posted on February 14, 2001 06:04:39 PM
My problem:
Certain unnamed person discloses my user name to people in my new town. My anonymity is gone. This is very upsetting - so much so that I am going to start over and give up my 300+ positives. I just don't need the competition seeing what I sell, how I do it, and how much money I make.
Thus I am starting a new ID that will be private - I will not give the name to *anyone*.
My question: How many feedbacks do you think someone needs to have before you will buy from them? 20? 30? Does that low of a number still make you nervous? What are your feelings on buying from someone with low feedback? Is 20 feedbacks a turn-off to you?
(Just wondering how much I need to buy on eBay before I can start selling with my new private account...)
Any thoughts would be appreciated....
~Not nefish on eBay~
[ edited by nefish on Feb 14, 2001 06:06 PM ]
posted on February 14, 2001 06:23:29 PM
Really, you don’t need any feedbacks. I have several ID’s and have never had any problem just starting out selling with zero feedback. Once in a while I’ll buy some inexpensive items just to build up a few to start off with, but it really isn’t necessary.
Some people LIKE buying from a “newbie” seller.
Why don’t you just establish your new ID, let your other account lay dormant for a bit and then change your ID. Don’t do anything with it for 30+ days after your name change (so you lose the shades) and then get going with your “new” 300 feedback ID. Then you can use one ID for buying and one ID for selling.
posted on February 14, 2001 06:24:03 PM
Hey, I have purchased from 0 feedback sellers when the item is a small value item. If you want to start selling small items, that might help as well as the buying.
posted on February 14, 2001 06:27:58 PM
For me, it is not so much the quantity as the quality of the f/b. When I started selling, I think I may have had 28 feedbacks, maybe less from buying, but they were excellent feedbacks because I was very over concientous about making the seller happy. I also mentioned in my "Thanks, I received your widget, I just love it and have posted positive feedback" email to the seller, that I would really appreciate feedback if he thought the transaction went as smoothly as I thought it had - because I was trying to build my online reputation. Using that polite, but explanatory approach, I had 100% feedbacks left as a buyer and sellers would email me and encourage me in my future Ebay transactions. So when I went to sell, I put a link in my description saying to "Click Here" to Read My Feedback History and Bid With Confidence. That seemed to assure bidders that I was no fly-by-night operator. It was only after I started selling that my feedback recv'd percentage started going down. I discovered that I'd leave feedback, but lots of buyers don't even when you bend over backwards with a smile for them. Hope this helps.
posted on February 14, 2001 06:33:31 PM
Why don't you just use your new ID temporarily, and in the mean time, change your other ID's name (the one with 300+ feedback).
Then when 30 days are up I believe no one will be able to search for you under your old name - and if you changed your ebay email address they will not know how to find out your auctions.
posted on February 14, 2001 06:36:00 PM
Say I were to change my 300 ID to a new one. During the 30 days of shades, eBay as a courtesy directs searchers to your new ID. So I would *not* be anonymous. Anyone could find out my new ID by doing a search on my 300 ID during those 30 days. So that option doesn't work, I believe.
posted on February 14, 2001 06:53:32 PM
"...let your other account lay dormant for a bit and then change your ID."
They will lose interest if your ID is doing nothing for a month - then you change your name - give it another month - they can probably find you but will have to put some effort into it.
Start a new, anonymous ID. Do not use your old 300 ID for 60 days. (I believe it's 60 days). After 60 days, you can merge your old ID to your new one. So you can keep your new, anonymous ID and you can merge your 300 feedback with your new ID. But in order to be able to merge ID's, I believe you cannot have any activity on your old ID for the 60 days.
posted on February 14, 2001 07:38:21 PM
I will buy from a brand new seller if they include a very good description and good pics and spell their words right! You can get a feel for these things without it being supported by feedback.
posted on February 14, 2001 07:39:20 PMWhy would anyone want to track you to see how much money you make?????
LOL! I take it you have never lived in a small town!?
Executive, I wrote to eBay and asked them to do what you are saying, but they told me that no matter what, the old ID would be linked to the new. I think I may write again and ask about the 60 day dormancy rule you mentioned. Thanks for the idea.
posted on February 14, 2001 07:45:44 PMWhy would anyone want to track you to see how much money you make?????
