller", therefore the increase will have minimal impact to my bottom line. I think many sellers could have absorbed the fee increase if it had not been "sugar coated" and coupled with other changes being made at the same time.
The changes to the Feedback System could very well be the demise of my reputation along with many others. Buyers and Sellers alike have worked hard for their well deserved Feedback Ratings. If these new changes take place, both buyers and sellers will lose all trust they have gained in the Ebay Marketplace.
In my opinion, the insults alone conveyed about Sellers by Ebay's management are enough to convince me that they are no longer a trustworthy corporation to have dealings with.
In addition, the issue of an individuals' money being held by Ebay in the Sellers' Paypal Account with no interest being payed to the account holder during which time the funds are being held is by far the icing on the cake!
From Joyce Wilson Marion OH I have an ebay store. And I'm in a group at ebay for stores.
A few of us decided to check out other opions. And then repost our findings to the group as a whole.
Well I'm the 1st one to report in with the site that was picked for me. iOffer.com.
And the findings were awful. After only one week there.
I set up some auctions and a store.
They have so many gliches in their system it's not funny.
-Items showing up in the wrong catigory, and you can not edit that.
-Problems with aplying shipping cost.
-Options being add that you did not choose.
-So many question on the community answer board it's unreal.
-No customer service. (When I sent a message to customer service 1 every day for 4 days about the issuse I was having. And on the 5 days the link said closed but with no answers.
Over all this is the poorest site I've seen.
Deffinatly not an answer to our ebay delima.
Another group member was sent to etsy.com. And so far has glowing results. (But its only for hand made items and not much traffic)
We are still waiting to here for a few other members.
But so far the sites that are looking pretty good are
Etsy.com
weBidz.com
eCrater.com
But the results are still not final.
From scowley UPDATE FROM FSB/CNNMONEY
Another new story is posted: 5 ex-eBayers: Where they sell now
thanks,
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From Lori E Hollywood, FL I've been on ebay since 1999. And the fee hikes were just part of the annual annoyances from ebay.
However this time it's gone way too far. I can deal with the hike but the new policy changes are just too much! I have cancer and have not been able to list since the new DSR ratings began so if I go back now with a 0 DSR rating I will be paying for listings and they won't show up in the searches. Sounds like a total waste of my assests! How can they charge for a service and not provide it? Is there any class action lawyers out there? Here's your chance to hit it big!
AND does anyone know what the overflow is going to be…. if ebay designates me as a risk because I don't have a DSR will paypal also hold my payments from my off ebay webstore for 21 days?
I don't like how this is shaking out! I will be closing my ebay store as well! I've fed the ebay coffers long enough. Ebay is not the only game in town! I didn't sell this Christmas because of surgery but I did watch the sales and I have to say they stunk! I've never seen sales so bad. I made more sales in my off ebay store so it looks like it's time to expand elsewhere.
From M Chelsey THE SELLER IS THE CUSTOMER! EXPAND YOUR EBAY UNIVERSITY AND MAKE IT FREE IF YOU WANT NEW MEMBERS. Ebay spends so much money on other interests, including NON MONEY MAKERS like buying into CRAIGSLIST? They should spend the money they strip from the sellers on teaching people how to buy and sell on ebay. I always know where ebay university is by my sales, and I only sell approx 1,000 items. When I found out ebay CHARGED $$$ FOR THIS, I WAS INCENSED! Then the OUT-OF-TOUCH Gurus come up with their newest ebay disaster SKYPE. I am all for checking out all these rival auction sites. Thank you for this article to point me at them. I HOPE THIS VIDEO COMES OUT ON THIS EMAIL, It is from iOffer spelling out "fee pay" quite interestingly
#feepay_swf { padding: 15px; background: #000; text-align: center; }
#feepay_swf h3, #feepay_swf h3 a, #feepay_swf span { font-family: verdana,tahoma,helvetica,sans-serif; }
#feepay_swf h3 { color: #ccc; font-size: 12px; margin: .5em 0; padding: .25em 0; }
#feepay_swf h3 a { color: #ffc; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; }
#feepay_swf h3 a:hover { color: #009; background: #ffc; }
#feepay_swf span { color: #999; font-size: 11px; padding: .5em 0; }
When you've had enough of the feePay game,
be sure to check out iOffer.com.
Please make sure your speakers are turned on.
