posted on September 2, 2000 12:10:52 PM new
Looking over the new ad limit system on Yahoo, I notice that apparently they are shutting down multiple IDs for sellers, but not buyers who use them for being "professional deadbeats".
If I am reading the explanations of the new system properly, the things that matter in maintaining the best available amount of listings are number of sales, and positive feedback.
Since there is no effective limit placed on deadbeat bidders, the system should be easy to manipulate by disgruntled sellers.
Example: Seller A bids on 10 of seller B's "nonselling" widgets. Seller B likewise bids on sellers A's widgets. Each leaves a glowing positive feedback. Both
sellers "deadbeat", nothing changes hands, but both now have provided more "throughput
and Great Customer Service".
And you said you hated deadbeats!
--- Just some random thoughts on the flaws inherent to the system, I have no desire to contribute to anyone's delinquency.
[ edited by whereistheprophet on Sep 2, 2000 12:13 PM ]
posted on September 2, 2000 01:01:14 PM new
WHEREIS - Maybe you didn't want to contribute but for this D from the 50's you already have.
To take your "what if" a step further, they would both have improved sell-through numbers and to max. the impact could use seperate buyer ID for each purchase for higher total feedback numbers (positive feedback from repeat customers does not seem to count as much).
All the while legit. seller C has 3 real sales, gets one pos. feedback from a repeat customer and little extra in available listings.
I won't even discuss how buyer ID could be used for non-completed sales while leaving negative feedback against sellers and hurting if not destroying competition. Postings on TSZ recently discussed seller going from approx.40+ positive rating to -35 rating as a result of an "attack" by one person out to hurt them. Y did step in and stop/fix the problem but a lot of damage had already happened.
Clearly a flawed program that invites manipulation and puts honest sellers at an even greater disadvantage.
Reminds me of the many times in history when honest people were forced to cheat, steal or fight to survive. See books for the details of almost every uprising or revolution in recorded history.
Not a good thing for anybody, not what I expect Y wanted and something that must be fixed.
I'm worried that is exactly what will start happening. There is no system that is so perfect that it can not be manipulated, but it seems like failing to shut down multiple bidder ids just offers opportunity for it.
posted on September 2, 2000 03:13:29 PM new
there is a few fail safes built in here.
frist you cant use the same Credcit card number to register ok buyer are not required to put give there credit card number for casual bidding one or two auction bids at a time if they want more active bidding they have to provide a credit card number for the ID also seller can set who bid on there auction you can choose to not recieve bids from any one with -1 rateing or from any one with less then a +10.
with out Credit card verification on your auctions.
or you can set it to accept bids from all by setting rateing on every item you list to 0
the limit incress as I pointed out in a earlyer post today is not hinged totally on postive feed back from sales I had many sales in the last two weeks but got no neg or pos feed back my limit went up 31 for september.
it wasnt based on my past positive feed back since it is only at 25 different users meaning all my other feed back was from repete buyer also when I started selling I didnt know the difference between close auction early and cancel auction if you cancel a sale with or woth out bid early you lose one + feed back for each I made errors listing and used the canceled and lost my frist 12 postive rateing they just disapeared comments and all like they never happened
remember to check the close auction early so you dont have to cancel auctions early .
posted on September 3, 2000 09:15:09 AM new
Sorry GRANEE but I'm no longer available for that type of work. I was forced to retired from the field about 20 years ago.
Most I ever do now is a little consulting for the "good guys" pointing out where there is a flaw in security.
Never did approach little old ladies. "Old school", religious upbringing or "Robin Hood" complex led me in another direction. Mostly toward corporate or government clients/marks.
