posted on October 25, 2001 05:42:47 PM new
Boy even the Hillbilly is getting snooty. For the record he was one of the people who publicly admitted to getting hate mail as a result of being on Bidville.
posted on October 25, 2001 06:33:25 PM new
Now the soldier is directing his responses to a particular hillbilly instead of directing them to the topic of the thread. Yet in another thread he tells everyone to lay off him and respond to the thread.
posted on October 25, 2001 06:45:22 PM new
I just looked at the new "Cancel Bid" thing on Bidville. I think there is some confusion here about it. I don't see any way someone could shill bid. It allows the seller to cancel the bid. However, it will only allow cancellation of bids on auctions that only have one bid. So I don't see how bids could be "run up" that way.
posted on October 25, 2001 06:50:27 PM new
If that is the case, the policy has changed again. The Prez has a habit of doing that and while all of the confusion is going on, not one email to membership. Things that make you go HMMMMM.
posted on October 25, 2001 07:39:07 PM new
I do apologize to the Moderator. I was just giving an insight opinion. I do however have to agree that I didn't think I was being snooty. The hate e-mails that I received in the past were from people that do not like me. Anytime you are vocal on a message board you are going to garner friends and enemies. Mine just about equals out. See ya'll later. I would have responded earlier but I have been getting the heating units serviced in my own home and my rental places. Hillbilly
posted on October 25, 2001 08:52:31 PM new
The cancel option aside none of the changes do anything to address shillers. Sellers have to verify, bidders don't. Any unethical seller who chooses to shill has no stumbling block to get in the way of their bidder id's.
posted on October 26, 2001 12:14:38 PM new
The daily revisions of policies is confusing. Here are the applicable texts copied direct from the site (at this hour anyway):
"At this time, verification is not required to bid on items."
Restrictions:
"our sellers have the option to prevent non-verified members from bidding on their auctions. If you are not verified, you may not be able to bid on certain items at the discretion of the seller."
"Non-Verified bidders with a feedback rating of less than +2 can bid on a maximum of 5 items per month. If someone bids on 5 items in 30 days and does not get at least a +2 rating from it, they are not welcome here."
I'm still confused as to how one earns ratings from bidding. If they get outbid they'll be booted for lack of ratings. If they waste their 5 bids on 1 sellers items it won't be possible for them to earn a 2 and they'll be booted for lack of ratings. With these restrictions it's clear the site wishes to quickly rid the site of new buyers unwilling to enter CC info.
posted on October 26, 2001 12:41:38 PM new
If the new bidder bid on 5 reserve auctions and the reserve amount is not met on any or only 1 auction they are out too?
The mails are super slow now and Media Mail and Parcel Post packages take up to 10 days to cross the nation.
What about 5 bids on 30 days auctions that just started?
The list goes on and on ....
An ill-thought out concept at best.
posted on October 26, 2001 03:43:57 PM new
I just had a thought about the current CC registration situation. A few months ago, BV opened an Adult Section to keep minors from seeing mature adult action items. BV required all site users that wanted to view any items in the Adult Section to register a CC with them to prove they were 18 years of age. There was no CC verification fee for this service then so why start charge users now? and charging either every two months or once a year?
AW is going to have madatory CC registration to post on their message boards on Nov. 1 . AW is not going to charge a processing fee for this. Of course a few of the newly registered members may try out their auction listing/management services but other than that they are apparently eating these CC processing fees? Is BV that strapped for cash? Not a good sign in my opinion.
posted on October 26, 2001 10:07:08 PM new
They are hurting for money and soon Ed "take the money and run for" Orlando will be closing Bidville with no notice as he did his other site. And he will do it with a host of personal information on people. Not good.
posted on October 26, 2001 10:43:31 PM new
He does have a track record that isn't very impressive.
I guess he might not make some of his goals that were in an internet article a few months back.
