posted on June 16, 2002 03:30:00 PM
This is a copy of a thread that bidbids started on the other auctions threads. It was for once, one of the better ideas bids has come up with.
"Today's internet users are changing ISP and email accounts at an ever-increasing rate. Unfortunately this situation causes a very real real problem for internet users that sell items on online auctions because when users register at an online auction site they register with an email address that they may drop and totally forget to update. That failure to update their email address with the auction site results in bounced and returned letters from these accounts when these users win items on auctions. This problem is increasing at an alarming rate. The online auctions seem to care less about this growing problem and usually will not even post reminders on their site. eBay will never do anything about the problem because at least half of its 50 million accounts are dead accounts with dead email accounts.
One of the internets largest sites has 29 million registered users that has ALL accounts with current email addresses. That internet entity is www.classmates.com . EVERY month they send out an email to all 29 million registered users with news of newly registered classmates in their graduating class. If the email bounces they wait a few days and send the letter again. If the email bounces again they deactivate the account and remove the listings of that member. The once a month letter can hardly be called spam.
What a simple and effective method of weeding out dead accounts. Why in the world don't online auctions use a similar system? Of course eBay will never do it because it would lose a majority of its inflated membership count but the other auctions can surely use this system to cut down on lost sales and aggravation to sellers."
