posted on September 7, 2000 09:56:15 PM
The biggest perpetrater of fraud has just posted an infomercial "eBay cares about fraud" on the AB board.
After encouraging a open house policy via phone and everybody buying extra services to protect against eBay not doing their job (echo of pay reserve fees to protect against them not providing a stable site)I am arriving at what may be a final solution.
List product, have money sent to eBay thru Billpoint.
Have all possible services used and fees deducted from funds.
Used any extra funds for eBay corporate needs.
Set funds aside as a reserve against buyer's remorse returns.
Allow sellers to apply for advances thru customer service if they can establish absolute need for money to maintain their trailer trash lifestyle.
I could add more but you have likely caught my drift.
They must have "stupid contests" with big stock bonus prizes to get this much insanity together at one time.
posted on September 7, 2000 10:21:48 PM
They are suggesting,among other outlandish things ,that a bidder pull my contact information and call me before placing a bid!!!!!!!!!!Have they lost their collective minds????? All I need are bidders calling my home at all hours of the day or night to check to see if I exist! I was under the impression that there should already be a transaction before my info is pulled.
posted on September 7, 2000 11:06:36 PM
Ah, right, AB=Announcement Board. Thanks.
Pull seller's contact info before bid = craziest suggestion I've seen yet (and I'm a buyer! ).
Wow, I'm completely shocked at this suggestion. Utterly and totally.
If pulling contact information got common, the only sellers who'd be able to deal with this adequately and consistently would be 24-hour businesses.
I too thought pulling contact information was only supposed to be used in NPB, buyer not receiving item after multiple emails, harrassment, or other severe situations.
eeBay wants to make it routine?
Some of the suggestions look reasonable, some look like overkill, especially since eBay seems to me to have been failing to take more reasonable steps to help fix the problem.
All together, what's on the AB now sounds to me like trying to fix a rudder problem by first looking at the screwdrivers and wrenches laying around and deciding to call out for an atomic bomb.
I can just see it now, one step away: eBay perhaps recommending in the future that if sellers are concerned about the people bidding on their auctions, to pull bidder information and give them a call too. I'm a reputable buyer with very positive FB, but would not care for that one bit either.
Taking steps to "remove anonymity on eBay." Exactly how? They could cut down on the fraud but also end up allowing personal information to be more easily accessed and abused. It's bad enough the spammers are already skimming addresses off eBay. Will we have other direct marketers getting our snail addresses and phone numbers and calling us more frequently? eBay needs to explain that one, to be clear that they mean to destroy the cancer and not irradiate lots of healthy tissue too.
My mind is really blown on this one. I was just reading RB's thread on eBay pulling auction on the whisper of a non-VeRO and refusing to adequately explain or listen, all while leaving clearly illegal auctions (Emmy consideration tapes) to continue unfettered.
Their actions seem increasingly inconsistent: unreactive, overreactive, sometimes reacting well, now hyperreactive (the contact info most of all) -- but rarely proactive any more.
I'm glad they're helping to get actual criminals caught, and some of the steps sound reasonable, but I'd really like to hear further explanation of some of the other statements. Thus, I'll stop here, except...
Give me an aspirin, I think the plane is flying upside down, sideways, and backwards.
----
What's being done in the name of direct marketing nowadays is crazy.
The above are all just my opinions, except where I cite facts as such.
Oh, I am not dc9a320 anywhere except AW. Any others are not me.
Is eBay is changing from a world bazaar into a bizarre world?
[ Edited several things for clarity. ]
[ edited by dc9a320 on Sep 7, 2000 11:20 PM ]
posted on September 7, 2000 11:24:09 PM
My bidders can call me all they want. I have Caller ID and I do not answer the phone if it's someone I do not know.
They can leave voice mail, but I am not going to call them back. Why would I pay for a long-distance phone call when I have email?
My 1000+ feedback with no negatives or neutrals ought to be good enough for any bidder. They do not need to hear my voice to be assured that I am real.
"My possessions are causing me suspicion." - Neil Finn
posted on September 7, 2000 11:30:31 PM
ACK!!!!!!!!! I just had an auction close today with 180 hits. I can see it now - the phone ringing off the hook at all hours:
"Hello, is this Kelly? Could you please give me your driver's lic. number and social security card number so I know it is really you before I bid...opps auction just closed. Never mind."
My emails after the auctions will state:
"Congratulations on winning this auction six months ago. Sorry I couldn't send this out sooner, but my phone has been ringing off the hook."
