Since time is running out for posting privledges I wanted to get this off my chest.
I've had my first experience with "checkout".
I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about, eBay has only done what all the sellers have been b*tching about for years.
I remember a few things from reading these boards.
1.) DEADBEATS Buyers should have to submit a CC and when they win take the money out of that.
2.) SHIPPING AND HANDLING Sellers should be required to put shipping charges on the auction page to eliminate surprise.
No one seems to be able to agree on the definition of "actual shipping costs".
3.) MYSTERY PAYMENTS Payment arrives and there is not one clue who it came from OR you can't read the address to make the label, and they didn't bother to email you the address.
Here is my take on "checkout".
1.) I like the fact that it shows right away the buyers address and phone number. It is only visable to the seller. I know because I logged into my other ID and I could not access that info.
You see, when I have a batch of auctions close I like to get the shipping addresses right away so I can make labels all at once. I don't like that they stagger in over a period of a week or 2. I want to get the item packed and labeled.
2.)If you can't put the shipping quote in the auction due to weight or zone, you can leave it blank and when the auction is over you instantly have their address to calculate shipping. And all the better if they are international, at least you know. No waiting to hear from the buyer.
3.) I don't care how they pay as long as they pay. A couple of years ago the talk here was how do I get a merchant account. Hey...if the buyer wants to use Billpoint so what, at least your getting your money. If they want to pay another way then they can read your auction TOS to see other alternatives.
Now that I've had my first taste of it I think I'm going to give it a go.
I always list shipping in my auctions so it shouldn't be a problem filling in the checkout form. And I also discovered you DO NOT have to fill in your address. But again, I don't see the problem with that as I alway email the buyer my address anyway.
I just think eBay is trying to give us what we all have been wanting.
posted on October 29, 2001 10:47:49 PM
In a nutshell....
from sellers: Another convenience feature that'd be fine if benign, but that eBay insists on making malignant for its own revenue goals. And another club to push the costly Billpoint with.
from buyers: loss of control over personal information, and disclosure of more info than is strictly needed to complete the sale.
In other words, another unnecessary fight over control and who chooses
posted on October 29, 2001 11:27:50 PM
I'm with packer on this one. I don't really see what all the flap is about. I have had several transactions end with "checkout", and it seems to be business as usual. Some are mailing payment, some paid with BP, and the rest with paypal.
It is very nice to have the address sent in email rather than try to decipher the chicken scratch in their letters. That alone makes checkout worthwhile to me.
posted on October 30, 2001 12:03:11 AM
The idea of supplying Ebay with any BANK information is UNACCEPTABLE. Also, I DO NOT want the added expense of BILLPOINT---or whatever it is they're calling it now.
ALSO, The only reason people want users to have to register with a CC, is so there is SOME form of verification to diminish the amount of deadbeats. It has nothing to do with wanting ALL online payments. So, this notion that Checkpoint solves our problems and concerns is ridiculous. I do not want it on my auctions and MORE IMPORTANTLY, since I DO NOT choose it, how DARE Ebay misguide buyers into thinking I will accept it and Billpoint! It is dishonest and underhanded---to say the very least!
I prefer to remain in as much control of the payment transactions as possible. REASON? Because as a seller, I cannot pick and choose who bids on my auctions, whereas bidders can discriminate. Therefore, I demand control of that aspect of the transaction, something these pay services DO NOT allow you, because there can ALWAYS be a chargeback---or in the case of some, a DEBIT from your BANK ACCOUNT!
Bully for you that you enjoy and embrace Checkpoint. But how would you like it if another "feature" that you DIDN'T want was shoved down YOUR throat.
posted on October 30, 2001 04:06:58 AM
Some pros and cons I've found:
1. I like getting their address up front. this has definitely been a problem for me all along.
2. It didn't seem to work to just ignore the existence of Checkout. Buyers like it. If I didn't fill in the shipping, they seemed to think it was free.
I am now experimenting with plugging in either the Priority or media-mail rate I quote, with a note that they can change it to the other rate I give in the ad.
3. Several transactions have concluded at warp speed, but often PayPal buyers did this anyway, since I give shipping in my ads and they can use my account.
4. Some are concluding before I can send my email which includes some information they need to have, but I've been able to clear things up with follow-up email.
