posted on May 17, 2001 09:08:13 AM new
Auctioneagle.com, the definitive news source for current events in the world of online auctions, would like your feedback.
I will be writing articles on various online auction sites from the seller's perspective. For the next issue, I will focus on Bidbay.com and would like your feedback. If you can post your comments -- the good, the bad and the ugly, I would appreciate it. Additionally, I am looking to interview anyone who has a few minutes to spare. If you are interested, please post here.
That is a wonderful idea. I do hope when you interview for this article you will use valid comments that are backed up with proof and not hearsay. I also hope you take the time to interview the CEO and VP.
posted on May 17, 2001 09:58:07 AM new
What a deal!!! I think it would be to your benefit to read these threads from the past few months. That will give you all the perspective you need. I also think that anyone who is assiciated with Bidbay as a moderator/admin. should not be included. JMO.
Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
as we have to be very careful what we say here.
>^,,^^,,^<
MEOW pft pft
I think BidBay is a great site with lots of potential, excitement, zeal & growth.
Chat rooms there as at any open forums amongst humans, have their problems. eBay, Golds, Yahoo, etc all have problems, cliches, slander, defamation, etc. None can even begin to rival eBay's Chat Room wars. What goes on in the BidBay Chat Rooms in a negative manner are miniscule compared to what I've seen at eBay Chats since 1998. Not just heresay either. There are numberous incidents and facts to back up the horror stories that have been and still are happening in those Chat Rooms at eBay. And to talk about snitches at BidBay is way off base when you consider the ruthless snitches at eBay who thrive on reporting people they don't like to safeharbor and the Non eBay Internet self appointed Police Group who monitor eBay and report with personal threats to Safeharbor their true & untrue findings.
posted on May 17, 2001 11:17:02 AM new
I have said nothing that is not truth as I have experienced it and as I see it. I have threads to back it up.
CDROM you said"None can even begin to rival eBay's Chat Room
wars. What goes on in the BidBay Chat Rooms in a negative manner are miniscule compared to what
I've seen at eBay Chats since 1998. Not just heresay either. There are numberous incidents and facts to
back up the horror stories that have been and still are happening in those Chat Rooms at eBay. And to
talk about snitches at BidBay is way off base when you consider the ruthless snitches at eBay who
thrive on reporting people they don't like to safeharbor and the Non eBay Internet self appointed Police
Group who monitor eBay and report with personal threats to Safeharbor their true & untrue findings."
Why am I reminded of kids that say "everyone else is doing it?" or "he started it".
I have never been nor will I be involved in ebay chat room. The first chatroom I was involved with was bidbay and that was enough for me. I prefer to keep my selling and socializing seperate. I have been a participant in the AW chat room since the bad experiences at Bidbay but that's enough for me.
Just cause someone else is doing something sure don't make it right. We used to ask our kids"if everyone else jumps off a cliff, will you jump also?"
>^,,^^,,^<
MEOW pft pft
posted on May 17, 2001 11:23:35 AM new
eBay may have a self appointed Police, but one other site hires members as sub-contractors to police their friends and other users. Sitting on the outside, I can see the partiality. Talk about ruthless snitches! LOL
posted on May 17, 2001 11:35:08 AM new
allykat I've participated regulalry on eBay's chat over the last year and I tell you I have seen some horrible wars break out on the soap box.
I've also seen posters leave because others begin to interfere with their auctions, stalk them via email, pull their contact info etc just because someone posted an opposing opinion, or said something they didn't like.
Which is why so many use a "posting" id on the ebay boards, one different than their selling/buying id. And as someone who uses a posting id there I highly suggest it.
Things like this aren't a regular occurence on BidBay.
One reason battles stand out so much on BidBay is because it is a smaller community and therefore looks like it is a much larger problem.
But eBays boards get pretty dirty, and ugly.
eBay has been having trouble with one guy costantly posting porn and horrible death pictures as well.
And eBay also has their fair share of those who wish to preach, argue over politics, evolution etc.
Most of the big problems that occur on BidBay has been the result of a small group of people. Especially a couple of trolls who continue to take on many multiple personalities. I wonder if those types would qualify as schizophrenics...LOL.
Anyway.
scbr13...you will get highly slanted opinion regarding BidBay on this board.
Most of the posts here do have some valid points but get muddied up and soiled by emotion.
Good luck in trying to seperate fact from fiction, it will be a difficult task if you only take a sampling from this board.
I never said that eBay Chats started anything. I made a General statement that any Human Forum, be it on the Internet or in any Public Arena, will have conflict. Started long before eBay, probably in the Garden of Eden somewhere.
You can only try to control it, it'll never cease. It's part of human nature. We are all different. Difference is that in an Internet Forum it's much easier to express yourself because the only retaliation you get is if your keyboard don't like ya.
I was personally involved in one of the most horrible Chat Room incidents you'll ever see, over a two week+ period, at the eBay Cafe. Point is, that I've seen nothing at BidBay that comes close.
