posted on September 13, 2000 07:11:22 PM
I was raised to believe that it is more honorable to make a living digging ditches, than it is to lie my way to dishonest profits. I know that is terribly old fashioned, but there it is; laugh if you like.
While I would in no way argue with the idea that any business needs to make a profit, I object tremendously to the idea that is "OK" to use deception or verbal gymnastics to make a profit.
The news from Paypal is just the latest in a long string of online companies taking unfair advantage of auction sellers. Really, it has become Americas most popular sport.
Strangely, the online companies, whether they be escrow, or auction, or whatever service constantly point out the need for
SELLERS to behave honestly, fairly and honorably, so there will be no messy situations for them to deal with.
However, they never actually hold THEMSELVES to those standards. And of course, they still have their defenders, paid and otherwise.
Maybe, the next magazine article that comes out, instead of dealing with the rare seller
who has no scruples, and less sense, who deceives perhaps a half dozen poor souls before being ridden out of town on a rail, will focus on the online companies who routinely make deceptive, capricious decisions that end up costing THOUSANDS, pehaps hundreds of thousands of online auction sellers money.
Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. Face it people - when the sellers get taken, nobody really cares. Maybe, not even the sellers.
And that's sad.
edited because I spell poorly
[ edited by azrae on Sep 13, 2000 07:42 PM ]
posted on September 13, 2000 07:19:08 PM
Is there any kind of association for online auction sellers? Perhaps if we organized, we would have more of a voice? As that goes, we are sellers, but we are still CONSUMERS because we do pay these businesses/organizations. I would support any kind of a trade association for us small-time sellers, no better time than right now!
-Del
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill
posted on September 13, 2000 07:33:15 PM
Actually, there's several: OTWA (which as it has its own message board and services I don't know if I can post here), and OAUA, of which several AWers are members. Plenty of organization.
Organization isn't the issue. You don't need to "join up" to do something (although you may find these organizations helpful and supportive). All you need to do is say "Heck NO! I'm taking my money elsewhere" - and then do it and tell "them" (whoever "they" are) why, as a private person.
posted on September 13, 2000 07:34:28 PMazrae ~ I'm disappointed by the Deception that PayPal has foisted upon us, but I am even more disappointed at the attitude of people who might not like the Deception either but will go right along with it because it is convenient for them to do so. They can come up with just as many excuses as to why they should continue to use PayPal as PayPal can as to why they did nothing wrong. I think this all falls under the category of denial!
