In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From feedback to payment services, from increased fees to posting policies, AuctionBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views.

Ina,
Thanks for posting this:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m07/abu0194/s01

While I agree with the strategy on eBay's part, the implementation was poorly implemented. eBay needs to have an appeal process in place. Sellers should not have retaliatory feedback from non-payers or Item Not Recieved Disputes filed as retaliation for filing UID's held against them.

I have no faith that whoever is reviewing the feedback and suspending or limiting sellers is actually reading all the feedback or reports to see if the sellers are actually at fault.
Signed,
A concerned eBay seller with great feedback.

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Hi Ina:
My advice to "low volume-high ticket price item" sellers is to make sure they also sell a whole bunch of .10 coupons (or some other item such as CDs where its easy to understand what someone is buying)

If you do not do this, and you have a few bad experiences in a row, you run the risk of getting caught in the fishing net where eBay calls you a nonperformer even if you've been exceptional over 8+ years.

I've heard some other sellers are getting caught in the VERO net. I believe this means that sellers need to diversify multi-channel (and product lines), so if someone is picking on you for selling CD's, you can switch to some other product line until the dust settles. It is all about balance.
Regards,
Dan

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In response to last issue's "From the Editor"
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m07/abu0194/s01

In our society the middle class and poor are charged with the task of seeing to it that those who are rich, or over privileged, can be as irresponsible as they wish.

When corporate management pays itself millions of dollars, it fails to understand how loading a poor working stiff with some extra fees should make much difference or be of any importance. It may be the equivalent of a day's income to a millionaire but it is next month's rent to those of us who work very hard to generate the income that eBay feels is its due.

The disconnect between a person who thinks it reasonable to buy a $5 million house and some one like me who struggles to pay $1,000 a month for rent is unbridgeable.

I know that it is up to me to produce the labor that will generate the income that multimillionaires feel is essential to keep up with the billionaires. Such is life in this capitalistic paradise.
Kal

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Re: "Data Points to Problems on eBay.com"
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m07/i02/s00

Hi David.
I must say, this was one of the better editorials I have read on Auctionbytes. It really made a lot of sense. I've felt for a long time that the rise in store fees and discontinuing stores in search was the beginning of the end. I'm glad that someone with more knowledge that I agrees with me.

Thanks again to both you and Ina for a great and extremely knowledgeable newsletter. I look forward to every single issue.
Katie

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Hi,
About a year ago Bill Cobb of Ebay tried to say the reason why bidding was down was because of high shipping charges. I wrote to Ebay saying this was a false point because buyers have control of bidding and can usually find the same item at better shipping cost. I think my point has proven true as shipping costs are not the main reason why buyers/bidders have fled Ebay.

However as an Ebayer since 2000 I did tell them I saw a dramatic change in seller pricing. In the old days many sellers placed their starting bid at $1.00 or in that area and got a high # of bidders. What I saw now was so many sellers putting a very high initial selling price - in other words - if they get one bid at that price- they got a lot of $$$$

Ebay was always a place where buyers look for a good price and I truly believe these excessive starting bids have turned many buyers off- and in fact sending then to other auctions.

Ebay's response to me was it is a free market place.

Ebay also has to deal with the fact the concept of buying on the internet has lost its freshness and newness and people now are coming off the highs associated with the computer and are spending less time on them.

I don't think the answer lies in punishing sellers for whatever reason - for that won't change anything - but they must look for creative ways to get people interested in going to Ebay again. I just hope they have the right kind of thinkers - for the answer does not lie in punishing sellers.
Bill

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Hello Ina: Maybe my next letter will have some positive comments about Ebay "things".

Ebay justs gets better with every adventure. I tried a "Want It Now" posting for a $5.00 item. I get a nasty gram from Ebay pulling my "WIN" listing because I had put my Ebay name in the listing which apparently is forbidden I guess. (they were afraid I would be taking business away from them) I certainly didn't win in this case.

Respectfully yours,
Bob

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eBay users hate the new search results display (http://forums.ebay.com/db1/forum.jspa?forumID=80) - especially read "VOTE Simple Thumbs UP or DOWN on the Redesign of Search Results"

The eBay test of the new search results display is going over like a lead balloon. It's hard to read the auction titles now that they are cluttered in with feedback and "watch this item" words. I call it the "Where's Waldo" version. Trying to read the auction titles is like playing "Where's Waldo". This is one of the dumbest things eBay has ever done. Luckily I was able to get the "opt out" link to work and get back to the old search results display. I hope they will go back to the drawing board, or not change it at all.
Dick

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Hi Ina, I often wondered why people don't close their eBay accounts, rather than just abandoning them. I found one of the reasons. eBay doesn't make it easy! I wrote these instructions several months ago for someone who came to the DNF looking for direction. I thought you might get a kick out of them.

