posted on June 26, 2001 10:23:46 PM new
Folks,
Meg is finally going to have to testify before Congress. Here's a link to an MSNBC story. I suppose that the folks who have had
problems with ebay and fraudulent sellers should contact the aforementioned Congressman, or someone else on the committee, to get some answers that Ebay has thus far evaded. Meg will be testifying under oath, no Kevin Purseglove to run interference, no carefully staged PR spot with the media. This will be the moment of truth.
posted on June 26, 2001 11:17:51 PM new
I don't know if this violates AW guidelines, but another story on MSNBC, thru the links in this story, identifies another seller in another matter.
Just had to mention it.
:\\\\\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on June 26, 2001 11:22:24 PM new
don't think it is an issue, because not only is the user in the other story NARU, but the thread isn't about that particular person.
Otherwise, it would be almost impossible to post news links, since almost all of them have links on them to other news items.
Not to mention that someone had posted the other news item too last week, and AW didn't seem to mind.
----------------------------------------------
posted on June 27, 2001 11:25:17 AM new
Has anyone heard the latest on Meg's Press conference in D.C. today? I would have thought AW would have been on top of this, but there's no mention of it in their news section.
posted on June 27, 2001 01:34:14 PM new
Hmmmmm, there might be some misinformatoin here about what Meg is doing in D.C.
I asked about this and it is my understanding that Meg is in DC meeting with some Congressional members but not for "testifying" -- (I got the impression it was more for
"liaisoning", - which I would guess is rightfully part of her job) unless things have changed from her original reason for being there.
If that's the case, then I doubt there is a "story" for AW to be picking up on. Just another busy day in the life of a CEO.
posted on June 27, 2001 02:06:26 PM new
There is nothing they can do to, or for, Miss Meg that will not impact sellers and buyers. The trickle down effect only works where costs are concerned. If Meggie has more costs we pay. If government controls the internet (which I think is the goal) we pay again to police ourselves. Anytime goverment gets involved, for any reason, in anything there is trouble for users and everyone becomes victims.
posted on June 27, 2001 03:59:20 PM new
Now this is rich:
[QUOTE]Additionally, the lawmakers sought data on how often false bidding took place to boost interest and the price in an auction — a practice known as shilling — and what steps they are taking to reduce the practice.[/QUOTE]
I'd LOVE to hear Meg's answer to that one. "Why we vigorously enforce, of course." Or some such drivel.
Yeah, but they certainly don't do it willingly, nor do they do any investigating on their own when they get information.
posted on June 28, 2001 10:26:23 AM new
I wonder why, with this being on the public record, no one is quoting Meg or giving an exact report without Purseglove running interferance? This looks suspicious. Someone needs to do further digging. Are they holding these hearings in some kind of Star Chamber session? Bad reporting, lack of info. or what?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawmakers Question eBay on Fraud
by Michelle Dennehy
June 27, 2001, 3 p.m. PT
eBay CEO Meg Whitman met with the House Energy and Commerce Committee today to answer questions about Internet auction fraud.
The meeting came after committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R, Louisiana) and Member Heather Wilson (R, New Mexico) sent letters to the CEOs of eBay, Amazon.com, and Yahoo, asking for details on the prevalence of online auction fraud and what is being done to stop it.
The letter quotes statistics from the FBI-backed Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), which recently ranked online auctions as the number one source of Internet-related consumer complaints for the second year in a row. Online auctions account for 64.1 percent of all Internet consumer complaints, according to the IFCC.
Among other issues, Tauzin and Wilson's letter inquired about the problems of shill bidding, feedback padding, and multiple user identities. It also asked if certain payment methods are more prone to fraud.
"We request your assistance in determining the causes of online auction fraud as well as solutions to help protect consumers and boost confidence in e-commerce," the letter read. "We would be interested in specific recommendations."
eBay could not provide Whitman's exact replies, but spokesman Kevin Pursglove says Whitman likely discussed the company's Feedback Forum, VeRO Program, user education initiative, which includes outreach to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and improvements in online payment methods.
"Also, I believe she'll highlight our efforts to introduce escrow services and online mediation," Pursglove said. "She'll also point out steps we have taken for those who have been subject to online fraud, such as the eBay insurance program and our fraud investigation team."
House Energy and Consumer Committee source Jon Tripp, who attended the meeting with Whitman, described it as an opportunity for lawmakers to better understand online auction fraud and for the media to ask questions.
Asked if legislation might be a potential outcome of the inquiry, Tripp did not say that was out of the question.
"Part of the discussion was asking if legislation is something that is needed," he told AW. "People are formulating opinions on that."
However, Tripp did not suggest that legislation was an immediate, or even likely, solution to online auction fraud.
"You can't recommend a legislative fix of something until you understand the problem and how it can be solved," he said.
This is the second time in several weeks that eBay officials have visited Capitol Hill. Vice President and General Counsel Robert Chestnut addressed Congress earlier this month, lobbying Congress for stricter spam laws.
posted on June 28, 2001 12:22:21 PM new
Hmm, how long could it take Meg to tell the congressmen what she and eBay always tell us when we have ANY problem with eBay??
posted on June 30, 2001 10:00:43 AM new
Silence is deafening. Since Meg went to Washington I've only seen the watered-down feature on this where Purseglove does most of the talking. Is ebay exerting its influence to keep this story from being reported in full or what? Has anyone else seen anything more on this quoting Meg?