People with vendetta's, axes to grind, no lives of their own or just plain a-holes. That's why I have 2 eBay names. I do the majority of my stuff on one name...the one that is unknown.
posted on February 14, 2001 07:46:16 PM
I do live in a very small town and could care less who knows how much money I have. Whats the big deal, what will they do with that information???? If I have more then them, or less than them, so what!!!!!!!
posted on February 14, 2001 07:56:38 PM
For some reason, I'm wary of sellers who advertise themselves as "also XXX on ebay, but starting a new second account." It makes me wonder why they had to, and if they're hiding something. If you feel very strongly that you need to protect your anonyminity (is that even a word?), do what you have to do, but it seems like you'll have to start over from scratch.
I don't mind buying from people with 0 feedbacks (in fact I just did today!), I'm more concerned with the quality of the item, price and the professionalism of the auction.
I don't think you should really care what the idiots in your town know or say about your ebay auctions. If you had a real store on Main Street, they'd know just as much information.
posted on February 14, 2001 08:11:14 PM
I still don't understand what they would do with that info unless you owe money to people in town, or are on welfare or public assistance?????
posted on February 15, 2001 05:42:57 AM
I'm not certain what you are trying to keep from the attention of others. While I'm all for privacy, if what you do in private is not consistent with what you portray in public, you are only kidding yourself. Changing your identity isn't going to do you any good.
posted on February 15, 2001 06:05:54 AM
I agree with corrdogg. If someone wants to be anonymous they have every right to be - for any reason they choose.
There are several people on this board who don't use their Ebay ID's - for the exact same reason.... because they want to remain anonymous for whatever reason they see fit.
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Feb 15, 2001 06:06 AM ]
posted on February 15, 2001 06:16:50 AMnefish
How ironic! I was getting ready to start a new ID because I have too much feedback(700+) and a Power Seller ID! I was going to post and ask for input on when it's "time to start over"!
I buy from new sellers all the time. A Newbie seller with 30 feedback usually gets most of the FB from buying under their new ID anyway.
I started on eBay over a year ago, selling something I knew nothing about ~ my dad's comic books from the 1940's. With very low feedback, little experience, and zero knowledge, I still did well ~ I was hooked from then on! I got one nasty e-mail from a suspicious bidder but other than that it went Great!
Best of luck to you for whatever your reasons are! I'd bid on ya!
posted on February 15, 2001 06:30:08 AM
We had a similar situation around here. We buy most of our stuff at auctions, and the auction going community is very small and cut throat. When you have a list up for plain sight, you're just teaching your competetors what to buy, and then goodbye bargains. Also, people just plain suck. If they think you've made too much money that week, they'll hammer you at auction the next.
Nefish- Just keep in mind that if someone sees you buy something, they can just look the widget up and find you again that way. My husband and I have secret identities for stuff we buy when no one's around (like from shops and stuff) and stuff that the value of isn't general knowledge. We use our main id's for stuff that we know everybody else knows about. If I have to, I'll hold on to something for months before putting it up so that the chances of being found out are less. It may sound paranoid, but the people around here are terrible.
posted on February 15, 2001 05:35:00 PM
I know of a good example, perhaps to the extreme, as to why someone would want to be anonymous.
I used to be a very open person. I became a ladderop and tournament director for an online gaming site. I put in many hours a week, totally volunteer. I'd do various things in my duty as a ladderop such as answer emails in the mailroom, check for multiple account users, etc. I put in on average 50 to 70 hours a week. (They kept promising me if I stayed there for a certain length of time that I'd get a paid position and I thought it was great because then I'd have some more time with my daughter since I'd work at home.)I thought I had made many friends there. I thought of my fellow ops as family and they put on a great show as being my friends. I was totally unsuspecting of what they had in store for me.
They would request I talk to the players and other various things. I'd later get written up for this, but I was never notified that I had even been written up. In fact, I received praise from my fellow ops for doing what they would ask me to do, so I thought, hey I'm popular and I have all these friends, this is so great. I went out of my way to help people.
Since I thought they were my friends, they had my home address and phone number. They knew lots of personal stuff about me.
They had a friend whom I didn't know all that well who lives up the road from me and uses the same internet service provider. I had no idea about all of this or that he even lived in the same state as I.
I got fired for supposedly saying my boss showed me screenshots. It was all a lie. When I finally spoke with my then former boss she said that she knew I hadn't done it, but I had already posted in the forum and so she wouldn't undo it because I had somehow smeared them by admitting that they fired me.
Then the smear campaign against me began. They first e-mailed all who were e-mailing in my defense and posting in the forum stating lies about me such as I was plotting to kill people, sending people pizza, planning on bombing their houses, hacking computers, and other stuff. My supporters suddenly stopped supporting me and didn't want to talk to me and I had no idea why until later. There were still some who doubted all they would say though, so they took it even further.