From Cee Cee James, Houston, Texas CNN Money,
Thank you so much for posting this article. I needed it so bad. Everytime I tried to get some answers on where to go or what to do on the ebay boards it would get pulled by ebay.
This is great. Thanks again~
From P.Whitlow Hammond, La It is really rather simple. Ebay is treating the buyers as their customer and the buyers are the sellers customer. If the sellers leave due to an inability to pay the fees to whom will ebay sell? Ebay talks about working on their core market, I would think it would be the people paying the fees. What ebay needs to do is make it easier for the sellers to make customers happy and now after all of this just eliminate feedback all together. A rating is okay but not down to a tenth of a point making a 10% adjustment to your profits! That is just nuts and gives us no incentive at all.
From SAL CONWAY SC GREAT AUCTION SITE THIS ONE IS GREAT THE BEST ONE FEE 9.95 A MONTH THAT RIGHT THAT IS LIST AND YOU CAN LIST ALL YOU WANT FOR 9.95 AND WITHIN THE WEEK 100 NEW STORES OPEN http://www.wagglepop.com
From Gerald Caouette Alberta Canada eBay is large and it takes time to circle wagons, when the leaders are muzzeled as fast as they yell charge… The "no censorship forums"..do have censors that pull listings and send polite but to the point reminders they are in charge and punishment shall be swift…. Several of the early and more vocal eBay members to speak out against the Feedback changes and new fee structure have been banned from the forums and their more contentious posts removed – These members were silenced for voicing their opinion… That smells strongly of monopolistic tyrany ……. I started with eBay over 10 years ago, and have been both a buyer and seller over that period… I estimate that I have in the last 5 years alone completed well over $20,000 in transactions..with coresponding fees.. I have made the choice to close my eBay store and auction listings as of Feb 5 and post my items on ePier and other Venues… Sorry I will not go back to eBay until there is a major change in leadership and …the feedback and fee decisions are recinded permanently…even then I will never blindly support eBAY again .. I recomended eBay to literaly thousands of people over the last decade and helped them set up auctions and stores… I have begun letting them read the changes coming to eBay – They are shocked to say the least. Some have closed down their eBay stores and moved the stock to auction listings so they can get out…. Others have simply decided to close stores and let their existing listings run out… They will be trying other venues and we plan on sharing information as to where we get the best deal and best support… Those venues will be the ones to benifit the most from eBays recent decisions…..Nuf Said
From D. Lynne OnlineAuction is a tempting model for the seller – but it results in millions of long term listings that are of no interest to buyers. I don’t think eBay is encircled. I think they out in front and are being chased by the rest of the pack.
Posted By Robert Friedman, Atlanta, GA
Yes, Robert, but it won't look that way for long-it takes a little blip in time for the insulted sellers to find a new "home". You will then not be finding your favorites on eBay and may have to resort to re-checking some of the lesser known (temporarily) sites to find your treasures. Buyers go where they can find what they are looking for at a competitive price. eBay won't be offering "IT" much longer. In order to "Shop Victoriously" you may have to drop an old habit.
Scripture states "a house divided against itself cannot stand". eBay is clearly divided and will fall.
It is a sad, sad thing.
From Sandy Oppegard, Vernon Center, MN I'm not leaving….yet. I'll adjust my starting prices upward to cover whatever losses I have to absorb because of reduced sales and increased FVF. I will do that until one or more of the new sites begins to pull in more of the good buyers that still want vintage items. I've signed on with a number of those sites you mention in your article plus a few you didn't. I joined OnlineAuction.com a few months back before the changes. It was clear that eBay was making changes, specifically in it's Search (they call it "Finding" and their test site: "the playground"….what foolishness), that I didn't think were in the best interest of either the sellers or buyers. Their whole approach in the past year, reminds me way too much of the bureaucratic nonsense I experienced in the government career I retired from in August, 2007. OnlineAuction, WeBidz, eCrater, AuctionQuests.com, eBid and Bidville are all excellent examples of alternatives that are free or near free and offer new opportunities for those who are tired of "playing corporate bureaucratic games" with eBay. So far, I like OnlineAuction.com and WeBidz the best. eBay's loss I guess.