5. I tried to re-list a closed auction last night and it just didn't work. It appeared that this was because BOTH the "yes" checkout and "no" checkout buttons were filled in on the auction form, and it wouldn't let me change this, so I just got errors when I tried to relist the same auction.
posted on October 30, 2001 04:40:06 AM
Well, lucky me, checkout has not yet shown up on my closed auctions. Nor have it shown up on my re-listed items, but maybe it will tonight.
My biggest beef with it, is with the stores. The buyer, even after clicking on BIN has not committed to actually buying the item until the seller responds. Fine. Except that the inventory is not reduced until the buyer completes checkout. So, the item still shows as available, alowing someone ELSE to come in and hit BIN. NOT good if you only have ONE item.
If the buyer tries to buy more than one item from the store, they must complete checkout for EACH item, or else the item does not reduce from the inventory. Tell me, WHAT buyer wants to go and complete checkout for multiple items?
Shipping is not combined for multiple items. It creates multiple e-mails, and more work.
I don't accept Billpoint. Don't have to. I have my own merchant account. I have more control over the transaction. I know IMMEDIATELY if the billing address does not match the address the credit card has. I am less likely to accept a stolen credit card myself, then through Billpoint.
The second checkout screen is a huge ad for Ebay payments, which, as I said, I have no intention of accepting.
[ edited by kidsfeet on Oct 30, 2001 04:42 AM ]
I don't think folks have a problem with the concept of checkout; instead the problem stems from the fact that ebay puts that crap on our auction pages whether or not we want to use it. Why not let those of us who don't want to use it have the opportunity to opt-out? Then I'll be happy and you'll be happy.
It's not the concept...it's the method of implementing it.
posted on October 30, 2001 06:05:19 AM
Good Morning,
At this point I'm not for or against "checkout". I'm just trying to understand it.
While I haven't had a chance to view this as a buyer. I can't/don't know that they are trying to shove billpoint down anyones throat. For the seasoned buyers they know better and know how they want to pay, the newbies...well, if when registering they have to submit CC & bank info(I don't know if that is a requirement now or not), they may find it a relief to be able to complete their auctions in this manner.
I don't get the impression that you HAVE to be a billpoint user for this checkout to be on your auction page. Its going to be there regardless.
The ONE auction that I did fill in the checkout fields I put this in the Checkout Instructions & Return Policy area:
"I accept PayPal, Billpoint, checks, Money Orders. I will send you an End of Auction Notice upon close of this auction. Thank you."
I still think a personal EOA email is nessesary.
I don't have a store, so I can't speak for the store owners and how this will play out for them.
And...yes there could be a BIG PROBLEM for multiple wins.
I think we are going to have to see how this plays out from the buyers perspective.
Lets give them a little credit as to know when to use it and when not to.
posted on October 30, 2001 11:21:05 AM
Hi everyone! I feel like I am missing something. The only problem with checkout that I have had so far is that buyers have forgotten to pay the shipping charges that are stated in the auction. I keep receiving Billpoint payments which I am content with but I will not ship the item until I receive the shipping charges. It seems to me that when they checkout, the information for shipping defaults to $0.00 for shipping charges. I do all of my listing through AW. Can someone please let me know if there is a way to fill the shipping information into checkout without actually revising the auction. I have too many auctions and too little time to revise every auction through eBay. I cannot find any way of doing this via AW but I am hoping that I am just missing something. Please help me!
posted on October 30, 2001 02:35:50 PM
I am really pissed that these checkout things are popping up against my will on my auctions. Is it just me or this unfair competition by ebay? Paypal could sue. Is there a way to get rid of it??
posted on October 30, 2001 03:08:47 PM
I'm with you, packer.
Course I was already using Billpoint instant purchase, which was fairly similar to the current checkout. Anything that saves time is okay in my book.
Sellers resisting this change will one day (maybe sooner than later) have only two choices: use checkout or sell elsewhere. Ebay's already told us they're moving to the half.com model; the only unknown is how long they'll give us to adapt to it.
BTW, buyers love it. I haven't heard a single complaint about instrusiveness, etc., but have heard lots of raves about how convenient it is.
"Adapt or die" has been the mantra around here for the past few weeks; looks to me like it's that time.
posted on October 30, 2001 04:32:07 PM
I agree with Packer on this one. I am using Checkout with no significant problems.
