Ink on the road…

implogOn 04.21.2008 at 5:50 pm Said:

Have a safe and productive trip.

Would you ask Lorrie Norrington to respond to my earlier post in eBay INK?

Thanks in advance.

implog

On 04.02.2008 at 4:42 pm Said:

Please re-round the circle squared by eBay President Lorrie Norrington on the eBay Announcement Board on March 20, 2008 titled “Update For Sellers”.

Norrington seems to be attempting to address the concerns of sellers who fear a neg from a non paying bidder. She attempts to mitigate the new “neg sellers only” policy by writing:

“What we have determined is that if the buyer does not specifically call out poor seller performance, item condition or transaction problems during the UPI process, eBay will remove the seller’s negative or neutral feedback — retroactively.”

This makes no sense. Sellers do not send items won in auctions before receiving payment. How can a buyer who leaves a neg be justified by claiming a problem with “item condition” for an item never sent, received nor seen? Again, sellers DO NOT send items without first receiving payment.

While Norrington’s “solution” may be boss pleasing “disruptive innovation”, it flat out makes no sense in the real world of selling on eBay.

Thank you for your help.

MechelleOn 04.21.2008 at 6:45 pm Said:

I have no idea who is in charge of counterfeit violations and best match, but I am curious to know why sellers selling authentic Mac cosmetics within a day of closing are behind 30 gallery view pages of counterfeit Mac listings?

What I don’t understand is why there are so many. I have been scrolling Mac listings nearly daily for more than a year and have always come across a dozen or so, but the volume such as it is has only been this high since the Feb Boycott. I am certain of this, because I spent over an hour reporting the listings before I finally just gave up for the night. There are so many- right now the Mac category listings with international included in the count is 7,762- remove international and the count is 3,303. I would put money on 99% of those international listings being counterfeit. That is flat out unacceptable, and eBay is beyond negligent in dealing with these frauds.

For a company that is shouting to the world that they are all about the buyer experience- this sure does make them the fool

HenriettaOn 04.22.2008 at 1:25 am Said:

Coo-well!

Have a fabulous trip, eat lots of beignets and don’t spare the expense account. Someone might as well get some benefit out of eBay and I can’t think of anyone more deserving than you.

CrunchyPostingGoodnessOn 04.22.2008 at 9:44 am Said:

I sent this email to Richard earlier, in case he didn’t have an opportunity to read them on the blog during his trip. I thought I would post them here publicly, the answers can be viewed by all on the blog.
——
“Hello Richard,

I hope that you are enjoying your trip. I do have a couple of questions that I would like to ask, if you can, during your trip.

1. Why isn’t PayPal confirming all buyer shipping addresses for all sellers?

Amazon guarantees every shipping address for all of their sellers. I doubt that Amazon can actually verify every address, just like I’m sure PayPal can’t either, however Amazon does assume all responsibility and protects sellers who ship to any address specified by the buyer at checkout. Even if PayPal can not physically confirm every address, it should still provide the seller with the same protection, as if the address was able to be confirmed.

2. Why is eBay forcing all sellers to conform into being professional sellers, instead of allowing the diversity, and allow buyers to decide what level they wish to buy from?

The solution should be different tiers of sellers based on different levels of service each is able to provide. For instance, casual seller, part-time seller, and professional sellers. The current Power Seller program does not address this as it simply focuses on selling volume (item and price), rather than service ability.

3. What efforts, if any, has eBay put in validating the information they gleam from their surveys, which they use to base policy changes on? Are they just collecting numbers, or are they research each issue to determine if the information being provided is accurate and true?

I think you have already seen from several posters on the blog that the surveys which they have participated in a poorly designed, which undoubted ends in skewed results. Not to mention the fact that most buyers who deserve a neg, will never admit it was deserved, if responding otherwise will allow for policy changes that will permit them to continue their bad behavior and practices.

4. Have you bothered to search the internet for those websites I alluded to, which give instructions on how scamming buyers can exploit eBay and PayPal loopholes to take advantage of buyers? Have you made eBay aware of this? What are they doing to close these loopholes?

I have also posted these questions on the “Ink on the Road” thread, so the answers can be viewed by all on the blog.

Thank you!”

SandiOn 04.23.2008 at 3:03 am Said:

“I doubt that Amazon can actually verify every address, just like I’m sure PayPal can’t either”

Paypal does not verify them the way anyone would think, and mistakes are certainly made.

Posting how it is done would simply open the door further for new scammers. I suspect the professional scammers already know, but I do not want to be responsible for the want be scammers to know how easy it is.

They should be considering every shipping address listed in Paypal confirmed for all sellers, not just power sellers given the method they are using to confirm the majority of addresses.

permacrisisOn 04.23.2008 at 6:54 pm Said:

The time to nab people is coming thru the door, at sign-up. It would also work out the cheapest.

MechelleOn 04.23.2008 at 11:28 pm Said:

Hi Richard
Any feedback on the counterfeit Mac Cosmetics yet? This is a really big deal to me not only because I have been robbed by these cons, but because I think it is potentially physically damaging to the victims. I really think if eBay cares so much about eBay members they would stop putting peoples lives in danger to earn a few dollars.

There is only one way to view a company that ignores this type of activity- were not talking about a hand bag or a freaking plate. These are cosmetics - products that people put on their face- on their eyes. Imagine the potential harm that could occur if the crap they use to fill the shadow pots are toxic. I believe I read your wife has a lot of eBay activity- how would you feel if she bought freaking makeup and her whole freaking eye rotted out. This is a serious problem, and eBay’s lack of action is simply demonic.

I won’t hold my breath eBay is without humanity. I’m just going to start writing Estee Lauder and they can deal with them along side L”Oreal.

SandiOn 04.24.2008 at 12:47 am Said:

Hi Richard, did you happen to catch Lorrie Norrington to ask her my questions, in case you missed them:

1. Lorrie stated sellers would be able to report bad buyers, etc.

How many staff have been added to ensure sellers receive timely, responsive replies to their complaints?

I would guess ebay will tackle this with the utmost importance so they can demonstrate quality customer service we all can learn from.

What are the guidelines given to the employees assigned this task that determine buyer abuse?

How many complaints regarding a buyer will result in suspension of said buyer? There is a rule isn’t there?

If not, and it is subjective, how was it worded to the customer support employees, what did the memo say? It would helpful to all so we can have a baseline to work with to ensure we are not wasting employee time with non-qualified complaints.

I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to ask specifics, but then I remembered the transparency movement ebay has undertaken.

(This one is new) What newly implemented controls will be used to ensure bad buyers do not simply register with a new id?

2. Regarding negatives received by non-paying buyers -

As I stated before, I must be simple minded, can Lorrie explain how a buyer can have a valid issue regarding item not as described, seller performance, etc? I mean if they haven’t paid, they haven’t got the item, the seller has not been the party non-performing.

What is it I am missing?

On the same topic, again, how many staff have been added to this issue to ensure sellers (eBay’s customers) receive timely, well communicated, responsive answers?

Additionally what are the guidelines that have been given to these ebay employees to follow in regards what constitutes a valid complaint from a non-paying buyer?

Point system, one word? Will there be verification from the seller to dispute any claim the non paying bidder who has never seen the item makes?

TIA!