From Pete, Boston, MA For those of you considering jumping to another auction site…
It has always been our firm belief here at Repatoo that the feedback that a seller generates is one of their most valuable assets. However, even before the recent changes, we felt that most of the systems out there were not fair, transparent and transportable. Which is why we created our free service that allows you to bring your feedback with you wherever you decide to transact online. We initially created it just for ourselves but then realized that most sellers could benefit from it and made it available to the public.
Come check us out http://beta.repatoo.com
From Keith Sturgis, Mi I thought all the kamkaze pilots died at the end of WW11. NOT SO! They just went on to become the heads of Ebay.
From Cathy, Southern Oregon I buy and sell on eBay. The latest fee hike and the truly awful Best Match search have made me move on to other venues. I also pay for a store on eBay. My items are hidden from the buyers there in the current search- who knows if we will show up at all on Best Match. I often wonder if Buyers realize that they aren't even seeing half of items listed that match their search terms. I wonder if buyers realize that Best Match results are ones that eBay decided that they should see– not could see. Just more eBay manipulations!.
My move was to get 2 domain names and have several stores using Buy It Sell It Storefronts by Inkfrog. They are free, easy for a beginner to use with no item number limits. They can be upgraded for a modest $5 to remove the ad link at the bottom of pages and add the ability to have your domain and custom design. This is all sellers need to have their own web presence. The internet buyer is different today than even 2 years ago and is more likely to buy from a small website. If eBay wants to hide my items -then I move on to a bigger potential buyer pool on Internet search engines like Google or Yahoo where making sure I am seen is in my own hands.
Leaving eBay is easy. The small collectibles seller, specialty seller or store seller is being shoved out anyway. Not paying eBay $100 a month in fees and paying Buy It Sell It $5 instead is a no brainer. And yes- sales can be made on other venues!
BTW-I am one who would like to see Google have a storefront/auction venue.
From LH, Chicago, IL Sign the eBay Feb. 18-25th boycott petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ebay-buyer-and-seller-strike-february-18-25th-2008
From Glamour Puss Vintage – IL I've been buying and selling on Ebay for several years. I've realized a reasonable income while being available for two special needs kids. I refuse to continue to take it on the chin when I've watched my profit margin shrink to almost nothing.
Search has been whacked for ages and if no one can see my items, why drop a wad to put them on the site?
I'm shifting my items to my own website and Specialist Auctions (who have bent over backwards to help me get items up easily and quickly).
As I stated, I both sell and BUY on Ebay and realize the hurdles both sides face. I've also been burned by both sellers and buyers – but it's just no longer worth the risk of unpleasant, or downright hostile transactions.
If things were to improve considerably, I would return – It's just smart business to be where you get the most bang for your buck~ right now, that's NOT Ebay~
From Laura P. Liberty, MO E-BAY GOT BIG QUICK. WORD OF MOUTH AND TV ADVERTISING HELPED. THEY ARE PRICING THEMSELVES OUT OF BUSINESS. IT IS HARD TO MAKE A PROFIT WHEN THEY EAT IT UP IN FEES. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND BIDVILLE. TELL EVERYONE ABOUT IT AND IT WILL BECOME AS BIG AS E-BAY. IT IS SOOOO MUCH CHEAPER TO USE AND IT IS EASY TO LIST ITEMS AND YOU MAKE MORE PROFIT. YOU CAN HAVE A STORE THOUGH THEM ALSO. E-BAY NEEDS SOME OLD FASHIONED COMPETITION SO THEY WILL QUIT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE.
From MRSKILLION Morrisville, Pa Many people have asked me over the last few days if I really think our boycott will be successful. They wonder if it is possible for EBAY sellers to really have an effect on such a large company.
I have a few thoughts about that, and I would like to share them with you. First of all, I completly believe that ebay sellers can have an effect on the company. We did 10 years ago when, without us, EBAY would never have reached its first birthday.
We did a few years back, when another much smaller boycott was shortly followed by a fee reduction.
We will on Feb 18th when tens of thousands of sellers, OR MORE, stop listing, selling and buying during the boycott.
Never before has the average seller on Ebay come together so quickly and forcefully with their fellow sellers to make a statement against an Ebay policy decision.
Why is this time different???
Because the policy changes that have been announced are so outrageous!
First, we were told that there was a fee reduction. WOW, GREAT! That was a short lived smile on the face of the average seller. A few sentences later we read in the Ebay announcement that listing fees were going down by as little as a nickle while Final Value Fees were going up by as much as 67%.
