posted on October 25, 2001 01:23:11 AM new
FIRST...
If Checkout is only mandated for "buy it now" then I don't have as much of a problem with it, primarily because "buy it now" auctions can end at a very inopportune time for the seller (since you are taken by surprise). At least your info will be handily provided. When you don't use "buy it now" there are no surprises when the auction ends, and you are more prepared to deal with it.
SECOND...
Ebay should;
A) stop disregarding what is important to the smaller seller. WHY? Because the smaller seller is more likely to be dealing in the kind of unique item that has made Ebay famous. If all Ebay wants to do now is cater to big corporations, then they will be trying to move more new retail merchandise and much LESS of what Ebay is most known for.
B) create a second site where older collectibles (their original bread & butter) can be sold. THOSE sellers (myself included) are much more likely to be small-time operators who prefer one on one contact. Granted, Ebay will not want to separate the two, because they want the traffic that is created by the hordes of people seeking that "unique" item. But guess what? If Ebay continues to drive away the smaller seller, they will continue to be less and less of what their brand name has come to mean, and anyone who knows anything about business, knows THAT is quite a dangerous endeavor.
God bless whomever starts an auction site that caters to old collectibles, but DOES NOT go public, which means they will be happy with a steady annual profit and won't be buring the midnight oil to come up with new ways to stick it to the people who biult them.
posted on October 25, 2001 04:37:55 AM new
Are you getting "buy it now" and "instant purchase" confused. I think it is mandatory for instant purchase (it integrates some parts of it, and pulls shipping from the same source), but not buy it now, which merely ends an auction early.
posted on October 25, 2001 05:28:24 AM new
Every auction listed on Ebay will have some form of Checkout in it! Even if you opt out and don't fill out the information, the Checkout button will still be on your auction. I'm hearing some people say that if you opt out and your buyer clicks on Checkout that your buyer can request that you accept payment by Billpoint, even if you are not signed up with Billpoint. Hope they fix THAT soon!
posted on October 25, 2001 06:25:23 AM new
I just did a Buy-it-Now (not instant purchase) where I normally get taken to the screens where I enter my Visa number.
posted on October 25, 2001 06:32:37 AM new
I have used checkout as a buyer twice, since yesterday. I ended the items with buy-it-now and paid via checkout. Before the seller knew the auction ended, his money was waiting for him. I kind of like that idea!
posted on October 25, 2001 06:40:08 AM new
The procedure for the BIN:
1. After hitting the BIN button I was taken to a screen that had my address automatically filled in (which I had the option of changing). The total of $16.99 was stated, with N/A for the shipping (as the seller had not indicated that). In this case, I had already confirmed with the seller that shipping was free (he had mentioned in his auction that he was offering free postage if one used BIN (at double the cost of the original bid).
2. In the "message" field I typed a short note. I hit CONTINUE and was then told that the information was being emailed to the seller.
3. Within one minute I received a confirmation message from eBay with "request total" in the RE line. It read as follows:
===
"Dear {seller's ID}, The buyer, (ME), would like to know the total amount for the item below. To help you calculate the total, the shipping address is included below.
To enter the total and send an invoice to the buyer, click here: {link}
The buyer entered the following message: {message}"
===
4. Since it now seemed clear to me that the ball was in the seller's court, I did nothing further. In another minute or so I received the End of Auction notice as follows:
To view this item for up to 90 days, click here: {link}
Here’s what to do next:
-- Winning bidder, to complete this sale via Checkout, click here: {link}
-- Seller, to update Checkout information and send an invoice, click here: {link}
- Remember: Winning bidders can use eBay Payments to quickly and easily pay for this item. Simply select eBay Payments within Checkout to take advantage of this option.
- If not using Checkout, the winning bidder and seller should contact one another within three business days to complete the sale. Winning bidders should send payment directly to the seller."
===
[ edited by engelskdansk on Oct 25, 2001 06:45 AM ]
posted on October 25, 2001 09:26:59 AM newgr8ful2bhere:
No, I am not getting anything confused. I was simply going by what others on these boards have been saying, which is that "checkout" only automatically kicks in if you offer "buy it now" as an option.