Look at the Book Room and the Feedback Padding incident that lasted a month. They were all exonerated, yet 2 others in the AOL Cafe were banned with the help of the infamous self appointed Internet Police group that conducts themselves as the Internet's God's Sends with Gestapo Tactics and relentless pursuit thru eBay Chats and even to other Sites Rooms. eBay condones them. Gold's kicked them out immediately.
In ending this, I'm just trying to point out that it's fruitless to even attempt to voice your displeasure to the eBay heirarchy because your voice isn't heard by anyone real and you have very little say about policy and it wouldn't do you any good if you tried. Your a voiceless, uninfluential puppet there. Best policy is to Sell/Buy and be content.
At the smaller Sites we are heard and can even call real people as ordinary people. You don't have to be a Gold Power Seller to get an audience with someone who matters.
Give me the names of 10 ordinary, non Big Power Seller, people who have conversed with Pier* or Me*. Or have even received emails from them. All you get is canned replies from puppets.
I have a saved article that was nitched from the Internet by eBay (I copied and pasted it a year ago or so), by Me*g which frankly stated that eBay wasn't interested any longer in the non Power Seller seller and was going to concentrate it's efforts more towards the Power Seller and Auction Houses. Makes one feel real important when their VP says you are not wanted here.
posted on May 17, 2001 11:59:43 AM new
I must frequent the wrong boards at ebay, because none of that ever went on where I was. However, I do know of some of the situations of which these people speak.
ebay effectively and swiftly takes care of these situations. They are not allowed to sit on the boards for hours or even days until everyone has had their ghastly fill and enjoyment.
I use my regular auction ID for posting and not once have I been threatened, reported (until very recently and I know who did it), or spammed with ugliness at ebay. And I used to sit on their Q&A board for almost 24/7!
It's against policy to pull contact info unless it's auction related. That's cause for suspension. If anyone has their contact info pulled for other reasons, the person has the right to send the info to safe harbor.
It's against policy to interfere with auctions there. Just an email to safe harbor corrects that situation.
All of these scenerios are easy to correct. Safe harbor does respond in a timely manner. I've never waited more than 24 hours for a return reply. Most of the time it comes within 2 hours.
I have received a letter from the founder's secretary and the founder himself. I am not a power seller. I don't own a brick and mortar. I'm a mom and pop seller.
ebay is heads above any other site! That's where the money is and that's where most good sellers are.
edited to add:
But talking about ebay isn't helping Marian get her info for her next column. Why are we drifting so far off topic?
[ edited by mtnmama on May 17, 2001 12:01 PM ]
Your correct. You don't frequent the problem rooms. Namely the eBay Cafe, AOL Cafe, Toy Room, both Car Rooms, Book Room, Sports Card room. And the problems do linger for weeks and over a month (Book Room). That's a fact. eBay does not stop things on the spot. Your in a Safe room away from the big problems. I just saw an incident last 2 weeks in the eBay Cafe. Namecalling, slander, defamation of character. Where was eBay? Funny thing is, it's usually the same individual since 1998 that instigates most of it. They even form coalitons and email the people they are after.
But maybe its good you stay where your at there, cause it gets ugly elsewhere.And that police group need an FBI (I'm serious) investigation of their actions and flagrant violation of human rights and privacy. I'm amazed it hasn't happened yet. I even received an email from one of them telling me to shut my mouth or I will be stalked. A person in one of those Car Rooms emailed me and said not to defend 2 certain individuals or I would be blackballed by their coalition. They were the rulers of that room and still are and they have enormus influence there.
posted on May 17, 2001 12:18:48 PM new
The topic is BidBay and a couple of posts were brought up regarding the chat rooms and we're comparing the BidBay chatrooms to eBays and it in my opinion stays on topic.
One reason eBay might be able to get to things quicker than BidBay on their chat boards has more to do with amount of staff, and funding for staff than because someone just wants to let the offending post stay there.
Also another problem is BidBay is costantly in a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. And I am one of the people who helped put them there.
And by that I mean if a post gets pulled people start screaming censorship, and if it doesn't get pulled people start screaming favoritism. They can't win. No one will let them, here or there.
Of course the same goes on at eBay but when you have hundreds if not thousands of posts on each board daily things like that get lost in the big picture.
BidBay's picture is a little smaller so everything looks larger than it is.
But since I started posting on the eBay boards I personally have been involved with no less than 10 people in having them change their id to an anonymous posting id because of trouble they were having from people on the soapbox messing with their auctions.
One who was always calling me an anonymous coward in fact apologized after he experienced such trouble and asked me how to get a posting id.
Another case involves a highly respected member there. Someone who like you volunteered their time in offering help and guidance. I can't say his name, but if you followed the soapboax anytime in the last year you would have known who he was and why he does not post anymore...or does he? Rumors abound that he is now using an anonymous id.
He experienced all of the trouble I described. Auction interference, email stalking, contact info being pulled.
And yes mtnmana, you are only supposed to be able to get that if it's auction related. But come on we know that's easy enough to circumvent. And it happens all of the time.
