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Ina,
I could not agree more than eBay needs to monitor the bidding activity of new members. Normally we sell artwork, pottery, glass and other19th century antiques on eBay - no electronics of any kind. Recently I had a gently used Nokia phone in a very popular model which was no longer needed and decided to sell it on eBay. This was a huge mistake - we were inundated with emails proposing strange payment arrangements from all over the world. Many of them involved Western Union in some fashion and they all offered much more than the phone was worth. As a responsible seller, in the beginning I answered these emails but quickly realized that was my second mistake - once people had my email address they keep sending pleas about sick children, etc. We also got a number of bids from people with 0 feedback and had to keep cancelling them - one enterprising bidder even managed to put in a second bid after the first one was cancelled.
If you think your readers would be interested in this story please feel free to put it in the newsletter. Anyway, keep up the good work!
Ellen
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Ina:
I'd love to see your take on the new Item Not Received Process being implemented by EBay in January.
This has created quite an uproar with sellers - the process as designed is not named correctly for EBay's intent of use.
I agree that there needs to be some type of process for buyers to use when seller don't communicate, which is what the process is designed for. However, the time frame and simple name of the process is going to cause confusion to buyers, and many of us believe it will also result in fraudulent claims by buyers who don't pay.
EBay's stand is that it is simply meant to force communications from the seller - if that is the case, they should rename it "Seller Hasn't Communicated" or something similar.
Enough of a stir was caused by the announcement that EBay changed the time frame from 7 to 10 days for buyers to start the process, but many are still asking for the name of the process to be changed, since it is "supposedly" not about shipment, but communication. Additionally, we have asked for a button in the response process to check stating we never received payment. I personally believe that non-payers are going to be the ones who abuse the process.
Can you comment?
Helen
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Ina,
Regarding the article on PayPal in the latest issue of AuctionBytes (http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m12/i13/s02), I think many users have great concern over the "corporate culture" at eBay and PayPal. It is a culture of monopolistic arrogance and greed where everything is about appearances and driving up the stock price. Customer service is virtually non-existent and they are completely detached from their users as is evident by the myriad of changes they impose that the vast majority of users don't want (item specifics, category changes, etc)
Basically, unless an issue gets major media attention it is ignored by eBay. Users are ignored by eBay and PayPal as well. eBay routinely ignores or lies about problems on their site. Just recently I filed a help request with PayPal 3 times via their web form and it was ignored. Finally, after waiting 10 days for a response, I called their 800 number and after 20 minutes of waiting on hold and refusing to be brushed off I finally got to someone technical that could help. It takes a very determined individual to get through to eBay or PayPal.
BTW, it isn't easy to find their 800 number but it does exist and what does that tell us about the corporate culture at eBay? Call the PayPal 800 number any day of the week and at virtually any hour and you will hear "we are experiencing unusually high call volume...." and then you are placed on hold for an eternity. What this really means is "we don't want to spend money hiring people to help you so hold on for 20 minutes or so..". Speaks volumes doesn't it?
Sincerely,
John
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Ina:
Thank you so much for the NewsFlash you put together! I religiously review it every time it hits my inbox. Great job!
Have you had any other eBay users report trouble with the function on My eBay that allows you to just display your items with questions? This hasn't been working for me for several weeks now. More annoying and time consuming than anything. I've contacted eBay and the response was "I've passed on your report of the link not working to our engineers so they can look into this further". Is it just me????
Kathy
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Hi Ina, I am a faithful reader of ActionBytes.
I recently caught someone shill bidding on an auction I was bidding on, it was very obvious, great papertrail, reported it to Ebay and they said there was not enough evidence to indicate a violation.
I wrote back that I disagreed completely and that I was seriously considering going to my local newspaper as both the person and I live in the same town, therefore it would be newsworthy. They wrote back asking for further information, so here is a copy of what I sent them. It is so blatant, that it infuriates me that they are not acting upon it. This person is not even covering his tracks, he is an obvious amateur...
Forgive me for being so long-winded and thank you for letting me rant
Linda
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Hi, Ina -
A couple of comments on the first item in today's flash: (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m12/i06/s01)
- I believe the Ask the Seller a Question system includes the item number under certain circumstances and not under others - the difference being how it is accessed (from an auction listing vs from the seller's feedback page). This has existed for many months, and I haven't been able to pin down the criteria but am confident that it is related to the means of accessing the question screen.
- The Disputes Console and Report an Unpaid Item links on the left side of the myebay page have been intermittently disappearing over the past few days. You can still get to the screens by using the help button and searching for "unpaid item".
Carol
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Reference Newsflash article about Ask the Seller a Question problem (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m12/i06/s01)
Ina
I've had this problem for maybe a year. Just thought it was the way the system worked. I think it only happened when it was an item listed in my ebay store or BIN , not live auctions.
Happy Holidays
Jim
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Hello Ina,
I hope you are well and had a nice Thanksgiving. Boston fans certainly had a lot to be thankful for this year.
I have a problem you may or may not be able to help me with. Yesterday afternoon and again last night I tried to print a shipping label through PayPal. When I got to the portion where you actually print the label, it wouldn't print. So I tried to reprint it (several times) and that didn't work either. I know it is not my printer. That was the first thing I checked. I logged off and logged back on and tried to reprint again. Then I got a message that I had already reprinted the maximum amount of labels allowed (none???) LOL!!!