Fee hikes are bad enough without being lied to about them.
Then we learned that while buyers were still allowed to leave positive, negative or neutral feedback sellers were only allowed to leave Positives.
Ebay is going to tell me what my opinion of a transaction is going to be? What if it wasn't positive? Oh, then I can leave nothing. Well that really doesn't work. What if a buyer never paid, or paid four weeks late, or called me at home at 3am? What if they filed a chargeback and sent back a USED broken ipod instead of the brand new one they bought from me?
Positive feedback or nothing really doesnt work now does it?
Oh, then there is the paypal issue. Paypal can hold the sellers money from a sale up to 21 days. Under 100 feedback ( all new sellers! ) or 5% neg/neut feedback in 30 days are two of the many reasons paypal will do this.
Oh, and you have to pay for shipping out of your own pocket and hope you eventually get paid?
OH, and paypal will just keep the interest they earn on your money for all their trouble!
Problems with BEST MATCH and other ebay functions are issues too.
THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT
THIS TIME EBAY HAS GONE TOO FAR
JOIN US FEB 18-25
EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO JOINS US MAKES US STRONGER
From Joe Mitchum, KC, Kansas I too quit selling on ebay and buying. They kept raising the price of listing and final value fee till i was paying people to take my items. The ebay system is only for the rich now. So i like other no longer use their service and refuse to buy or sell from them.
From Linda Crystal Lake,il I am a buyer and a seller,Feedback takes more into account then just DID THE BUYER PAY!
Many buyers new to Ebay don't read the terms,many state AS IS,or NO RETURNS,but with Pay Pal and Ebay a buyer doesn't have to take respondsiblity for the terms the sellers list,even though by placing a bid they are saying they except them.
Both buyers and sellers should have an equal voice,I wonder how buyers would feel if they had NO choice but to leave a POSITIVE FB even if they were totally unhappy.
Thats what sellers will have to do! Does this sound fair to you!
From David Independence, MO I found out about "Google Base" which is free to list on. You can upload bulk auctions by separating the title/description/price by tabs. In "beta" stage now, so you can be a founding member! I suppose they will eventually launch a full scale blitz on ebay. W/ big advertising etc. I HOPE.
From kathy owaneco ill. I am a big Ebayer,i buy a lot online I cant see why the seller get shafted.Yes the comp. surely is maken good money but GREED gets the best of them. SHAM ON YOU EBAY AND PAY-PAL …As I WAS raised I put it this way Do on to others as you would do on to you ..would you want to wait for your paycheck 21days later?
From Valerie Watch the You Tube Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23TomS5–nQ#GvQCPJuTO1Y
Comment on it. Rate it. Favorite it. Embed it. Pass the word.
From Garland,Tx I have stopped selling on Ebay due to their total dis reguard for there sellers. Case in point I had a problem with something that I had purchased with outrageous shipping and contacted them about it yet they favored with the seller who is btw no longer registered there either.Honesty is the best business tool that there is not hiding or misrepresenting what you sell which is common place on Ebay.Here is free site that may interest you. Plunderhere.com is an up and coming site.Lots to do there and help for anything is readily available.
From Jeff ,kansas city KS. Meg is fixing things that do not need fixing. All these new rules will ruin their stock!! Sell eBay short and make millions! eBay execs lose their jobs! This shows how stupid peoplel can get.
Jeff in KC
From R. Anderson, Tucson, AZ I've found a couple wonderful sites in my search for Legitimate – Honest – Fair – Non-Gouging Auction Sites after my last straw with eBay:
1) OnlineAuction.com – Up and Coming Auction Site with no listing fees, and none of he hidden rip-off charges, no siding with Buyers over Sellers, none of that and it feels soooo good! OLA offers 3 types of Memberships, no side fees to worry about – if you take their premier Founding Members Membership you get a store for free and… they don't care that or if you list on eBay or any other Auction site, they are not afraid of the competition – OLA is ready to take off and zoom – I want to be part of that action!
2) SpecialistAuctions.com based out of the U.K., but serves greatly to U.S. and AUS customers and other countries around the world. Fee? 3% of final value fee, and a free store front to boot, no listing and other fees, don't know a lot about it yet but love what I see so far as I do OLA! Check them both out eBay is not the only game in town anymore – OLA surpassed eBay in number of listings for the year 2007 zippity doo dah!