Oh, and for the sellers who use one phone line: sorry but you won't be able to list any more items, your phone line will be all tied up.
posted on September 8, 2000 03:53:03 AM
Thanks a lot ebay. Just went over and changed my phone number to my computer phone. No answering machine attached to it and ringer always shut off. I especially love the part about how they're trying to help law enforcement with fraud. Anyone watch People's Court the other day with a seller who cashed a money order and then claimed he never got it. Guy was so dumb, tried to change his signature, but then put down his driver's license number and phone number on the money order. Hope none of my buyers were watching it.
posted on September 8, 2000 04:40:27 AM
Why do you assume that someone who lives in a trailer house is "trailer trash", almost as many people live in those as they do "real houses". That is very offensive to me, no, I do not live in one, but making a generalality like that is really crappy. Heather
posted on September 8, 2000 04:53:26 AM
The first time I get a phone call from someone asking about something I have up for auction is the day I finally quit eBay. I am thorough in my listings with information and photos. If someone needs any more info, they can email me.
Heather: I dont live in a trailer either but know what you are saying. I have seen trailers that look like castles next to the DUMP rental house next door to me. >
posted on September 8, 2000 04:55:21 AM
Dragonfyree, the only problem with your solution is that if eBay tries to reach you on the phone (possibly because someone has reported to them that they are not getting any answer at your contact phone number) and they don't, eBay will suspend you. They do require that your phone number be a valid, working number and not a voice mail.
I remember waaaay back when there was a live support board, and potential bidders were frequently given the advice to pull contact info before bidding to see who they would be dealing with. Unfortunately this policy is not new.
posted on September 8, 2000 05:17:16 AM
My guess is that only sellers with low feedback ratings are going to have to deal with the phone ringing off the hook, except in the case of the most paranoid bidders or high ticket items.
I have to agree, though, that some of their "solutions" are not very logical and deal with issues that could be addressed in a much simpler (and less offensive!) manner. If they're so all-fired concerned about preventing fraud, then how do people manage to register for new User ID's after suspension, using the exact same contact information??? I think it's a logical conclusion that someone with the same name, address, and phone number IS the suspended user--don't give them a new ID!!
posted on September 8, 2000 08:54:35 AM
HCROSS - I agree with you that the term is both an insult to people who live in trailers or other forms of preassembled homes and eBay sellers as a whole.
I borrowed it from a reference to us that was printed elsewhere and to reinforce the negative stereotype image sellers seems be viewed in by a part of eBay management.
Personally I was, following a period of disability and hospitalization about four years ago, delighted to have the opportunity to move from a homeless shelter to independent living in a trailer home.
posted on September 8, 2000 09:36:19 AM
Common sense would say that the suggestion to make a phone call before bidding would be for larger bids. I certainly would call if I was bidding on a car or real estate. I know that my boss gets calls on the high end furniture he puts up for auction.
posted on September 8, 2000 09:42:07 AM
They do make alot of sense........ You want to do business on the internet take precautions. I've been doing most of the below except make phone calls to sellers.
It's not that hard to check out a seller or buyer, you can request their user info and track everything down based on that and their userfeedback. I often do it and sellers sometimes ask me why and I tell them why that I check out everyone before I buy from them. It's only good business sense. You wouldn't buy a car from your local car dealer or buy furniture before checking out the businesses locally now would you? If you did it would be silly. Just because they are there doesn't make them good to deal with. You would check out references such as where they bank, customer satisfaction, and such. No different to do business on the internet.
Last year from July until Feburary I caught a total of 16 scammers on eBay and 4 of them were power sellers.
We don't need to check their bank accounts but we should check their user info, check their feedback and check some of those buyers to see if there is shilling and other things going on, compare there user info for zip code with city and state they give, check area code with the address they give and if it's for a high priced item definitely call them to verifiy they are who they say they are by asking for local references and such aside from their feedback.
If they are honest they will give you the info. IT'S GOOD BUSINESS!
Last week I asked a seller for his business name, license address and/or sales tax number. He was from GA. and wanted to charge me sales tax which I don't mind paying if they are legit. He gave it to me and asked why I needed it that he never had anyone ask him for it before on eBay.
I told him why. No problem he provided it and I checked him out and he is legit. I've been buying from him since, have ordered other stuff from him not eBay related.
You have to do the same on the internet as you would locally check out who's selling to you.
