Almost done using Ebay

[Nataku]

eBay is truely getting ridiculous. With their recent changes on feedback rules and other regulations, their outrageous fees and the fact that eBay sales are down drastically......it's not worth it anymore....

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

I hear what you guys are saying loud and clear.

I just sold Incotex pants on ebay, and the buyer just gave me some BS story about how his accounts are blocked on paypal, and long story short he wants me to wait 1 month for payment.....right.

 

[erdawe]

I simply wish ebay had some cometitor that was just enough better to give them a run for their money and clean up their act. Sadly, the market seems cornered by them.

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by erdawe

I simply wish ebay had some cometitor that was just enough better to give them a run for their money and clean up their act. Sadly, the market seems cornered by them.

They have too much market share for competitors to have much of a chance, unfortunately. But you never know, maybe someone will come along. I gather Google are trying out some kind of sales system. A couple of big auction sites to compete with eBay would be nice.

 

[mussel]

Yahoo used to have an auction site but it couldn't compete with eBay and was closed down. Except in Japan, it's the other way around. I wish Google and Yahoo would launch or relaunch their own auction site.

It may be a good idea not to accept Paypal as many successful eBayl sellers don't. Australia just blocked eBay from requiring Paypal as the sole payment method. That policy is to be introduced to other countries and the US eventually. I am wondering if eBay is still planning to do so. I hope it'll be blocked in every countries.

 

[pabloj]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

They have too much market share for competitors to have much of a chance, unfortunately. ...
You are right, and I can't help wondering why the antitrust authority doesn't hit them at least for their touting of Paypal, Google Checkout would be a nice alternative.

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by pabloj

You are right, and I can't help wondering why the antitrust authority doesn't hit them at least for their touting of Paypal...

I can't figure it out either.

If it was Microsoft, for example, they'd be under investigation so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. Yet somehow eBay operates as an effective monopoly (and uses that monopoly power to forcibly integrate their own payment system) and no-one investigates. However, I don't claim to understand antitrust legislation, so I guess there must be some loophole they use.

 

[Jumbie]

Originally Posted by pabloj

You are right, and I can't help wondering why the antitrust authority doesn't hit them at least for their touting of Paypal, Google Checkout would be a nice alternative.

+1

I've used Google Checkout for about 5-6 online purchases. It's a rather painless process and doesn't try to force me to use my bank account rather than my CC like Paypal does.

I really wish there was an alternative to scamBay.

 

[jcriswel]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

I can't figure it out either.

If it was Microsoft, for example, they'd be under investigation so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. Yet somehow eBay operates as an effective monopoly (and uses that monopoly power to forcibly integrate their own payment system) and no-one investigates. However, I don't claim to understand antitrust legislation, so I guess there must be some loophole they use.

Good commentary Holdfast,

I don't do much selling on eBay so I don't appreciate the difficulties the way you do. I have sold a few items and the transactions went through well. I received my money in a reasonable period of time through PayPal. The fees seem exorbitant at the time. I try to keep in mind the service that they provide is one that did not exist not too many years ago. It is an electornic marketplace that they invented. It gives opportunities to buyers and sellers that did not exist before eBay. I agree completely that the solution is more competition. How do you enforce a competitive environment? Even though eBay is an American company, their footprint is all over the world, as you have already mentioned. Who's fair trade practices are they violating by charging high fees through the auction and payment systems. It speaks to the issue of regulating the internet which I believe most people see as a negative. It wasn't long ago that eBay and Amazon both were losing money and all the analysts concluded that they would never make money with their business models. I don't have any answers. I do know that the whole eCommerce concept has many complications and I don't trust any government to try to simplify them.

 

[bmulford]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

I can't figure it out either.

If it was Microsoft, for example, they'd be under investigation so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. Yet somehow eBay operates as an effective monopoly (and uses that monopoly power to forcibly integrate their own payment system) and no-one investigates. However, I don't claim to understand antitrust legislation, so I guess there must be some loophole they use.


I had some involvement with Paypal, Billpay, Escrow and a few other consumer good payment based companies in the through 2002 or so.

Paypal, Billpay etc aren't financial institutions perse - they're regulated by the DOC (US Dept of Corporations). So long as they keep that status they're operating within acceptable bounds. This was a huge topic for PP and other payment companies in the late 90's early 00's.

Because PP became the defacto service before ebay purchased them (in fact ebay had a rather nasty relationship with PP for years), I suspect they're able to show that it's not a forced service. In fact, since they've had BillPay since the last 90's they can demonstrate 'value add' payment capability before the PP acquisition. To that point, under all the consumer protection acts, they're probably exempt or at least well insulated from sticky DOJ policies.

The only player out there who could possibly offer a competitive service today would be google. The capital required to build a market base would be substantial. And considering how poor the cap markets are - google would stand alone in that distinction.

 

[Holdfast]

^ thanks for that perspective. It does sort of make sense from a legal perspective, though it doesn't feel fair.

Originally Posted by jcriswel

I don't trust any government to try to simplify them.

I also have a very healthy scepticism of government intervention, as a general rule. Usually all they achieve is higher taxes and more bureaucracy. But I'd also suggest that capitalism does have an intrinsic bias towards monopoly once a critical mass of market share is reached so at the very last resort some degree of anti-trust power is needed.

I think eBay crossed the threshold in uncompetitive practices quite some time ago....

 

[bengal-stripe]

Originally Posted by Nataku

eBay is truely getting ridiculous. With their recent changes on feedback rules and other regulations, their outrageous fees and the fact that eBay sales are down drastically......it's not worth it anymore....

Originally Posted by Holdfast

I think eBay crossed the threshold in uncompetitive practices quite some time ago....

Gentlemen - do you really want to sit with your stuff at your local flea market, trying to flog it?
At eBay you have (potentially) a world-wide clientele and you can sell (almost) any old tat.

I’ve just been today at Portobello Road (London). It must be hard to operate there as a seller!
If I wanted to sell something, I know which locality I would prefer.

Either, stop moaning or stop using eBay.

 

[Jumbie]

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

Gentlemen - do you really want to sit with your stuff at your local flea market, trying to flog it?
At eBay you have (potentially) a world-wide clientele and you can sell (almost) any old tat.

I've just been today at Portobello Road (London). It must be hard to operate there as a seller!
If I wanted to sell something, I know which locality I would prefer.

Either, stop moaning or stop using eBay.

Wow.

The point isn't that eBay is so horrible that we want it to go away but rather that is effectively a monopoly (in the casual sense of the word) and some competition would be nice to keep it in line.

Right now, it seems that eBay can get away with whatever it wants. It's a great medium for myself as a buyer (never sold anything on there) and for sellers as well, I'm sure, due to the points you listed but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be better.

 

[william]

Update:

My auction was taken down because of this ******* guy. I wish I had the chance to meet this ***** in person. I listed an honest auction with accurate details of the maker of the shoe and it gets pulled b/c some dude who hates himself and his small dick made a false accusation.

Good riddance ebay

 

[Jumbie]

Sorry to her that.

Unfortunately, I have the feeling that you'll be back at some point because, as was said, there's not much in the way of alternatives.

I agree with others that you'll sadly just have to make sure to explain the most minute little details in your auctions in the future (if you do use eBay again).

One question though - did you not even have a chance to defend yourself?