Also *** eBay's new policy that Buyers can only receive positive feedback and no resolve to the unfair dishonest feedback that Buyers leave for Sellers is unacceptable! Stop me when I'm wrong but doesnt eBay make more money off of it's Sellers than Buyers? Both should be greatly protected from dishonesty, sometimes buyers get negative feedback, so unfair yes! But it happens the other way around as a majority I think eBay is making a huge mistake with this, no sellers no auctions for buyers to spend money on – this new policy is completely unacceptable!
From Brenda Kansas City, MO I too have been a buyer and seller on eBay for ten years. I will continue to use eBay as an advertising venue with less items to direct my customers to my website and other ecommerce stores. It is an insult to me to tell me and report to the media that I am getting a fee reduction when in reality I will receive a 58% increase in the FVF when an item sells. Their yearly fee increases have cut my slim profit margin to nothing because buyers come to eBay looking for a bargain! … not, retail price.
I am protesting the DSRs that will determine where my items will show up in search and whether or not I will receive a discount on my FVF. The S&H DSR is totally unfair to the sellers. A buyer agrees to the S&H when they complete the purchase and then have a right to complain after the fact? Most buyers don't understand what a fragile item costs to ship across country and they don't like paying anything for shipping other than $.42 cents for a letter. A more appropriate rating would be, "Would you purchase from this seller again?" Even the wording eBay has for a buyer when selecting the star rating, it says that a 3 is reasonable or good. Was this wording done on purpose so sellers would not qualify for the discount?
We have asked eBay to verify buyers and sellers before they can purchase an item or sell an item for a long time. According to a recent AuctionBytes article, eBay has 420,000 non pays each day! After two weeks they refund the sellers FVF but keep the listing fee. The article pointed out that an average listing fee was .70 cents. 420,000 x .70 cents x 365 = billions of dollars of revenue for eBay. That is why it is not beneficial for eBay to rid the site of non paying bidders. If PayPal would pay the seller at the end of a transaction and directly deal with the NPB themselves, there would be less NPBs. Many other ecommerce sites do this because they verify the buyers and it is a much safer trading environment. Instead, PayPal wants to hold our money for 21 days before they put it into our accounts!
I have been reducing my business on eBay the last few years and no longer depend on it 100%. But, the more sellers that leave eBay with their wares, the more buyers will leave because the selection is no longer available. Buyers will go where the products are. My sell thru rates on eBay are in the gutter and I have to relist, relist and relist before it sells. This tells me that because of the number of sellers who have already left eBay in the last two years, most of the long time buyers have left too.
And, with the new feedback system of only allowing buyers to leave negative feedback, all of our listings will be on the last page anyway and no one will see them to purchase. Another seller recently posted on one of the community forum boards that he contacted eBay Live Help recently about this issue and was told that they were hoping this chased many of the sellers away. So, there you have it! eBay doesn't really want the sellers there so we should oblige them.
From Krystal, Southend, Essex, UK It's not only eBay.com it's all the eBay sites worldwide affected by this.
Feelings in the UK are running very high, & one of the sites to gain most is eBid.net which has sites in the UK,USA,& Canada among others, so you can still have an international market.
From Jeff Buser, Keyser WV To sellers who threaten to leave eBay for being asked to accept a little bit of accountability, I say "good riddance to bad rubbish". As a seller, if the buyer pays me on time I leave good feedback for the buyer, absolutely without regard to what feedback the buyer leaves me (if any).
As a buyer, I refuse to do business with any seller whose offical policy is "we'll leave good feedback for you after you leave good feedback for us". Recently I have been forced to search through two levels of seller and customer feedback history to see if the seller had a "hidden policy" of retaliatory feedback. If I want to buy something cheap from a ruthless jerk, I'll just go to my local pawn shop (or Wal Mart).
Having said that, yeah, I agree the fee rises are tougher to swallow.
From Bruce Williamson Columbia, Iowa I will not be buying or selling the 16th-25th. I have been trading on ebay for over 5 years, with a good feedback rating. This is the most undermining thing ebay has ever tried to do! I will not continue to buy and sell if this becomes a reality!
From Bruce Williamson Columbia, Iowa I will not be buying or selling ANYTHING on ebay the 16th-25th! We as faithful buyers and sellers have made ebay what it is. We deserve to be heard!
