"and not to put this goal at risk in order to cater to the inexperienced sellers and their livelihoods. Many of us continue to tweak our business models to grow along with eBAY."
eBay's "responsibility" is to their customers. The people they charge money for a service advertised. In their quest for "growth" they have continually altered the terms, nature, and quality of this service, often with no thought for impacts those alterations will have on those customers. Many times they HAVE been fully aware of that impact, and could not care less. It is simply my observation that the wrong parties are doing the "tweaking" here in order to continue patronizing this service. Constantly. Without reason or regard.
"ummm, who were they supposed to get permission from. You????"
This isn't about asking a question that seeks permission. It's about asking a question that seeks reason and logic and purpose in context with the desired result. I submit that they either forgot one, or just didn't bother. Surely you see the difference?
"Snappy, How can you disrespect another human being so as you throw insults at Jeff through this whole post? How can you sleep at night?"
If it is any consolation to you, there have been a LOT of sleepless nights here, with every new 'enhancement' made. I used to do an average of $25K a month in sales here. One listing at a time, working to satisfy TWO customers with every transaction. (Notice how I stated satisfy THEM and not the other way around?). Employed seven people. Had a 1500 ft. Sq. drop off store. Paid business taxes, and was a buying customer here. Gold PS.
Then one day, was suddenly labeled inept, had promises made unkept, messages went unresponded to, questions were ignored and deflected, suggestions were never even acknowledged. In short, was labeled as no more than "noise". Part of that "successful past" eBay decided to trashcan.
Meanwhile, eBay, via their statistically invisible number of reps who bother responding to these 'experiments' considering the tens of thousands they employ, doesn't actually respond. They obfuscate and deflect. Deny that which is clearly evident. It's happened in this thread!
Certainly the phrase 'Its not personal, just business' is familiar? I am happy to take responsibility for any alleged insults made though. Is eBay?
"You know, this kind of talk is getting old. So many people here are so self-rightous. Did you ever stop to think that all of you (not pointing the finger at ANYONE specific) who supposedly "pay their salaries" are sometimes actually costing ebay money with all the individual issues that ebay has to respond to with additional employees? As a business, it makes sense to keep the larger client who requires less hand holding, than a thousand "small sellers" who each cause ebay headache by selling knock-offs, or give less than excellent customer service and product, or who feel entitled to scream at anyone on the phone, etc, etc., etc. (you fill in the etc.). There ARE more problem sellers than way back when "ebay" was fun. eBAY has been dragged through court on behalf of their "small sellers". Many of us can be a liability. Many of us are rude and unappreciative of the benefits of the privilege of selling here."
That 'noise' you hear are the dearh screams of all the dolphins caught in eBay's tuna nets of "disruptive innovation". eBay CREATES these issues because, yes indeed, it would actually cost them more to address and correct the stastically miniscule number of ACTUAL 'problem children' than it does to simply paint us all with the same brush (off). From one way FB, to fee increases that were labled 'lowest ever', through 'free' shipping that isn't and into defining fulfillment metrics they do not control, it is THEY who have stirred this pot, not their customers.
Their latest? Calling any sale that isn't completely concern free 'defective'. Which is fine if one wants to measure those metrics for analysis. But NOT so fine if one wants to blame parties who are not at fault for the allegation. And how do they handle the clear 'corrections' necessary? Instead of spending money to work a solution that proactively addresses the removal of blame for cases clearly deserving, they make the injured party take a number, stand in line, and beg for consideration through an already overburdened and demonstrably undertrained and inconsistent (< ironic, that) customer 'service' department. Which costs them MORE in the long run. Absurd.
More problem sellers now? Likely. It was PREDICTED. See, when one decimates and alienates their experienced seller base by enacting process and policy that causes loss, anxiety, and libelous ruin, and then replaces that with what is essentially considered replaceable cogs in their monitization machine, one gets what has occurred here now. Sellers who know no better. Easy peazy, 1, 2, 3, right? *snort*. Yeah, nothing to this.
And this is a "privelege"? No. It's a SERVICE. That we PAY FOR. THEY would love to think of themselves that way of course; they are clearly arrogant in their behavior in all things in that context. But talk about being too big for one's britches. They seek to control and manipulate the entire item inventory, without investing in any of the cost of business that represents, and is borne by the businesses (and individuals) who seek to simply USE this service. And they have NO business running OUR businesses, unless you want to 'let them'.
"Quite honestly, eBAY gives us LOTS of choices."
Unless you want to consider an analogy of having multiple choices such as hanging, electrocution, firing squad, or starvation as representing 'lots' of choices given, I see only two. THEIR way, or the highway. They have actually SAID this. Which is the epitome of hypocrisy in customer service demanded from us, incidentally.
"Sounds like you feel as if you are too above using the WHAT DO YOU THINK button. Sad. You need to get off your pedestool."
This isn't about me and a pedestal. The 'what do you think" button is a trash chute. Has been for years. Pablum for the masses. An appearance of caring where there is none. As noted, if the message isn't clear yet, more wires to carry it are pointless.
Besides, you want to send a REAL message? Try silence. (Not personally; in the collective sense, all of us). Because it is when one STOPS bothering to talk about you - making you irrelevant in their day - that there is truly cause for concern, no? Wouldn't it be fun if they gave a 'chat' and NOBODY bothered to chatter? Think they'd get the message then?
And as for 'ugly', there's no argument there. This place IS the ugly of eCommerce. And I, like so many many others in the crowd of unwashed masses beneath eBay's concern have nothing else left to lose by pointing out the emperor's nakedness.
It is not pretty. I can understand your desire to look elsewhere.
-------- All truths are easy to understand once discovered. The point is to discover them. - - Galileo
-------- Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it. - - Mark Twain
