neglus
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posted on November 3, 2005 04:58:07 AM new
by January 15 or risk suspension etc!!
ED: Make that "Official" and "off your listings"
I listened to PART of Bill Cobb's town meeting yesterday and one of the questions was about the new Payment Policy and the requirement that all mention of "cash" payments be removed from listings by January 15. A store owner complained that he/she has 2500 listings that will need to be changed and that doing so would create a hardship - the basic answer was "TOUGH - that's why we are giving you until January 15th".
I was hoping to end all my store listings, change all Vendio preferences and custom listing text and relaunch - but unfortunately the relisted item keeps the payment types and payment instructions from the original
listing and an auction end and relaunch will not correct the problem. Each auction will have to be revised.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
[ edited by neglus on Nov 3, 2005 04:59 AM ]
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cherishedclutter
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posted on November 3, 2005 05:07:00 AM new
What the heck have they got against cash? Afraid they can't profit from it?! SHEEESH!
Thanks for the heads up - I hadn't heard about this one.
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 06:28:39 AM new
You're kidding, right??? Isn't CASH the "Legal Tender for all Debts, Public and Private". Who the HE** is eBay to say that we can't accept our country's LEGAL TENDER?!?! They're just itching for a fight on this one... aren't they? I can just see the lawyers getting rich off of another class-action lawsuit. What on earth was their justification for this decision? Also... can you link us to some sort of page with information about this? I'd like to see the eBay'ese version of this announcement.
Another question... does anyone know of a bulk editor that will remove a word from listings? I've got about 3000+ items in my store... and they've all got the word cash in them! There's just no way I can get my Christmas items launched AND edit that many listings!
p.s. Thanks for posting this Neglus!
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HelgaGPataki
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posted on November 3, 2005 06:35:52 AM new
WOW I am so glad I didn't have cash listed as a payment option in my listings.
It has taken me almost 3 weeks to go through my store and edit things that have needed edited.
Some of my listings still said "I will be away on business June 2-4 and will not have internet access while I'm away". I just revised every single item in my store, added new templates, adjusted prices, etc.
I'm glad I don't have to do that all over again.
What is the problem with accepting cash though? If someone sends it I take it, I just don't advertise that I take it.
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roadsmith
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posted on November 3, 2005 06:55:56 AM new
One possibility is that Ebay wants more and more buyers to use PayPal. Or could the USPS have leaned on Ebay to enforce this, since USPS doesn't want cash sent through the mails?
It sounds as though Ebay wants to, and can, control what's in the auction listing. But surely it's okay for me, in my personalized EOA message, to tell international buyers that concealed cash is okay? My EOAs are manually sent, not through any Ebay checkout system.
______________________________
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 07:12:00 AM new
&*(@%^&*
It's true! Here's a link to their new "Safe Payment Policy":
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/safe-payments-policy.html
I am so pi****!! They have NO RIGHT to tell our bidders that they can't send cash. That is THEIR choice! It's also complete untrue that it is not a common method of payment! I'd say at least 5% of my payments come in as cash. That is a significant percentage, in my mind! Is there anything we can do to fight this? Suggestions?!?
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 07:24:56 AM new
Just sent this message off to my Powerseller support:
**************
I want to express my intense disapproval of your new "Safe payment policy". Elminating cash as a possible payment methods for our bidders also eliminates a potential market share for certain customers. I am working hard to INCREASE my sales... not decrease them. Cash is the "Legal tender of all debts, public and private". Who are you to tell MY BUSINESS that I can't accept MY COUNTRY's legal tender? I am extremely disappointed in eBay's decision. It also will but an EXTREME burden on my time to have to edit over 3000 items in my eBay store. I would like to request that you change this policy!!! Do not make hard working eBay sellers suffer due to your ridiculous policy! I would like a prompt response to this message to know that my concerns have been listened to... and are being passed on to the appropriate policy makers.
*************
I'd recommend that anyone else that agrees with the ridiculousness of this policy, contact eBay as well. Maybe we could get some positive media coverage as well... like we did last year when eBay increased fees. I'm just really upset that eBay would do this ... AND that they think two months is an adequete amount of time to implement it!
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 07:41:32 AM new
Here's an interesting eBay thread on the topic:
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000038217
I think it's real interesting how the representatives say that there is no way they can stop bidders and sellers from sending and receiving "unsafe" payments... but that they can stop sellers from "solicitating" them. I don't see how puting cash as an OPTION in my payment methods is the same as SOLICITATING payment in cash. It's not like I'm going out there and saying... hey I'll give you a 25% discount if you pay in cash. I'm just saying here's a list of my payment methods... if you feel comfortable sending payment this way... then bid on my auction. Why does eBay always make the sellers carry the burden? Can't they lay some of the responsibility on the bidders for once? This whole thing is frustrating!!!
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mamachia
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posted on November 3, 2005 08:48:11 AM new
What a PITA!!! I have been sitting at my computer waisting precious time removing the word CASH from my listings instead of taking pictures or listing my items. How unproductive of Ebay since they are loosing fees as we sit here removing that scary little word from their site.
Bravo Ebay, another one of your hair brain ideas !!!
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neglus
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posted on November 3, 2005 10:00:26 AM new
eauction - mu sister (pixiamom) says she figured out a way to bulk edit using turbolister but I am not sure it is 100% finetuned yet. I'll call her and have her post here.
I have posed the problem to Vendio and they said they MIGHT have a solution (I hvae 6000 listings!) in the works...maybe if more people ask them about it? I would think everybody's going to think about raising shipping with new rates.
I was hoping against hope ebay would grandfather in the store listings but it looks like that's a NO!
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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neglus
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posted on November 3, 2005 10:06:03 AM new
If it's any comfort, I think people that say "no cash" are going to have to revise too. I'll bet ebay for enforcement will just do a "cash" search and pull the plug!!