From Larry Dodgen I have just started to build a website at BUY IT SELL IT or BISI a company owned by Inkfrog. I may continue to sell some on ebay but will no longer put all of my eggs in one basket!
From Fed-Up Powerseller, San Jose, CA I'm an eBay Powerseller who is disgusted with the planned fee and policy changes – and insulted by the way they were announced. I'm going to be selling off my current inventory, and then I'm done with selling on eBay forever. Hope they enjoyed my $1500/month in fees while they had it.
See ya, FeeBay.
From Steve Decatur, IN There is an alternative use this http://www.sellerbiz.com site tracks feedback independently for many auction sites.
You will still be able to check and see if a bidder or seller has a bad disposition or not. There are also a few feedback searching tools.
No Ad's No Spam Just a Seller helping other sellers.
Enjoy
From Ranelle Krejci, Richmond, Texas EvilBay should be ashamed. Allow the free enterprise system to work.
From K, Rochester, NY eBay has totally lost the original concept of their site! The intent was to trade antiques and collectibles.
As others have said, they are now catering to the big $$ seller of electronics, DVDs, movies and the like!!
They are no longer a venue .. they are totally ignoring the Mom and Pop seller …. Much as Home Depot and Wally World have forced small speciality stores into bankruptcy …
It is not all GW's fault!!!
From amodernguy I'm still deciding how my business will cope with eBay's changes. The fee increase hurts but I am particularly concern with the changes to the feedback system and the tying of DSRs to search results.
While I have maintained a good record on eBay – 99.9% positive feedback with over 4000 transactions – the DSRs are quite troubling. First of all, the rate a seller on areas out of the sellers complete control – shipping time and shipping costs.
Even though I ship within 48 hours of payment reciept and charge actual shipping cost those to areas of my DSR are my lowest. I do not belive that buyers are aware of what it actually costs to ship items and how long it takes to get to them using regular shipping means.
I have communicated my objections to these changes to eBay and posted the letter on my blog – Open Letter to eBay.
I hope other sellers speak out as well. After all, we are the ones who risked capitol and spent time to "stock" eBay all of these years. It is wrong for eBay to not consider their own customer service to their primary customers – the sellers.
From dave uk unhappy hi this also affects other ebay sites not just ebay.com we in the uk are not satisfied either many of us are now just selling on another alternative site ebid.net , ebay have cut their own throats with stopping sellers feedback hiking the fees when they say they are cutting them it is a disgrace
From Sheryl, Pillager, Minnesota I've been on ebay practically since it's inception, but it is no longer feasable to stay there – the search engine is messed up, the buyer traffic is way down, and it's time to move along. I just found my way to buyitsellit.com – they are improving on a daily basis, things are easy to post, and there are absolutely no fees to have a store there, no final value fees, the customer service is excellent, they have Google payments as options – so far, I am very impressed. I will probably still shop on eBay simply because I can buy stuff there at garage sale prices, and sell it at "St. Elsewhere," (a word I coined a couple of years ago – meaning ANY PLACE other than eBay) for a good profit. eBay just doesn't get it, and I'm beginning to suspect they never will – they have an excuse for everything, and most of it doesn't make sense to their seller base.
From Valerie I'm an eBay refugee and I've opened stores on eCrater.com, Etsy.com, and bidville.
I will say the change in refreshing! I sent a customer service question via email to eCrater.com and in FIFTEEN MINUTES I received a hand written, individualized response. No form letter! No letter that doesn't answer my question. HAND WRITTEN!
Ah. Home, sweet, home.
From Nadine Carroll, Brattleboro, VT Postcards and stamps are moving to specialist auction sites. Here's an AuctionBytes article on the movement:
Playle.com (http://www.playle.com) opened in 1997 specializing in postcards. Delcampe.net (http://www.delcampe.net) started in 2000, first specializing in stamps, and then postcards. In 2006, Delcampe expanded into the American market with Delcampe.com (http://www.delcampe.com).
Playle and Delcampe are a breath of fresh air to online postcard dealers with large inventories. Listings are more affordable to dealers, and hence the websites' postcard inventories are increasing, so much so that Delcampe, with 5,098,000 listings in July 2007, is by far the largest postcard site on the Internet. eBay is second with about 590,000 listings, and Playle's ranks third with about 100,0000 listings (average per day). Delcampe sold about 110,000 postcards in December 2007 and about 107,000 in May.