However, unlike ePier and 321Gone.com, Orlando says that he would like to take Bidville public, ideally, in the next two years. In the meantime, Bidville's goal is breaking the 1 million-registered user mark.
posted on October 27, 2001 02:17:53 AM new
I know that opinions is dime a dozen on any message board. I would just like to clarify that I do not agree with all of the decisions the PREZ makes. I am very opinionated at my home boards. I have been called down a few times and even had a few posts removed. So my relationship has been kind of rocky at times. Anytime you operate a business you are not going to please everybody. I do not agree with all of the verification procedures that is taking place. But I also do not expect the PREZ to change anything because of me. I know that many people despise Bidville, but many people also like the place. After observing many posts at Auction Watch concerning Bidville. I have come to my final conclusion that it probably would be in the best interest if Bidville's name if it weren't allowed on these boards. I know of one auction site that you can't even mention on these boards. That was probably the best thing that could have ever happened. Everytime I come to these boards if somebody has something to say positively about Bidville. Give it 20 minutes and the place is Bashville. If I had been suspended I would probably be here unhappy about the place myself. I am sure I have come close a few times. But the longer I am there I know exactly what will get you tossed. So I don't step over that barrier. The bottom line is the place belongs to Ed Orlando and if he wants to bankrupt it tommorow that is his right. He doesn't owe me anything. But I do believe it is a shame that this bashing is allowed to continue here. I do believe the credit card verification will help that tremendously. I am not angry or mad at anybody on this board. I am just giving my honest opinion which I already know will be removed or locked or beaten unmercifully. But I have the satisfaction of knowing this before I wrote it. Lets all go to bed. It's past my bedtime. See ya'll, Hillbilly
posted on October 27, 2001 06:31:57 AM new
I will probably not be posting here much longer as I do not feel it necessary to give my CC information, just to post. I will end up verifying (sp) myself at bidville (against my better judgement) because I do not want to move my auctions again. (I am waiting for Yahoo to come around). LOL
Hillbilly's post is excellent. The site does belong to the Dr. and it is his to do with as his pleases. He does not "owe" me anything. I am however, very dissappointed in all of the latest changes and feel that it will hurt the site, in the end. The numbers are dropping there, and the changes are the reason. I finally sold something there a few days ago, after a month long slump. I will not cheerlead the site any longer, but the name calling, etc... is elementary school behavior, some people need to grow up and stop thinking that others "owe" them. You can only count on yourself. Be proud of who you are.
posted on October 27, 2001 07:44:00 AM new
Please give more information on AW requiring credit card info to post on these boards. That is, in my opinion, incredible!
I need to be creditworthy to post a message now? I do not think so!
posted on October 27, 2001 07:58:28 AM new
A lot of people don't get it about the major change at AW. The sheriffs are leaving town. All the bashing that has gone on up till now will be considered very tame compared with what is to come. I suggest that anyone that is in love with their free, low-traffic auction site that they try out some of the other message boards here at AW.
On the eBay Outlook board under the new management announcent thread someone posted that libelous and slandering statements are the responsibility of the site allowing them ( and they linked several legal sources ) so it's possible that most of the auction boards will be the first to go anyway.
posted on October 27, 2001 08:26:17 AM new
I don't think the new policy requires a person's "real name" to be used as their identity. Maybe they want us to use our CC numbers as our identity.
posted on October 27, 2001 09:59:51 AM new
What amazes me is that the same few people are the ones that continue to bash Bidville whenever any changes take place. I personally believe that the "bashers" have a personal agenda and it is not to provide insight that will assist BidVille to grow in a positive way. Any "newbie" reading these negative post may indeed be turned off. However, I think that for the most part an individual coming to the AW boards seeking inforation will indeed evaluate the pros and cons and decide on their own how they feel about the BidVille potential. Declaring TAPS are sounding at Bidville is just another thread from the personal agendas of some disgruntaled former Bidville users. There may also be a few present users who seek negativity.
The facts are (if we are interested)the Administration at Bidville has continued to seek ways to make the experience at Bidville be a positive one for both the dedicated seller and the potential buyer. Each time they make a new policy, some will be unhappy and will leave the site. Some of those in the exodus will march here and join the bashers. And also with the changes come the re-entry of some who have left to go elsewhere and now come running back to bash on the boards as if they were still "loyal" Bidvillians when in reality they are in my opinion trying to recruit new sellers to there new home.
Another very major fact is that the owners of BidVille have been very attentive to the views of the users (sellers and buyers). If modification of a policy is proven to be needed, they will not hesitate to do so. I respect that very much. Where else will you find an administration that is willing to change it's policy when the potential pitfalls become known and understood to be true problems. They don't respond readily to threats of exodus and no longer tolerate the nasty expressions of the less than cooth amongst us, but they will listen and assess and act if necessary. You won't find that anywhere else.
So those are the reasons Bidville has had it's phenominal growth in a short time, and why it will continue to move forward even if there are those amongst us with personal agendas and totally negative viewpoints.
