eBay

mopata · ‎07-07-2018

When I started on ebay 20 years ago, it was new and cool. It was a little bit of the wild west and a definite case of "buyer beware". However, with the feedback system allowing both positive and negative feedback for both buyers and sellers, you could get a good idea who the bad actors were, with a little experience. The sellers were mostly small to medium sized operations and service was personal but, a bit inconsistent. Shipping, return and refund policies were completely up to each individual seller so, buyers did have to read the terms carefully and bid or not bid accordingly. However, the 95% of buyers and sellers that were honest liked the system and the bad actors were weeded out through bad feedback fairly quickly. Fast forward 20 years and ebay has become safe, bureaucratic and boring. This is not a reflection on just ebay, it is the natural progression of almost any large, successful organization. Rules get set based on the least honest sellers and the least sophisticated buyers. Unfortunately, these same rules also hamstring the best sellers and buyers that use the site. This particularly applies to those that buy and sell antique, vintage or even 2nd hand items. The majority of sellers of these kinds of items are usually small to medium sized operations who do not sell thousands of items each month. In recent years, ebay's focus has shifted toward large sellers of new items, particularly from overseas. It's understandable, that's where the growth is. The small sellers of unique items who were ebay's original focus seem to be getting lost in the shuffle. I wonder if it would be a good idea for ebay to split off a site dedicated to antique, vintage, second hand and hand made items with a structure better suited to that market with fewer rules and less bureaucracy. I think this would benefit both the buyers and sellers of these types of items and allow ebay to focus the main site on the large sellers of new items that seems to be their future. Who knows, they may even get some of their reputation of being "cool" back.

jennieaa · ‎07-08-2018

On eBay, every selller is an evil, theiving, lying, misrepensenting individual. Every buyer is an angel who would never lie, cheat, or steal. eBay encourages this.

Why do so many say "you are getting that return because you didn't completely (or properly) describe the item"? Maybe the buyer didn't bother reading the description - or couldn't find it in eBay's convoluted screens.

Ever get a return that is not your item? Ever have a buyer keep an item for a month, then want to return it? Ever get a return because "it doesn't work for me"? Ever have a buyer want to return something 3 months after receiving?

Wouldn't it be nice if buyers would be given negative feedback when they deserve it?

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎07-08-2018

@mopata wrote:
When I started on ebay 20 years ago, it was new and cool. It was a little bit of the wild west and a definite case of "buyer beware". However, with the feedback system allowing both positive and negative feedback for both buyers and sellers, you could get a good idea who the bad actors were, with a little experience. The sellers were mostly small to medium sized operations and service was personal but, a bit inconsistent. Shipping, return and refund policies were completely up to each individual seller so, buyers did have to read the terms carefully and bid or not bid accordingly. However, the 95% of buyers and sellers that were honest liked the system and the bad actors were weeded out through bad feedback fairly quickly. Fast forward 20 years and ebay has become safe, bureaucratic and boring. This is not a reflection on just ebay, it is the natural progression of almost any large, successful organization. Rules get set based on the least honest sellers and the least sophisticated buyers. Unfortunately, these same rules also hamstring the best sellers and buyers that use the site. This particularly applies to those that buy and sell antique, vintage or even 2nd hand items. The majority of sellers of these kinds of items are usually small to medium sized operations who do not sell thousands of items each month. In recent years, ebay's focus has shifted toward large sellers of new items, particularly from overseas. It's understandable, that's where the growth is. The small sellers of unique items who were ebay's original focus seem to be getting lost in the shuffle. I wonder if it would be a good idea for ebay to split off a site dedicated to antique, vintage, second hand and hand made items with a structure better suited to that market with fewer rules and less bureaucracy. I think this would benefit both the buyers and sellers of these types of items and allow ebay to focus the main site on the large sellers of new items that seems to be their future. Who knows, they may even get some of their reputation of being "cool" back.