When eBay gave us warning about Checkout I used that time before implementation of the new feature to state fixed cost shipping charges in my auctions and configure the Instant Pay feature. I was astonished at the results. Right now eBay is doing massive television advertising, particularly during sports events and is drawing in thousands and thousands of new users. My auctions were getting lots of bids while the auctions of other dealers in my category were stagnating. Over 80% of my closed auctions were being paid within 24 hours with the Pay Now button. Those results were enough to convince me that Checkout was a good idea.
And packer is correct, eBay is moving toward making Checkout mandatory on all auctions, thus forcing sellers and buyers to provide a bank account and/or credit card. This move makes real good business sense in the long-term for eBay because it will solve a lot of problems with the deadbeats that consume staff time and costs money. Right now, in the short-term, the company will experience some pain as the disgruntled sellers who don't want to provide bank info will yell and scream, or who are unhappy about the current bugs, or who don't like the fact that eBay can't mandate changes to them, leave eBay for other auction sites or who try to swamp the boards with negative posts. Plus there is the agitation being stirred up by people linked to Paypal and other auction sites. However, it is the long-term that matters and once the disgruntled sellers adapt or leave, and once eBay gets the bugs in the system fixed, eBay will be bigger and stronger, meaning those of us who remain will have a better format in which to sell our goods.
posted on October 30, 2001 05:26:21 PM
I think as long as the seller has fixed shipping entered into the correct places and accepts Billpoint as a payment option, Checkout will work for you. It is a little more dancing around if you don't have the shipping entered or don't take Billpoint. A buyer friend of mine and I went through it and she had to go through 5 or 6 screens of information and I received about 5 different emails through Ebay and we ended up with a notice on Payment Summary that said Incomplete. Now today EVERYTHING that refers to Checkout on that auction AND My Ebay page is gone! The auction looks like it never had Checkout on it at all. Will these Incompletes give buyers an out on a sale? Perhaps.
Combining auctions with Checkout will be very confusing. Of course, you could just NOT combine and let buyers pay you for each auction, shipping on each auction and pay a Billpoint fee on each auction (which is probably what Ebay really wants anyway).
Hopefully Ebay will do some refining and work out the many bugs that are still in the Checkout system, but this is something that should have been done BEFORE it was rolled out ... not using Ebay sellers and buyers as their free lab rats!
posted on October 30, 2001 11:11:08 PM
As long as my items are selling, and I am getting paid by my customers, I am happy.
There are a lot of things in life not to be happy about. If Ebay is moving this direction, you move with them or get out. I am not preparing to get out.
posted on October 30, 2001 11:13:32 PM
My first checkout sale had the buyer sending me a note saying "Wow, that was so fast and easy! I love it"
I think the buyers are going to like it, a lot! The more sellers who put the shipping costs in the auction and checkout, the more the buyers are going to like it. I know many make fun of ebay's comments about "friction points", but the unknown shipping costs...the ones that are revealed AFTER the auction ends, is a big "friction point" with buyers. Just think of all the threads we have seen from buyers who were "surprised" at auction's end by what they thought were excessive shipping.
posted on October 30, 2001 11:19:22 PM
How much do you think billpoint will charge when paypal goes under? Checkout is ebays way of destroying the competition.
posted on October 31, 2001 10:50:38 AM
I received an email from paypal lastnite-as a busienss/preferred account with paypal who uses the debit card and enjoy a 1 1/2% cashback,i agrred to select paypal as the only online payment method fo auctions.
so in a nutshell,if i choose billpoint in any of my auctions,i will lose my 1 1/2% cashback with paypal.
so it appears paypal is asking us sellers to fight off billpoint.
would that work??
lets hear it from the other sellers who use paypal debit card??
posted on October 31, 2001 01:11:44 PM
walkalot------
I assume you have the same user name on ebay as here on AW but the walkalot on ebay has not sold an item since April. I guess there could be someone else that uses the name of walkalot on ebay (that really seems likely).
ANYWAY THAT walkalot COULD NOT HAVE AN 80% RISE IN PEOPLE PAYING WITHIN 24 HOURS. HE HASN'T SOLD ANYTHING SINCE APRIL.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST WANT TO ARGUE!
I COULD BE WRONG I HAVE BEEN BEFORE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU AUCTIONS TO SEE HOW THIS REALLY WORKS SO GREAT FOR YOU!!!!!!
posted on October 31, 2001 02:45:16 PM
Kidsfeet - I had that happen to me with one of my buyers - she was going to make 9 store purchases - ended up stopping after the first because it was too much of a pain (costing me 8 sales) and then she didn't go back to complete teh checkout, so as far as Ebay is concerned we had no transaction..