I had to then void the label twice because it wouldn't print. Then I received an email from a buyer that was concerned that maybe there was a problem with her payment. Apparently, the buyer gets an email when the label is purchased and when it is voided. So there are going to be a lot of confused customers out there.
I tried to contact PayPal and held for 30 minutes only to be cut off.
Have you heard from anyone else about this? Do you know what is happening?
Best Regards,
Elle
(St. Louis Cardinal Fan)
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Hi Ina,
Don't know if you heard of this ebay "glitch" occurring for anyone else. Apparently (with no notice to us) our eBay Store was "downgraded" from a basic store to "other" (whatever that means) in early November. We noticed at the end of November we could not login to Omniture from eBay to check our store traffic statistics.
They fixed the issue for us but the statistics are lost. Just curious (out loud) whether this is just us, or whether a lot of accounts were affected.
Dan
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Comment On Fraud On eBaY, and DO THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
I go on eBaY alot, and every time I go on there there is a few posters "same person different names" that tell you to contact them before you bid! Once you contact them they offer you the item off of ebay! after going through steps
they ask for your name, and address, and tell you eBaY will be contacting you shortly! You will get a email from aw-confirm@ebay.com saying send money to the UK somwhere using Western Union!
I report them every week, and they get removed, and they come back again! I don't see why these guys are still here! You would think ebay would do somthing about it!
MY THEORY: eBaY doesn't care about there customers! Reason is is because if you are that dumb to send western union, and respond to a email from ebay saying to send money it's your own fault! eBaY has many things posted about that type
of stuff!
eBaY Doesn't Care: Because they are collecting alot of money from these people from there activation costs, and picture costs! I am willing to be that these are from stolen credit cards, or somthing!
These people are "power sellers" with 0 feedback, because they comeback with a different name 2 days later! THey post between 300-1000 items! THINK ABOUT THE MONEY EBAY GETS OUT OF THAT!
They don't care! There Policy Also says they will not inform you of anything after there only email stating they will take care of the issue! Due to there privacy policy! Privacy policy my ass I want to know if there scums have gotten caught! Although I can see for my self that they havent because they are back a few days later!
I hope you have read my statment on how I feel about eBaY, and I hope for you to use it in the future!
Also Hope I sent it to the right place!!
Thanks, Mark
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Ina,
I find it interesting that so many businesses are jumping on the Paypal wagon when there are so many complaints and problems with the present system. Sadly once ebay took over paypal it remade it in the "ebay" image that has alienated so many sellers and caused many to lose their businesses.
We are presently looking at dropping paypal as a payment option on our webstore in favor of a system more regulated by law. Right now Paypal can and will freeze user accounts without much more then the unsubstantiated word of a disgruntled buyer. And with the new ebay "complaint system" (which allows buyer to more quickly complain) I see many problems happening. All one has to do is read the numerous posting on most 3rd party websites to see just how angry sellers are. The fact that people are being so open on the ebay site spells trouble.
All in all, Ebay today is a far cry from the dream. I wish the developer of ebay would come back and check on his child, which for all intents has been prostituted for money alone.
As for the new tool bar, I will never put another one of these tool bars on any of my computers because they are simply spy ware that you are allowing.
Great job as always. Without you and your online auction news I'm sure that I would not be as educated and able to make informed decisions.
Charlotte
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Ebay has banned me from posting on the boards forever without a reason.Ebay has constant glitches that they blame on the user or just deny there is a glitch.They refuse to provide real customer service.
Ebay is becoming less user & customer friendly.Ebay does not care about its paying customers.I'm closing my ebay doors Dec. 15th.
Jim (ebay seller since 1999)
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Ina. Here's a thought for a resolution for EBay for new years.
After an EBay seller has been banned and no longer registered, take off the negative retaliatory feedback he left on innocent victims.
I bought an item from a new user - he failed to deliver - I left negative feedback and he, of course, retaliated with feedback. Subsequently, he received 13 other negative feedback, was banned and is no longer a registered user but my feedback remains on my record.
Tom
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Good afternoon,
I have read articles in your newsletter regarding newbies and the challenges they offer, especially when they do not pay. Ebay has failed to address this issue, and now there seems to be another issue with "Old" newbies.
These are userid's that were registered years ago, don't have any feedback, nor does it look like they have won any auctions. All of the sudden I have had a rash of these type of users, and have resulted in filling NPB's with Ebay.
Even if at some point Ebay requires a credit card to register for new users, this will not be required for users with old ids. Especially if Ebay does not want to clear out they old stagnant user ids.
Just thought I would voice my concern regarding this issue.
Also wanted to let you know that I enjoy receiving Auction Bytes, and have learned quite a few things regarding Ebay.
Keep up the good work, and hope you have a Happy Holiday!
Lucia
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Hello Ina,
I have found that my ebay account was much (about £50.00) more than I expected Eventually I found the reason - I was relisting using Turbo Lister, it seems that if you do that the usual "refund of fees" on items sold the second time does not apply.
Ebay sent me this explanation -
"The answer to your question is yes, it is because they were set up again through Turbo Lister, which was treating them like a fresh listing, rather than a relist. If you choose to relist in the future, relist off the "my eBay" page. then you will get credit when your item sells."
Nowhere does ebay warn users of this restriction !!!
You might like to mention the matter in a future Newsletter
Sincerely.....James
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