This has been suggested for years and years...and it would seem after that much time with that many suggestions that ebay has no interest in doing any such thing. I also do not think they are worried about their reputation...everyone is entitled to have an opinion and some are perfectly fine with how ebay is and others not. Either way...ebay is fine with their reputation and it is their company/business.

lloydsteventaylor · ‎07-08-2018

if what you are saying was true then Ebay would not be here today. Ebay would have been dead. 99.99% of the transactions were completed successfully back then with buyers and sellers both satisfied. that is how Ebay grew to where it is today.

I started before 2002 and bought alot back then and was very pleased with all my transactions. i also sold alot back then and it was fantastic.

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎07-08-2018

@jennieaa wrote:
On eBay, every selller is an evil, theiving, lying, misrepensenting individual. Every buyer is an angel who would never lie, cheat, or steal. eBay encourages this.

Why do so many say "you are getting that return because you didn't completely (or properly) describe the item"? Maybe the buyer didn't bother reading the description - or couldn't find it in eBay's convoluted screens.

Ever get a return that is not your item? Ever have a buyer keep an item for a month, then want to return it? Ever get a return because "it doesn't work for me"? Ever have a buyer want to return something 3 months after receiving?

Wouldn't it be nice if buyers would be given negative feedback when they deserve it?

Actually not quite the case...and an extremely view to say the least.
Over time sellers forget / forgot / never learned what the basis of custmoer service is and was and always has been.....and that was always based on the buyer is always right. Some sellers are now learning this the hard way. And sometimes this is done to an extreme....but then again it is mostly he said/she said issues which will default to the buyer being right.

As for the rest there are good and bad sellers and there are good and bad buyers. Always been that way.

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎07-08-2018

Violating item and listing policies, listing incorrectly etc is a different issue.

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎07-08-2018

@lloydsteventaylor wrote:
if what you are saying was true then Ebay would not be here today. Ebay would have been dead. 99.99% of the transactions were completed successfully back then with buyers and sellers both satisfied. that is how Ebay grew to where it is today.

I started before 2002 and bought alot back then and was very pleased with all my transactions. i also sold alot back then and it was fantastic.

But that is ignoring that everyone is not you....and that there have always been sellers that violated polices, did not do what they were supposed to and were removed etc.
You just do not / did not see that...but why would you. You cannot keep track of the millions of sellers that used ebay.

hillbillymedia · ‎07-08-2018

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
With all due respect, I doubt buyers would be attracted to less rules and less bureaucracy. That may be very attractive to many sellers who really should not be in charge of their own return policies, since although they fly the returns banner, they may have no intention of actually taking a return, even for a legitimate SNAD. They enjoy the increased visibility yet fight any return tooth and nail, so it is meaningless. Buyers don't find the idea of the wild, wild west and knowing that they may be stuck with the inaccurately described item they received an attractive proposition. The MBG provides safety so buyers will feel at ease buying.

Splitting the site was actually accomplished years ago; it failed.

I'm a buyer and I don't feel the least "hamstringed" by the rules. Please explain.

Ebay had to step in to ensure the customer service and safety these sellers wouldn't.

Would "buyers" be less attracted or would "scammers" be less attracted? Are all these rules and regs stopping crime on Ebay? Even with all the rules and regs, criminals remain criminals. Ebay is again trying to control something they can`t control. They have regulated sellers to the breaking point and now ebay has become a criminal`s paradise against sellers. Sellers are so worried about getting negative feedback, defects, bad DSR`s, returns, added fees, lower placement, being suspended etc. that when a buyer claims foul, many are just refunding... when does it end?? Ebay found a happy medium between buyer and seller at one point and now they have gone overboard IMO.

"There`s always barber college" - Dalton - Road House

hillbillymedia · ‎07-08-2018

Yes, I would like it split between new and used. I doubt it will happen though.

"There`s always barber college" - Dalton - Road House

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎07-08-2018

@hillbillymedia wrote:
Yes, I would like it split between new and used. I doubt it will happen though.