For dealers, a quick look at Playle and Delcampe reveals ways to sell less expensively. Neither Playle's nor Delcampe charges dealers for hosting listings in their online stores. In contrast, eBay charges a minimum of a nickel per month to host a store item (up to a dime for more expensive postcards). For a 25,000-item store, the nickel cost alone usually increases a penny to $0.06 to use a gallery thumbnail image, totaling an extra $1,500.00 in fees per month since eBay increased fees last summer
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m08/abu0197/s02
From Mary Dorr, Hyattsville, MD I buy and sell on ebay and pay pal all of the time. I will not only honor the boycott, I will no longer spend money with either corp. untill this has been settled in a way that works for me. This exp. includes Pay Pals keeping of my money for 21 days. Not me, oh no you won't!
From scowley FSB CALL TO ACTION #2
The CNNMoney.com video team is interested in taping some sellers and their thoughts on the changes, pro or con. If you're in NYC and interested in participating, please contact me, stacy_cowley@fortunemail.com. Please feel free to spread this message around to other ebay discussion groups, etc.
Thanks,
-Stacy (FSB Web news editor)
From Lynne I have been buying and, more recently, selling on eBay for ten years. My Mary Poppins feedback (practially perfect in every way) marks me as one of the buyer/sellers I would hope they would strive to keep, but I walked out the door last week and am not looking back. I am, however, having a problem finding the next door, because of what I bought and sold. Few of the alternatives offer the eBay-perfect venue for that which brought me to eBay to begin with — the flea market stuff. Jaws drop when people hear that I bought on eBay an 1860s PA ledger that records purchases my great-great grandfather made in the store, or just lost out on an auction of an 1800s token for a nickel off a purchase in a business that another great-great grandfather owned, or bought an 1800s bible that belonged to a niece of the first great-great grandfather mentioned here. Those are the things I spent thousands of dollars on a month and those are the kinds of things I sold to other happy bidders, all in an effort to bring historical things back home, rather than to the dumpster. So, where are we going to look online for those things now? Most of the alternative sites are better-suited to one-trick ponies (books? electronics? crafts?) and I have yet to find a comparable venue for the historical flotsam and jetsam that makes the heart beat faster when you find the very thing you had as a child or that your ancestor owned. The new fees eBay is proposing are not what is driving me off to look for another venue, but the feedback fiasco and the Best Match changes that will throw the Mom-and-Pops out by gradually reducing their visibility will probably finally drive me to learn how to build my own Web site. I bought the book to start learning how to do that … and I bought it on Amazon.
From Tim Peoria AZ Due to the law of inertia most sellers will just take most changes in stride. eBay is now upsetting the cart and the apples are rolling. Why is this different from past fee increases/policy changes? First; there are far more credible alternatives out there then ever before. Second; the changes are far too sweeping (if they were dead set they should have spread it out a bit…). Third; very little goodwill left on the part of sellers, it's largely been exhausted.
Some examples where eBay is loosing it :
Amazon: Has taken almost all eBay's Books, music and video business & making huge inroads to eBay's consumer electronics
Craigslist: Local sales are revitalizing for many sellers. High demand items such as MP3 players, laptops and quality desktop PCs pop right out with no fees and usually at a higher price as buyers can actually hold and try out the items. The good stuff you sell locally, the crap you eBay .. bad trend for eBay…
bidtopia.com, OnlineAuction.com & wholesaleauction.com: are just a few examples of independent online auctions started by current and past huge volume PowerSellers; massive fees that are migrating away… (bidtopia/Bargainland was once eBay's largest seller…)
Overstock.com, Buy.com, ubid/Bidville.com: These are huge traffic sites with big name retailers migrating from eBay to support these less expensive venues .. the medium to small guys like me follow because that's where the buyers go.
Microsoft, Google, Yahoo : All eying the stirred up hornet's nest of sellers on eBay as an excellent opportunity to get into the market themselves.
Labx.com, autotrader.com, realtybid.com publicsurplus.com abebooks.com et.al : Specialized auction/retail sites that bite into eBay's special categories.
