posted on September 9, 2000 11:52:22 AM new
Kitsch1:
Well, I guess I'm not as paranoid as you sound. You took the wonderful plunge into Internet sales and now you don't feel safe dealing with customers.
Advice: Alarm system for home protection and a second telephone line for Ebay business only, with your P.O. Box as the address. You can even right that stuff off if you are running an at home business!
posted on September 9, 2000 11:53:29 AM new
Quickdraw, I'd just like to thank you for posting this. Because that is exactly how insane this idea is. Yea, call me, I am not a crook. Best I've ever seen and it speaks volumes about how truly stupid is eBay, Inc.
posted on September 9, 2000 11:59:19 AM new
If I am paranoid, I am certainly within my legal rights to be so. I have to wonder tho, if ebay is within their legal rights to give my info out the way they are proposing to do.
posted on September 9, 2000 12:09:43 PM new
Well, I'm not trying to sway you one way or another. You can do whatever you want, but I read how so many people are fed up with Ebay and their done! Come back the next day reading more post by the jumper. Ebay, I believe, has made us all money. And I guess I'm just loyal. They have the right to do whatever they want, if I disagree with it I have the right to just walk away. I don't, I abide by the rules and I follow the rules and there are millions others out there that do the same and I respect them for it. Dealing with people on a global scale, I'm sorry I don't think a phone number is an issue I'm ready to walk for.
posted on September 9, 2000 12:27:53 PM new
Well, there's one teeny little problem with encouraging buyers to bypass email & phone sellers. I am a part-time seller, so when I'm at work, my answer machines takes calls. And when I'm home, I'm often online for hours at a time--and my answer machine takes any calls. Either way, these potential buyers get a canned message & in turn must leave me one. Sorry, but my budget does not run to returning long distance calls. On the other hand, I check my email frequently and answer any messages *there* as soon as I see them. Seems to me that a buyer gets better service if they email...
posted on September 9, 2000 01:49:44 PM new
** NEWSFLASH **
eBay, the world's largest on-line auction venue has just purchased controlling stocks in AT&T and several other long distance telephone service providers. eBay CEO, Pierre la eBay stated this AM: "We believe that with the increased use of long distance telephone activites associated with our business, eBay will be able to provide a much better service to it's users."
posted on September 9, 2000 01:58:36 PM new
Does anybody have the link to change eBay contact info? I could NOT find it! I need to leave a different phone number now...
RB - thanks for the info. But I already predicted that eBay would try to do a master scheme like that (and if their company didn't suck squirrls in every single catagory, it probably would work).
eBay is like Communism. Perfect in theory, horrible in reality.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:14:43 PM newbmurz...If I may suggest, you appear to be missing the point: It is NOT about Paranoia(excuse spelling...)...It is about the BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT to Privacy. Some people do not list their phone number; some people oppose prayer in school; some people are Republicans...It is all a BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT...My Phone and Address are part of MY BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT...Who in the HELL does Ebay think it has become, to DICTATE what will be ok for me do do WITHIN MY home, which I pay for? As I already said, if I want DICTATORSHIP, there are still a few countries available to me...I don't want it HERE, in MY home...PERIOD...
Not paranoia...Just common sense....
********************
Shosh http://www.oldandsold.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?justdisp&Rifkah
posted on September 9, 2000 02:16:47 PM new
Pardon me if this has been said before (I skipped right to page 4), but it seems to me this is one of those times that the script writers from ebay fouled up.
The only reason I am rather calm about this is: 1) How many bidders actually read this stuff (I meant the announcements?)? Hell, seems to me most of them don't even read the auctions!
2) It has only been a few days....I've learned to wait for the final ebay back peddling before getting peeved.
3) How many buyers (or sellers for that matter) read the EOA's?
4) If some nut bag wants to call me....fine. If some nut bag wants to try and harrass me, fine. I just push the code to automaticaly report them to the phone company. Three of those and bozo-head gets his/her phone cut off.