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 10:08:41 AM new
Neglus,
That's just too funny! I just found an eBay forum thread from your sister discussing the issue. The thread is:
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=1000112672&tstart=0&mod=1130218954356
From the sounds of it... I'm guessing we'll have to end all our store listings... make the changes in the CSV file... then upload them again. What a pain... not to mention a bit of a loss on the listing fees!
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blackjack21
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posted on November 3, 2005 10:19:07 AM new
Here's the whole thing in a nutshell. Ebay owns Paypal, so they'll try any idea to boost profits to look good for the stockholders. If ebay forces sellers to removes the word "cash" from the options that a buyer reads on a listing, then that buyer, not knowing any better and for the sake of convenience and the "safe" excuse ebay touts, will now be more likely to pay with Paypal.
Slick, ain't they?
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roadsmith
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posted on November 3, 2005 12:57:24 PM new
eauctionmgnt: Thanks for the link. I read far enough into it to get the answer to my main question. Someone asked if it just applied to listings etc. Seems the answer is that if I send personal EOAs manually, Ebay cannot police my naming cash as one payment option. Here's what I found in that thread:
"#1 - The policy applies to all forms of solicitation of payment on the site so it applies to listings, Store pages, Me pages, etc.
#2 - eBay cannot police activity off of the site so the policy does not apply."
I do think that Ebay should have given perhaps 4 - 6 months advance notice so that the big sellers (not me!) have time to go in and revise the auctions they've already prepared.
______________________________
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
[ edited by roadsmith on Nov 3, 2005 12:58 PM ]
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mamachia
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posted on November 3, 2005 01:25:27 PM new
Hi Adele & All,
I was thinking the exact thought about sending my own EOA invoices. I stopped when Ebay created My Ebay but now I will go back to manually sending out my personal invoice.
I read on the AuctionBytes site about the possible trouble that Ebay might face if they continue down this path as a monopoly. I wished that I had saved it. Maybe someone can find it.
rosanne
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on November 3, 2005 01:36:42 PM new
Rosanne,
I think this might be the article you were looking for:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m10/i19/s00
I really can't believe how much eBay gets away with. I don't see how they can say they are just a venue when they start dictating what payment methods we can/can't advertise. They are definitely crossing a line somewhere....
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stonecold613
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posted on November 3, 2005 01:58:27 PM new
Here's a thought. I personally don't list cash as a payment option within my listings, but sure do list it as an payment option in my Winning Bidder Notice.
Nothing ebay can do about that.
.
.
.
Alive in 2005
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toolhound
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posted on November 3, 2005 02:00:30 PM new
Seems eBay is a venue when they want to be and a dictator when they want to be. I would love to know what percentage of cash transactions have had problems. I have purchased many items for cash and recieved cash for many with no problems. I have been ripped off when paying with money orders and checks and I have had 5 checks bounce that I was paid with. So for me cash has been the safest payment.
I am packing right now to do a big show and the great thing about shows and flea markets is that I can still make cash the only payment I accept.
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LtRay
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posted on November 3, 2005 02:23:16 PM new
Look on the bright side. Maybe this will cut down on the "mystery" auctions that hint at having caSH IN THE BOX.
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meowmix71
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posted on November 3, 2005 05:36:33 PM new
Next will be no checks or money orders. Is this their way of making everyone take Paypal payments only?
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tOMWiii
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posted on November 3, 2005 05:50:04 PM new
Sorry to be contrarian here, but I truly don't see a great nefarious feeBay conspiracy here over this issue!
I truly think that they developed VALID concerns about the proliferation of dubious payment services that have cropped up over the past year & are trying to head off a major mess before it can develop...
I think that this move was motivated not so much by the anticipation of a Google payment system but rather by the sudden onslaught of garbage from GREEN ZAP...
It looks to me like eBay (and rightly so, IMMHO) is trying to EXCLUDE a whole bunch of bottom-tier "processors" like:
STORM PAY
ALERT PAY
eGOLD
GREEN ZAP
Considering the fact that eBay specifically ACCEPTED BidPay as an approved vendor tends to show me that this rule is not designed to be a BLANKET exclusion of NON-PAYPAL vendors, and, I do not expect them to exclude a GOOGLE system if one really does come into existance...
If you do a lot of reading & research on SCAMS and MLM and ONLINE GAMBLING, etc, you'll see that PayPal avoids those kinds of slime, that others EMBRACE with open arms...
The CASH exclusion seems extreme, but I'll bet they've gotten a bunch of complaints & just decided to lump the CASH EXCLUSION with the others as a time & effort saver?
[ edited by tOMWiii on Nov 3, 2005 05:51 PM ]
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mamachia
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posted on November 3, 2005 07:27:36 PM new
Wow Tom & Ralphie,
I am impressed tonight with you two. A very valid point but you haven't been nipping at the two buck chuck, have you??? 
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parklane64
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posted on November 3, 2005 07:52:34 PM new
Snort!
Daughter just tried to pay for an auction through feeBay, with Paypal. She hit the 'continue to Paypal' link and was dead in the water. She finally gave up, and I was enjoying it so much I didn't suggest any alternatives to reach Paypal..........
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tOMWiii
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posted on November 3, 2005 08:00:02 PM new
2 Buck UpChuck?
Hell no, Ralphie & I prefer a more "civilized & refined" vintage:
[ edited by tOMWiii on Nov 3, 2005 08:01 PM ]
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on November 4, 2005 01:19:28 PM new
Here's what I plan on puting in my listing's. If they don't like the word "CASH" that's fine. I'll just put "LEGAL US FEDERAL RESERVE ISSUE PAPER/COIN CURRENCY", that should get their legal baboon's thinking.
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