Ideas for a better ebay

[utilac]

Hello all,

I've been selling and buying on ebay for over 20 years. The buyers end seems to still be doing fine, but as many of us can tell from the forums, for the sellers ebay is just headache after headache. Buyers still experience headaches, but no where near the amount sellers do. Ebay never seems to listen or even care about us as sellers. I'm sure it would never happen, but it would be nice if ebay themselves started a section here along the lines of "What would you like to see ebay improve?". Have categories, and people could post an idea, and/or search to see if their idea has already been posted, then everyone could "up-vote" ideas they like or want. Ebay should commit to making actual changes for the top 5-10 ideas with the most votes. Ebay was originally made to serve sellers for the most part, and buyers also. Today it seems like ebay is demanding sellers serve them instead.

[eleanor*rigby]

Most--not all, of course--of the headaches I read threads about are brought on by the sellers themselves. So many of the sellers who post here (who don't necessarily represent the majority of sellers) don't keep up on rules, regulations, policies, procedures, seller updates or anything else. Sellers who don't know they can't leave negative feedback for buyers, which was introduced in 2008. Sellers who don't know FVFs are charged on shipping, from 2011. Sellers who are just completely oblivious to eBay's return policies and procedures. Sellers who are shocked to learn about Managed Payments, which eBay has been announcing and rolling out for around three years now. Sellers who don't know how to block buyers with two or more unpaid-item strikes, or aren't familiar with the new unpaid item process, from earlier this year.

As much as sellers would like to think this site should be responsive to their ideas, it's not. eBay is a business, and, just like any other business, it makes decisions based on its own interest. It is also buyer-centric, operating under the principle that if there are no buyers, there'll be no point in having any sellers.

[collectfest]

eBay buyer and seller since 1999. I agree with you 100%, there needs to be assistance and attention to seller concerns as it relates to chargebacks, money holds, buyer remorse etc. I have halted my selling until some common since changes are made....Sadly, I know there will be no vote.

But here's the big but!

The sellers I am dealing with have been awful. Descriptions almost have vanished. If there full of hype.

Here is what I am baby sitting right now as a buyer.

I have been waiting on an order for that was supposedly shipped/tracking provided a week ago. It was suppose to arrive tomorrow. I contacted the seller and asked if the FedX package was really sent(because there has been NO acceptance) or just a tracking number generated. To my AMAZEMENT they told the truth, they stated ran out of shipping boxes, will have it off asap. WOW. Would have been nice to know since a travel a lot.

2nd bought about $600 carved bird from an 100% feedback high end seller. I am sitting here many days, no positive feedback to me, no tracking, no email stating been shipped ZERO. Nada. POOR service. It's like sellers want me to understand and babysit them. This is business not a warm and fuzzy club. When I buy something I just want common courtesy.

Sigh, I feel better now, lol. I'll shut up now. Thank goodness shows are thriving again. 

regards

[mooretomatoes]

As a seller, I do my own part.  I make sure my sales are shipped when or before they are suppose to be.  I buy my shipping labels through Ebay and have them scanned that same day at the post office.  I answer all messages that I receive, usually that same day.

Out of hundreds of orders I have shipped out for the past two years, there have only been maybe a handful of problems.  You can't please everyone, I just refund their money. 

If it was a bigger issue I would be more concerned.  Stuff happens beyond your control.  Especially with USPS for the last 1 1/2 years.  

Take care of your customers and they will take care of you!

Tina

[johnson_junk_company]

While I agree that many sellers are irresponsible, eBay’s practices are often detrimental to their business!! Unfortunately we have to put up with them because there isn’t another large, comparable platform to sell on. It would be very helpful for both sellers and eBay if they had a virtual “suggestion box” that they actually monitored. 

[jda11121]

There are bad buyers...and bad sellers. Always have been. Always will be. Once you get past that you can forget all the nonsense.

[katzrul15]

E-Bay is doing this, they have been sending our Seller surveys - we received it on both selling accounts.

Take the time to answer the surveys if you feel strongly.

Participate in the weekly online chat (this week was cancelled) - posted/advertised on this board every week.

[eleanor*rigby]

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@johnson_junk_company wrote:

While I agree that many sellers are irresponsible, eBay’s practices are often detrimental to their business!! Unfortunately we have to put up with them because there isn’t another large, comparable platform to sell on. It would be very helpful for both sellers and eBay if they had a virtual “suggestion box” that they actually monitored. 

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I should have been more clear. My post was in response this comment from the original post:

" . . . many of us can tell from the forums, for the sellers ebay is just headache after headache."

I began my response with:

"Most--not all, of course--of the headaches I read threads about are brought on by the sellers themselves."

My point was that judging eBay by the threads sellers post on the discussion boards is perhaps not the best way to form an overall opinion of the platform. Members tend to start threads when something has gone wrong or they're unhappy about something. It's the nature of the beast.

I made no comment whatsoever about whether eBay's policies are "detrimental." I voiced no opinion on eBay's seller policies, only on judging them based on threads on the discussion boards.

As for the "suggestion box," I've seen members offer up some of the most ridiculous suggestions for revising the eBay platform on these boards. Ill-thought-out, cumbersome, not considering unintended consequences, ignoring any obstacles or outcomes other than whatever they're hoping for. If members were to be making suggestions that can't even hold up under the scrutiny of other members, eBay seems to have made a sound decision not to review every goofball idea people would submit. eBay is a company with whom members--both buyers and sellers--do business. It's not a democracy run by the votes of members. That idea in and of itself shows the naiveté that is evident in the original post and would be inherent in the "suggestions" offered by the majority of members to "improve" the site. I, for one, am glad eBay doesn't expend the resources to review such an ill-advised proposal.

Unsolicited idea submissions policy 

[dirk12955]

Tagging on:    Random thoughts.

Some sellers are able to run their eBay business with a minimum of problems.    

As it was said upstairs,    Run your business like a business.    Take care of your customers.

The boards don't attract the buyers and sellers that have problem free transactions.    Only those eBayers with an issue (Usually) 

An unknown % of the eBayers that come to these boards with an issue,   Have a certain amount of blame to shoulder for the problem becoming a problem.

The INR case filed against one of my accounts this AM is frustrating and aggravating and will be on my mind all day.    Can't be helped.     But the 400 or so problem free transactions I've had in the last 30 days will not.