From: David Cole (DavidCole@tk7.net)
Date: Wed Jun 25 2003 - 23:55:14 PDT
I've been selling and buying stuff on Ebay for years. I've sold hundreds
of items and bought not nearly as much as I have sold.
When a person goes into a store to buy an item, there is an inherent
expectation that the transaction is not entirely public. For instance, if
I go into a drug store to buy supplies, I don't expect to see my name on
the sign out front telling the public that I saved $10 on a case of condoms
the night before. The transaction is semi-private, and certainly not
something that I would expect to be above the fold on the newspaper the
next day.
I'm sure that none of the customers I have dealt with on Ebay expect that
also. In fact I'm quite sure that if all sales on Ebay were entirely
public, that their sales volume would fall like a rock.
Mel, your idealized version of Ebay is just what they want you to think.
Community, BS. Ebay is a multbillion dollar company that is creating an
image that you have sopped up. The community is a bunch of agreements that
form rules that run on servers at Ebay. Ebay is no more of a community
than is the flea market down the street.
The fact that you can buy and sell stuff and not get ripped off most of the
time is not something I think is a great improvement over the flea market
concept. The only thing is that Ebay is global versus local. It's a great
place to sell certain things.
Ebay has a lot of problems as anyone who has dealt with Ebay certainly
knows. Just try to call them with a problem. When you find out how, give
me the number please.
The Ebay folks are far from stupid. I'm quite sure that Mr. Sullivan will
get reprimanded. If nothing else, that was a public relations blunder. I
just got my new Paypal privacy disclosure and it says nothing about handing
over all info to any law enforcement guy who faxes them. If they start
actively doing that their business will slow tremendously for the reasons I
said above.
I know a lot of people that believe that anyone who does anything that is
not 100% conformant with their beliefs are very suspicious. Ebay needs to
be careful in how they handle this semi-private info or everyone will go
back to the flea market instead of using Ebay.
>> (eBay itself goes further than this, employing six investigators who are
>> charged
>> with tracking down "suspicious people" and "suspicious behavior.")
Suspicious Dave
On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 23:03:29 -0500, Mel Miller <nourmahal@att.net> wrote:
> Howdy Gruppe,
>
> As an avid member of the Ebay buying and Selling community - Yes, at its
> best it is a community! - I totally endorse Mr. Sullivan's and Ebay's
> position on regulating the Ebay experience. I will tell you why.
>
> The Ebay marketplace rests on TRUST between buyer and seller, first, last
> and all ways. That is why the Feedback feature is so important. When
> people
> describe their item for sale they often over emphasize small bumps,
> scratches and defects so that no one can say that they did not disclose a
> known defect, they also send payment promptly and communicate quickly
> after
> an auction ends. WHY do they do that? They do that so that they will
> build a
> reputation for integrity and credibility with the other buyers and
> sellers
> in their field. This allows them to get the best bids for what they sell.
> I
> like it when someone I have sold to emails me that the article was in
> better
> shape than they thought it was in.
>
> Right now, there are a few problem areas in Ebay. The electronics and
> computer areas are rife with ripoff artists. One has to be careful buying
> from people with sparse feedback. It is really imperative that people who
> repeatedly fail to send merchandise, change their ID often, and traffic
> in
> stolen merchandise are dealt with quickly.
>
> In the past Ebay turned a blind eye to complaints by members who were
> ripped
> off by not tracking repeat offenders. There now appears to have been a
> change of heart and they are cooperating quickly with law enforcement.
> Hopefully this will result in more prosecution of ripoff artists.
>
> Just as with the rest of the internet, everyone should conduct themselves
> in
> such a way that they would not be embarrassed if their deeds from the
> previous day were to be printed, above the fold, in the next days edition
> of
> the New York Times. Remember, your emails are all floating around there
> in
> the ether - just ask Ollie North! Those of you who feel threatened by
> this
> type of transparency should not use Ebay - frankly I do not want you in
> my
> community.
>
> Mel Miller
> Corpus Christi, TX
> 361-937-3317
> M725
> M884
> 86 VW Transporter Drop Side Pickup
>
>
>> Brags Sullivan, "If you are a law-enforcement officer, all you have to
>> do is
>> send us a fax with a request for information, and ask about the person
>> behind
>> the seller's identity number, and we will provide you with his name,
>> address,
>> sales history and other details--all without having to produce a court
>> order."
>>
>> (eBay itself goes further than this, employing six investigators who are
>> charged
>> with tracking down "suspicious people" and "suspicious behavior.")
>>
>> Read the whole article:
>>
>> http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030707&s=engle
>
>
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-- Dave
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