Before, someone gets the wrong idea here, I think giving out the phone numbers is just dumb. Seems to me, by giving that information Ebay is threatening their 'just a venue' stance. My guess is one of their high priced lawyers will figure that out pretty soon.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:26:23 PM new
Shoshanah:
I understand what you are saying about privacy, but when someone says I don't want to give out my number because someone knows I have auctions up and they can check if I'm home...and if I'm not home, they can come and rob my house and grab my inventory.....that paranoia in my opinion. As I stated before, I'm a loyal seller and buyer on Ebay. I do not believe my right have been trampled on like others do. I just think there is a bigger picture out there. Before people fork over large amounts of money, I think buyers should be able to contact the sellers and ask specific questions, maybe more in depth questions. I collect guitars..if I'm about to spend hundreds of dollars on one, I would like to talk to the seller just to make sure I can ask specifics about the piece, sometimes E-mail just doesn't cut it. I just don't see how a phone number being released has people runnning scared.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:31:37 PM new
bmurz: The problem with your argument is that before this new rule the seller had a choice.
You could email them and ask for a phone number. The could give it to you or not. If not, then of course you could decide not to bid. The seller would proably lose a bid, but it was still thier choice.
Don't be so sure that sellers of lower priced items wont be getting calls. I include my phone number with my EOA's (my CHOICE). I have had several calls about items under the $20.00 range. My feedback is wonderful and all emails are answered within a few hours so I don't know why the people felt the need to call, but they did.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:33:24 PM new
Bmurz........You are not understanding I think. If you wanted to buy a 65 Martin from me and wanted to call and ask questions about it, you could email me for my phone number, I would give it. If I wouldn't give it, don't bid.
My choice! My home home ph number, my CHOICE to give it out.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:36:11 PM new
You are blessed with having such expensive inventory, so for you, paying for a phone call to the US from Italy might be nothing, when you get $16,000 for your items...Not everyone is so blessed. And it is still OUR RIGHT to decide who the recipient of a phone # / address should be. Sure, I have had a customer call me over a $1,400.00 item...He wanted to make sure I was a real person..No problem...He had to WORK at finding my number, which means it was IMPORTANT to him...Most sales are not that impressive that either buyer or seller want to be disturbed over it...If contact is need, buyer and seller KNOW how to pull information...Let's keep it that way..
posted on September 9, 2000 02:46:35 PM new
Shoshanah:
Trust me, the Beetle was a one time sell. I didn't even tell you what I owed on the car!! Kidding aside, I do understand everyones concerns. I don't like to judge why decisions are made. The are millions of users and somehow, somewhere, this issue can up and the decision was made. There will be people that like it, and people that don't. For me, it matters not. Ebay is growing everyday, somedays it's sleeps a little, but I love it. I don't think management makes decisions to deliberately drive people away, because if that is their intent...it's not working.
posted on September 9, 2000 02:51:16 PM new
RB do you have the url for that story on AT+T? If so, could you post it? Thanks, I'd really like to be able to read the entire story on this. I knew it tied into something and you have found the answer!
posted on September 9, 2000 03:00:13 PM new
Hey Kel,
Actually the model car thing was a one time deal (around Christmas if I remember correctly). The guy called because he wanted to let me know he was going to send me a money order. Don't ask me.
Had another call from a guy who wanted me to know that he was going to send the money but didn't know how to reply to my email message because he was, "new to this computer stuff". Don't ask me.
Had another call (at 5 in the morning from a women who lives in my state so she knew damn well what time it was) about a furby. Don't ask me.
posted on September 9, 2000 03:02:23 PM new
Hey, those little cars just help me buy a new BMW....of course in Italy, that's not saying much. Kitsch1: I do understand your concerns and apologize for calling you paranoid. That's not what the board should be about and again I apologize. An energized conversation is good sometimes. I still have my opinions and you still have yours, but if you buy one of my cars...I'll let you call me!
posted on September 9, 2000 03:05:57 PM new
I am not dissing what you sell. I am no power seller by any means. I just scrape by. I really am curious to know what calls a person would recieve on items like that.
posted on September 9, 2000 03:10:30 PM new
Shosh, Kel:
That is another reason I don't want MORE bidders calling. It is hard enough to be nice in an email to someone who is a few beers short of a six-pack, but on the phone it is just TO hard not to laugh.
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