They have a search filter you can use and do that anytime you want. There are numerous filters people can use.

emerald40 · ‎07-08-2018

@jennieaa wrote:
On eBay, every selller is an evil, theiving, lying, misrepensenting individual. Every buyer is an angel who would never lie, cheat, or steal. eBay encourages this.

Why do so many say "you are getting that return because you didn't completely (or properly) describe the item"? Maybe the buyer didn't bother reading the description - or couldn't find it in eBay's convoluted screens.

Ever get a return that is not your item? Ever have a buyer keep an item for a month, then want to return it? Ever get a return because "it doesn't work for me"? Ever have a buyer want to return something 3 months after receiving?

Wouldn't it be nice if buyers would be given negative feedback when they deserve it?

Look at the way some sellers feel about buyers here. Even honest returns are looked at with scorn and disdain. According to some sellers here there is no honest return because they certainly could not have missed a flaw. They package perfectly so nothing could possibly break in shipping. You never by mistake have ever been packaging multiple orders and gotten them switched.

So an honest seller who received a flawed item could never leave honest feedback without fear of retaliation. And with my hard earned money shopping is supposed to be a pleasant experience, and if I do not get it here only to get a negative on top of it why would I stay.

All I can say is that before buyer protection, and I have always been a savy shopper, never expecting something for nothing, 5 sellers took my money and either sent me junk or nothing at all.

emerald40 · ‎07-08-2018

@lloydsteventaylor wrote:
if what you are saying was true then Ebay would not be here today. Ebay would have been dead. 99.99% of the transactions were completed successfully back then with buyers and sellers both satisfied. that is how Ebay grew to where it is today.

I started before 2002 and bought alot back then and was very pleased with all my transactions. i also sold alot back then and it was fantastic.

I have been here since 1999. 5 sellers took me for a ride. And if what I am saying is not true, why did ebay change its platform to buyer protection and paypal holds on newbies' money.

You probably saw a lot of happiness if you were on the seller's board. Not so much if you were on the buyer's board. I used to help on the fine jewelry boad back when people could actually find it. And the stories were heart breaking with buyers receiving plated jewelry for real gold, or thinking they bought a substantial piece of fine jewelry only for it to be something out of a gumball machine.

Or sellers listing items they did not have, taking your money and disappearing.

You were lucky. Many of us were not.

godzilla_goose · ‎07-08-2018

@lloydsteventaylor wrote:
if what you are saying was true then Ebay would not be here today. Ebay would have been dead. 99.99% of the transactions were completed successfully back then with buyers and sellers both satisfied. that is how Ebay grew to where it is today.

I started before 2002 and bought alot back then and was very pleased with all my transactions. i also sold alot back then and it was fantastic.

@luckythewinner @emerald40

llyodsteventaylor,

You say that you started before 2002. OK. I am going to take that declaration at face value.

In my long post, I stated that I registered my buying ID in early 2000. As an inexperienced eBay buyer in the early days, I personally experienced some BLEEP and at other times, I witnessed a lot of other BLEEP happening on this site in real time.

luckyhewinner, in message #7, posted his recollection of what happened with respect to the “bad actors” as he put it.

emerald40, in message #8, posted about sellers listing items they didn’t have and disappeared with the buyers’ money.

I have my own recollections of what happened in the old days and to back up what I am saying that also supports what luckythewinner and emerald40 wrote, I kindly ask you to read this article from the New York Times, dated April 18, 2001:

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/18/business/technology-ebay-suspends-coin-seller-over-delivery-conce...

I wrote that eBay’s Feedback Forum was a freaking joke and I stand by my statement.

If eBay didn’t change its ways to protect buyers, do you think eBay would still be here? Please be honest.

Godzilla_Goose

ittybitnot · ‎07-08-2018

When I started on ebay 20 years ago,....

Then you should remember that ebay tried this already. eBay touted that consumers were more interested in the NEW and NOW merchandise. It was called eBay Express. Without going into the sordid details, eBay discontinued it. Apparently, NEW and NOW was not as big of a draw for consumers as they thought, and while the used/vintage portion pretty much florished, the Express portion did not.