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To Close an eBay Account:
Click on Help in upper right corner of any page.
Click on "Managing Your Account with My eBay" (4th down in right column of the list in the lower half of the page.
Next page, look for: "For information about no longer being a member of eBay, see Closing Your eBay Account" and click on the link.
Next page: Click on "Permanently closing your eBay account."
Next page, look for: "To close your account permanently, please submit a formal request to close your account" and click on the link.
Next page: Select a Category from the dropdown list for the reason you want to close your account. Next page: Select a specific reason from the Category you chose.
Next page: Read eBay's possible solutions to your reason, then choose "No. Please close my account" from the dropdown list.
Next page: Tick the box that you have read and understood the information, then click on the "Close My Account" button.
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I haven't tried this lately. Perhaps eBay has simplified the procedure since Privacy International published the following: "eBay presents a more difficult scenario, representing companies that do allow customers to delete their accounts, but which create substantial obstacles for doing so."

http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-542384

It would be interesting to find out if the procedure has been simplified. Best Regards, Gail

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Hello Ina: Just a quickie note on a reply from Ebay on a problem seller. I paid by check w/in one day of close. Check cashed. Nine (9) weeks later, still no item or promised refund after numerous calls and letters. Ebay Customer service (after a few back and forth emails) suggested I call the FBI or my local Police Department. Sounds like big time. We are talking about an item costing $15.95. Are they crazy, they must be smoking some funny stuff.
Sincerely yours,
Bob

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Regarding Overstock Auctions' change from billing customers once a month to once a week:

Hello!
Not sure if you are aware of this. They didn't send out any notice that I'm aware of to let us know in advance. It's no biggie, just unprofessional to make changes without letting people know.
Thank you for your time.

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Re: "Data Points to Problems on eBay.com"
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m07/i02/s00

Ina,
While it was interesting to see all the analysis of Ebay's ups and downs and of what Ebay has done for or to sellers, it doesn't answer the crucial questions: What the heck has happened to all the buyers? Where have they gone, and why? In theory, the reduced number of sellers in my category - less competition - should benefit me in increased sales. It hasn't. Why? Has there been any study of this done?
Pam

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Hi Ina - Regarding the survey -

One item I left out, that hit me tonight. I had to leave 20 feedbacks tonight (OK, so I saved up for 2 weeks)....

The new feedback layout/format is a NIGHTMARE!

I had to read through 35 auctions that are no longer in a straight, easy to read list - but are now "paragraphs" to find the ones I needed. VERY hard on the eye. If I didn't feel that feedback was such an integral part of Ebay and a seller's reputation - I would have said, F*** it.

Ugh. Their changes and upgrades constantly need changes and upgrades.
Thanks,
Caryl

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Hi Ina,
I posted this to the stores board, http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000522985 , and wanted to drop you a note about it. I am seeing a large drop in ebay search results on several search engines. MSN, Yahoo!, Google and AOL. I've tested my own listings and the results are alarming. Not only are my listings not there, but neither are my competitors eBay listings. It used to be that I would show up within a day or so usually on page 1 but no longer. We are actually showing up, if at all, at least 4 pages deep. Sometimes the only hit that comes back is for my main store page and it's pulling from the header description.

Is eBay testing something with these search engines? If so, can I opt out of the test? LOL!

When I first started with my store in Jan 2006, things were great. Search engine referrals, store listings in core, ad words, etc etc. Since then, store fees went up and features went down and seem to be spiraling further downward. What do I get for my monthly fees? Is this eBay's secret way to get us all to close up our stores?
Thanks for your ear.
Kris

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Re: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m06/abu0193/s01

Your article in regards to the Online Traders Web alliance is now a moot point as the site has been taken down due to it's author not having the resources to continue posting it. I was a member of OTWA for the past 8 years and sorry to see it dissolve.
Thanks.

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Ina,
I have been receiving your auction bytes emails for a while now and was surprised that nothing has been added about ebays new groups platform.

Ebay just recently launched their "new and improved" ebay group platform and MANY ebayers are very upset. Many groups have now closed and many folks have decided to simply give up and stop going to their groups. This is very unfortunate because this is a place ebay created for others to "connect". Many that use groups daily have reported a decrease in their sales since so many would advertise their auctions in a SHARE YOUR WARES thread. I know that many have moved their groups to Yahoo.

I would love to see you do a story on this.
Thank you,
Lisa