I'm trusting the newbies to be able to evaluate their choices and make their decisions about which auction sites to visit without excessive influence by others.
So I say Keep bashing and playing TAPS for Bidville. These sights and sounds bring new people to this very nice site on a daily basis.
posted on October 27, 2001 10:46:50 AM new
Hi dreamgirl ...
I have been critical of some of Bidville's policies and activities. As a matter of fact, I was the one who first brought up the issue of porn on the venue and instead of discussing this rationally to try to find out where it was coming from, the PreZ elected to do the kneejerk thing by creating a bunch of new rules about what was allowed to be said. I banished myself out of sheer frustration. The last time I looked, there were things being said to and about members that makes anything I ever said there tame by comparison.
What happened to the New Rule, or was He just pushing my buttons because He didn't like what I had to say?
I don't consider myself a Bidville basher, but rather a frustrated ex-member who was stating opinions (into a vacuum) on the way I saw things. My biggest pet peeve of the on-line auction world is the proliferation of bootleg videos being listed and sold. Every other auction site that I offered to help responded except Bidville. The PreZ didn't even acknowledge any of my off-board emails to him wherein I offered to volunteer my time and my expertise to help the site eradicate this problem before it got out of hand.
Now, to address your comment about the phenominal growth at Bidville, I strongly believe that this has a lot to do with Yahoo's major blunder that occurred at exactly the same time we saw the initial Bidville surge. The number of listings has continued to grow as a result of several theories stated here, but I don't think this has much to do with good customer service or good sales. I do think it would grow even more, and perhaps bring in some buyers for you sellers, if the PreZ would free up some dough for advertising. (Didn't He promise this some time ago?).
I wish you guys and gals tons of success on Bidville, but I think the writing is on the wall. BV leadership is doing some very bizarre things lately, and like it or not, it's not a good sign.
RB...
Thanks for your response. I do remember your attempts to call awareness to the video problem. I of course don't know what transpired regarding your individual emails to CS. Don't know if the PREZ ever saw them or not. I'm sorry you left out of frustration. I too get frustrated with many areas of my life espeically at work. I've tried very hard to get some real attention made to particular problems to no avail. I've even left jobs before because of the apparant lack of concern on the part of administration to see the problem and correct it. The effect of my leaving was to take me out of the environment and not to see the problem corrected. Sometimes I left when I didn't really want to go (not fired). So these experiences have taught me to assess the level of my involvment with any issue. Is it worth me being willing to leave a place for or is it important enough for me to be willing to stay and find a way to change things by hook or crook. Sometimes you have to "walk softly and carry a big stick".
Because the PREZ did not address your concerns at that particular point in time does not mean that the changes that are being made now are not good for the site and it does not mean that your concerns would never be addressed. But you are the only one that can determine if it is worth you waiting for the attention it deserves or not.
The "drumbeat" for verification has been going on since the beginning. Nothing has been done or discuss by administration until now. Many have felt along the way that they (administration) didn't care and have even left because of this. At long last, a system has been instutited.
I personally think that the structure of the policy that has been put in place appears to be very well thought out and sound. But it didn't come for a long time after it was asked for. Only time will tell if it is a good policy. If it's not, this administration will go back to the drawingboard and tweek it again. That's the positive thing about this group.
They've taught me to ask, and wait and watch. If they deem the suggestion as a needed policy, then eventually we will see their interpretation of it. And then the circle continues, as some will leave calling it absurb. Go Figure??
I hope you will return and continue to point out things that need attention remembering that "sometimes you win some, sometimes you loose some and sometimes you let a few go bye".
Happy Trails
posted on October 27, 2001 11:42:35 AM new
I think there is some confusion still about the new CC verification at AW. The idea is to tie a real world verified name/credit card ID to an AW poster name. That way a disruptive poster that posts profanity or 150 bin Laden posts can get the boot and not be allowed to return with a new name under that credit card's verification. I registered last night and read the new rules. There can be 2 names per credit card and more are allowed with addition credit cards. Regular goffy board names are still going to be allowed. At least that is how I read. You will see it in a few days anyway.
posted on October 27, 2001 11:52:14 AM new
Hi dreamgirl ...
I have no problem putting in effort if I believe there may be some payoff at the end, or at least some kind of dialogue. I have spent the last 30-odd years of my life in the fire safety field, and believe me, trying to "sell" safety is an uphill battle. But, during these years I have won a few and I feel like my time hasn't been wasted - I wasn't always feeling like I was banging my head against the wall trying to make my point.