There are plenty of people on eBay who could care less about the rules. They are the deadbeat bidders, the ones who iterfere with auctions etc and they get away with it all of the time.
But back to BidBay. There have been some pretty good disputes there, and there are problems there.
But I think everyone needs to be reminded that problems exist everywhere.
And no Allykat this is not a scenario where just because it happens at eBay BidBay should be able to do it, it's just as cdrom put it part of the human condition. There will be conflict, and mistakes everywhere.
AG2
[ edited by auctiongallery2 on May 17, 2001 12:21 PM ]
Just a reminder to stay on topic and address it only.. Do not address each other or this thread will have to be locked if it becomes disruptive or combative.
Thanks for your cooperation.
posted on May 17, 2001 12:25:11 PM new
Scbr13, If you are going to write about them then check out the front page and do some research in to the numbers. Ask them why they say over 4 million members when the majority are not active. Ask them guestions about the games and if it is just away to drive up the numbers and make people believe they have more listed then they truly do. Ask them why free speech scares them. I wish you luck in getting true answers to find that you will have to find them yourself. Oh you may want to go to Dmagazine and look at the numbers for the front page going back to December and do some figureing just for a laught.
posted on May 17, 2001 12:49:36 PM new
Good thoughts telwil!!Excellent. It would be interesting to know this as well as how they can run contest and raffles that are illegal in most states. They do seem to march to a different drum and abide by rules as they pick and choose. I will help Marion in any way I can.
>^,,^^,,^<
MEOW pft pft
posted on May 17, 2001 12:53:37 PM new
I'm sorry to hear anyone having problems at ebay's chat boards. Perhaps they don't know which support person to write to in order to get these problems solved. At any rate it's a shame people have such a jaded view of ebay.
It really is a nice site to buy and sell on and much can be learned on the right boards.
As far as personal contact info, there is no circumventing it with the new system. You can't even get an email address anymore unless you are a seller or winning bidder.
I find ebay to be more responsive than any other site, with the exception of tbayauctions.com. He's a sweetheart!
posted on May 17, 2001 01:05:17 PM new
eBay is my main place of business since early 1998. I've completed well over 3,000 transactions there.
How do I keep peace there? I no longer participate in the Chat Rooms on a personal basis more than 2 or 3 times a month and only a brief post then. I lurk at times, but stay away from personal chatting other than to say a few things to oldtimers.
Gold's to me was the best family kinda experience I had. It had it's bad apples, but a real bond was formed there amongst a group of people who's ties will remain till the end of time. Unlike I've seen anywhere else and I've seen alot. Real friendship groups were formed, not cliches like at the eBay Cafe, Book Room, Car room, etc. You didn't have to be apart of a coalition to be accepted. A family was formed at Gold's.
Some had not too good a stay at Golds, but it was because of personal conflict with usually one individual. Some gave in to this person, most didn't.
We are locking other BidBay threads as per our announcement in this forum, but will leave this one open for the time being. I will remind you to please refrain from personal comments, accusations, etc. in this thread.
posted on May 17, 2001 03:49:16 PM new
Hi, I just thought I'd throw my two cents in before this thread is locked also. Many of you know me from past posts, some of you don't. I was very vocal for a time about BB because in the begining I felt the site could be an excellant alternitive for some of my listings. It didn't take to many personal attacks by the faithfull and seeing CEO backtrack on his word to convince me otherwise. As a seller on ebay I feel my time listing and reserching has a direct affect on my profit. So if an item doesn't sell the first time I list I need to look at the number of hits and decide if the catagory is wrong, do I need better key words. ect.ect. At BB with all the nonstop contests, BB Billy and such I'd never have a clue why something wasn't selling. My other BIG concern at BB is the moderators, cops, troppers, coaches. ect. ect. who are these people? If I'm at the Ebay cafe (and I do look in on a daily basis) and a pinkliner speaks up they KNOW what they're talking about. I've never heard them say "Oh I'll check with so and so and get back to you" or " I'm sorry what I did last night was wrong". I'm sure, at ebay, their employment contracts with prohibit them from being sellers and chatting under those names also. To me this is the epitome of unprofessionalism. More sure than ever CEO is just after the numbers, and couldn't care less if any members are have real cash sales or not. JMHO
posted on May 17, 2001 03:54:41 PM new
Well, I do not understand the moderator's position on this topic. If they are locking other topics regarding BidBay, why not this one, too!
posted on May 17, 2001 04:27:56 PM new
dimview thanks for posting that to alt.configuration. I'll be sure to keep my eyes open and do what I can to get my ISP to carry the group.
and btw who ever asked. Yes I was paid to consult with BidBay...LOL...so now what, is AW supposed to boot me off?
I don't think so...that issue has already been discussed.
Independent contractors can post here which is what I was considered.
I'd like to be apart of your article, perhaps you'll drop back here, reread all the old posts here, then visit there, read their past board posts(what hasn't been deleted), see everything, take notes, you'll need them, good luck.