Auction Search engines: These already popular utilities for buyers to search a number of different auction sites will make the actual auction site less and less important as buyers find they can search numerous sites for the best price with one search … hardly makes a difference which site a seller is on in this case … they'll go where the fees are lowest and the search placement is highest
eBay is declaring war on medium/smaller sellers and the big guys are just drifting away on their own, who does that leave? Powersellers don't have to close their accounts on eBay to cripple the company .. we just need to start sticking our fingers in other pies… the more we do this, the more viable these other sites become and the more we move to them (and many of these sites are already rock-solid and performing). It is getting to the point where I can sell things cheaper on other sites with lower auction fees .. nothing drives buyers like PRICE.
In the recent Forbes article eBay spokesman Usher Lieberman said sellers' reactions in eBay's town hall forums have been "balanced." … eBay get your head out of the sand, sellers justifiably fear retaliation from you, your own forums are not a reliable indicator here …
eBay is in trouble going forward, they see it, that's why they are making these moves. Unfortunately for them these fee and feedback changes will only exacerbate their problems.
From MHopkins Elyria OH I was a very small fish in a very big pond on eBay.
One auction site I see being overlooked is SpecialistAuctions.com, a UK based company that is on the rise. No listing fees, only a 3% Final Value Fee.
I've already closed my store on eBay and my last auctions ended a couple of hours ago. I won't be selling there anymore, and I will honor the boycott by not buying while it is still in effect, however long that takes.
From Pat As an ebay member for over 10 years buying and selling, I am now totally upset with the disregard they have for their members. Where do they think their money comes from and why do they feel the need to shoot themselves in the foot?? SELLERS NEED PROTECTION as well as buyers. You can't just take our money and sherk responsibility. I like selling online but in this day and age with crazies outthere some safegaurds need to be present. Ebay needs to step up and provide some protection and be thankful for the people they make money off of.
From Kathy, CA I am praying that Google will get into the auction race. That is about the only online site I feel could really give ebay a run for their money and I think sellers would flock to their auction site (and buyers) if Google would open one. Google has the great search engine already in place and could place themselves ahead of ebay in searches.
Ebay has become a haven for scamming buyers and their new changes just give them all free reign. One of the newest scams I am hearing alot about is buyers claiming there is some small thing wrong with the item, they want to keep it but get a big discount of some type. Now sellers wont even be able to leave feedback to warn other sellers about this type of behavior. Ebay also allows non paying buyers to leave negative feedback. As long as the buyer writes back with something, even if it is to tell the seller to pound sand, they can leave negative feedback that sticks. Ebay is not doing anything to address this problem. Unbelievable! If sellers are smart, they will go elsewhere before their feedback is besmirched by these types of buyers.
From Mike Picard My initial inclination was to immediately close my account which has been open nearly since eBay's inception. Instead, I'm taking the opportunity to list a few items and intend on closing the account on 19 Feb. eBay's brand will be hard to overcome but as sellers desert this arrogant, usurious site, other seller-friendly sites will eventually gain momentum and topple this particular on-line marketing gorilla. Here's to you eBay…
From Biagina, Los Angeles eBay's Stepford response is telling.
A classic example of eBay's disconnect. It sounda as if they don't really care whether its customers stay or go.
From Robert Friedman, Atlanta, GA As a long time eBayer (buyer and occassionally seller), I don't see the advantages of the other sites for "the market" – one half of which is the buyer. I went to OnlineAuction and did some of my standard searches – a quite common one being "ikea" and I came up with 0 listings. "graco" (a brand of baby products) and I came up with 0 listings. "stamps" and I got about 100 listings for stamp lots all starting at $0.35, none of which had bids – and none of which are interesting for true stamp collectors. OnlineAuction is a tempting model for the seller – but it results in millions of long term listings that are of no interest to buyers. I don't think eBay is encircled. I think they out in front and are being chased by the rest of the pack.
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I have sold on Ebay for 8 years, have over 1700 positives and a 100% rating but have become dissatisfied in the last couple of years as Ebay keeps changing for the worse. I knew when all of the new policies were inacted that it would be a disaster.
Who ever the turkey was that made up the one way feedback rules and other policy changes had to be a drunk as only a fool would have done such a thing, do they not know that not only sellers can be dishonest?, buyers can be just as bad or worse, the way it is if a buyer has had a bad day they could give you bad feedback and care less because they know they cant be touched, no, equal feedback keeps everyone honest and it should remain that way.
I see the ruination of Ebay close, they are forcing a new auction forum to take place, once that happens ebay stock will become worthless, these people are shooting themselves in the foot and are to stupid to know it.