I just don't get the same feeling at Bidville. I do get the feeling that He is very dictatorial except when His flock (the multi-item listers that we all know!) starts to complain. Then He seems to sway with whatever direction they want Him to go. I know, I know ... it's His business and if I am not selling there, I'm not contributing, but, I was trying to make it better for those who do.
I hope you will return and continue to point out things that need attention ..
Unfortunately, that is not possible (He *really* doesn't like me very much!!), but best of luck to you
posted on October 27, 2001 12:07:53 PM new
Absolutely every auction site has it's good points and it's faults. They appear on the scene with inadequate structure and programming that must be customized.
As this process begins, there are those who approve of the changes and those who do not. There are those who have had little experience elsewhere, with little knowledge of the intricate workings of how the auction system really works, and are living in a euphoric world of pretense. The owner of the site, or the site itself, becomes their hero. They will defend it without question.
Then, there are those who come to the site with intricate knowledge of how each action or rule on the site affects all. Let them point out even one problem that needs to be corrected, and they are immediately seen as causing problems and "identified" as a problem. They are told to look elsewhere.
Although they are seeking the betterment of the site, that is not how they are seen.
The in-house fighting begins and the rediculous/childish posts begin, leading to all-out chaos. Far too few know how to conduct themselves professionally and in a businesslike manner. Most would be thrown out of any professional business meeting.
In time, as more changes are implemented to try to correct certain situations, the inexperienced are slowly "learning the ropes" and witnessing the effects of a lack of policies and rules. They then begin to offer their criticisms and demand new rules. Unfortunately, they do not have the insight or experience in the auction world to visualize the outcome of many of the changes they are requesting. They maintain their "blinders" and will listen to no one else.
Existing problems are now magnified.
Go to any relatively new site and you will find the same situation. I don't know if there is an answer to this situation. I CAN see that it is imperative for the owners of the sites to maintain control for the good of all and the good of the site.
The sad part of this is that, with very few exceptions, ALL are seeking improvement for the sites involved, but refuse to work together in a professional manner to obtain quality results.
A few posters on AW have dramatically complicated the above scene. It rather appears that this is their intention. I for one, will not be unhappy to see AW close their doors as their new policy will again magnify the situation.
Perhaps it IS TIME to toss out the chat boards which encourage this situation. For those who just want to socialize, there are boards that they can go to. For those who want to dilligently work together with sites towards improvement, perhaps they should apply for jobs.
posted on October 27, 2001 12:33:09 PM new
RB and Dreamgirl,
The situation which you are currently discussing (and quite intelligently and professionally), I might add, is exactly the type of situation that I was referring to in my previous post.
From the moment that RB appeared at Bidville, I personally noted his complete understanding of the problems that existed on auction sites and felt that he was trying to correct the wrongs IN GOOD FAITH. He was attacked because he was not selling on the site and because those with their heads in the sand did not want to hear it.
There were many other posters with a wealth of experience who were doing the same. Most have now left the site due to the reception that was given them by a small group of immature posters.
Until the childish posters will take a good hard look at what they are doing and the problems that they have caused, nothing will change on this site.
Please understand, I am not referring to the trolls who arrived only to have fun and further complicate the issue. This is not the work of the quality sellers who have left.
posted on October 27, 2001 12:46:50 PM new
Jan....
Statistically (where's dim....?) speaking, when new concepts, rules etc. are placed on our species there will be resistance of various types and degrees. We are proven to be innately insecure and don't handle change with ease. However, with a period of adjustment, the species continues happily along until the next event of change. You refer to the varying types of responses you read on the boards and this is true of any board. That's because the board writers are made up of memebers of this species and have varying levels of life's experiences and educational backgrounds. We tend to become more temperate as life teaches us we can survive change and other's opinions. If we fail to become "free" through these life experiences then we become "adults" unable to control our emotions. Therefore we become controlled by our environment reacting (usually negatively) to every change that comes along. Some react with ranting and raving and insisting life isn't fair, or so-'n-so is such-'n-such for allowing this to happen. I personally, don't get too upset with the "gnashing of teeth" that occurs at these moments, as I can allow for the poster's learning curve to change. One soon recognizes those that agitate just to agitate and they are best handled by letting them just "play with themselves".
Anyone expecting the way the human population reacts to change in general, or doesn't see the need for immediate change is in for continual anguish.