It may be good for auctions, for store items, its terrible...
Good thing my store is for all practical purposes closed...
posted on October 31, 2001 04:27:44 PM
jdani2000, walkalot is not my eBay selling or buying id. I rarely post to this forum so it is unlikely that I would post a message merely to cause dissent. I lack the desire, time and initiative to engage in debate over topics which have obvious conclusions to me. I never thought to see if there was a similar id on eBay. I like to walk a lot, thus this id. When I post to this board, which is rarely, it is because I feel I have something to say that hasn't been said yet. I am busy with my eBay business, so I don't read these boards on a daily basis like others do, thus I rarely post messages. I have been an eBay seller since 1998, adapted my eBay business to every change that eBay has made.
wowwow8, one factor that you are not considering is that you are being caught in a war between Billpoint and Paypal. You need to put the health of your eBay business first. The question you need to ask yourself is the one of whether Billpoint or Paypal will be the winner in this struggle. My belief is that Billpoint will be the winner.
My advice is to let go of the 1 1/2% cashback from Paypal and offer your buyers both services so that you are up and running when Checkout and eBay Payments becomes mandatory. If not offering Billpoint and Checkout to your customers is causing you a loss in bids, the Paypal cashback is no longer beneficial to you.
Everyone else, I have yet to see a discussion of why Checkout is being implemented by eBay. There is a lot of hollering about Billpoint. Fine. Accept it and move on. It is a given that eBay will want to maximize profits by mandating Billpoint/eBay Payments. However, there are other reasons why Checkout is necessary and important to eBay's continued growth and prosperity.
One, we are at war and in a recesion. Taxing jurisdictions are hungry to tax internet sales and now there will be some urgency to gain more tax funds to pay for the costs being incurred for homeland protection and the war overseas. The initial objections to taxing internet sales will be over ridden because of this new urgency. It is in eBay's best interests to have the programming and procedures in place when internet taxes are implemented. Having mandatory Checkout in place is one solution to this problem.
Two, again taxing agencies will have a critical urgency to collect taxes on profits. It has been reported in the media that eBay is working with IRS to come up with a data tracking system that will be cost effective for eBay. Having mandatory Checkout in place is one solution to this problem, provides the income data taxing entities desire and at the same time minimizes the eBay staff time devoted to providing such data.
I like Checkout. I can say with assuredness that my sales are not in a slump, that I am the top dealer in my category. I will continue to anticipate changes eBay might make and I will adjust my business practices to any such changes. If I cannot adapt, I will no longer sell on eBay though that is a future I do not see for myself.
posted on October 31, 2001 04:55:14 PM
Packer
I'm with you and Walkalot on this one.
Checkout is Great. It's easy and fast and a great thing for sales.
I will say that there are a few glitches, for example, the store multiple purchase issue, but those are the kinds of things that can be addressed and changed if brought to eBay's attention.
The problem with this forum: (and eBay's checkout forum) is that the folks that are happy and selling and busy are not bothering to post about that. (too busy making holiday sales, I suppose)
Folks with issues come to the boards, the millions of satisfied users don't bother to post...
Flame away.. I expect it.. By the way, that's another reason why you don't hear many success stories, or stories from satisfied folks, they are reamed by those that have nothing better to do than attack folks that don't go with the perceived "attitude" of the board.
posted on November 1, 2001 07:40:45 AM
Whether eBay is forcing sellers to accept Billpoint is only part of the issue. It's just another step in eBay's user-unfriendly policies, and it's significant in light of the fact that eBay is a monopoly. eBay would never get away with this crap if there were competition. For that reason, it's noteworthy.
I sell low-end items, and so the Billpoint fees are significant. What with all the fee hikes and postage rate increases and other increases for auction-related services, I can hardly load more fees into a $5 or $10 item. That is not fair for the buyer. It's too bad eBay has become so big that it can simply toss away the less-expensive items, but perhaps that is just a sad fact of business.
Regarding the comment above, I don't believe that the posters who come here are losers (otherwise they'd be busy making sales). Rather I believe the posters here are serious businesspeople who are concerned about the current and future state of online sales (aka, auctions). There no absolute answers, and what works for one person might not work for another. IF you've found your niche, and are successful, and abide by eBay's rules, more power to you.