They had this friend of theirs create an e-mail name on yahoo similar to mine and start threatening all the remaining supporters. Very vile threats that I wouldn't post here. Since I had been very open, pretty much everyone knew where I lived and my real name, so they went to their local law enforcements with printouts of the e-mails. So then I was being investigated for felony threatening (not sure all the legal terms) and was harassed by police and so was my family. (I still hadn't learned of their friend.) They claimed they had traced it to me, and I knew I would never even think of something so awful. I couldn't figure out how it was set up with my isp until several people a few months later told me of this guy who was a friend to my "friends." (I'd hate to see what an enemy would do to me.) They posted my name and address and phone number on yahoo saying I was a professional prostitute and I had these weird men calling and had a few come to my doorstep. I was terrified. I called the cops at last, but since I was already being investigated, they wouldn't believe a word I said. I received numerous death threats on the phone and hang up calls. I live alone with my little girl, so I was (and am)petrified.
Over a year later, I'm still being threatened. They posted my name and address on the euchre message boards in yahoo and said someone needed to "blow my brains out." I had to move again, for the second time in a year over this, because I was in fear for my life. I went to the cops numerous times and since they already had it in their heads that I was some psycho sending those e-mails (that someone else sent), they wouldn't do anything. I even showed them screenshots of one of them threatening me and my baby online.
They don't know where I live now, but I'm still fearful that they will find me again. I'm not sure how they found me after I moved the first time. I spend hours wondering why this is happening. I printed out and compiled proof of what they've been doing just in case something were to happen to me. I keep it in a safe place.
I realize this does not happen every day, but it is a very good example of why it's best to be careful who you talk to, esp. online. You, as sellers or buyers, do auction transactions everyday, but you never know when someone could be dangerous. Trust that inner voice that's telling you that something is not quite right.
I tell people my story because I want others to learn from my experience. It's a shame that stuff even remotely similar can happen, but it does.
To those who doubt what I am telling you, e-mail me, and I'll send you proof. [email protected]
either way, be cautious. I don't want this to happen to anyone else, that is one reason I tell this to you.
posted on February 15, 2001 06:08:39 PM
nefish: Actually I track some people to see how well they do on some things that they brag about. However I keep all the email address's and use that as a search as I do not use the shades name. People are constantly changing their shades name but keep the smae e-mail.
Perhaps some mentioned this so I apologize if I repeating:
If you are serious about getting another ID, you will need a new e-mail address. If you use the same e-mail address you have now, e-bay will not let you register another ID.
I have a friend who was at 2300+ no negs feedback and found his sales slumping. He created a new account with a new e-mail ID and his sales were right back where they had been. He used the new ID to buy a few items and listed with about 3 pos feedbacks.
posted on February 15, 2001 07:05:52 PM
I'll just answer your question...no sad tales to tell.
If you have an item I want, I don't give a ding-dang if you're sitting at 5 or 5,000. I'm going to check out your feedback in any case...and frankly, in some cases, a big fat "0" looks a whole lot better than 750 with 50 negs on the report card. I've purchased items from sellers with "0", and I've purchased items from "power sellers"...there is no difference. The local antique mall doesn't post 'feedback'; there is no 'feedback' rating on the new Chinese restaurant in town (excellent!), etc. The fact is, most of life doesn't come with feedback, and most people don't give a damn. You do what you like, you buy or trade where they have the goods you want...all without feedback. And you rarely even think of asking for 'references.'
I have two ids on eBay (one to buy, one to sell). I don't mix them. A lot of people know my 'buyer' id (I also use it when I post on eBay's discussion boards). My seller id is my business...just one of a million or so, and I would not post with it or otherwise call attention to it (in a positive or negative sense), except within the context of selling, or promoting my sales.
By the way, that "60 day rule" stuff is bogus...you can trace an eBay user id back to the "beginning". If you were "widget" when you registered on 1/1/96, even if you have changed your user id 17 times since then, you are 'findable' (if someone knows, or guesses at, your current eBay id, then checks your 'history'). The deal is, your old id is "embargoed" for 30 days on eBay (it's unavailable for someone else to use). But if I look up your eBay history, even if someone else has been 'widget' for 4 years, your history will still tell me that you were 'widget' back in '96.
Get busy selling under your new id...the feedback, for what it's worth, will come quickly, as you know. Good luck to you!
here, there, and everywhere