@netherworldgames wrote:
The following is a summarized version of my call to ebay about this.
Dan: You've changed your best offer system so eBayers can make offers that are 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours instead of just 48 hours. This is incredibly taxing on sellers, and makes it so that buyers have even more unrealistic expectations. You tried this before 4 years ago, and after a minor uproar you got rid of it. Do you have any info on why you're doing it again? if this is a test thing or for real? Any info on when they're getting rid of it?
eBay rep: I haven't even heard of that. I've been with the company for a while, and we've gotten no training on it. I don't think that is a thing.
Dan: you've been with them for a while? How long? decades? 8 years?
ebay rep: Since May.
Dan: oh. ok, well launching new features without warning is a thing they do all the time, and it makes it harder for us to sell on your site. And i get that they don't notify us of these changes, because I mean "sellers, **bleep** 'em, right?" but its baffling that they don't tell YOU, the eBay rep about this sort of thing, because you're on the front line. When the site breaks or they do something wonky, YOU have to deal with the angry sellers calling in!
ebay rep: yeah, there's no documentation on this, and no one here has heard of it, can you show me an example?
< i have him log in to a personal account, give him a listing, and he is able to see that he can make a 1 hour, 6 hour, 12 hour, 24 hour or 48 hour offer >
ebay rep: That is odd. Maybe they are just testing out a new feature to see how it works or how it looks on the site
Dan: Right. But you guys did this already. Literally the exact same thing almost exactly 4 years ago. It was awful. After a few months, you got rid of it. It cost us money and customers, but you've tested this already
ebay rep: I don't have any answers for you, but I can ask about it, and try to get back to you. We're closing up here in an hour or so, but I can be sure to get back to you next week.
Dan: Next week? I want to know which listings of mine are affected. Can you get back to me tomorrow at this time? 60 minutes from now? 5am tomorrow?
ebay rep: Um no. I don't know how long it will take to get an answer, but it will probably be longer than that.
Dan: I don't understand. Why won't you let me choose when you will reply to me? I'd like to be able to have an answer 1 hour from now, or 6 hours from now, or 24 hours from now. Why can't you accommodate this?
< there's like a 15 - 20 second pause >
ebay rep: Ok, I see what you did there.
Great conversation. I see what you did there, too.
